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SANDUSKY AND OTTAWA, 



OHIO, 

CONTAINING 

BIO(;KAIMnCAL SKKTCUKS <>l" PKOMINKNT AND RKPKRSENTATIVE 
CITIZENS. AND OF MANY Ol" THE EARLY SETTLED FAMILIES. 



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FROM THE PRESS OF WILSON. HUMPHRYES * CO., 
FOURTH ST., LOGANSPORT, IND. 






Preface. 



Tin?) importance of placing in book form biographical histor)' of representative 
citizens — both for its immediate worth and for its value to coming generations 
— is admitted by all thinking people; and within the past decade there has 
been a growing interest in this commendable means of perpetuating biography 
and family genealogy. 

That the public is entitled to the privileges afforded by a work of this nature 
needs no assertion at our hands; for one of our greatest Americans has said that the 
history of any country resolves itself into the biographies of its stout, earnest and 
representative citizens. This medium, then, serves more than a single purpose: 
while it perpetuates biography and family genealogy, it records history, much of 
which would be preserved in no other way. 

In presenting the Commemorative Biographical Record to its patrons, the 
publishers have to acknowledge, with gratitude, the encouragement and support their 
enterprise has received, and the willing assistance rendered in enabling them to sur- 
mount the many unforeseen obstacles to be met with in the production of a work of 
this character. In nearly every instance the material composing the sketches was 
gathered from those inmiediately interested, and then submitted in type-written form 
for correction and revision. The volume, which is one of generous amplitude, is 
placed in the hands of the public with the belief that it will be found a valuable addi- 
tion to the library, as well as an invaluable contribution to the historical literature of 
the State of Ohio. 

Tin: I'LIJLISHEKS. 




\ 




BlOGRAPHlGAk 




ENERAL RALPH P. 
BUCKLAND. Lead- 
ers of men in all afjes 
have not only pos- 
sessed rare natural 
and acquired abili- 
ties, but in almost 
every instance they 
have been launched 
into the stream of life under circum- 
stances peculiarly favorable for their de- 
velopment, and have had to pass throuj^h 
severe trials aiul discipline preparatory 
to their life work, aptly illiislratinf; that 
" There's a divinity that shapes our ends." 
or "There is a God in history. " 

As a hi;,'hly worthy example of Ameri- 
can leaders who have left their indelible 
impress upon the pa^es of United States 
history we present the subject of this 
sketch. His ancestn*', his natural en- 
dowments, his education, his environ- 
ment and achievements, both in civil and 
military life, resembling in some respects 
those of his illustrious cf)ntemporaries, 
Lincoln and (irant, furnish valuable ob- 
ject lessons to young Americans, and are 
eminently worthy of a place in the local 
biographical record of the people of a his- 
toric locality. 

The ancestor from whom arc descend- 
ed the Huckland families in Sandusky 
county. Ohio, was a citizen of Hartford, 
Conn., in Colonial times, and was of En- 
glish descent. His son. Stephen Buck- 



land, of East Hartford, grandfather of our 
subject, was a captain-lieutenant in Bige- 
low's Artillery Company, raised in Con- 
necticut during the Revolutionary war. 
[ This was an independent company, re- 
i cruited earlj- in 1 776, and was attached 
to the Northern Department, where it ap- 
pears to have been accepted as a Conti- 
nental company. It was stationed dur- 
ing the summer and fall at Ticonderoga 
i and vicinity. Stephen Buckland was 
comtnissioned captain-lieutenant of this 
company January 23, 1776, and was pro- 
' moted November 9 to Maj. Steven's Con- 
' tinental Artillery. He was afterward a 
! captain in Col. John Crane's Third Regi- 
! ment of Continental Artillery, commis- 
sioned January 1, 1777. and was detached 
' with his company to serve with (iates 
against Burgoyne. He was subsequently 
stationed at various points, and was at 
I'^armington in the winter of 1777 78. 
I He was furloughed by Gen. Washington 
for five weeks, from October 30. 1778. 
and was on command at Fort Arnold. 
West Point, in 1779. He afterward be- 
came captain of a privateer which was 
captured on the second day of April. 17S2. 
by the British brig •' Perseverance," Ross, 
commander, and was with his officers 
confined in the "Old Jersey" prison 
ship, where he died on the 7th of May, 
of the same year. His remains are prob- 
ably now, with other martyrs of the 
i prison ships, buried in P'ort Green, Brook- 



8 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



]yn, N. Y. , near Washington Place, in 
that city. He had married a Miss Mary 
Olmsted, who was born September 27, 
1774, and their children were Mar}'; 
Hannah; Stephen, who died in infancy; 
another child, also called Stephen, who 
also died in infancy; Betsey, and Ralph. 

Ralph Buckland, born July 28, 1781, 
son of Stephen, came in the year 181 1 to 
Portage county, Ohio, where he served 
in the capacity of land agent and sur- 
veyor. In 18 1 2 he removed his family 
in a one-horse sleigh from their home in 
Massachusetts to Ravenna, Ohio. His 
wife's maiden name was Ann Kent. Some 
few years after his death Mrs. Buckland 
married Dr. Luther Hanchett, who then 
had four children by a former marriage; 
six more children were born to them. 
Ralph Buckland served as a volunteer in 
Hull's army during the war of 18 12. He 
was second sergeant in Capt. John Camp- 
bell's company, which began its march 
on the 4th of July, 1S12, to join the regi- 
ment commanded by Col. Lewis Cass, at 
Detroit. After great suffering and hard- 
ship, because of the character of the 
country traversed, they finalh' reached 
the river Raisin, and were surrendered by 
Gen. Hull on the i6th day of August, as 
prisoners of "war. Mr. Buckland returned 
to his home in Ravenna, "prisoner on 
parole," and died May 23, 1813. His 
children were: An infant daughter who 
died on the way west, and was buried at 
Albany, N. Y. ; Ralph Pomeroy, our sub- 
joct; and Stephen, who for nearly forty 
years was a leading druggist at Fremont, 
Ohio. 

Ralph Pomeroy Buckland was born at 
Leyden, Mass., January 20, 181 2. Dur- 
ing his early life he lived with his step- 
father and family on a farm, but the 
greater part of the time previous to the 
age of eighteen he lived with and labored 
for a farmer uncle in Mantua, excepting 
two years when he worked in a woolen 
factory at Kendall, Ohio' and one year 
which he spent as clerk in a store. In 



the winter he attended the country 
schools, and in the summer of 1830 at- 
tended an academy at Tallmadge, Ohio, 
where he commenced the study of Latin. 
In the fall of 1831 he embarked, at 
Akron, Ohio, on board a flat-boat loaded 
with a cargo of cheese, to be transported 
through the Ohio canal, down the Mus- 
kingum, Ohio and Mississippi rivers to 
Natchez, Miss. At Louisville he secured 
a deck passage on the " Daniel Boone," 
and worked his way by carrying wood on 
board. At Natchez he found employ- 
ment, and secured the confidence of his 
employers so far that at the end of a few 
months they put him in charge of two flat- 
boats lashed together and loaded with 
1200 barrels of flour for the New Orleans 
market. On this trip he served his turn 
with the rest of the crew as company 
cook. The voyage was successfully com- 
pleted, and at the solicitation of his em- 
ployers he remained in New Orleans, in 
charge of their commission house. Here, 
for a time, he was under the influence of 
companions who indulged in drinking, 
gambling and other vices, and was con- 
firmed in his resolution to avoid the evils 
by the sudden death of a fellow clerk, a 
victim of dissipation. He saved his 
money, and spent his time in the study of 
the Latin and French languages, and in 
reviewing common-school branches. 

In June, 1834, Mr. Buckland started 
for Ohio, on a visit to his mother, leaving 
New Orleans with the fixed idea of return- 
ing and making that city his future home. 
He had been offered several first-rate 
situations, but on arriving home his moth- 
er induced him to remain in the North. 
After spending one year at Kenyori Col- 
lege, he began the study of law in the 
office of Gregory Powers, at Middlebury, 
now apart of Akron, Ohio, and completed 
it with Whitiessy & Newton, at Canfield, 
being admitted to practice in the spring 
of 1837. During the winter of the pre- 
vious year he had spent several months 
pursuing his studies in the office of George 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



B. Way, who was then editor t>f the 
Toledo lilmif, and in whose temporary 
absence he acted for a few weeks as echtor 
pro tint. Immediately after Mr. Hiick- 
lund's admission to the bar, with only 
about fifty dollars in his pocket, loaned 
him by his uncle, Alson Kent, he started 
in quest of a favorable location for an at- 
torney. The failure of the wilil-cat banks 
was what settled him in Lower Sandusky. 
for on arriving here he had not good 
money enough to pay a week's board, and 
was obliged to stop. He was kindly 
trusted by Thomas L. Hawkins for a 
sign, opened a law office, and soon se- 
cured enough business to pay for his ex- 
penses, which were kept down to the 
lowest possible point. At this date he 
was not only without means, but still 
owed three hundred dollars for his ex- 
penses incurred while a student, and for 
a few necessary law books; but he was 
confident of ultimate success, for eight 
months after opening up his law office in 
Lower Sandusky he went to Canfield, 
Ohio, and married Charlotte Boughton, 
returning with her the following spring. 
Being strictly economical, their expenses 
during their first year of married life did 
not exceed $300. His credit was good 
and his business steadily increased, so 
that at the end of three or four years he 
had all he could attend to. He was at 
that time slender in build and troubled 
with dyspepsia, but out-door exercise, 
gained in traveling on horseback to the 
courts of adjoining counties, during term 
time, cured him and gradually increased 
his weight and physical strength. In 
1846 Kutherff)rd H. Hayes became a 
partner with Mr. Huckland in the practice 
of law, and the partnership continued 
until Mr. Hayes removed to Cincinnati, 
three years later. He afterward had as- 
sociated with him Hon. Homer Everett, 
under the firm name of Buckland & 
Everett, and still later James H. P'owler. 
the finn name beconiing Buckland, 
Everett & Fowler. succeede<l by K. P. & 



H. S. Buckland. R. P. & H. S. Buck- 
land & Zeigler. and Buckland & Buck- 
land. 

From his youth K. F. Buckland took 
an active interest in politics, ami was a 
strong partisan, outspoken in his views. 
He was mayor of the village of Lower 
Sandusky (now Fremont), in 1843-45. 
and hehl other positions of public trust. 
He was a delegate to the Philadelphia 
Convention in 1843 which nominated Gen. 
Zachary Taylor for the Presidency. L'pon 
the organization of the party he became 
a Republican, and never wavered from 
his principles. In 1855 he was elected 
to the Ohio Senate as a Republican, and 
was re-elected in 1S57, serving four years. 
He was the author of the law for the 
adoption of children, which was passed 
during his service in the Senate. 

Mr. Buckland's nature was intensely 
patriotic under the molding influences of 
his father and grandfather, who had been 
soldiers of the American Republic. 
Hence, at the outbreak of the Rebellion, 
in 1861. he threw his whole soul into the 
struggle. His military record is a matter 
of history. Gen. Hayes said of him: " He 
was the best soldier of his age in the vol- 
unteer service. " In October. 1861. he 
was appointed lieutenant-colonel by Gov. 
William Deniiison, of Ohio, and given 
authority to raise a regiment for the three- 
years' service. In three short months the 
glorious Seventy-second Regiment, which 
he organized, was ready for the field, (^n 
January 10, 1862, he was mustered into the 
United States service as colonel of the Sev- 
enty-second Regiment, O. V. I., and two 
weeks later left with his regiment for 
Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio. In Feb- 
ruary he was ordered to report with his 
command to Gen. W. T. Sherman, at 
Paducah, Ky., and here the regiment was 
assigned to the Fourth Brigade, l*"irst 
Division, Army of the Tennessee, and 
Col. Buckland placed in command of the 
brigade. At the battle of Shiloh, the first 
week in April. 18C2. the Colonel won en- 



10 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



during fame as an heroic soldier and com- 
mander, and his brigade covered itself 
with glory. Buckland was not surprised 
at Shiloh, but was expecting an attack. 
His brigade and the Seventy-second Regi- 
ment were at the keypoint of the fight, 
on the extreme right of the attack, and 
withstood the fierce onset of the enemy 
on the morning of the 6th. When the 
brigade did fall back, it was done in per- 
fect order, contesting every foot of the 
ground. On the 7th Buckland's brigade 
participated in the advance that swept the 
enemy from the field, and at night they 
rested in advance of the position they oc- 
cupied on the 6th. Gen. Sherman al- 
ways accorded to Gen. Buckland the high- 
est praise for his bravery and coolness at 
Shiloh, and the splendid services rendered 
by his brigade. Had some other man 
been where Buckland was, the final out- 
come of the battle might have been far 
different. 

That Gen. Grant appreciated and 
recognized the military skill of Gen. R. P. 
Buckland is shown by his letter to Gen. 
Sherman, on November 10, 1862, in re- 
lation to operations in western Tennes- 
see and northern Mississippi. He writes: 
" I will not be able to send you any gen- 
eral officers, unless possibly one to take 
command of the forces that will be left at 
Memphis. Stuart and Buckland will 
both command brigades or even divisions 
as well as if they held the commissions 
which they should and I hope will 
hold."* In battle Gen. Buckland was 
cool and fearless, but not reckless. He 
looked well to the comfort and health of 
his men on all' occasions, and this made 
him loved and respected by the soldiers. 
On November 29, 1862, he was promoted 
to the rank of brigadier-general, for his 
bravery at Shiloh, and on January 26, 
1864, Gen. Sherman placed Gen. Buck- 
land in command of the District of Mem- 
phis, where his administrative abilities 

*War of the Rebellion. Official Records of tlie Union and 
Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume XVII, Part II, page 
336. 



were exemplified and his integrity o. 
character clearly manifested. Here he 
promptly repelled an attack of Gen. For- 
rest, and put him to flight. While serv- 
ing in the army, in the fall of 1S64, Gen. 
Buckland was elected to Congress. He 
remained in command of the District of 
Memphis for the balance of the year, on 
January 6, 1865, tendered his resignation 
at Washington to the Secretary of War, 
and was duly mustered out of the service. 
On August 3, 1866, he was commissioned 
brevet-major-general, U. S. V., to rank 
from May 13, 1865, for meritorious serv- 
ice in the army. 

After an honorable career in Congress 
during the reconstruction of the Southern 
States, Mr. Buckland returned to Fre- 
mont, Ohio, where he resumed his law 
practice. During recent years his sons, 
Horace S. and George, were associated 
with him in the law firm of Buckland & 
Buckland, and relieved their father of the 
arduous work of the profession. Gen. 
Buckland's legal career was marked b}' 
the same thorough integrity, ability and 
success that characterized him in his en- 
tire walk through life. To his example 
and influence the city of Fremont is in- 
debted for much of its material prosperity 
in the matter of public improvements. 
He erected the first substantial three- 
story brick building in that city, now 
known as Masonic Block. In 1853 he 
built the residence he ever after occupied, 
and it was at that time the finest dwelling 
in northern Ohio. Subsequent!}' he built 
the three-story block at the corner of 
Front and State streets. He took an 
active part in securing railroads and man- 
ufactories for the city, and always stood 
in the front rank of citizens who worked 
for the upbuilding of Fremont. 

Gen. Buckland was a charter member 
of Eugene Rawson Post No. 32, G. A. R. , 
Fremont, Ohio, and was its first com- 
mander. He was a companion of the 
Lo3'al Legion, and a member of the S. A. 
J. Snyder Command, Union Veteran's- 



COMMBMORATIVB BIOORAPUWAL RECORD. 



11 



Union; also belonjjing to the Society of 
the Army of the Tennessee, and to other 
army societies. He was the life presi- 
<lent of the Society of the Seventy-second 
Kej^imeiit O. V. I., and was for a time 
president of the Sandusky County Pio- 
neer and Historical Society. He was 
for forty-hve years a member of Croghan 
Lodge, I. O. O. F. , and for many years 
had been junior warden in and an active 
member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 
Fremont. Thus for more than half a 
century he had been a conspicuous figure 
in Fremont and northern Ohio. He was 
a pioneer settler, a distinguished lawyer, 
a gallant soldier, an eminent member of 
the Ohio State and the National Legisla- 
tures, and an enterprising and public-spir- 
ited citizen. He was an educated and 
courteous Christian gentleman, and his 
name and his accomplishments are indel- 
ibl\' stamped on the history of the city of 
Fremont and of the Nation. He will 
never be forgotten. His death occurred 
on Friday, May 27. 1S92, when he was 
at the venerable age of more than eighty 
years. From the announcement of his 
death until after his funeral many flags 
floated at half-mast all over the city, and 
nearly all the business houses were closed. 
At his funeral the spacious residence, the 
grounds and the adjoining streets were 
thronged with people anxious to pay the 
last tribute of respect to the departed. 
The funeral discourse was delivered by 
Kev. S. C. Aves, pastor of the Episcopal 
Church, Norwalk, Ohio, and was touch- 
ingly eloquent and sympathetic. .At the 
close ex-President Hayes paid a fitting 
tribute to his life-long friend in a !)rief, 
concise and masterly manner. At the 
tomb, in Oak Wood Cemetery, the Grand 
Artnv of the Republic conducted its im- 
pressive burial service. Closely following 
this event many worthy tributes of re- 
spect were paid by the various societies 
of the city, among which were the Fre- 
mont Har Association, the Union \'cter- 
an's Cninii flu' Sun-, nf Veterans, the 



Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the 
city council of Fremont, and St. Paul's 
Episcopal Church. 

The children of Gen. K. P. and 
Charlotte Buckland were: Ralph Bough- 
ton I^uckland, who died at Fremont. 
Ohio, in 18S0; Ann Kent Buckland. wife 
of Charles M. Dillon; .Alson Kent liuck- 
land and Thomas Stilwell Buckland, both 
of whom died in infancy; Caroline Nichols 
Buckland, who died at Memphis, Tenn., 
at the age of sixteen; Mary Buckland, 
who died at the age of six; Horace Step- 
hen Buckland, attorney at law, just 
elected Judge of the Court of Common 
Pleas for the second sub-division for the 
Fourth Judicial District of Ohio (\\e mar- 
ried Miss Elizabeth Catherine Bauman, 
of Fremont) [a more extended account of 
Judge H. S. Buckland is found elsewhere 
I in this volume]; and George Buckland, 
I an attorney at law. of Cincinnati. Ohio, 
1 who married Grace Huntington, daughter 
I of J. C. Huntington, of Cincinnati. The 
' General's grandchildren are the children 
of his daughter, Mrs. C. M. Dillon, viz. : 
George Buckland Dillon, who died in in- 
fancy; Mary Buckland Dillon; Ralph Put- 
nam Dillon, a graduate of the Case 
School. Cleveland. Ohio; Kent Howard 
Dillon, a student of the same school; 
Charlotte Elizabeth Dillon, a student at 
the Lake Erie Sennnary. Paincsville. 
Ohio; Edward Bonghton and Edwin Dil- 
lon (twins), who died in infancy, and 
Charles Buckland Dillon. 

Gen. Bucklands son, Ralph Bough- 
ton Buckland. was a man of more than 
usual force of character. At the break- 
ing out of the war he enliste<l in Capt. 
Tillotson's Company of the Eighth O. V. 
I., nincty-day-mcn. and went with that 
company to Cincinnati. Upon his return 
his father would not permit him to re-en- 
list, but required him to remain at home 
to look after the family and his varied in- 
terests there, which Ralph did nobly im- 
til the close of the war. when he went 

Sciiitli to Inolc ;ifliT j)l.iiit:iliiiiis which his 



12 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPEICAL RECORD. 



father had purchased. The venture not 
proving profitable, the plantations were 
sold and he returned to the homestead in 
the North, where he died in 1880. He 
never married. 

Caroline Nichols Buckland died of con- 
gestive fever, at Memphis, Tenn., May 
21, 1864. She had gone down to Mem- 
phis in company with her mother and 
little brother George, to visit her father, 
who was then in command of the District 
of Memphis. A few days before the time 
for their return North, Carrie was taken 
suddenly ill with the dread disease, and 
died after an illness of only three days. 
On Sunday evening, after services at the 
house, Carrie began her last journey, sur- 
rounded by the Seventy-second Regiment 
O. V. I., which by its own request acted 
as escort. She was only fifteen years and 
eight months old, and was probably the 
only young girl who had a military fu- 
neral during the war of the Rebellion. 
She was brought home, and now lies 
buried in Oak Wood Cemetery, Fremont, 
Ohio. The following lines were pub- 
lished in the Memphis Bulletin at the 
time of her death: 

WNES ON THE DEATH OF MISS CARRIE BUCKLAND. 
How still she lies amid the flowers. 

And nig^ht itself seems dead; 
The city sleeps; no sound we hear 

Save the lone sentry's tread. 

The slender fingfers slightly clasp 
Pale flowers, sweet and white ; 

All pure and lovely as yon moon 
Of cold and silver light. 

The soft, luxuriant, pale brown hair 
Waves in the evening wind; 

Yet in that marble, changeless face 
No wave of life we tind. 

The fair face looks like peaceful sleep. 

The lips full as in life; 
Yet the red blood has ceased to flow — 

Ceased has life's busy strife. 

A broken lily-bud; no eye 

Of earth may ever see 
How gloriously it blooms above, 

Flower of Eternity. 

Were death but an unchanging sleep, 
How sad would be this night; 

But there's a land beyond the grave — 
A home of living lig^ht. 

Memphis, June 18, 1864. 



The Memphis Bulletin said of her: 
' ' Three weeks ago she arrived with her 
mother from Ohio. With all the attrac- 
tions of her si.xteen summers about her, 
an amiability that won every heart, a 
fascination of manner whose gentle influ- 
ence, wherever she appeared, awakened 
interest and admiration, and a kind and 
genial sympathy that captured affection, 
she was everywhere a favorite, and her 
company was sought and valued wherever 
she became known. 

" Fresh as the spring whose charms 
at the moment deck every hill and 
meadow, she enjoyed her advent to new 
scenes, welcomed with youthful zest the 
appreciative regard of the new circle amid 
which she was introduced, and rejoiced 
once more to join her honored and happy 
sire, himself proud of the sweet blossom 
Providence had vouchsafed as the treas- 
ure of his life — when death plucked the 
flower in the very youth of its loveliness, 
and stamped the fleeting charm with the 
impress of immortality." 



OSCAR J. DONCYSON, of Fre- 
mont, Sandusky county, is a na- 
tive of the same, having been born 
March 14, 1862, a son of Chris- 
tian and Marie Magdalen (Engler) Doncy- 
son. The German spelling of the name 
was Danzeison. 

Christian Doncyson was a native of 
Dentzlingen, Baden, Germany, born De- 
cember II, 1 81 2, son of Bernhardt and 
Anna (Hugin) Doncyson, who were also 
natives of Baden. His mother died in 
Dentzlingen in 181 3, during the Napo- 
leonic war, and in 18 1 5 his father married, 
for his second wife. Miss Christina Stribin. 
Christian Doncyson was educated in the 
public schools, and at the age of fourteen 
became a member of the Evangelical 
Protestant Church. He learned the trade 
of baker, at which he labored two years, 
and then worked in a brewery at Emmen- 
dingen, at the age of twenty-one com- 



COMMEMORATIVE BfOORAPnWAL RECORD. 



18 



mencing to serve in the Second Regiment 
of Baden Dragoons at Mannheim. After 
thirteen months' service he was honor- 
ably discharged, at the reqin^st of his 
father, who had decided to emigrate to 
America. 

The Doncyson family left their home 
in Baden Jimc 30, 1834, and after a tedi- 
ous journey of nineteen days arrived at 
Havre, where they took passage for 
America. The company consisted of 
Bernhardt Doncyson and wife, their sons 
John and Christian, George Engler and 
wife, and their children — Marie Magdalen 
(afterward wife of Judge Doncyson), iNfrs. 
Christian Shively, ^frs. Catherine Ochs, 
George Engler, Andrew Engler, Henry 
Engler and Mrs. Kosina I^ongenbach. 
After a voyage of thirty-seven days they 
reached New York, from which city they 
proceeded by canal-boat to Buffalo, 
thence on the steamer "Harrison" to 
Portland (now Sandusky City), and by 
boat to Lower Sandusky. Bernhardt 
Doncyson bought eighty acres of wild land 
in Sandusky township, near the mouth of 
Little Mud creek, where he followed 
farming about twenty-three years. His 
death occurred February i, 1867. and 
that of his wife in July, 1867. 

Christian Doncyson assisted his father 
in farm work until 1836, when he found 
employment, as a baker, with Fred Wise, 
who occupied a wooden building on the 
site of the Star Clothing House, Fremont. 
He next worked a few months with Fred 
Boos, a baker, at Sandusky City, and 
then went to Nfanhattan (now Toledo), 
Ohio, where he plied his trade, and where, 
on P"ebruary 7. 1837. he married Nfarie 
M. Engler. Returning to Sandusky county 
he again assisted his parents on their farm 
until 1838. when he hired out to John 
Stahl to nianage a bakery in a building 
then belonging to Mrs. S. A. Grant, near 
the west end of State street bridge. Lower 
Sandusky. Here he remained until 1844, 
when he and George Engler jointly 
bought out John Stahl's grocery, and con- 



ducted the business together for several 
years. In 1853 Mr. Doncyson erected a 
three-story brick building on ground 
which he afterward sold to the Wheeling 
& Lake Erie Railroad Company, and car- 
ried on a grocery and provision store for 
upward of twenty years. In 1883 he 
built a fine brick mansion on the corner 
of Croghan and Wayne streets, which he 
occupied as a family residence during the 
rest of his life. He held various offices 
of honor and trust in his community, hav- 
ing been treasurer of Sandusky township 
from 1846 to 1S62. county infirmary di- 
rector from 1867 to 1878. probate judge 
from 1878 to 1884. member of the city 
council of Fremont two terms, and of the 
city board of education twelve years. He 
was quiet and unassuming in manner, but 
proved a faithful and obliging official. 
During the last ten years of his life he 
lived partly retired from business, serving 
occasionally as deputy clerk for Hon. E. 
F. Dickinson and Hon. Joseph Zimmer- 
man. He was for many years a member 
of Fort Stephenson Lodge, F. & A. M., 
and worshipful master of the same. The 
children of Christian and Marie M. Doncy- 
son, all born in Sandusky, were: Chris- 
tena, wife of Leonard Adier. a butcher on 
East State street, Fremont; Elizabeth, 
deceased wife of Charles Geisen. a brew- 
er; Lucy A., who married Herman J. 
Gottron. a marble dealer (both now de- 
ceased); Henry G., a soldier of the Civil 
war, who served in Company K. One 
Hundredth Regiment O. V. I., married 
Miss Carrie Brown and is living at Tope- 
ka, Kans. , where he is employed in the 
pension office; John R., a grocer of Fre- 
mont, who married Farry Kent; Herman 
W.. an architect, of F'remont. married 
to Amelia Hidber; George E.. a liveryman, 
of Fremont; 0.scarj.. whose name intro- 
duces this sketch; Ella, widow of Jesse 
Schultz. whoiwas a teacher; and two sons 
and one daughter who died in infancy. 
Judge C. Doncyson died at his home in 
Fremont, Ohio. June 14, 1893, and was 



14 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPETCAL RECORD. 



buried with Masonic honors, in Oakwood 
cemetery. His wife preceded him to the 
grave May i8, 1892, at the age of seven- 
ty-two. 

Oscar J. Doncyson, the subject prop- 
er of this sketch, spent his youth in as- 
sisting his parents and attending the pub- 
lic schools of his native city, Fremont. 
At the age of eighteen he entered on Hfe 
for himself as clerk in a grocery store. In 
1886 he established a grocery and provis- 
ion store on his own account; but two 
years later he sold his grocery stock, and 
became an employe in the county audi- 
tor's office, where he served as deputy for 
a number of years. He had previously 
assisted his father in th« office of probate 
judge. In religious connection he is a 
member of Grace Lutheran Church; so- 
cially he is affiliated with the German Aid 
Society of Fremont. 



BASIL MEEK. The subject of 
this sketch was born at New Cas- 
tle, Henry Co., Ind., April 20, 
1829. He came of Anglo-Saxon 
ancestry, his paternal great-grandfather, 
Jacob Meek, having come from England 
to Virginia, whence later he moved to 
North Carolina, finally settling in Mary- 
land. His maternal great-grandfather, 
James Stevenson, a native of Pennsylva- 
nia, but moving to North Carolina and 
finally settling in Tennessee, served as a 
soldier during the war of the Revolution, 
and held a commission as captain in that 
war. His paternal grandfather, John 
Meek, moved from his native State of 
Maryland to Pennsylvania when the father 
of the subject of this sketch, whose name 
was also John, was a small boy; but after 
a few years' residence there, he, in 1788, 
removed with his family and all his ef- 
fects to Kentucky, settling at New Cas- 
tle, Henry county, in that State, where 
he died in 1803. He had been the owner 
of slaves, but in his will manumitted the 
last one he owned. 



John Meek (father of Basil), a farmer, 
was born in 1772, near Ellicott's Mills 
(now Ellicott City), in the State of Mary- 
land, going with his father first to Penn- 
sylvania and thence to Kentucky where 
he grew to manhood, and at New Castle, 
Ky., July I, 1 792, was married to his first 
wife, Miss Margaret Ervin, who bore him 
nine children — six sons and three daugh- 
ters — their names and dates of birth being 
as follows: William, May 29, 1793; 
Joseph, March 3, 1795; Sarah, 1797; 
Mary, 1800; Jeptha, November 3, 1803; 
Jesse, May 27, 1806; Elizabeth, August 
9, 1808; John (date lost); and Lorenzo 
Dow, May 29, 1S12. These all married 
and raised families. Of them, Sarah was 
married at Richmond, Ind., to John 
Smith, son of one of the founders of that 
city, and Joseph married Gulielma, a sis- 
ter of John Smith. Mary became the 
wife of Rev. Daniel Fraley, a pioneer 
Methodist preacher of Indiana. The 
last surviving one, Elizabeth, was the 
wife of Rev. John Davis, a local Method- 
ist minister, who died at Wabash, Ind. ; 
she died at Stratford, Ontario, Canada, in 
i893' aged eighty-six years. John Meek, 
about 1 812, moved from Kentucky to 
Wayne county, Ind., and settled at Clear 
Creek, on a farm now embraced within 
the limits of the present city of Rich- 
mond. Here his first wife died while 
Lorenzo D. was a small boy. He con- 
tinued to live there some years, and then 
moved to New Castle, Henry Co., Ind., 
where in 1827, he married Miss Salina 
Stevenson, daughter of John Stevenson; 
she was only twenty while he was fifty- 
five years old at the time. 

There were six children born to 
him of the marriage — four sons and two 
daughters — of whom are now living the 
subject of this sketch, and Capt. James 
S., who was born August 17, 1834, 
now living in Spencer, Ind. ; Laurinda, 
born June 2, 1831, now the wife of 
Stephen Clement, of Newton Iowa; 
Cynthia J., born November 29, 1836, now 




t 



/' 





/( 



COMMSMOltATIVE BIOORAPmCAL BBCORD. 



15 



the wife of Jesse Clement, of Scandia, 
Kans. One of the sons died in infancy; 
the other son. TfioniasJ., bt)rn January 
15, 1843, died in early manhood. The 
mother of these died at the home of her son, 
Capt. James S. Meek, at Spencer, Ind., 
in 1S83, at;ed seventy-six years. In the 
year 183; John Meek returned to Wayne 
county, and there resided until 1841, 
when he removed with his family to Mor- 
gan township, Owen Co.. Inii., then a 
very new and unimproved section of the 
State, with but very limited school or 
other privileges. Here he died in 1849, 
and was buried in Pleasant Grove Ceme- 
tery, in tliat township. 

Basil Meek was only twelve years old 
when his father settled in Owen county, 
and, havinf; no opportunity of attending 
any of the higher educational institutions, 
his school education was limited to that 
of the common schools of that compara- 
tively new country; but being naturally 
inclined to study, he improved every op- 
portunity that was afforded for self im- 
provement, and to none of these is he 
more indebted than to a few years' resi- 
dence at the falls of Eel river — Cataract 
village — in the cultured family of Alfred 
N. Bullitt, Esq., in whose store he served 
as clerk. This was a Kentucky family 
from Louisville. Mr. Bullitt was a man 
of fine abilities, a graduate of Yale and 
had been possessed of what was in his 
day a large fortime in Louisville which 
through some misfortune he had lost, and 
having an interest in a large tract of land, 
which included the " falls." he removed to 
Cataract village with his accomplished 
family in 1846, and there kept a general 
store. To his valuable library of rare 
books, the subject of this sketch had ac- 
cess; which, together with the friendly 
interest of Mr. Bullitt and his family, 
awakened in him a desire, and supplied 
the opportimity for a higher and better 
education than could be obtained short of 
-college. 

While residing at Cataract village, De- 



cember 23. 1849, he was united in mar- 
riage with Nfiss Cynthia A. Brown, tiaugh- 
ter of .Xbner Brown, of Morgan township, 
the result of this union being four chil- 
dren, namely: Minerva Bullitt; Mary E. ; 
Lenora Belle, and Flora B. Of these, 
Minerva li. died at Clyde. Ohio. Novem- 
ber 22. 1869. in the eighteenth year of 
her age; Flora B. died in infancy; Mary 
E. is the wife of Byron R. Dudrow. at- 
torney at law of Fremont; and I^enora 
Belle is the wife of L. C. Grover, farmer, 
near Clyde. The mother of these died in 
Spencer, Owen Co., Ind., in August, 
1861. On September 30, 1862. Mr. 
Meek married Miss Nfartha E. .\nderson, 
daughter of Alvin and Harriet (Baldwin) 
Anderson, of Bellevue, Ohio. By this 
marriage there are two children, namely: 
Clara C, wife of Dr. H. G. Edgerton, 
dentist, of Fremont, Ohio, and Dr. Rob- 
ert Basil, a brief notice of whom follows. 
Our subject's grandchildren are: Robert 
Basil Grover. Mary B.. Rachel, Dorothy 
and Henry Meek lidgerton. 

In 1853 at the age of twenty-four 
Basil Meek was elected clerk of the cir- 
cuit court and moved from Cataract to 
Spencer, the county seat of Owen cotmty. 
He was re-elected without opposition in 
1857, serving tvvo terms of four years 
each. During these eight years he de- 
voted such time as could be spared from 
his official duties in studying law, and in 
1861 was admitted to the bar and formed 
a partnership with Hon. Samuel H. Bus- 
kirk, of Bloomington, and practiced law 
at Spencer for about two years. In 1864 
he removed from his native State to San- 
dusky county. Ohio, making at first his 
home on a farm which is now within the 
village of Clyde. In 1871 he became a 
member of the Sandusky countv bar, and 
formed a partnership with Col. J. H. 
Rhodes in the practice of law at Clyde. 
This partnership continued for four vears, 
after which he practiced alone until b'eb- 
ruary 10, 1879. when he entered upon his 
duties as clerk of courts, to which ofti:; 



16 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



he had been elected at the previons fall 
election by a large plurality, running 
ahead of his ticket in his own village and 
township 284 votes. In the fall of 1879 
he removed with his family to Fremont, 
where he now resides. At the close of 
his term he was re-elected clerk of courts 
by a majority of 1,100 votes, and served 
six years in all. On retiring from this office 
he resumed the practice of his profession, 
with F. R. Fronizer as partner, until he 
was appointed, by President Cleveland, 
postmaster at Fremont. He took charge 
of this office September i, 1886, and 
served until March i, 1891, a period of 
four years and six months. In this office 
he took much interest, and devoted his 
entire energies in rendering an efficient 
and highly satisfactory service to the 
public. It was during his term and 
through his efforts that the free-delivery 
sj'stem was extended to this office, and 
put into very successful operation under 
his management and that of his son, Rob- 
ert B., who was his first-assistant post- 
master. On April I , I S91 , he became asso- 
ciated with his son-in-law, Byron R. Dud- 
row, in the practice of the law in which 
he has since been engaged, and is senior 
member of the law firm of Meek, Dudrow 
& Worst. As a lawyer he is careful and 
painstaking in the preparation of his 
cases, and in their presentation he is clear 
in statement and forcible in argument. 
As an advocate he believes in his client, 
making his cause his own and serving him 
with a warmth and zeal which springs only 
from a conviction of the justness of his 
client's cause. 

Mr. Meek has been a member of the 
board of education since April, 1894, and 
also clerk of that body. As a member of 
this board he was influential in the re- 
organization of the high school in 1895, 
in creating the principalship, adoptjng 
new courses of study and supporting other 
measures tending to advance the interests 
of said schools, and establish therein 
methods of instruction both modern and 



practical. He was also active in making 
free Kindergartens a part of the public 
school system of the city, and is chairman 
of the standing committee on Kindergart- 
ens. Politically he has all his life been 
a Democrat, loyally supporting the meas- 
ures and candidates of his party, and 
cheerfully working for the promotion of 
its principles, serving on several occasions 
as chairman of the County Executivft 
Com mittee, with acceptability to his party. 
He is a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and has been such 
since 1857. Asa lover of truth and free- 
dom of thought and action, himself, he 
is not only resolute for what he believes 
to be the truth, but is tolerant of all who 
are seeking the same of whatever name 
or creed. 



ROBERT BASIL MEEK, M. D., 
son of Basil and Martha E. (An- 
derson) Meek, was born at Clyde, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, January 14, 
1869. His paternal ancestry is given in 
the foregoing sketch of his father. On 
his mother's side he is of Scotch descent. 
The Andersons were Covenanters, and 
during the persecutions waged against 
their faith in Scotland they emigrated to 
the North of Ireland. From here David 
Anderson, the great ancestor of this fam- 
ily line, about the year 1740, with a col- 
ony of Scotch Presbyterians, who brought 
with them a minister and schoolmaster, 
came to this country and settled first in 
Massachusetts; later in Lawrence county, 
N. Y. Among his children was a 
son named John, then a small boy, who 
here grew to manhood and married Eliz- 
abeth McCracken, who also was of this 
colony. John Anderson had five sons — 
David, Samuel, Joseph, James and John 
— all of whom were soldiers of the Revo- 
lutionary war, fighting for their country. 
James Anderson married Betsy Dodge, 
and several children were born to them. 



COMMEMORATIVE BWORAPUJCAL RECORD. 



17 



one being Alvin Anderson, who married 
Harriet Baldwin. 

Amonj,' the children of Alvin Ander- 
son was Martha E. Anderson, who mar- 
ried Basil Meek, and is the mother of the 
subject of this sketch, Robert B.. who. 
when he was ten years old, mnved with 
his parents to Fremont, Ohio, where he 
completed his elementary and high-school 
education. In 1887, while his father was 
postmaster at this place, he was appoint- 
ed first assistant, and served as such until 
September, 1890, rendering very efficient 
and satisfactory sers'ice to the public, 
among whom he was universally popular. 
During 1890-91 he pursued a scientific 
course at Adelbert College. Cleveland, 
Ohio, preparatory to entering upon the 
study of medicine. In 1891 he entered 
the Western Reserve Medical College at 
Cleveland, where he remained two years; 
then became a student in Woostcr Medi- 
cal College, in that city, taking his senior 
course therein, and graduating in the 
spring of 1894. During his three-years' 
course in the medical college he spent his 
vacations in the office of his able and 
skillful preceptor. William Caldwell. 
M. D., of Fremont. In the summer of 
1894 Dr. Meek opened an office in Fre- 
mont and entered upon the practice of 
his profession. In the spring of 1895 he 
was chosen one of the city physicians of 
the board of health. He is a member of 
the Northwestern Ohio Medical As.socia- 
tion. In August, 1895. he went to Eu- 
rope to further pursue his medical educa- 
tion, and is now (1895) in N'ienna, Aus- 
tria, where he is devoting his time to 
study ill the clinics of the large hospitals, 
and in taking special courses under the 
instruction of eminent professors in that 
great medical center of the Old World. 
He expects to return home during the 
sunnner of 1896, to resume his practice 
in Fremont, in which he was meeting 
with very flattering success when he gave 
it up. temporarily, to go abroad. 

! >' Vfcek is a young man of '"'• 



natural abilities, and with his medical 
education received at home, and the rare 
opportunities he is now enjoying abroad 
for further e()uipment, it is safe to pre- 
dict for him a useful and a successful 
career in his chosen profession. 

ROBERT S. RICE, M. D.. was 
born in Ohio county, V'a. (now W. 
Va.). May 28. 1805, and died in 
Fremont, Ohio, August 5, 1875. 
At the age of ten he came to Ohio with 
his father's family, who located in Chilli- 
cothe, Ross county, the family in 181 8 re- 
moving from that place to Marion county, 
and in 1827 our subject settled in Lower 
Sandusky. He worked at his trade as a 
potter until about the year 1847. when, 
having long employed his leisure hours 
in the study of medicine, he commenced 
practice. Although he labored under the 
disadvantages of limited educational op- 
portunities in his youth, and of not hav- 
ing received a regular course of medical 
instruction, his career as a physician was 
quite successful, and he numbered as his 
patrons many among the most respectable 
families in his town anil county. 

Dr. Rice was a man of sound judg- 
ment, quick wit, fond of a joke, and sel- 
dom equaled as a mimic and story teller. 
He was a keen observer, and found 
amusement and instructicm in his daily 
intercourse with men by perceiving many 
things that commonly pass unnoticed. 
His sympathies were constantly extended 
to all manner of suffering and oppressed 
people. He denounced human slavery, 
and from an early period acted politically 
with the opponents of that institution. 
He also opposed corporal punishment in 
schools, and favored the humane treat- 
ment of children. He was a member of 
the Methodist Protestant Church, and 
was deeply religious. In early years, 
when preachers were few in this then 
new country, he often exhorted and 
preached. His public sjiirit was shown 



18 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



on many occasions. He was colonel of 
the First Regiment of Cavalry Militia or- 
ganized in Sandusky county, and also 
-general of the first brigade. He assisted 
in running the line between Ohio and 
Michigan, near Toledo, Ohio, the dispute 
in regard to which led to the bloodless 
"Michigan war." He served several 
terms as justice of the peace, and one 
term as mayor of Lower Sandusky. 

On December 30, 1824, Dr. Robert 
S. Rice married, in Marion, Ohio, Miss 
Eliza Ann, daughter of William and Mary 
(Park) Caldwell, born near Chillicothe, 
Ohio, March 19, 1807, and who died at 
Fremont, Ohio, January 17, 1873. They 
had seven sons and two daughters: The 
first two were sons who died in infancy; 
William A. was born in Fremont, Ohio, 
July 31, 1829; John B. was born June 23, 
1832; Sarah Jane, February 20, 1835; 
Robert H., December 20, 1837; Alfred 
H., September 23, 1840; Charles F. , 
July 23, 1843; Emeline E., January 14, 
1847. Of this family Sarah Jane died 
June 20, 1 84 1, and Emeline died Sep- 
tember 19, 1859. 

John B. Rice, M. D., was born in 
Fremont (then Lower Sandusky), Ohio, 
June 23, 1832, son of Robert S. and 
Eliza Ann (Caldwell) Rice. During his 
boyhood he attended the village schools, 
and learned the printer's trade in the 
office of the Sandusky Coiiutv Democrat, 
where he worked three years. After this 
he spent'two years in study at Oberlin 
College, subsequently taking up the study 
of medicine, and graduated from the 
Medical Department of the University of 
Michigan in 1857, soon after which he 
associated himself with his father in prac- 
tice at Fremont. In 1859 he further 
prosecuted his studies at Jefferson Medi- 
cal College, Philadelphia, and at Bellevue 
Hospital, New York City. On returning 
home he resumed his practice. 

On the breaking out of the Civil war 
Dr. Rice was appointed assistant surgeon 
■of the Tenth O. V. L, and served with 



his regiment under the gallant Col. Lytle, 
through the early battles in West Virginia. 
On November 25, 1 861, he was promoted 
to surgeon, and assigned to his home regi- 
ment, the Seventy-second O. V. I., which 
first felt the shock of battle at Shiloh. 
Through the long years of the war Dr. 
Rice served with conspicuous bravery and 
devotion. He was, on different occasions, 
assigned to duty as surgeon-in-chief of 
Lauman's and Tuttle's Divisions of the 
Fifteenth Army Corps, and of the District 
of Memphis, when commanded by Gen. 
R. P. Buckland. To the members of 
the Seventy-second regiment and Buck- 
land's Brigade he was as a brother. None 
of the thousands of soldiers who came 
under his care can ever forget or cease to 
bless his memory. He was always cheer- 
ful, sympathetic, and watchful for the 
interests of his comrades. After the Re- 
bellion Dr. Rice returned to Fremont, 
and "resumed the practice of his profes- 
sion. His skill in medicine and surgery 
was unsurpassed, his practice was large, 
and he was called in consultation all over 
this section of the State. There are few 
capital operations in surgery that he had 
not performed many times. Dr. Rice 
was a member of the county, district and 
State medical societies, and for several 
years lectured in the Charity Hospital 
Medical College, and the Medical Depart- 
ment of the University of Wooster, at 
Cleveland; his topics were military surg- 
ery, obstetrics, etc. He contributed ex- 
tensively to the medical journals of the 
country, and was everywhere recognized 
as one of the able men of his profession. 
He was one of the founders of the Trom- 
mer Extract of Malt Company, and was 
connected with other enterprises; he serv- 
ed on the city board of health, and was a 
member of the board of pension examiners ; 
and he was ever ready, with his means 
and influence, to aid in any project for 
the prosperity and welfare of the com- 
munity. 

In 1880 Dr. Rice was nominated for 



COMMJCMUIiATlVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



19- 



Congress by the Republican p:irt\ of the 
Tenth District, composed of the counties 
of Krie, Hancock, Huron, Sandusky and 
Seneca, and was elected by the handsome 
plurality of almost 1,400 votes. He 
served with ability in the XLN'IIth Con- 
gress, receiving the commendations of his 
constituents and the esteem of his political 
associates of both parties, and was re- 
nominated for the XLNHIth Congress, 
but declined the notnination, resuming 
the practice of his profession and the 
management of the Trommer Extract of 
Malt Works. 

In his demeanor Dr. Rice was simple 
and unostentatious. He was always the 
friend and defender of the poor, the weak 
and the oppressed. No one ever ap- 
proached him for charity and was sent 
away empty. No one ever sought his ad- 
vice in hours of trouble that did nui receive 
full sympathy and generous counsel. No 
one has done more than he to aid worthy 
veterans in obtaining their haril-earned 
pensions, and for his services in their be- 
half he took no pay. Possessed of an 
attractive physical development, sound 
judgment and rare common sense, the 
versatility of his knowledge and the magic 
charm of his wit and humor made him 
the central figure around which all were 
delighted to gather. He always carried 
his good humor with him. and it became 
contagious. He was the master of the 
story-teller's art, and often left the mem- 
ory of a rollicking story, a hearty laugh 
or an appropriate joke to do its good work 
long after he had takon his departure on 
his daily rounds. The affection in which 
he was held by all tells the story of his 
life, and is that life's best eulogy, as the 
remembrance of it will be his most fitting 
epitaph. Dr. Rice was received into the 
communion of St. Paul's Episcopal 
Church; was a member of the Grand 
Army of the Republic, of the Loyal Le- 
gion and of the Masonic fraternity. He 
died January 14. 1893, and was buried in 
Oakwood ccmeter)'. 



On December \2, 1.S61, Dr. Rice 
married Miss Sarah I£.. daughter of Dr. 
James \V. anil Nancy E. (Justice) Wil- 
son, of Fremont, Ohio, and the children 
born to this union were: Lizzie, born 
September 18, 1865, and Wilson, born 
July 2, 1875. 

RoHKKT H. Rue, M. D., was born in 
Lower Sandusky (now Fremont), Ohio, 
December 20, 1837, a son of Dr. Robert 
S. and Eliza Ann (Caldwell) Rice. In 
his youth he attended the village schools, 
and was for several years employed as. 
clerk in the store of O. L. Nims. He 
afterward attended school at Oberlin Col- 
lege a'ljout two years, and then com- 
menced the study of medicine with his 
father and brother, John. Later on he 
attended medical lectures in the Medical 
Department of the University of Michi- 
gan, and graduated from that institution 
in March. 1863, on his return to Fremont 
engaging in the practice of medicine with 
his father, his brother John being then 
in the army. He soon actjuired a very 
extensive practice, which, later, in part- 
nership with his brother. Dr. John B. 
Rice, he prosecuted with untiring zeal, 
and he has been eminently successful in 
his profession. 

In 1872-73 Dr. Robert H. Rice, 
spent a year in Europe, during which 
time he traveled e.xtensively over the con- 
tinent, Great Britain and Ireland, devot- 
ing some time, in the medical schools of 
Paris and Berlin, to the study of his 
profession. His knowledge of the Ger- 
man and French languages, which he had 
ac<iuired by his own efforts, and for which 
he has a great fondness, enabled him to 
derive unusual pleasure and advantage 
from his travels abroad. On his return 
home he resumed his practice, and soon 
after entered into the establishment of 
the Trommer Extract of Malt Works at 
Fremont. Ohio. Being possessed of a 
kind, sympathetic and generous nature, he 
has won a high place in the esteem of 
those with whom his professional rela- 



20 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGBAPHICAL BE CORD. 



tions have brought him in contact. Dr. 
Rice has for some years taken considera- 
ble interest in agricultural pursuits, having 
greatly improved and reclaimed a large 
tract of land by means of a steam-pump 
apparatus used to remove surface water 
whenever required. He aided in the or- 
ganization of the Sandusky County Medi- 
cal Society, of which he has been secre- 
tary since its organization, and he is also 
a member of the Ohio State Medical So- 
ciety, and of the American Medical Asso- 
ciation. He has been a member of the 
Masonic Fraternity for nearly thirty years, 
and has repeatedly served as presiding 
officer of that body. Dr. Robert H. Rice 
was married June 14, 1865, to Miss Cyn- 
thia J. Fry, daughter of Henry and Abi- 
gail (Rideout) Fry, and their children are: 
Henry C, Anna and Ada. 

William A. Rice was born in Lower 
Sandusky (now Fremont), Ohio, July 31, 
1829, a son of Dr. Robert S. and Eliza 
Ann (Caldwell) Rice, who were among 
the early pioneers of Sandusky county. 
Nearly all his life was spent in Fremont, 
Ohio, where he was widely known and 
universally respected. For twenty-five 
years he was one of the leading dry- 
goods merchants of that city, retiring 
from business in 1883. He was a member 
of the Protestant Methodist Church, an 
unostentatious and consistent Christian. 
Socially he was a member of Croghan 
Lodge I. O. O. F. , for thirty years, and 
a member of Fremont Lodge K. of H. 
He was a successful businessman, a pub- 
lic-spirited citizen, a loving husband, 
father and friend. He died at Fremont, 
Ohio, April 24, 1893. On October 8, 
1858, William A. Rice married Miss 
Juliet M. Moore, of Ballville township, 
by whom he has four children, two of 
whom are deceased. A son, Dr. James 
M. Rice, lives with his mother on the 
farm homestead, and a daughter, Mrs. 
Hattie E. Bates, resides in Illinois. 

James M. Rice, M. D., was born 
November 5, 1859, at Fremont, Ohio, 



a son of William A. and Juliet M. 
(Moore) Rice. His boyhood and youth 
were spent at the Fremont city schools, 
helping his father in his dry-goods store, 
or working with other hands on his 
father's farm near the city. In the years 
1879-80-81, he attended achool at the 
Adrian (Michigan) College, and, returning 
to Fremont, studied medicine with his 
uncle. Dr. J. B. Rice, about one year, 
after which he attended the Ohio Medical 
College, at Cincinnati, one year, and then 
took a course in the Medical Department 
of the University of Louisville, Ky. , 
from which he graduated, March 13, 
1894. Shortly after this he opened an 
office for the practice of medicine, in the 
same room formerly occupied by Dr. J. 
B. Rice, opposite the City Hall, in Fre- 
mont, Ohio. 



LORENZO DICK, the popular ex- 
sheriff of Sandusky county, was 
born in Erie county, N. Y. , May 
15, 1838, a son of Jacob and 
Catharine (Vogel) Dick, who were natives 
of Lorraine, France, married there, and 
emigrated to America, locating in Erie 
county, N. Y. , where the father died at 
the age of forty, and the mother when 
eighty years old. 

Our subject grew up in Erie county, 
N. Y. , and there learned the trade of 
cabinet-maker. In 1858 he removed to 
Fremont, Ohio, where he followed his 
trade for several years with success. At 
the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted, 
at Fremont, Ohio, October 15, 1861, in 
Company H, Seventy-second Regiment, 
O. V. I. The regiment was assigned to 
the first brigade, first division. Fifteenth 
Army Corps. Mr. Dick was elected or- 
derly sergeant by the men of his company, 
November 18, 1861. He veteranized 
Januar}' i, 1864, at Germantown, Tenn., 
entering the same company as first lieu- 
tenant. He had been commissioned 
second lieutenant, April 6, 1862, at the 



COMMEXOItATtVE DIOOIiAPUWAL REL'OIW. 



21 



battle of Shiloh, for meritorious conduct. 
He participatcii in the battles of Shiloh, 
siege of Corinth, Champion Hills, Jack- 
son, Black River, the siege of Vicksburg. 
and numerous other engagements. The 
first move of the regiment after veteran- 
izing was to Fadiicah, Ky.. where they 
drove out the enemy, and then to Mem- 
phis, Tenn. They soon after started on 
the Guntown expedition, and here they 
encountered the enemy, who had their 
lines drawn up in the shape of a horse- 
shoe, and into this trap the Union boys 
were led. Lieut. Dick and about thirty 
men of his company were taken prisoners, 
andwere first sent to Andersonville, whence 
Lieut. Dick was sent to Macon, Ga. , 
where he reinained until the first of Sep- 
tember. While in prison, Mr. Dick was 
commissioned captain, but did not know 
of the promotion until he reached home. 
He was sent to Charleston, S. C., as 
prisoner, and placed in a building called 
the "Workhouse," which was under fire 
from the Union guns. At the end of three 
weeks he was sent to Columbia, S. C, 
thence to Raleigh, N. C. , thence to Wil- 
mington, N. C, thence to Annapolis, 
Md., where they were paroled and sent 
home on thirty days' furlough. Owing to 
severe exposure in the field and privations 
during his prison life, Mr. Dick contracted 
rheumatism and other physical disabili- 
ties. He was honorably discharged. May 
15, 1865. 

For some years past Mr. Dick has 
been engaged in the restaurant and grocery 
business in Fremont, receiving a liberal 
patronage. He was nominated for coun- 
ty sheriff by the regular Democratic cau- 
cus, and elected in 1889; served two 
terms, his last one expiring. January i, 
1894. At the spring election held on the 
first Nfonday in April, 1895, Mr. Dick 
was elected mayor of the city of Fremont, 
Ohio, which position he now holds. He 
is a member of the Eugene Rawson Post, 
No. 32, G. A. R. , of which he has re- 
cently been elected commander. He has 



for many years been a member of Fort 
Stephenson Lodge, F. & A. M., is a 
member of Humbolt Loilge, K. of H., 
and of the German Mutual Aid Society. 
At Fremont, Ohio, April 4, 1864, 
Lorenzo Dick married Miss Catharine 
licnchler, who was born in Germany, 
September 27, 1841, a daughter of John 
and Mary (Eisenhart) Renchler. The 
names and dates of birth of the children 
born to this union are as follows: Lo- 
renzo, Jr., January 9, 1865, died January 
24, 1873; Charles F., October 25, 1866. 
died at the age of twenty-seven years; 
Jacob, May 9, 1S69; Katie, August 6, 
1872; George, March 4, 1876; Gertrude, 
December 12, 1882, died in infancy. 



G 



i:ORGE SLESSMAN. .sheriff of 
Sandusky county, Ohio, was born 
June 27, 1853, in Adams town- 
ship. Seneca Co., Ohio, a son of 
John M. and Mary (Freymoth) Slessman, 
natives of Germany, who came to America 
when young, and after their marriage, 
which took place in Huron county, Ohio, 
settled on a farm in Seneca county, 
which they made their permanent resi- 
dence. 

The father of our subject was born in 
1806. By trade he was a wagonmaker, 
but he followed farming in Seneca county, 
and died in 1862; the mother is still living 
on the old Slessman homestead, six miles 
south of Clyde. They were the parents 
of eight children, four of whom are living, 
namely: Barbara, deceased wife of Charles 
Drumm, a farmer of lirie county, Ohio, 
who had two children, one living. Lizzie, 
and one deceased; John, a farmer, who 
married Phyan Peters, of Seneca county, 
and had seven children; Catharine, who 
died in 1885, and who was the wife of 
Jacob Trott, a farmer of Seneca county, 
by whom she had five children; Mary, 
who married Samuel Swartz, a farmer 
I of York township, Sandusky county; Mar- 
I garet, who married Herman Baker, a 



22 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHIGAL RECORD. 



farmer of Seneca county, and had five 
children (he died in 1894); Samuel, who 
died in childhood; Henry, who died in 
childhood; and George, our subject. 

George Slessman grew to manhood on 
his father's farm, and attended the public 
schools. In 1872 he married Miss Clara 
E. Whiteman, who was born October 16, 
1852, a daughter of A. G. and Mary 
(Myers) Whiteman. A. G. Whiteman 
was born in Ohio, August 25, 1808, and 
died February 8, 1869; his wife was born 
in Virginia February 8, 181 1, and died 
November 30, 1878. He was a Repub- 
lican, and they were both members of the 
Free-will Baptist Church. Our subject, 
after marriage, settled on the Slessman 
homestead, where he dealt in live stock 
for about nine years. He then moved 
upon a farm in Sandusky county, one mile 
south of Clyde, where he engaged in farm- 
ing, also buying and shipping live stock, 
and running a meat-market in Clyde, for 
about eight years. He then sold out and 
went into the grain business in Clyde, 
with which he is still connected. 

Mr. Slessman has for some years been 
recognized as one of the efficient men of 
the Republican party of Sandusky county. 
In November, 1893, he was elected to the 
office of sheriff of the county, on the Re- 
publican ticket, and entered upon the dis- 
charge of his official duties January 2, 
1894. He has an honorable standing in 
society circles, being a member of the 
Knights of Honor, Royal Arcanum and 
Knights of Pythias. In religious connec- 
tion he is a member of the Lutheran 
Church. To George and Clara Slessman 
were born children as follows: Lena, 
Allen, Martin, Frank, Mary, and two who 
died in childhood — Charlie and Leta. 



EDWARD LOUDENSLEGER.— 
Among the honored pioneer citi- 
zens of Fremont, Sandusky coun- 
ty, the more prominent of whom 
find place in this volume, none enjoys to 



a greater extent the confidence and es- 
teem of the community at large than the 
gentleman whose name is here recorded. 
He is a native of Seneca county, 
Ohio, born February 28, 1836, of Penn- 
sylvanian ancestry, proverbial for their 
healthy vigor and traditional probity and 
virtue. Daniel Loudensleger, his father, 
was of Union-county (Penn.) birth, where 
he was reared to manhood and married to 
a Miss Barger. In 1831 he and his young 
wife moved to Seneca county, Ohio, lo- 
cating in Flat Rock, Thompson town- 
ship, until 1844, in which year they came 
to Sandusky county, making a new home 
in York township, with by no means 
favorable prospects, having a large and 
helpless family of children to support. 
For several years Mr. Loudensleger main- 
tained them by renting farms, which he 
worked; but as the children grew up to 
usefulness, they prevailed on their father 
to purchase a farm (which he didj, the 
boys promising to remain at home, and 
assist in the clearing up and improving of 
same — and it was in the performance of 
this duty that our subject learned his first 
lessons of industry and privation. Ac- 
cordingly, with the assistance of the sons, 
the father paid for and improved his 
farm, which, in 1863, he sold, removing 
then to Monroe county, Mich., where, on 
a farm, he passed the rest of his days, 
dying February 28, 1881. In his polit- 
ical sympathies he was a Jacksonian 
Democrat, and in religious faith he was 
an adherent of the Evangelical (formerly 
known as the Albright; Church. His 
wife, who was also of Pennslyvania birth, 
born in the same locality as he, passed 
from earth in Sandusky county, when the 
subject of these lines was a fourteen- 
year-old boy. They were the parents of 
ten children, of whom the following brief 
mention is given: Mary Ann married 
John Brand, and now lives in Columbia 
City, 'Ind. ; George is a farmer and stock 
raiser at Blue Hill, Neb. ; Edward is the 
subject of this sketch; Lovina married 



f» 



« 







(J. ^^^'^ci^ls^Ci^ 






'C£^^l^7--^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPIIICAL RECORD. 



•2'i\ 



Daniel Wagner; William was a farmer 
until recent years, and is now in the prod- 
uce business at Kockwood, Mich.; Ar- 
niinda married a Mr. Boycr. and is liv- 
ing near Delta, Ohio. ; Matilda died at 
the age of eif^hteen years; Franklin, a 
painter by occupation, resides in Churu- 
busco, Ind. ; two died in infancy. For 
some years after the death of the mother 
of these, and until after the marriage of 
his eldest daughter, Mr. Loudensleger re- 
mained a widower, and he then married 
a widow lady, Mrs. Wagner, by whom he 
had four children, vi/. : Daniel, who lives 
on the old homestead in Michigan; Charles 
Wesley, who resides in the same lo- 
cality; Allen, a minister of the United 
Brethren Church, and living n6ar his 
brothers; the youngest chiKi died when 
five years old. 

The education of the subject proper 
of this article was limited to such as was 
acquired at the common schools of his 
boyhood, consisting of three months' at- 
tendance in the winter seasons, many of 
the scholars, our sul>ject included, having 
to travel long distances through frozen 
swamps, and cross running streams by 
jumping from one chance-fallen tree to 
another; yet, notwithstanding all these 
difficulties and obstacles, the lad succeed- 
ed, by natural acumen and persistent 
study, in securing sufficient education to 
enable him to teach in the public schools 
of the county. .As an illustration of his 
fidelity to his parents and home, it is 
worthy of record that the salary he earned 
during his first term of school he freely 
ami filially han<led over to his father. In 
1S4.S Mr. Loudensleger saw I'remont for 
the first time, and he well remembers it 
as an essentially "wooden town, " com- 
posed for the most part f)f small impainted 
frame buildings; and little did he then 
dream that he would ever see the place 
in its present advanced condition, nuich 
less that he himself would play such an 
important part in its development and 
progress as the tide of time has proven. 



On November 33. 1861. he enlisted in 
Company A, Seventy-second Regiment 
O. \. I., which was attached to the army 
of the Tennessee, and the first battle he 
took part in was Shiloh. or Pittsburg 
Landing. April 6 -7. 1S62, after which the 
regiment participated in the siege of 
Corinth, and was then stationed at Mem- 
phis, Tenn.. where it lay till the fall of iSfo. 
It was then ordered to V'icksburg. but our 
subject, being invalided in the hospital, 
could not accompany it. and as a conse- 
quence was placed on detached duty in 
the Commissary Department, in which he 
served until mustered out of the army at 
Columbus. Ohio, December 13, 1864, the 
term of his enlistment having expired. 

Mr. Loudensleger's domestic history, 
sad, it is true, in some particulars, has 
been strongly interwoven with his life, 
which has always been pacific in the ex- 
treme, and which has been made the 
more noble by many self-sacrifices. He 
1 has been thrice married: first time, in 
1 1856, to Miss Kmma Bellows, a native of 
New York State, who died in 1859. the 
mother of one child, Frances E. , now 
the wife of Frank J. Tuttle, an attorney 
at law of Fremont, Ohio (she has two 
children: Howard and Florence). Mr. 
Loudensleger's second marriage, which 
occurred after his enlistment in the army, 
was with Mrs. Mary Jane Stevenson, «<V 
Stahl, who unfortunately was soon griev- 
ously stricken with consumption, and 
during her husband's absence with his 
regiment was well nigh at the point of 
I death. Obtaining a furlough, Mr. Lou- 
densleger returned hoenc and took his 
wife back with him to Memphis, Tenn , 
where she remained a couple of winters, 
her health thereby improving to such an 
extent that she became a much stronger 
woman than she had been for several 
years. When her husband received his 
discharge they returned to Memphis, 
Tenn.. for the winter, then coming north 
to Fremont, and Mr. Loudensleger, hav- 
ing n«) special vocation, concluded to 



24 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



purchase a lot whereon to build a home, 
later to look around him for some suita- 
ble business in which to engage. The 
residence he built, and the good taste he 
exhibited in the beautifying of it, etc., 
attracted such general attention that he 
soon received many offers from bidders 
for the property at advanced prices. Sell- 
ing this house and lot accordingly, he 
proceeded in the same way with a second 
and even third residence, before he moved 
into any as a permanent home for him- 
self and family; thus in this unexpected 
manner was laid the foundation of his 
future vast real-estate business in Fre- 
mont, where for years he has been recog- 
nized as one of the leading dealers and 
improvers of city property. The hand- 
some block which bears his name, erected 
in 1888, and situated in the business 
center of Fremont, is acknowledged to be 
one of the finest in the city, and he still 
owns and deals in a considerable amount 
of property. 

A short time after their return to Fre- 
mont from Memphis Mrs. Loudensleger's 
health again gave way, and Mr. Louden- 
sleger subsequently made many trips with 
her to the balmy South, sometimes at 
heavy expense, being absent from home 
and business entire seasons; but he never 
complained, and when his wife at last, 
in 1874, succumbed to the dread disease 
that clung so cruelly and tenaciously to 
her, he had left at the least the conscious- 
ness of having done for her all that lay 
in human power. He started anew, a 
poorer man than when he came home 
from tne war, and entered with renewed 
vigor and resolution into the insurance and 
real-estate businesses. His third wife, a 
sister to his second, was Mrs. Nina A. Mil- 
ler, who, by her first husband, had a son, 
Isaac T. Miller, whom Mr. Loudensleger 
reared as his own; he is now deputy 
postmaster under his stepfather, and mar- 
ried to Miss Libbie Setzler, by whom he 
has one child, William. By his present 
wife Mr. Loudensleger has one daus^hter. 



Nellie, who is in her seventeenth year, 
and now attending Lake Erie Seminary, 
at Painesville, Ohio. 

Mr. Loudensleger has filled many po- 
sitions of trust in his city, and is highly 
esteemed in business and social circles for 
his sound judgment and unquestioned in- 
tegrity. In 1875 he was chosen one of 
the trustees of Oakwood Cemetery, in 
1878 was elected secretary of same, and 
has served in that incumbency ever since. 
His associate trustees were Gen. R. B. 
Hayes, Stephen Buckland, C. R. McCul- 
loch and Dr. L. Q. Rawson. In his polit- 
ical affiliations he has always been active- 
ly identified with the Republican party, 
and his influence therein has ever been 
felt for good. In 1880 he was elected a 
member of the city council, and in the 
second year of his term was chosen pres- 
ident of the same. At that time the 
mayor in office died, only one month of 
his term having expired, and the council 
chose Mr. Loudensleger to fill the vacant 
chair, into which he was accordingly in- 
stalled. He pursued the course repre- 
sented by the policy on which his prede- 
cessor had been elected, a polic}' known 
in the main as the " Law and Order" 
movement, and his administration was 
remarkable for the stand he took against 
the saloons, many of them being so ob- 
trusively open on Sundays that he issued 
a proclamation to the effect that all such 
establishments should be closed on the 
Sabbath. This proclamation was re- 
spected, and to all intents and purposes 
its requirements were complied with under 
Mr. Loudensleger's wise jurisdiction; but 
as soon as he retired from office some of 
the saloons were again thrown open. He 
also caused the cit}' to be purged of all 
manner of "fakirs" et hoc genus otniie, 
thereby protecting not only the merchants 
but the citizens in general. 

On September 19, 1881, occurred the 
death of President James A. Garfield, the 
funeral on the 26th, and Mayor Louden- 
sleger issued the following proclamation: 



COMUBMORATTVE BTOOItAPmCAL RECORD. 



25 



Concurring- with Hon. Charles Foster, Gov- 
ernor of Ohio, in his suK'trestions to the jwoplc 
of Ohio, and in view of the deep .solemnity of 
the occasion, and as a most deserved and liltinp 
act of resjiect to tlie memory of onr !anientcd 
President. I would resi)ect fully suis'jrest to the 
citizens of Fremont that upon Monday, the 26th 
inst., all business pursuits be suspended, also 
that memorial services be held next Sunday in 
the city churches, and that the hells in the city 
l>e tolled duriuK^ the last hour (11 to 12 o'clock) 
of the solemn funeral rites, on Mt)nday. 

Of this the following acknowledge- 
ments were received from James G. 
Blaine, Secretary of State at the time; 
By telegram September 2 2, i88i, "To 
Hon. E. Loudcnsleger: In the name of 
the sorrowing, family of onr beloved 
President of the Government I tender 
heartfelt acknowledgements of your touch- 
ing tribute of the love and sorrow of the 
people of Fremont. — James G. Blaine, 
Sec'y of State." Also by letter dated 
Department of State, Washington, Octo- 
ber 13, iSSi : 

Hi.>i Honor, G. Loudensle^er, 

Mavor of Fremont, Ohio: 
Sir: 

It affords me sincere, although mournful, 
gratification to make feeling; ,icknowledjfe- 
mcnt, in the name of the late President (Jar- 
field's prief-stricken family, of the many 
heartfelt tributes of sorrow for our common 
loss, and of admiration for the hiRh character 
of the revered dead, which come to them and 
the American (Jovernment and j>cople in this 
hour of deep aHliction from every part of the 
Union, and especially for the touchinp notifi- 
cation of the President's death, made by you 
to the citizens of p'remont on the 23d ultimo, a 
copy of which I have received. 

I have the honor to be. Sir, your obt, ser- 
vant, 

James G. Bi.aine. 

In 1 888 Mr. Loudensleger was induced 
to allow himself to be nominated for the 
mayoralty by the "Law and Order" 
party, Viut at the primaries the opposition 
to that party proved too strong. To his 
position of postmaster, as, in fact, to all 
other offices he has held, he was appointed 
without any solicitation on his part, and 
ho has tilled san)e with characteristic 
ability and hdelity from 1891, the year of 
his appointment by President Harrison, 
to 1895, the affairs of the office never 



having been more satisfactorily conducted 
in the history of Fremont; and Mr. Lou- 
densleger ascribes much of the success of 
the department to his stepson, Isaac 
Tickner Miller, who, as already stated, 
was assistant postmaster under him. 

In religious faith our subject is an ad- 
herent of the Presbyterian Church, of 
which he is a trustee, having been elected 
to that office in 1867; and he has been an 
elder of the same for about ten years. 
He was a charter member of Eugene 
Rawson Post, G. A. R., and is now a 
member of Moore Post, of which he was 
also a charter member. He is the owner 
of one of the most attractive and pleasant 
residence properties in Fremont, adjoin- 
ing that of the family of the late President 
Hayes. 

ANSON H. MILLER, banker, of 
I'Vcmont, Sandusky county, was 
born at Hinsdale, N. H., May 2. 
1824. His father, John Miller, 
was a descendant of Nathan Douglas, 
whose property was destroyed by the 
burning of New London, Conn., by the 
British, during the Revolutionary war, 
and to whose heirs was granted a portion 
of the " I-'irelands," in New London 
township, Huron Co., Ohio. John Mil- 
ler, by inheritance and purchase, came 
into possession of a large tract of these 
"Firelands," and in 1825 he removed 
with his family to Norwalk, Ohio, set- 
tling o\\ the lands in New London in 
1839. His children were Celemene, 
John. .Anson H., Thomas D. , and Eliza- 
beth D. — five in all — of whom John and 
Thomas D. are tieceasetl. 

During the residence of the family in 
Norwalk Anson H. Miller attended the 
seminary at that place, and during the 
year 1845 continued his studies at Milan 
Academy. In 1847 he entered the em- 
ploy of Prague & Sherman, lumber deal- 
ers at New Orleans, remained there about 
fourteen months, and after his return in 



26 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



1848 was engaged in farming on the New 
London lands until 1S52, when he took a 
course of study in the Br}'ant, Lusk & 
Stratton Commercial College, at Cleve- 
land, after which he accepted a position as 
bookkeeper in the office of the treasurer 
(Dr. William F. Kittrege) of the Toledo, 
Norwalk & Cleveland railroad, which he 
held about two years. In 1854 he was 
offered the position of cashier of the 
banking firm of Birchard & Otis, Fre- 
mont, Ohio, made vacant by the resigna- 
tion of Rev. F. S. White. He accepted 
the offer, and coming to Fremont August 
2, 1854, entered at once upon the duties 
of the position. Judge Otis, being about 
to move to Chicago, retired from the firm 
of Birchard & Otis, and on the first day 
of January, 1856, Mr. Miller became a 
partner with Mr. Birchard, under the 
firm name of Birchard, Miller & Co. One 
year later Dr. James W^ Wilson came 
into the bank as partner, the firm con- 
tinuing under the name of Birchard, 
Miller & Co. They occupied a small, 
one-story brick building on the east side 
of Front street, between Croghan and 
State, and the bank did a good business 
and prospered, without further change, 
until 1863, when it was merged into the 
First National Bank of Fremont, with a 
paid-up capital of $100,000, and an au- 
thorized capital of $200,000. This bank 
was the fifth National bank organized in 
the United States. The articles of asso- 
ciation were signed by Sardis Birchard, 
James W. Wilson, Anson H. Miller, 
James Justice, R. W. B. McLellan, Jane 
E. Phelps, La Ouinio Rawson, Martin 
Bruner, Robert Smith, Abraham NefT and 
Augustus W. Luckey. The first board 
of directors was elected May 27, 1863, 
and consisted of Messrs. Birchard, Wil- 
son, Justice, Bruner, Smith, Luckey 
and Miller. The first officers of the 
board were Sardis Birchard, president; 
James W. Wilson, vice-president; and A. 
H. Miller, cashier. 

At the time the old bank wns merged 



into the First National, Mr. Miller, with 
the help of a young clerk, did all the 
routine work of the bank, which now re- 
quires six experienced men. The bank 
occupies the ground floor of its fine three- 
story block, with Amherst stone front, 
erected by the stockholders, on the south- 
west corner of Front and Croghan streets, 
Fremont. Mr. Miller still holds the po- 
sition of cashier. There were five pioneer 
National banks organized in 1863 in the 
United States, and^Mr. Miller and Mor- 
ton McMichael, of the First National 
Bank of Philadelphia, are the only men 
still living who are occupying the same 
positions in the same banks that they did 
at the beginning. 

In March, 1854, Mr. Miller married 
Miss Nancy J. Otis, daughter of Joseph 
and Nancy B. Otis, of Berlin, Ohio, and 
children as follows came to their union: 
Mary O., born April 11, 1856, who was 
married October 3, 1S94, to Samuel 
Brinkerhoff, an attorney at law, of Fre- 
mont, Ohio; Fannie B., born June 15, 
i860, who married Thomas J. Stilwell, 
and who died April 4, 1887; and Julia 
E., born March 27, 1865, who died 
March 2, 1884. 



WV. B. AMES, M. D., a practic- 
ing physician of Fremont, San- 
dusky county, was born in Hu- 
ron county, Ohio, in 1821, a 
son of Jason C. and Sarah Ann (Moore) 
Ames, the former born in New Haven, 
Conn., the latter in New York. 

The parents of our subject each re- 
moved in pioneer days to Huron county, 
Ohio, where they were married, and 
where the father followed the trade of 
shoemaker in connection with farming. 
They had a family of seven children, of 
whom five are now living: W. V. B., 
our subject; Cynthia, wife of D. F. Web- 
ber, of Charlotte, Eaton Co., Mich.; 
Emeline, widow of Smith Bodine, of 
Charlotte, Eaton Co., Mich., who en- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



27 



listed from Plymouth, Huron Co., Ohio, 
as a soldier in the Civil war, and died in 
Libby prison ; George W. , who resides 
at Sacramento City, Cal. ; Aufjeline, 
wi<low of James Steele, of Charlotte, 
Mich., who died in 1S93; Catharine, 
widow of Mr. Lewis Garsey, of L'kiah, 
Mendocino Co., Cal., and Edward, who 
resides at Ukiah, California. 

Dr. Ames was reared in New Haven 
township, Huron Co., Ohio, and was 
educated in the public schools of the 
Western Reserve. He bepan reading 
medicine in his native county, and com- 
menced practice at South Bend, Ind., 
where he remained from 1845 to 1851. 
He then went by the overland route to 
California, locating in Yuba county, where 
he prarticeil medicine about four years, 
having been engaged in mining for some 
time priortothat. Abouttheyear 1855 he 
returned to Seneca county, Ohio, and 
thence, in 1858, moved to Fremont, 
where he has since been engaged in the 
practice of his profession. He was mar- 
ried, in Huron county, Ohio, to Miss 
Adaline Harrington, a native of that 
county, daughter of Benjamin and Betsey 
(Taylorj Harrington, who were early pio- 
neers of the Western Reserve, having 
come from the State of New York. The 
children of Dr. and .Adaline Ames were: 
Elizabeth, wife of Evandor Dunning, of 
Eaton county, Mich.: Alice, wife of 
Charles A. Norton, of Kansas City, Mo. ; 
William V. B., a dentist of Chicago, til.; 
and Rose, who resides at home. Mrs. 
Adaline Ames died May 30, i860, and 
Dr. Ames subsequently wedded Miss 
Catharine Strohl, a native of Sandusky 
county, daughter of Peter Strohl 'now de- 
ceased), who was one (jf the early pioneers 
of Ballville township, Sandusky Co.. 
Ohio. The children by this marriage 
are: Nell, Jane, and Frank. I'rank 
Ames married Miss Grace Ford, and lives 
in Sacramento, California. 

Dr. Ames is a Republican in politics, 
but not a partisan. He is one of the old- 



est and most successful medical prac- 
titioners of Fremont, having built up a 
widely e.xtended and lucrative practice. 
He owns valuable interests in Fremont 
and vicinity, and a fine farm in California. 



JAMES JUSTICE, one of the early 
pioneers of Sandusky county, and 
for nearly fifty years one of the live 
business men of flower Sandusky 
(now Fremont), was born in Bedford 
county, Penn.. .August 18, 1794. a son of 
William and Illeanor (Umstedj Justice, 
the former of English, and the latter of 
German ancestry. 

At about the age of nine years our 
subject removed with his parents to Ross 
county, Ohio, near Chillicothe. where he 
received a limited rudimentary education. 
Here he worked for a time at the busi- 
ness of tanning hides, but discontinued it 
to volunteer, under Gen. William H. Har- 
rison, in the war of 1812. He was with 
Harrison at Fort Seneca, at the time of 
the battle of Fort Stephenson, August 2, 
18 1 3. After the war he resided at Chilli- 
cothe, and resumed tanning. Abf)ut the 
year 1817 he engaged in the flat-boat 
trade with New Orleans, by which the 
early settlers along the Ohio river found a 
market for their bacon, flour and whisky, 
in e.xchange for sugar and other groceries. 
In this trade he displayed first-class finan- 
cial talents, and accumulated considerable 
cash. 

On October 12, 1820. he married 
Miss Eli/a Moore, daughter of David 
Moore, and sister to John and James 
Moore, two well-known citizens of Ball- 
ville, both millers and manufacturers, and 
both wealthy and enterprising men. 

In the month of September. 1822. Mr. 
Justice removed from Ross county to 
Sandusky county, and located at first in 
Ballville township. His manner of mov- 
ing was decidedly primitive, he placing 
his wife and child on horseback while he 
journeyed with them on foot. I'or a 



28 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



time after his arrival at Ballville he as- 
sisted his father-in-law in running his 
grist and saw mill at that place. In 1S42 
he removed to Lower Sandusky, and 
erected a tannery on the north side of 
State street, at the foot of the hill on the 
west side of the river. With the tannery 
he connected the business of harness 
making and shoe making, managing only 
the financial department, leaving the 
manual labor to expert workmen whom 
he employed in the different shops. About 
the year 1847 he turned the business over 
to his son, Milton J. Justice, and gave 
his attention to investing and managing 
his capital. He made large gains by buy- 
ing and selling lands, sometimes on his 
own account, and sometimes in partner- 
ship with Rodolphus Dickinson and Sardis 
Birchard. He took a prominent part in 
the construction of the Tifhn and Fostoria 
plank roads. When the Wyandot res- 
ervation at Upper Sandusky was sold, 
and the Indians removed to the Far 
West, Mr. Justice was selected by the 
Government as appraiser of the land, on 
account of his soundness of judgment in 
matters of value. 

Shortly after coming to Lower San- 
dusky Mr. Justice was chosen, by the 
legislature of Ohio, one of the associate 
judges of the Court of Common Pleas of 
Sandusky county, which office he filled 
with singular promptness and fidelity for 
a number of years, under the first consti- 
tution of the State. For a period of 
about ten years he discharged gratuitously 
and efficiently the duties of a member of 
the board of education of the city of Fre- 
mont, acting most of the time as treas- 
urer. He was also mayor of the village 
for a term. In the summer of 1859 Mr. 
Justice was chosen one of the jurors in 
the U. S. Court at Cleveland, Ohio, in 
the famous " Wellington Rescue case," in 
which thirty-seven citizens of Oberlinand 
vicinit}' were prosecuted and imprisoned 
at Cleveland, Ohio, for recapturing and 
assisting to freedom a runaway slave 



He left a large 



named John Price, who had left his mas- 
ter in Kentucky to escape to Canada, and 
had been concealed at Oberlin, where he 
was discovered and kidnaped by the slave- 
hunters who were on the return to the 
South to restore him to his master. 

When the First National Bank of 
Fremont was organized, in 1863, Judge 
Justice placed some capital in the stock 
of that institution, and was one of the 
first board of directors; and he held this 
position by successive re-elections until 
his death. May 28, 1873. 
estate to his wife and children. 

In person Judge Justice was a man of 
impressive presence and strong magnetic 
power, of large size, weighing over two 
hundred pounds, with light hair and com- 
ple.xion, blue eyes, and full, round head 
and face. In business promptness and 
integrity no citizen surpassed him. His 
portraits, drawn by his son Milton with 
remarkable accurac}', may be seen at the 
First National Bank, and at Birchard Li- 
brar3^ presented by his children. 

The wife of Judge Justice was born in 
Huntingdon county, Penn., October 13, 
1800. At the age of fourteen years she 
came with her parents to Ross county, 
Ohio. Her father, David Moore, was of 
full Scotch blood; her mother was born in 
Pennsylvania. The child Nancy, which 
she brought with her on horseback, is now 
the wife of Dr. James W. Wilson, presi- 
dent of the First National Bank of Fre- 
mont. Their way was through an almost 
unbroken wilderness, and on their arrival 
here they lived for a time in a fisherman's 
shanty until their own log cabin was fin- 
ished. Their means were scanty, and for 
nine months she never saw the face of 
another white woman — only Indians, and 
many of them intoxicated. Her fireplace 
was a wall of stones in one corner of the 
shanty, above which was an opening in 
the roof for the escape of smoke. If the 
rain put out the fire she would go to the 
home of the nearest neighbor, a mile and 
a quarter away, to get live coals to re- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



29 



kindle il. Among her cooking utensils 
was a Dutch-oven, an iron shallow kettle, 
with an iron lid or cover, in which all her 
baking was done by setting the kettle 
over coals and piling coals and hot ashes 
on the cover. 

Mrs. Justice survived her husband 
until October 17, 1876, when she died at 
the advanced age of seventy-six years. 
Their chiMren were: Nancy E. Wilson 
(wife of Dr. Jatnes W. Wilson), Nfinerva 
li. (relict of Hon. Homer Everett), and 
Mrs. S. Eliza Failing (relict of Dr. John 
W. Failing), all now residing in Fremont; 
Milton J. Justice, a resident of I-ucas 
county, Ohio, and Granville M., who died 
at Lower Sandusky at the age of sixteen 
years. The old Justice homestead is 
still occupied by Mrs. Everett and Mrs. 
Failing, who cherish the memory of their 
parents, and preserve with scrupulous 
care the old-time family relics, consisting 
of household furniture and pioneer-day 
portraits. 



WILLIAM CALDWELL, M. D., 
was born May 27. 1837, at Fre- 1 
mont, Ohio, a son of William 
and Jane A. (Davis) Caldwell, 
who were among the early pioneers of 
Sandusky and Ottawa counties. 

Dr. Caldwell spent his early life in 
securing a liberal education, and in teach- 
ing school. He next attended Oberlin 
College several years, and acquired his 
medical knowledge in the Medical De- 
partment of the University of Michi- 
gan, in Charity Hospital Medical Col- 
lege, and in Bellevue Hospital Medical 
College. New York, being admitted to 
practice in 1862. He was assistant sur- ' 
geon of the Seventy-second Regiment 
O. \'. I., and served from April, 1863, I 
until January 4. 1865. After the war he 
!• ! Michigan for the practice of his 

1' 11. in June, 18S0. taking up his 

residence in Fremont. Ohio, where he has 
since met with flattering success. Ho 



has been a member of the Hoard of 
I'nited States Examiners for Pensions, is 
ex-president of the Northwestern Ohio 
Medical Society, vice-president of the 
Ohio State Medical Society, and a mem- 
ber of the American Medical Association, 
as well as the National .Association of 
Railroad Surgeons. He has also for a 
number of years been a liberal contributor 
to several medical periodicals. His en- 
terprise is not confined to his profe.ssion 
alone, for he takes a deep interest in the 
municipal affairs of his native city. So- 
cially he is a member of the Masonic 
Fraternity. 

On January 15. 1S6.S, Dr. Caldwell 
was married, at Byron. Mich., to Miss 
Arilla Cook, who was born March 1 5. 
1848. daughter of Horace L. and Eliza- 
beth Cook. Their children were: Bessie 
C, born November 10, 1869. died August 
12, 1870; Maud, born January 23, 1873, 
who, after attending the Fremont City 
schools, entered upon a liberal course of 
study in the University of Michigan; and 
Robert L. , born October 2 r . 1881. 

William Caldwell was born De- 
cember 23. 1808, near Chillicothe. Ohio. 
His father was a soldier in the war of 
1812, and was at Detroit when Gen. 
Hull surrendered his army to the British. 
In 1828 the family removed to Port Clin- 
ton, and four years later William Cald- 
well came to Fremont (then Lower San- 
dusky). On .August 14, 1836, he married 
Jane .A. Davis, and they resided at Fre- 
mont until 1850. when Mr. Caldwell 
Went to California, remaining in that 
State three years, and on his return set- 
tling in Elmore, Ottawa county. At El- 
more he served for eighteen consecutive 
years as justice of the peace, and was 
also township treasurer and a member of 
the village council for a portion of the 
time. In 1881 Mr. Caldwell was elected 
probate jtulge of Ottawa county, and 
moved to Port Clinton; he was re-elected 
in 1884. 

On .August 14, 1886, Judge an«l Mrs. 



30 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Caldwell celebrated their golden wedding 
anniversary at the home of their son, Dr. 
William Caldwell, at Fremont, Ohio, 
which was attended by many distinguished 
guests from Fremont and Port Clinton, 
and at which they were the recipients of 
many beautiful and valuable presents, 
among which was a valuable gold watch 
for the Judge from the courthouse offi- 
cials of Ottawa county. At the expira- 
tion of his term of office Judge Caldwell 
and his wife moved to Fremont, purchas- 
ing the " Dryfoos House," on South 
Front street, where, on September 9, 
189Q, the worthy couple, after a happy 
married life of more than fifty-four years, 
were separated by the death of Mrs. Cald- 
well. They were the parents of four 
children, all born at Fremont, of whom, 
Charles died in 1852 at the age of thir- 
teen; Robert. H. became a member of 
the Twenty-first O. V. I., and was killed 
at the battle of Stone River, at the age of 
twenty-two; and Dr. William and Miss 
Juliet Cladwell are still living in Fremont, 
Ohio. Judge William Caldwell died at his 
home No. 415 South Front street, Fre- 
mont, on May 14, 1892. 

JUDGE HORACE S. BUCKLAND. 
The subject of this biographical 
sketch is a prominent attorney of 
Fremont, Ohio, and on November 
5, 1895, was elected one of the common 
pleas judges of the Fourth Judicial Dis- 
trict of Ohio, comprising the counties of 
Erie, Huron, Lucas, Ottawa and San- 
dusky. 

He is a son of the late Gen. Ralph P. 
Buckland, and was born in Fremont, 
Ohio, April 21, 1 85 I. His education was 
gained in the public schools of his native 
city, the preparatory school at Gambier, 
Ohio, a like school at East Hampton, 
Mass., Cornell University, and the Law 
Department of Harvard College. He 
supplemented his school studies by read- 
ing and practicing with his father, until 



August 16, 1875, when he was admitted 
to the bar. Shortly afterward father and 
son formed a partnership, continuing their 
practice in the office which the latter still 
occupies in the Buckland block, corner of 
State and Front streets. George Buck- 
land, a brother of the Judge, was also a 
member of the firm from June i, 1886, 
until May 9, 1892, when he withdrew, 
and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. After 
the death of the General, which occurred 
May 27, 1892, H. S. Buckland became 
his father's successor, and on October 
19, 1892, he formed a partnership 
with Mr. D. B. Love, which still 
continues. Judge Buckland's practice 
has been general and successful. His 
knowledge of the law, his sound judicial 
mind, and his fairness and integrity at the 
bar and as referee have been universally 
admired, and his decisions have generally 
been upheld. 

Judge Buckland is engaged in various 
enterprises. He is president of the 
Wickland Mnfg. Co., a director of the 
H. B. Smith Building and Loan .Associa- 
tion, and is also interested in other indus- 
tries. Upon the death of Gen. R. B. Hayes 
he was chosen his successor as a director 
of the Birchard Library Association. He 
is an enterprising citizen, always ready 
with his means and influence to aid in the 
general growth and prosperit}' of his city 
and county. In 1884 he organized the 
Buckland Guards, a local volunteer mili- 
tary organization, which has attained a 
national reputation. It was named in 
honor of his cousin, Chester A. Buckland, 
a young man who died during the Civil 
war from wounds received at the battle of 
Shiloh. Our subject remained captain of 
the same until 1891, when he was elected 
colonel of the First Regiment S. of V. 
Guards. In 1893 he was elected com- 
mandant of the S. of V. Guards of the U. 
S. A., with the rank of general, and as 
such had several thousand men, fully 
armed and equipped at their own expense, 
and well drilled, under his command. 




/vWve^fL- ^ .'Ctc< e.-A^^ae^^*^^— 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



81 



Updii his election as commandant his 
re>,'iinfnt would not acrc|)t his resifjnation, 
but {javc him inJcHnitc leave of absence; 
and at the close of 1894 he resigned as 
commandant of the Guards and returned 
to the ref^inient. In 1894. while sersiiif:; 
as commandant of the (iuards, he held 
two fielil encampments, one at Daven- 
port. Iowa, and the other at Pittsburf;, 
Penn., in connection with the G. A. K. 
encampment. At the former he planned 
one of the finest sham battles ever at- 
tempted, iri which the Guards, members 
of theG. A. K., and other military orf^an- 
izations, participated. His regiment has 
encamped in various places, viz. : Wash- 
ington, D. C, in 1892; Columbus. Ohio, in 
1893; and Pittsburg, Penn., in 1894. It is 
needless to say that the interest he has 
taken in military affairs has given him a 
wide ac>]uaintance, and added greatly to 
his popularity. Col. Buckland is also a 
member of the Masonic Fraternity, the 
Sons of the .\merican Ivevolution. and the 
Military Oriier of the Loyal Legion. 

During the Judicial Convention at 
Sandusky. Ohio. July 25 and 26. 1895. 
Col. Buckland was imanimously nomi- 
nated for Common Pleas Judge on the 
147th ballot. The convention was re- 
markable in iiKiny respects, and marks an 
epoch in the political history of the dis- 
trict. The Sanduskv Kt\i^istir, in speak- 
ing of the nomination, sajs: "The name 
of Col. Horace S. Buckland was present- 
ed to the Republican Judicial Convention 
by Dr. Frank Creager. of Fremont, in 
the following eloquent address: 

Mr. ChairiiKin and (tcntleiiicn <>f the Con- 
vontimi: (Jnc of the iticist notable features in 
politics one. certainly, which attracts more 
than anythinp else the attention of the people 
- is the proniinont |>OHition to which the young 
men have cliinlied during the political progress 
of the New World. 

From the tirst formation of society he ha.s 
invarial>ly been a distinctive feature, the prime 
factor in the world"* history: and surely the 
destiny of the republic was never so thoroughly 
and systematically cemented, with such a fra- 
ternal bond of loyalty encircling the globe, 
binding man to man, and brother to brother, as 



it is to-day by the young men of the present 
generation. Everywhere we s»c the results of 
his ambition and energy. We find him all 
along the pathway of perpetual progress. We 
find him upon the avenues of life, buckling on 
the armor and fighting the political battles of 
his country. We find liim in the halls of Con- 
gress. We find him everywhere carrying aloft, 
proudly and triumphantly, that banner of 
beauty and glory, with its magnificent embla- 
zonry of f.tars and stripes the escutcheon of 
free States — the emblem of the Republican 
party. No victory intoxicates him; no defeat 
dismays him; but with integrity too deeply 
rooted to be shaken by the vicissitudes of fate 
he treads the path of life unfalteringly, still 
laboring for the success of the party he so hon- 
orably represents. 

With such an impulse, with such a frater- 
nal feeling, we come before this convention 
tod.iy with the name of one who was born, 
reared and educated within the sacred folds of 
ourcountry's banner. Il is with pleasure, then, 
that I present the name of Horace S. liuckland. 
Perhaps it would be best to take the finger of 
time and move it backward over the dial of hu- 
man progress and .see where it stops. We will 
find among other things that he is a young 
man, a gentleman in the fullest sense of the 
term, and that to know him per-onally is to 
love him dearly. We will find that he belongs 
to the Republican party as the lighthouse does 
to the mariner who steers his bark by its stead- 
fast rays. We will find that he is earnest, in- 
telligent, and Commands respect in every posi- 
tion in which he may be placed, particularly so 
in the common walks of life. Place him where 
you will, his fitness and fidelity will manifest 
themselves, and his true worth will win ever- 
lasting favor. You will find that this is the 
first time he has asked the people for their suf- 
frage, and were it not for the urgent solicita- 
tion of his friends you would not h.ive heard of 
him being a candidate. Yes, gentlemen of the 
convention, you will find that he is ever true to 
his friends, self-sacriticing. not courting popu- 
larity, but .seeking proficiency and good re- 
sults. 

During the Lite war, although too young to 
enlist, he even lan aw.iv to do so, ;ind were it 
not for the timely discovery might have sealed 
his youthful life in active service, or else been 
a veteran of the army to-day. Hut with loyalty 
too deeply rooted to be shaken by the dissuasion 
of friends, he still persevered, until at Mem- 
phis, Tenn., when he was taken into .service by 
the musicians of the camp, marching at the 
head of the old Seventy-second, proudly victori- 
ous over his youth. I.,et it be remembered, 
now. that the old Seventy-second was his 
father's regiment, and as a mother's love goes 
out to her first-born, who has come to her " 'mid 
suffering and pain," so the few survivors of 
that dear old regiment revere the name of Gen. 
Huckla'id. whose honored remains lie sleeping 
tieneatli the silent clo<lsof < tak Wood Cemetery, 
that beautiful citv of the dead, where the wild 



32 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



■winds chant his requiem, and where the vir- 
tues of his life of liberty and service will for- 
ever live in the hearts of his comrades. * * 

Such, then, is the national character and 
standing- of our candidate. A true American, 
readj' to serve his country at a moment's no- 
tice. A g-entleman capable of surrounding 
himself with the truest, the bravest and the 
most honored guests the world has ever known; 
and whose every act and purpose are those of 
an ideal citizen. It is needless to say that he 
enjoys a large and lucrative practice, being 
educated at one of the best law schools in the 
country, and is perfectly familiar with the 
lower and higher courts. In his profession he 
is modest and just. His actions at the bar, and 
his conduct and decisions as referee, have gen- 
erally been upheld. His fitness and ability 
have also been universally approved by his as- 
sociates. One of the most fitting- testimonials 
that could possiblj' be offered, one, certainlj', 
that commends itself to this convention, was 
the universal endorsement of the non-partisan 
meeting of the bar, which was held in the city 
of Fremont but a few weeks ago, when he was 
so magnanimously recommended as a person 
particularly fitted for Common Pleas Judge. 
No higher compliment was ever paid so young 
a practitioner. It marks a page in the judicial 
history of the country. Men who have grown 
gray in active practice, his fellow associates 
in the temple of justice, his brother practition- 
ers at the bar — Democrats and Republicans 
alike — irrespective of party or politics, not 
only asked, but actually demanded of this con- 
vention the nomination of Col. Buckland. 
Nay, more: knowing the principles of economy, 
and the urgent appeal of tax-payers, said that 
it would be the saving- of thousands of dollars to 
this judicial district by placing himon the bench. 

With such a compliment, with such an en- 
dorsement, and in the very face of the brazen 
effrontery of power and wealth, he buckled on 
the armor and entered the race. It is unneces- 
sary to recapitulate the glorious achievements 
of that campaign. The people have spoken. 
The farmer left the harvest and attended the 
caucus. The merchant closed his store and 
went to the polls, and to-day we lay the tro- 
phies of his victory at j'our feet. * * * 

The Toledo (Ohio) Blade says that 
"Col. Buckland deserves all the kind 
things said of him by his neighbors. The 
situation is truly remarkable. All the 
prominent Democratic attorneys of Fre- 
mont have the highest regard for him as a 
lawyer and a man, and openly e.xpress 
themselves as willing for the Democratic 
Judicial Convention to endorse him. They 
also recommended him at the time of the 
non-partisan meeting of the bar as a per- 
son particularly fitted for the bench." 



WELCOMED HOME FROM THE CONVENTION. 

The Fremont Journal sd^ys: 

Several hundred citizens of all political 
parties welcomed Col. Buckland and the San- 
dusky county delegates, whose fidelity for him 
won the day, on their return from Sandusky at 
6:30 Friday evening. Music and cheers and 
congratulations greeted them as thej' left the 
train. Then the crowd, headed by the Light 
Guard band, escorted the Colonel to his resi- 
dence on Birchard avenue. Here he was in- 
troduced by Mr. H. R. Shomo and made a short 
address, thanking his friends for their cordial 
reception, and for the support he had received 
in the contest for the nomination, and saying 
if elected he would try to perform the duties of 
the responsible position of Judge of Common 
Pleas Court to the best of his ability. His re- 
marks were modest and in good taste. The 
reception, which was entirely impromptu, was 
a surprise to Col. Buckland, and is an evidence 
of the high esteem in which he is held by the 
people of our city. 

At the general election in Ohio, held 
on the 5th day of November, A. D., 1895, 
Horace S. Buckland was elected judge by 
nearly 8,000 majority, that being the 
largest majority ever given to any candi- 
date in the district, carrying his native 
city and county, though Democratic, and, 
in fact, carrying every county in the dis- 
trict but Ottawa. He succeeds Judge 
John L. Greene, and will take office May 
9, 1895. 

Judge Horace S. Buckland was mar- 
ried June 10, 1878, to Elizabeth Bau- 
man. He is one of a family of seven 
children, three of whom are living, the 
other two being George, a graduate of 
Cincinnati Law School, and Mrs. Charles 
Dillon, residing on Buckland avenue, 
Fremont, Ohio. The mother still sur- 
vives. 



JAMES W. WILSON, M. D., of Fre- 
mont, Sandusky county, was born 
in New Berlin, Union Co., Penn., 
February i, 18 16. His grandfather 
James Wilson, of old New England stock, 
about the year 1791 went from Connecti- 
cut to eastern Pennsylvania, where he 
married. His father, Samuel Wilson, 
only son of James Wilson, was born 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



88 



in Schuylkill county, Fenn. November 
25. 1793- He was married to Miss 
Sarah Nlauck, a native of Pennsyiva- 
vania, at New Berlin, and resided there, 
a iimch-esteemed and successful iner- 
chatit, until his death, November 3, 1X55. 
His wife, the mother of the subject of 
this sketch, died May 31, 1872, aged 
eighty- four years. 

Our subject chose the profession of 
medicine, and made his preparatory 
studies under the direction of Dr. Joseph 
R. Lot/, of New Berlin. He subsequent- 
ly attended lectures at Jefferson Medical 
College, Philadelphia, where he gradua- 
ted in March, 1S37. in November of the 
same year commencing the practice of 
medicine in Center county, Penn. He 
came to Ohit) in June, if>39, in company 
with Dr. Thomas Stilwell, and settled in 
Lower Sandusky (now Fremont), July 
24, 1839. That part of northwestern 
Ohio in which he embarked in his pro- 
fessional career was a comparatively un- 
settled country. A few pioneers, living 
mostly in log houses erected by their own 
hands, had made but a beginning of the 
long and laborious task of clearing the 
land and fitting it for cultivation. The 
soil was indeed of unsurpassed richness; 
but before it could be subdued and brought 
to the condition of fertility now seen on 
every hand, it was necessary that a whole 
generation of hardy men and women 
should wear out their lives in incessant 
toil. It was a country of sluggish streams 
and stagnant swamps, and consequently 
was a sickly country. 

It is difficult to imagine the arduous 
character of the labors of the country 
physician engaged in general practice fifty 
years ago. He was able to prove suc- 
cessful only under the conditions that he 
possessed unusual powers of endurance, 
thorDUgh devoti<jn to the duties nf his 
calling, self-reliance and true courage. 
Dr. Wilson was successful. During the 
years he was engaged in the practice of 
his profession he ranked among the most 



successful physicians in this section of the 
State. He was distinguished for prompt- 
itude and faithful punctuality in fulfilling 
engagements. The urbanity of his man- 
ner made him ever welcome to the bed- 
side of the suffering. His intelligence 
and manly deportment won general con- 
fidence. His acknowledged skill, and 
the painstaking care with which he in- 
vestigated the cases snbuiitted to his 
judgment, commanded the respect and 
regard of his fellow practitioners. It is 
probable that no physician outside of the 
large cities of Ohio has ever enjoyed a 
larger practice or performed more arduous 
labor in meeting its requirements. 

In consequence of severe exposure 
while attending to this large practice, in 
January, 1S5S, he suffered from a severe 
attack of pneumonia, from the effects of 
which he has never completely recovered; 
nor has he since devoted himself to the 
practice of medicine. He has, however, 
retained a lively interest in the progress 
of medical science, and whatever pertains 
to the welfare of his chosen profession. 
He is president of the Sandusky County 
Medical Society, and a member of the 
Ohio State Medical Society. During the 
war of the Rebellion, in August, 1862, he 
was appointed, by Governor Tod, surgeon 
for Sandusky county to examine appli- 
cants for exemption from draft. In 1858 
he was elected treasurer of the Sandusky 
County Bible Society, which trust he 
kept until 186S, when he was chosen 
president of said society. This position 
he has retained to the present date, mak- 
ing thirty-seven years of faithful and ctni- 
tinuous service. He has also for a num- 
ber of years l)een president of the San- 
dusky Coutity Pioneer and Historical So- 
ciety, in which he takes a deep interest; 
and he has been president of the Birch- 
ard Library Association since the death 
of ex-President K. B. Hayes, whom he 
succeeded in that office. 

On May 25. 1841. Dr. Wilson was 
married to Miss Nancy E. Justice, daugh- 



34 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ter of Judge James Justice, one of the 
early settlers of Lower Sandusky, and for 
a long period a director of the First Na- 
tional Bank of Fremont, Ohio. They 
have four children — two sons and two 
daughters: Charles G. , the eldest son, a 
graduate of Kenyon College and Harvard 
Law School, now of the law firm of Pratt 
& Wilson, of Toledo; married Nellie, 
daughter of I. E. Amsden, of Fremont, 
Ohio. The younger son, James W. , is 
connected with the First National Bank 
of Fremont, with his father. The eldest 
daughter, Sarah W., is the widow of Hon. 
J. B. Rice, of Fremont, Ohio. The 
youngest daughter is the wife of Charles 
F. Rice, of New York City. 

In 1857 Dr. Wilson became a partner 
in the banking house of Birchard, Miller 
& Co. In September, 1863, the bank 
was merged into the First National Bank 
of Fremont, -with Mr. Sardis Birchard as 
president and Dr. James W. Wilson as 
vice-president. On January 27, 1874, 
after the death of Mr. Birchard, Dr. Wil- 
son was elected president, which position 
he still (July, 1895) holds. Dr. Wilson 
was one of the charter members of the 
Fremont Savings Bank Company, which 
was organized in 18S2, under the State 
laws of Ohio. He was elected a director 
and president, and has held these posi- 
tions continuously up to the present time. 
Thus has Dr. Wilson, through a long 
period, borne important relations to the 
principal financial institutions of Fremont. 
He is a conservative banker, and yet a 
popular one, ever ready to respond to the 
demands of the business public, and 
watchful that the affairs of the bank shall 
be conducted in accordance with those 
sound business principles which alone as- 
sure success and safety. He has wit- 
nessed with deep satisfaction the growth 
of Fremont, and the remarkable develop- 
ment of the surrounding country. It is 
not overstating the facts to say that he 
has never been lacking in public spirit of 
the commendable kind, and that he has 



been a liberal contributor toward the vari- 
ous enterprises which have had for their 
object the promotion of the prosperity of 
the community. 

. Dr. Wilson is fond of reading, and it 
has long been his habit to devote most of 
his leisure hours to favorite books, peri- 
odicals and the current news. He loves 
to mingle with his fellow citizens and join 
in pleasant conversation. He is a man of 
conservative views, but liberal and toler- 
ant. He freely accords to others that 
liberty of opinion which he desires for 
himself. He is firm in his religious belief, 
and his daily life is consistent with his 
convictions. He is a thorough believer in 
the doctrines ef Christianit}', and that the 
highest welfare of humanity can be at- 
tained only through obedience to the pre- 
cepts of Jesus Christ. For forty-five years 
he has been a member of St. Paul's Prot- 
estant Episcopal Church, its senior war- 
den for more than forty years, and he is a 
regular attendant upon its services, and 
a liberal contributor toward its support 
and its charities. 



THOMAS STILWELL, M. D., was 
born in January, 181 5, in Buffalo 
Valley, Union Co., Penn., five or 
six miles west of Lewisburg. His 
father, Joseph Stilwell, for more than half 
a century an honored citizen of that coun- 
ty, died in 185 i, aged seventy-four years. 
His mother, Anna Stilwell, died eleven 
years later, aged eighty-four years. 

When Thomas was a child his parents 
removed to New Berlin, the county seat 
of Union county, where he continued to 
reside — with the exception of such time as 
he was absent at school — until he left to 
make the West his future home. After 
a full academic course at Milton, Penn., 
under the tuition of Rev. David Kirk- 
patrick, a distinguished teacher in that 
section of the State, and a brief course of 
selected studies at La Fayette College, 
Easton, Penn., he entered upon the study 



COMMEMORATtVh: liWaiiAPniCAL RECORD. 



85 



of medicine with Dr. Joseph R. Lotz, at 
New Berlin, and j^railnatcil at Jefferson 
^^cdil■al College, Philadelphia, I'enn.. in 
Marrli, 1X39, the same year locating at 
Lower Sandusky. Ohio. In iS4Jhewas 
married to Miss Jerusha A. Hoiij;hton. of 
Canfield, Mahoning (then Trumbull) Co., 
Ohio, and the children born to this union, 
five in number, are: Charles B. , residing 
at Watertown, N. Y. ; Thomas J., at St. 
Louis, Mo.; Charlotte E. , married to 
John T. Lanman, living at New London, 
CJonn. ; Mary, married to \\'. T. Jordan, 
of Louisville, Ky. ; and Anna M.. at home 
with her parents. 

Ur. Stilwell has always occupied a 
place in the front ranks of his profession. 
For several years he was vice president 
of the Sandusky County Medical Society, 
and for many years a member of the 
State Medicaf Society. He was among 
the first appointed pension examining 
surgeons (February, 1863}, holding that 
position until he resigned, in 1S-9. To 
his letter of resignation the Commissioner 
of Pensions replied in very complimentary 
terms, expressing regret for its having 
been tendered. He was afterward elected 
one of the censors of the Medical Depart- 
ment of Western Reserve University, 
Cleveland, having held the same position 
in Charity Hospital Medical College, 
afterward known as the Medical Depart- 
ment of Wooster University. Dr. Stil- 
well has been a member of the Presby- 
terian Church during the whole of his 
mature life, and has for many years been 
an elder. 

The following account of some of the 
Doctor's e.xpieriences was furnished by him 
for W'illianis' History of Sandusky Coun- 
ty, from which we take it: " Drs. Wilson 
and Stilwell grew up together in close 
companionship in their Penn.sylvania 
town, were fellow students in Dr. Lotz' 
office, graduating at the same college, 
and formed the purpose, while yet otTice 
students, to migrate to the West together. 
Accordingly, on the 13th of June, 1839, 



in a two-horse covered carriage, purpose- 
ly constructed, with ample room for 
themselves and baggage, which included 
a small stock of books and instruments, 
they left their home for a Western pros- 
pecting tour, with the design, if no loca- 
tion to their liking offered sooner, of going 
on to Illinois, at that day the 'Far West." 
Traveling leisurely, they stopped long 
enough at each important town on the 
way to ascertain what inducement it could 
offer two adventurous young men who 
were in the pursuit of bread and fame. 
Calling on their professional brethren, 
both as a matter of courtesy and interest, 
the pleasure of their journey was much 
increased thereby. In this way they 
reached Lower Sandusky Fremont). 
Spending a few days visiting friends, who, 
a few years before, on coming West, set- 
tled in the neighborhood of Lower San- 
dusky, they continued on to Perry.sburgand 
Maumee. Herethev saw what had often 
been the exciting theme of their children — 
a tribe of Indians, the Ottawas, who were 
encamped on the Hats opposite Maumee. 
preparatory to their being removed to 
their new hunting grounds west of the 
Mississippi, assigned them by the Govern- 
ment. 

•' [-"inding the roadsimpa.ssable for their 
carriage, the travelers returned to Lower 
Sandusky, and turned south. At Tiffin 
they met Dr. Dresbach, of lasting reputa- 
tion in that locality for his genial manner 
and his ability as a physician and surgeon. 
Advised by him, they decided to remain 
at Lower Sandusky, to which they re- 
turned, and put up at Corbins later the 
' Kessler House,' now the Wheeling rail- 
road depot), it being then the 24th day of 
July. 1839. A week subsequently, on 
the 2nd of August, the citizens of San- 
dusky and neighlwring counties celebrated 
the anniversary of Croghan's victory by 
barbecuing an ox on the commons, now 
the courthouse park, Eleutheros Cook, 
of Sandusky city, delivering an oration 
from the porch of the low frame dwelling 



36 



COMMEMOBATrVE BIOGBAPHICAL RECORD. 



house erected a few years before by 
Jaques Hulburd, standing in the middle 
of Fort Stephenson, and which, a few 
years ago, was removed from the grounds 
when they became the property of the 
city and Birchard Library by purchase. 
The breastworks of the fort were, at that 
day, still conspicuous. 

' ' Within a few days after their arrival 
both were taken sick with fever. Occu- 
pying beds at the hotel in the same out-of- 
the-way room, they were left prett\' much 
to themselves, to acquire experience as 
patient, nurse and doctor, all at the same 
time and at their leisure. A new settler 
had a good deal to learn about sickness, 
and but few lacked opportunities for ac- 
quiring knowledge by personal experience. 
A notable fact connected with the history 
of the hotel that season is remembered by 
living participants, namely: That at one 
time for a few daj-s not a woman remained 
in the house ^filled as it was with guests 
and borders, of whom many were sick — ex- 
cept the landlord's wife, and she, too, down 
with the fever. The women help had all 
gone home sick. It was very hard to obtain 
others. A colored man — a steamboat 
cook — with man help for general house- 
work, supplied their place. 

"The sickness that season being very 
general all over the town and country, 
before either had so far recovered as to 
be able to do more than leave their room, 
they were importuned to visit the sick, 
and were compelled to comply long before 
they were fit for service. They secured 
for an office a little one-story frame struc- 
ture, which stood where Buckland's 
Block now stands, at the corner of Front 
and State streets. It was an unpreten- 
tious building, belonging to Capt. Morris 
Tyler. Their neighbors on the south 
were Morris & John Tyler, merchants, 
whose store occupied one-half of a low 
two-story frame house, of very moderate 
dimensions, but for size and appearance 
one of the noted mercantile establish- 
ments of the town. To the north they 



were in close proximity to Gen. R. P. 
Buckland's law office, of about the same 
size as their own, and in no way superior 
to theirs, excepting that it was a shade 
whiter from having probably had two 
coats of paint, while theirs had but one, 
and that one almost washed off by the 
northeasters which swept its front, unob- 
structed, as now, by three-story blocks, 
on the opposite sides of the street. This 
office at one time narrowly escaped de- 
struction: A cannon fired at the intersec- 
tion of State and Front streets, on tl^e 
occasion of a jollification in 1842 over 
the election of Wilson Shannon as Gov- 
ernor of Ohio, burst, sending its butt end 
through the north side of Gen. Buck- 
land's office, and but for its wise discrim- 
ination in the interest of humanity it 
would have gone through the north side 
of the doctors' office as well. 

"The 'doctor's ride,' in that day, 
meant twelve or fifteen miles in all direc- 
tions, and on horseback, mostly through 
woods on newly cut-out roads, often 
paths for some part of the way. He 
found his patients in the scattered cabins 
in which the farmers of Sandusky county 
then lived. During the continuance of 
their partnership, and until Dr. Wilson's 
health became impaired by a severe at- 
tack of sickness from exposure, as noted 
in his personal biography on a preceding 
page, they so arranged their business that 
their attendance upon patients was by al- 
ternate visits, making thus an equal division 
of the labor. He who went on the east- 
ern round to-day would go on the western 
to-morrow. The ' sickly season ' — mean- 
ing from about the middle of July to the 
middle of October — was a phrase very 
familiar in those times, happily not appli- 
cable to this day, for the State may be 
challenged to name, within her bounds, 
a county now healthier than this same 
Sandusky. The change has been wrought 
partly by clearing up the land, but mostly 
by constructing ditches to carry off the 
water that overspread the surface. Dur- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPIIICAL RECORD. 



87 



iiiR the sickly season the pressure on 
their time was such as to enable them to 
make the rouiul only once in two days. 
Oftentimes each passed over the other's 
route before they met in their office — not 
sceinj;;'each other for days — the necessary 
conimuiiicatioiis beinjj made on a lar^e 
slate kept in tiie office for that purpose. 
The story of the daily ride, extending far 
into the night, oftentimes with fog above 
ami mud below, the weariness of body 
and limb, the loss of sleep, the burden of 
thought — all this now sounds like exagger- 
ation, but to those who underwent it all it 
is a well-reineinbered and now wondered- 
at realitj". Their contemporary physi- 
cians were e<iually hard pressed. 

"In the season of which this is writ- 
ten, in the cabins visited, which some- 
times meant every cabin on the road 
traveled, it was very exceptional to find 
but one of a family sick. To find three 
or four was commonly the case. Not 
infrequently the whole family were pa- 
tients, and this with no outside help, 
sometimes not procurable even in times 
of dire necessity. While extreme cases 
could not fairly be given as the general 
experience, yet this class after all consti- 
tuted a large proportion of the whole. 
An enumeration would include cases of 
scanty house-room, of lack of supplies, 
of distance from neighbors, of remote- 
ness from physicians, of absence of help, 
of the number down in a family, of ne- 
glected ones, of work undone, of fields, 
such as they were, unprepared for seed. 
These, in their varied forms, composed a 
large list. In making the rounds one 
day he whose circuit included a cabin to be 
visited which had recently been erected in 
a small clearing, a half acre or so, in a dense 
woods, south of where Hessville now 
stands, and reached by passing through 
David Berry's lane and then along a path 
which led to the opening — found, upon 
entering, the man of the house lying up- 
on a bed in one corner of the room, in a 
burning fever; the woman in another 



part of the room sitting upon the edge of 
an extemporized bed, with a face Hushed 
with fever, and wild with excitement, 
leaning over a cradle in which lay their 
little child in spasms, it too having the 
fever. (,)uickly enquiring of the woman 
for the water-bucket, he was told that it 
was empty, that their well had just been 
dug, and was un walled and uncovered; 
the only way they had to get water was 
to climb down a ladder that stood in the 
well and dip it up, which neither had 
been able to do that day, and no one com- 
ing to the house, they had no water. Pro- 
curing water from the well, he remained 
till the child was relieved of the spasms, 
when, having dispensed the medicines ne- 
cessary, he departed, telling them to ex- 
pect someone in soon, as the result of his 
efforts to get somebody, if possible, from 
the first house he reached on the way. 
"The fevers of this country had pe- 
culiarities which for years have ceased to 
be observed, and which were the condi- 
tions exciting anxiety in the mind of the 
doctor as well as in the friends of the sick. 
Intermittent fever, one of the forms very 
common, was sometimes ,with chills, 
sometimes without, as now, and was man- 
ageable enough unless, as not infrecpiently 
was the case, it assumed a malignant 
type, known in the books as congestive 
chill, or pernicious intermittent. With 
the best that could be done, the cases 
were often fatal, many times for want of 
care at the critical perod. But more 
marked was the condition which attend- 
ed the latter stage of bilious remittent 
fever, the other form of miasmatic fever, 
generally prevalent in the latter part of 
summer and in the autumn months. 
Whether it nm a short or a long course, 
whether of high or low grade, it usu- 
ally terminated with a sweat and ex- 
treme exhaustion. A 'sinking spell,' as 
it was commonly called, was frequently 
its dreaded sc(]uence. and the danger to 
life at the time imminent. .A failure on the 
part of the attendants then to keep up the 



38 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



circulation — by rubbing the surface, by 
applying warmth to the extremities, by 
spreading plenty of cover over the bed, 
and by administering stimulants freely, 
with liberal doses of quinine — was sure to 
seal the fate of the patient. Many died 
in this way. A representative case oc- 
curred in a small frame house of two 
rooms, which stood on what was then 
open common (now the corner of Croghan 
and Wood streets), occupied by a man 
and his family of the name of Tyler, 
strangers, no relatives of the Tyler family 
resident here. He was a stone mason, 
and came to work at the courthouse, the 
building of which had just been com- 
menced. He and his wife were taken 
sick with the fever. No one could be 
found to take the constant charge of them. 
The neighbors, sparsely settled then in 
that part of the town, as they could be 
spared from home, went in, one now, and 
another then, and did what they could, 
but withal the care was far from what 
their condition required. The fever of 
the husband yielded first; instructions had 
been left as to what was to be done when 
the crisis came, which during the day gave 
signs of its near approach. The doctors, 
both having reached their office on their 
return from the country at the same time 
— about 12 o'clock at night — upon being 
informed that a messenger had just been 
down for them from the Tylers, went to 
the house to find the patient cold and 
pulseless, no appliances, no stimulants 
having been used as directed, and he died. 
They had the wife removed to a neigh- 
bor's house. When the crisis came to 
her — the breaking up of the fever in the 
manner described — she had the necessary 
care and lived. 

"And here it should be remarked 
that whatever allusions may have been 
made in this or any other sketch of years 
ago, to hardship suffered for want of help 
in times of sickness, it was never refused 
when it could be given. To the extent 
of the ability to give it, no neighbor with- 



held it. The brotherly spirit displayed at 
such times made itself proverbial, and 
could the deeds to which it prompted be 
written they would form a grand chapter 
in the history of Sanduskj' county." 



BURGOON. The ancestry, from 
whom are descended the Burgoon 
families of Sandusky and other 
counties of Ohio, was John Bur- 
goon, who served in the French army, 
and about the year 1740 emigrated from 
Alsace, France (now in Germany), to 
America. Here he married and had a 
family of seven children: Charles, Robert, 
Peter, Jacob, Francis, John, and Honore, 
the only daughter. Of these Peter be- 
came a Methodist minister; Honore mar- 
ried Ulrich Sate, and removed to Penn- 
sylvania, but the six sons all came to Ohio 
in an early daj', and their descendants are 
found in Perry, Muskingum and Morgan 
counties. The father of this family died 
at his home in Frederick (now Carroll) 
count}', Md., and his remains rest in the 
St. John's Catholic Cemetery at \\'est- 
minster, he being of that faith. The 
mother was of the Protestant faith. 

Francis Burgoon, son of John Bur- 
goon, the immigrant, and Elizabeth, his 
wife, was born in Frederick county, Md., 
where he married Miss Elizabeth Low, a 
lady of English descent. In 1824 they 
moved to Perry county, Ohio, in company 
with a colony of nineteen other families 
from the same neighborhood, all related 
to each other. They both died in Perry 
county, and their remains rest in St. 
Joseph Catholic Cemetery, two miles 
southeast of Somerset. Their children 
were: David, Mary, Jacob, Theresa, 
William, Rachel, Peter, Edith and Sarah. 
Of this family, the youngest died in child- 
hood, and was buried at Taneytown, Md. ; 
David moved to Knox county, Ohio, 
where his descendants still reside; Mary 
married Joshua Coe, and their descend- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



89 



ants are to be found in Licking county, 
Ohio; Jacobs descendants live in the vi- 
cinity of Somerset, Perry Co., Ohio; 
Theresa's descendants are found in Ver- 
niiUion county, Ind. ; the descendants of 
Wilhani live in Carroll county, Md. ; 
Rachel married Basil Cue, and lived in the 
the vicinity of Fremont, Ohio; Edith 
married David Engler, and lived in San- 
dusky count)-, and was one of the earliest 
pioneers of the county. 

Peter Burgeon, son of Francis and 
Elizabeth Burgeon, was born in Frederick 
county, Md., near Westminster, July 
13, iSoo. His educational advantages 
were limited, and for a trade he learned 
that of a stone mason. On October 18, 
1 82 1, he married Miss Margaret Fluegel, 
at Littlestown, Penn., a daughter of John 
and Margaret Hahni F"lucgel, who lived 
near Westminster, Md. John Fluegel was 
a son of \'allen Fluegel, an emigrant from 
Germany, who had settled on a large 
farm near Westminster. Margaret E. 
(Hahn), his wife, was a daughter of An- 
drew Hahn. The names and dates of 
birth of the children of John and Mar- 
garet Fluegel are as follows: Elizabeth, 
February 6, 1791; John, July 25, 1793; 
Polly F., January 19, 1795; Samuel, 
August 18, 1796; George, July 23, 179S; 
Margaret, July 18, 1801; Henry, October 
22, 1S02: Daniel. June 25, 1804; Sarah, 
June 3, 1806; Simon, June 9, 1808; Ben- 
jamin, September 23, 1809; and Levi, 
November 29, 181 1, who is still (1895) 
living. John Fluegel, the father of this 
family, served in the Revolutionary army 
as fife-major; he died at the age of eighty- 
three, his wife Margaret at the age of 
seventy-three, and their remains are buried 
in Bausts churchyard, near Uniontown. 
Md. Of the above named children of 
John and Margaret Fluegel, Elizabeth 
married Cornelius Baust, and lived in 
L'niontown, Md. ; Polly married Jacob 
Miller, and lived in Jay county, Ind.; 
Margaret married Peter Burgeon, and 
they became the parents of our subject; 



Sarah married Peter Shriner, and lived 
near Union Mills, Md. Three of the 
sons — Henry, Simcm and licnjamin — be- 
came ministers of the Gospel. The 
average age of all these sons and daugh- 
ters was upward of eighty years. Levi 
Fluegel, now in his eighty-third year, is 
living at Frizellburg, Md. In religious 
faith the family originally belonged to the 
Reformed and Lutheran Churches, but 
later most of them became members of 
the Church of G(jd. 

Peter Burgeon, the father of our sub- 
ject, came west from Maryland in 1824, 
first locating in Somerset, Perry Co., 
Ohio, where he worked at his trade about 
two years; then removed to Licking coun- 
ty, and there staid one year. In October, 
1 829, he came to Sandusky county, Ohio, 
and settled in the forest of the Black 
Swamp, on the bank of the Little Mud 
creek, about four miles northwest ef 
Lower Sandusky fnow Fremont). Sev- 
eral tribes of Indians were living here 
then, and the woods were teeming with 
wild animals. The Burgeon family had 
no white neighbors -nearer than two miles 
distant, with the exception of Mrs. Rachel 
Coe, who had settled on an adjoining 
farm. Here Mr. Burgeon built a log 
cabin, and began to clear up the land 
with all the energ>' ef a man ef pluck, 
resolution and perseverance. Being 
possessed of sound practical common 
sense, he was often consulted by his 
neighbors en matters ef business. In 
connection with farming he worked at his 
trade about twelve years, and was em- 
ployed on the residence of Dr. L. Q. 
Rawson, which was the second brick 
edifice erected in Sandusky county. With 
many of the business interests ef the coun- 
ty he became identified, and he held 
various offices ef honor and trust. In 
politics he was originally an ardent Demo- 
crat, but during the Civil war he was a 
firm supporter of the L*. S. Government, 
and from that time forward he affiliated 
with the Republican party. He was 



40 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



possessed of robust health, a strong physi- 
cal constitution and an iron will, and by 
his many sterling traits of manly charac- 
ter he gained and held an honorable 
place among the pioneers of Sandusky 
county. He died March 17, 1879, and 
was buried with Masonic honors; his wife 
passed away June 8, 1871, a member of 
the Reformed Church. Their remains 
rest in the Lutheran and Reformed Ceme- 
tery, four miles west of Fremont. Their 
children were named as follows: William, 
Washington, Miranda, Upton, Elizabeth, 
Margaret, Romanus, David, Isadore H., 
Mary and Malinda. Of these, William 
Washington died July 21, 1846, aged 
twenty-four years; Miranda married N. 
R. Tucker, a farmer of near Fremont, 
Ohio; Upton married Nancy A. Kerr, 
April 8, 1848; Elizabeth died October 4, 
1835, aged six years; Margaret married 
Solomon Albert, July 4, 1852; Romanus 
married Mary Taylor, April 12, 1858 (he 
died January 14, i860); David married 
Cynthia Skinner, May i, 1863; Isadore 
H. married Eliza Ann Chapman, October 
19, 1865; Mary married August Baumer, 
September 18, 1862; Malinda married O. 
R. Smith, April 6, 1869. 

Major I. H. Burgoon, railroad man- 
ager, Fremont, Sandusky county, was 
born in Sandusky township, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio., January 25, 1839, a son of 
Peter and Margaret (Fluegel) Burgoon, 
who at that time were living on a 200- 
acre farm about four miles north of Lower 
Sandusky (now Fremont), Ohio. He 
spent his early life on his father's farm, 
and received a liberal education at the 
common schools of the district. In the 
fall of 1858 he commenced teaching a 
country school, and in the fall of the fol- 
lowing year he attended Oberlin College 
three months, after which he taught 
another term of winterschool in the coun- 
try. On September 10, i860, he came to 
Fremont and took the position of office 
boy and clerk for Dr. L. O. Rawson, presi- 
dent of the Fremont & Indiana railroad. 



He remained in the service of that road 
eighteen years, as follows: From 1861 ta 
1864 he was clerk in the president's office, 
and freight and ticket agent; 1864 to 1865, 
conductor; 1865 to 1866, train master; 
1866 to 1867, assistant superintendent; 
1868 to 1872, superintendent; 1872 to 
•S/S' general superintendent; 1875 to 
1878, receiver; 1878 to 1879, general 
superintendent of the Lake Erie & Louis- 
ville railroad, after the sale and reorgani- 
zation; October, 1879 to 1881, general 
superintendent Toledo, Delphos & Bur- 
lington railroad; August i, 18S1, to 
1883, general manager of the Ohio Con- 
struction Company; 1881 to 1885, gen- 
eral manager Cleveland, Delphos & St. 
Louis railroad; May, 1881, to 1885, gen- 
eral manager, secretary and treasurer, of 
the Cleveland, Delphos & Western Tele- 
graph Company, and general manager of 
the Cleveland, Delphos & St. Louis rail- 
road; May, 1885, to June 30, 1886, general 
agent of the Indiana, Bloomington & 
Western railroad ; July i , 1 886, to Decem- 
ber 31, 1890, receiver and general man- 
ager of the Bellaire, Zanesville & Cincin- 
nati railroad; September I, 1889, to Octo- 
ber, 1 892, general manager and treasurer of 
the Terre Haute & Peoria railroad. When 
the Terre Haute & Peoria railroad was 
leased to the Terre Haute & Indianapolis, 
he was made superintendent of the Peoria 
division, serving as such from October, 
1892, to October, 1893. In January, 1894, 
he accepted the position of general super- 
intendent of the Findlay, Fort Wayne 
& Western railroad, under a receiver. 
Upon the sale and transfer of this prop- 
erty, Mr. Burgoon was called to Salt 
Lake City, Utah, on August 15, 1894, 
and was appointed general superintendent 
and general freight and passenger agent 
of the Utah Central railway, his head- 
quarters being at Salt Lake City, where 
he is at present, though retaining his resi- 
dence at Fremont, Ohio, having here 
many business and social interests. Dur- 
ing all his management of these roads he 



COSntBMORATTVE BTOORAPHWAL RBCORD. 



41 



made a clean record. By his enterprise, 
prudence, economy and inteprity he secured 
the good will and best wishes of all par- 
ties concerned. He received many flat- 
tering testimonials from his superior offi- 
cers, and from those who had confided 
their interests to his care, of which the 
following may serve as a sample: After 
having acted as receiver of the Lake Erie 
& Louisville railway, about three years, 
Mr. Burgoon filed in the court of com- 
mon pleas, of Sandusky county, his final 
report and the account of his doings and 
dealings in the management of the road, 
of which he had full charge as receiver, 
under direction of the court, and his re- 
port and accounts were confirmed not 
only without a question but by consent of 
counsel on both sides, and he was highly 
complimented for his management of the 
affairs of the road, as is shown by the 
order of confirmation which follows: 

And this Court, havinff examined the said 
final .iccount and re|x>rt, and found the same 
in all respects in accordance with law and the 
order of the Court, and that the said receiver 
has duly jiaid and delivered all money, credits 
and property of every kind which came into his 
possession or control, by virtue of his ap- 
pointment and office in accordance with the 
order and direction of the Court, and has in 
all respects well and truly and faithfully dis- 
charjred all his duties as such receiver, it 
is hereby ordered that the said final report 
and account be and the same is hereby ap- 
proved and confirmed, and the said Isadore 
H. nur»foondischarf;ed from all further account- 
ability as such receiver. And he is especially 
commended for the ability and faithfulness 
with which he has discharg-ed the arduous 
duties of his office. 

Approved. 

K. P. BrcKLANi) ANi> Calvin S. Bkice, 
Attorneys for Lake Erie & Louisville Railway 

Company. 

Otis, Adams & Rcsskli., 
Attorneys for plaintiffs, the trustees. 

On May 2, 1864. Mr. Burgoon entered 
the militarj' service of his country, as 
private in Company F, One Hundred and 
Sixty-ninth Regiment, O. N. G. 1. He 
served with his regiment at Fort Ethan 
Allen, Virginia, a term of four months, 
and was promoted to the rank of sergeant- 



major, a position he held until the expir- 
ation of his term of service, September 4, 
1864, having earned a record for promo- 
tion in the discharge of his duties. He 
wrote many interesting letters to his 
home papers during his time of service. 

Nfr. Burgoon has for many years been 
an active member of the Sandusky Coun- 
ty Pioneer and Historical Society, of 
which he is still vice-president and secre- 
tary, and has been one of the leading 
spirits in making the annual reunion 
pioneer picnics a success. He takes a 
laudable interest in all public affairs in 
the city of Fremont, but has never been 
a political office seeker. He was raised a 
Democrat, and cast his first vote for 
Stephen A. Douglas, for president, since 
which time he has been a I^epublican. 
He has been a member of the Masonic 
Fraternity since 1862, and has taken all 
the degrees in the York Rite, and the 
Scottish Rite to the 32d degree. He is 
a member of the Eugene Rawson Post, 
G. A. R., at Fremont, Ohio, and has al- 
ways taken an interest in the welfare of 
the soldiers. Since the year 1888 he has 
been president of the One Hundred and 
Sixty-ninth, O. V. I. Regimental .Asso- 
ciation. 

On October 19, 1S65, I. H. Burgoon 
was married at Fremont, Ohio, to Miss 
Eli^a \. Chapman, who was born Feb- 
ruary 10, 1844, at Marion. Ohio, a 
daughter of Joseph and Uorinda (Ayers) 
Chapman, and their children were: J. 
Chajmian Burgoon, born .\ugust 10, 1874, 
died September 19, 1874; and Charles 
Paine Burgoon, born May 25, 1878. A 
lasting honor was fittingly and worthily 
bestowed on Mr. Burgoon, when, on No- 
vember 18, 1873, the citizens of the new 
town, established at the crossing of the 
Lake Erie & Louisville and the Toledo, Tif- 
fin & Eastern railroads, in Jackson town- 
ship, Sandusky county, concurred in ask- 
ing the Post Office Department to name 
the new post office '"Burgoon" after Mr. 
I. H. Burgoon, whcse uniform courtesy 



42 



COMMEMORATTVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



as an official of the Lake Erie & Louis- 
ville railroad had won for him the best 
wishes of the people of that community. 



s 



HARON C. LAMBERSON, editor 
and co-proprietor of the Denio- 
Mcsscngcr, Fremont, San- 



crntic 

dusky county, was born in Serleca 
, Ohio, November i6, 183S, a son 
and Anna Mary (Creager) 



county 

of William 

Lamberson. 

William Lamberson was born at Eas- 
ton, Penn., March 23, 181 3, and came 
with his parents to Ohio in 1830, locating 
in the forests of Seneca county, where he 
helped to clear up a farm. In politics he 
was a radical Democrat. He married, 
January 4, 1838, and died January 15, 
1882. Ann Mary Lamberson was born 
in Montgomery county, Ohio, June 12, 
181 5, and died February 6, 1887, and 
died a member of the Reformed Church, 
in which faith she was reared. Their 
children were: (i) Sharon C, our sub- 
ject; (2) Eunice A., wife of John Huston, 
living near Dayton, Ohio; (3) Virgil D., 
a veteran of the Civil war, living at Tiffin, 
Ohio; (4) Janett C, widow of Victor J. 
Zahm, and one of the proprietors of 
the Democratic Messenger; (5) Her- 
schel W. , a farmer, living at Ha- 
vana, Huron Co., Ohio; (6) Curtis 
M. , who lives in Wamego, Kans. ; (7) 
Dewitt C, who died August, 1875; (8) 
M. Marcena, a maiden lady, living at 
Tiffin, Ohio. Daniel Lamberson, our 
subject's paternal grandfather, was born 
near Easton, Penn., served in the war of 
18 1 2, became a pioneer settler of Seneca 
county, Ohio, and died at a good old age. 
Our subject's maternal grandparents came 
from Maryland, and settled near Dayton, 
Ohio. Both of S. C. Lamberson's parents 
were of German descent. 

Our subject was reared on a farm, and 
after receiving a common-school educa- 
tion in Seneca county took a course of 
study at Heidelberg University, Tiffin, 



Ohio, from which institution he graduated 
in 1859, with the first honor of his class. 
He followed school teaching and farm- 
ing, alternating these occupations until 
1873, when he engaged in the mer- 
cantile business at Tiffin for two years. 
He then became connected with the coun- 
ty auditor's office at Tiffin, for six years. 
On April 7, 1885, in partnership with his 
brother-in-law, V. J. Zahm, he purchased 
the Democratic Messenger, the organ of 
the Sandusky county Democracy. His 
partner died in August of the same year, 
and Mr. Lamberson has continued to 
conduct the paper since that time. Polit- 
ically, he is a Jeffersonian Democrat, 
and socially, has been a member of 
Seneca Lodge, No. 35, I. O. O. F., 
about thirty years. On April 18, 1887, 
he was married, at Tiffin, Ohio, to Miss 
Johanna C. Zahm, who was born in 
Buffalo, N. Y. , November 30, 1838. Mrs. 
Lamberson's parents were born in Ger- 
many and came to America, her father in 
1832, her mother in 1833. 



PETER BEAUGRAND, M. D., of 
Fremont, Sanduskj- count}-, one 
of the oldest living practitioners 
in the State of Ohio, was born at 
Detroit, Mich., August 26, 1 8 14. 

The Beaugrand family is of French 
origin, the grandfather of Dr. Beaugrand, 
John Baptiste Beaugrand, having emi- 
grated from Bordeaux, France, to Canada 
about the year 1760. But little of his 
life's history has been preserved; but it is 
believed that he was a merchant, and 
spent his life in barter with the Indians. 
Dr. P. Beaugrand is a son of John B. 
and Margaret (Chabert) Beaugrand, the 
father born in Three Rivers, Canada, in 
1768. He grew to manhood there, and 
at the age of twenty-one migrated to 
Detroit, Mich., where he engaged in busi- 
ness as an Indian trader with good suc- 
cess until during the war of 1S12, when 
he was burned out by the Indians. He 



COMMBMORATrVB BIOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



48 



removed with his family to Fremont (then 
Lower Sandusky), Ohio, settling; here 
during the first week of January, 1S23; 
he had spent the previous year here as a 
trader. The mother of our subject was 
born in Detroit, Mich., February 26, 
1781, and died May 12, 1859, at Fremont, 
Ohio. 

The family consisted of ten children: 
(l)Margaret, who married Kodolphus 
Dickinson, a brilliant young lawyer, who 
came to Lower Sandusky frotn the East 
shortly after the Beaugraud family took 
up their residence there; afterward was 
member of Congress, and died during his 
second term in Congress, in 1S49. (2) 
Julia, who married B. F. Fletcher, who 
died in 1849, just after his election for the 
second term to the office of county re- 
corder. (3) Sophia, who married La 
Quinio Rawson, a physician who became 
very eminent in his profession, and died 
in 1888. (4) Isidore D. , at one time 
sheriff of Sandusky county. (5) JohnB., 
who was a sailor and a captain on the 
lakes; he was strong and athletic, and of 
a venturesome spirit; in 1 846 he was pre- 
sented by the mayor of Cleveland with a 
stand of colors for safely bringing into 
that port, during a severe storm, his boat, 
having on board a large number of passen- 
gers. (6) Peter, the subject of our 
sketch. <~) James, born in I3etroit, died 
at Fremont at the age of three years. 
(8) Richard, who was also a sailor on the 
lakes, enlisted, and died during the Civil 
war. (91 Helen M., who married M. S. 
Castle, an attorney at law, of Cleveland. 
Ohio, where she resided until her death 
in 1890. (10) James A., who has always 
been engaged in clerical work, is now liv- 
ing in Racine, Wis., and is deputy clerk 
of courts at that place; he and the Doctor 
are the only survivors of the family. 

Dr. P. Beaugrand is a man much 
respected in I'roinont and vicinity, both 
as a skillful physician, and a gentleman of 
culture. He has been a student of the 
most ardent tyj>c during a long and busy 



life, and is remarkable for his intellectual 
talents and his genial, kindly disposition. 
His profession has been to him as his 
bride, for he has led none other to the al- 
tar. Quick in perception, broad and 
charitable in his sympathies, with a mem- 
ory that has never failed, and an integ- 
rity that has never wavered. Dr. Beau- 
grand possesses the essential qualities of 
a successful physician; and if implicit 
faith in a man by a whole community is 
of any solace to him, as he descends the 
western slope of life, the Doctor should 
be one of the most contented of mortals. 
He has also been a favorite in literary cir- 
cles, there being few important facts of 
history or science with which he is not 
familiar. 

In 1823, Dr. Beaugrandcame with his 
parents to Fremont. He recollects dis- 
tinctly the trip from Detroit to Lower 
Sandusky on the ice on Lake Erie, and 
the incidents that occurred on the way, 
one of which was the breaking of the ice. 
by which the parties in the sleigh all got 
wet, and how they all made for the shore, 
and built a huge fire by which to dry 
themselves. Ho is still able to point out 
the very spot at which they came ashore 
to make the remainder of the trip over- 
land. Dr. Beaugrand attended the com- 
mon schools here, and at the age of eight- 
een was a student one term at Wells' 
Academy, Mich. In March, 1833, he com- 
menced the study of medicine at Findlay, 
Ohio, with B. and L. O. Rawson, and 
when the latter returned to I'remont he 
came with him. During the winter of 
1834-35, he attended medical lectures at 
the College of Physicians and Surgeons, 
Fairfield, Herkimer Co., N. Y. During 
the scholastic year of 1844-45 ^*^ gradu- 
ated from the Ohio Medical College, at 
Cincinnati, Ohio. Ik- began the practice 
of medicine at Lower Sandusky in 1834, 
continuing thus up to 1845 before he took 
the degree of M. I)., and he now has a 
retrospect of more than sixty years of 
professional life, at the beginning of which 



44 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQBAPHWAL RECORD. 



our country was in its infancy. He re- 
calls with accuracy the great questions 
which agitated the public mind during 
the da3's of Clay, Webster, and their il- 
lustrious compeers. 

In the spring of 1864 Dr. Beaugrand 
was appointed surgeon of the One Hun- 
dred and Sixty-ninth Regiment, O. V. I., 
at Cleveland, Ohio, and served one hun- 
dred days at Fort Ethan Allen, Va. 
On his return home he resumed the prac- 
tice of his profession, which he still pur- 
sues, not from personal necessity but to 
accommodate old patients. He has ac- 
cumulated a handsome competence which 
enables him to complete the rest of life's 
journey at his ease. The Doctor was a 
Democrat before the war, and during that 
struggle voted for Republican candidates; 
but his views at present are Democratic. 
He has always had a high regard for his 
mother, who was a remarkable woman, 
very active in visiting the sick and poor 
among the early pioneers, and who was 
very charitable. An oil painting of her 
now adorns the public library at Fremont. 



WILLIAM E. LAY. Since the 
year 1828, this venerable, intel- 
ligent and highly-respected citi- 
zen of Sandusky county has 
lived upon the one farm in Green Creek 
township, a residence that is perhaps 
unequaled in the county. He has been 
an eyewitness to the growth of the county 
from its primitive condition to its present 
advanced stage of development. But the 
feature of his citizenship is not chiefly its 
duration. In public spirit and character, 
he ranks among the foremost residents. 

Mr. Lay was born in Tompkins coun- 
ty, N. Y. , October 20, 1809, son of John 
and Mary (Squires) Lay. John Lay was 
born in Connecticut January 22, 1775, 
and was the son of Aaron Lay, who, 
when a young man, emigrated with two 
brothers from England. One of these 
brothers, James Lay, afterward settled 



near Buffalo, N. Y. Mary Squires was 
born September 9, 1777, and was married 
January 22, 1797, to John Lay. Their 
eight children were as follows: (i) Jere- 
miah, born January 17, 1798, married in 
1826, settled in Seneca county, Ohio, 
and died there about 1879. (2) John, 
born September 7, 1801, a shoemaker by 
trade, lived at Attica, Seneca Co., Ohio. 
By his first wife, Aurora Ewer, he had 
one child, Henry, who died young; b}' 
his second wife, Mary Silcox, he also had 
one child, William, born September 6, 
1850, and died June 18, 1873. John died 
August 12, 1889. (3) Almira, born No- 
vember 16, 1803, married John Woodruff, 
lived in Jackson township, Sandusky 
county, and reared a large famil}'; she 
died in 1874. (4) Eustacia, born August 
9, 1805, married John Bartlett, lived in 
Green Creek township, and reared a 
family; she died in 1877. (5) Harmon, 
born June 13, 1807, died April 30, 18 10. 
(6) William E. is the subject of this 
sketch. (7) Mary Ann, born September 
8, 1 81 7, married Hiram Babcock, of 
Green Creek, and died leaving six chil- 
dren. (8) Susan J., born February 16, 
1820, was married first to Jacob Martin, 
of Castalia, by whom she had one child, 
and afterward to Horace Simpson; she 
died near Fremont, Michigan. 

After marriage John and Mary Lay 
settled in Seneca (now Tompkins) county, 
N. Y. , but moved thence to Steuben 
county. In 18 16 he migrated to Ohio, 
going by team to Buffalo, and there tak- 
ing passage on the schooner "American 
Eagle,'' and landing at the mouth of the 
Huron river. Living at Speers' Corners 
two years, he moved to the eastern part 
of Seneca county, and three years later 
crossed the Sandusky river to the western 
part of the county. He then moved back 
to Clinton township after five years, and 
in 1828, or three years later, settled on 
the farm in Green Creek township, San- 
dusky county, which his son William E. 
now occupies. Here the parents re- 



COMMBMORATIVB BIOGRAPHICAL BBCORD. 



46 



mained until their death. They were 
buried on Hutternut Ridge, or Lay's 
Cemetery. John Lay was a Henry Clay 
\Vhi},',aiid he votetl at the first election held 
in Sandusky county, in 1.S19; in early life 
he was in religious faith a close-commun- 
ion Baptist, and for over thirty years he was 
either clerk or deacon of the Church; in 
after life he accepted the Universalist faith. 

The boyhood of William L. Lay was 
spent in the wilderness home of his par- 
ents in Seneca and Sandusky counties. 
Indians were then abundant, and he had 
more Indians for playmates than white 
boys. The Seneca reservation was just 
across the river from the first home of the 
Lays in Seneca county. He received lit- 
tle education at Speers' Corners, Huron 
county, and scarcely any more in Seneca 
county. His chief instruction he obtained 
sitting in his father's cabin, book in hand, 
and reading by the light of the log fire. 
One winter he attended school there, but 
his days were pretty well occupied by farm 
work, and the echo of his a.\e was heard 
in the forest until midnight. 

Mr. Lay was married April 11, 1833, 
to Margaret Lee. who was born in North- 
umberland county, Penn., September 15, 
1815, moved with her parents to Franklin 
county, Ohio, and thence in 1823 to 
Seneca county, Ohio. After marriage he 
began housekeeping on the farm his 
father had occupied five years earlier, and 
has lived there ever since; he now owns 
2(X) acres of well-improved land. Eleven 
children have been born to William and 
Margaret Lay, as follows: (1; Polly 
Minerva, born January 26, 1834, died 
July 26 of the same year. (2) Harkness 
N., born December 8, 1836, worked on 
the farm until the war broke out, and then 
enlisted in Company A, Seventy-second 
O. \. I. ; he was orderly sergeant, and 
was taken prisoner at Brice's Cross Roads, 
near Guntown, Miss., June 10, 1864, with 
247 other members of the regiment, and 
was confined in .Andersonville prison nine 
months. Oil October 4, 186;, he was 



married to Jemmetta Almond, anil has 
two children living — Francis M. and Bes- 
sie. He has followed farming and car- 
jjentry since the war, and now lives at 
Chicago. (3) Ann E., born April 20, 
1839, died unmarried February 25, 1888. 
(4) Cornelia, born July 29, 1840, married 
Jacob D. Le Fevre October 4, 1865, and 
died, childless, February 10, 1892. (5) 
Henry S., born June 16. 1842, unmarried, 
lives at home and operates the farm. (6) 
Clementine. born August 6, 1844, at home, 
unmarried. (7j I-'rancis Marion, born 
August 24, 1846. enlisted in April, 
1 864, before he was eighteen, was taken 
prisoner at Guntown, June 10, 1864, 
and died from exposure and starvation at 
Savannah. Ga., October 24, 1S64. (8) 
Fidelia, born September 12, 1848, mar- 
ried Cyrus Ale.xander February 2. 1870, 
lives on a farm in Erie county; they have 
no children. (9) Alice, born August 2, 
1 85 1, married December 30, 1892, to 
Abraham \'an Doren, and resides at Clyde. 
(lOj William B.. born May 15, 1858, 
farmer, of Sandusky county, married Alice 
L. Jones October 24, 1883; they have no 
children. (11) Mabel V., born July 27, 
i860, married Fred Hutchinson March 12, 
1884, and has five sons — Claire L. , Ern- 
est D., Karl A., Frank M. and Ralph. 

In politics, William E. Lay was a 
Democrat until the repeal of the Missouri 
Compromise, when he became a Republi- 
can. He cast his first vote for .\ndrew 
Jackson at his second term. He is a man 
of the strictest integrity, and one of the 
most highly respected in Sandusky county. 
In social affairs he has been a leader. 
Having amassed a goodly fortune, he con- 
tributes liberally to public enterprises. 
His family is highly cultured, and the af- 
ternoon of his life is cast in an atmos- 
phere that is most congenial. Com- 
manding the esteem of all good citizens, 
his life reflects the abilities and virtues 
that have lifted him to the enviable niche 
he occupies in the great social fabric of 
our land. 



46 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



Progress is 



LEWIS W. WARD 
born of courage. Courage stands 
erect and thinks while fear re- 
treats. Courage advances step by 
step, believing in science and in eternal 
law. If properly guided by a conscience, 
courage will achieve deeds of heroism in 
defense of right and honor and friendship 
worthy of the noblest knighthood. As a 
living example of one who in early life 
had the courage of his convictions, in 
manhood dared where others faltered, 
one who was willing to forego his golden 
schemes of wealth for the sake of caring 
for his widowed mother, and who later 
kindly cared for other aged people left in 
his care, we present the subject of this 
sketch. 

L. W. Ward, insurance and real-es- 
tate agent of Fremont, Sandusky county, 
was born in Reading township, near Som- 
erset, Perry Co., Ohio, May 27, 1832, 
son of Amos and Polly (Shoup) Ward, 
who were natives of Pennsylvania. Amos 
Ward was born in 1797, and came at an 
early day to Perry county, Ohio, where 
he married and carried on farming. Late 
in the fall of 1834 he removed with his 
family through the wilds of Ohio in a 
large wagon loaded with household goods, 
provisions and grain for seed, to the 
northwestern part of Sandusky (now Ot- 
tawa) county, Ohio, and settled on 160 
acres of land about midway between Port 
Clinton and Locust Point. He also bought 
1 60 acres in Washington township. As the 
ground was then frozen solid, it was easy 
to get about with a team in the erection 
of a log cabin and sheds, the building of 
fences and the clearing of land for farm- 
ing purposes. Work progressed fairly 
well, but there were some drawbacks. 
The surrounding country being then a wil- 
derness, the family were often anno3'ed 
by the howling of wolves near their cabin 
before they secured substantial doors and 
windows, and for greater safety they built 
a high fence of rails and poles to keep off 
these midnight prowlers. One incident 



in this connection is worthy of record. A 
pack of hungry, howling wolves came in- 
side the inclosure one night, and threat- 
ened an attack. Mr. Ward was alarmed 
for the safety of his family, and decided 
to test the mettle of his big brindle dog, 
"Lion," who crouched in a corner for 
fear of the wolves, by throwing him out 
of the cabin and making him fight or die. 
He did so. There was heard a sudden 
terrific snarling, an encounter for a few 
seconds, and then a running away and a 
howling which died off in the distance, 
the dog having made hasty tracks for 
Perry county, followed by the wolves, 
perhaps, for many miles, leaving the ter- 
rified family in quiet the rest of that night 
and for many nights thereafter. A few 
weeks later the family learned that 
"Lion" had indeed escaped the jaws of 
the wolves, and made his appearance at 
his old home in Perry county in an almost 
famished and exhausted condition. He 
had made the trip of about i 50 miles in 
an incredibly short time, as was learned 
by comparing the records of the two fam- 
ilies. The dear old fellow was afterward 
taken again to Sandusky county, became 
a great pet in the family, and died of old 
age. 

In the spring of the year, after the 
frost had disappeared, the family were 
distressed to find that the ground was so 
soft and spongy that they could not use 
their team to go to mill at Cold Creek, 
and for six weeks they were obliged to 
do without bread, except what could be 
made from grain pounded in a mortar or 
hollow stone. There were many other 
hindrances on account of the wet soil. 
After a residence of about six months in 
this marshy, malarious region, Mr. Ward 
died in June, 1835, leaving a widow and 
seven children in the wilderness. His 
family remained there for some time, and 
then moved upon the 160 acres in Wash- 
ington township, same county, on what is 
known as the Limestone Ridge, a few miles 
southeast of Hessville. The children of 




^^f ^^-Cf-^^h^ 



''J 



-^,^/r~c.^z(^ 



OOMMBMOHATJVB BWOHAPUWAL RECORD.- 



47 



Amos ami I'ollv Ward, born in Perry 
county, were: Harriet. John. Hiram. 
Isaac, lili/a. Lewis W. (our subject), and 
Sarah. 

Lewis W. Ward grew to manhood in 
Washington township. Sanihisky county, 
amid the toils, hardshijis and privations 
of pioneer life, in a family bereft of a 
husband and father when they most need- 
ed his assistance. His physical powers 
were developed by a frecjuent and vigor- 
ous use of the axe. the mattock, the maul 
and wedge, and his love of sport gratified 
by the use of a trust\' gun. On leaving 
his mother's roof, in 1S47, he hired out 
to A. W. Green, a neighboring farnier. 
(or six months, at $3 per month. He gen- 
erously contributed one dollar of the 
money thus earned to rebuild the Deal 
Block, in Lower Sandusky, which had 
been destroyed by fire. His brother Isaac 
took jobs of clearing land for farmers at 
$8 per acre, and sometimes the broth- 
ers worked on the Western Reserve and 
Maumce pike. Mr. Ward's schooling in 
the country was very limited, and in 1852 
he resolved to get a better education by at- 
tending a school taught in town by James 
Smith, son of Sheriff Jonas Smith, of 
Hallville township. He managed to pay 
his board and tuition by clerking evenings, 
morning and Saturdays for John F. 
Wooster. a druggist. His Sundays he 
usually spent at home or in attendance at 
the M. E. Church and Sunday-school. 
He next engaged as clerk on probation 
with Mr. David Betts. general merchant, 
and suited his employer so well that he 
was entrusted with the most valuable 
papers and records. At the end of about 
three years the store was destroyed by fire. 
Mr Ward was accustomed to sleep in the 
store, and when roused out of sleep by the 
alarm of tire he was so intent on saving his 
employer's papers that he neglected to save 
his own valuables, consisting of a new 
suit ol clothes and two watches. He 
next clerked about a year for Charles 
Haynes, and then started for California. 



He was one of a company of seventeen 
who had agreed to go there together, but 
at the time appointed for starting he alone 
was ready, and so set out alone. It took 
him five days to reach New York, and 
having just missed going on the steamer 
for the Panama route he took a vessel 
going by the Nicaragua route, which had 
on board 400 filibusters, on their way to 
Granada, South ,\merica. In due time 
he arrived at 'Frisco, went up the Sacra- 
mento river, passed Marysville to Sierra 
county, and found work for about two 
years as an honest miner. In 1858 he 
returned to Ohio to visit and care for his 
mother, intending to go back to Califor- 
nia. Finding strong inducements for him 
to remain in Fremont, he clerked for Mr. 
Edgerton, who had taken the stock in 
Betts & Kreb's store, until Edgerton 
failed, after which he clerked for Mr. A. 
Gusdorf. In 185S he bought out S. H. 
Russel, and for eight years carried on a 
grocery and saloon on Front street. In 
1S66, his lease having expired, he sold 
out his stock and engaged in the insur- 
ance and real-estate business, in which he 
has continued ever since. His mother, 
for whom he had kindly cared, died at 
her home in Elmore in 1S79. 

On October 31, 185.S. Mr. Ward mar- 
ried Miss Julia E. Leppelman, daughter 
of E. J. Leppelman. who with his wife 
afterward lived in the family of Mr. 
Ward for twenty odd years. Mr. Lep- 
pelman was killed by the cars at a cross- 
ing of the L. S. & M. S. railroad, on 
Main street. Fremont. June 30, 1892; his 
wife died in July. 1893. Mr. Ward is a 
regular attendant at St. Paul's Episcopal 
Church, of which his wife is a member. 
Socially, he is a charter member of Fre- 
mont lodge No. 204. K. of P.. and is also a 
member of L. W. Ward Division No. 87, 
Uniformed Rank, K. of P., which was 
named in honor of him. He was for many 
vears a member of the I. O. O. F. Mr. 
Ward served four years as major of the 
Sixth Regiment, U. R. K. P., and was 



48 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



reelected for four years, but declined to 
serve longer. 

Our subject is one of the best pre- 
served specimens of physical manhood in 
Fremont, being six feet tall, with broad 
chest and shoulders, erect carriage, digni- 
fied appearance and commandingpresence. 
His fondness for out-door sport and horse- 
back riding, from his youth, has con- 
tributed no little to his good health and 
marked cheerfulness, while his business 
ventures have secured for him a comfor- 
table competence. 



PROF. W. W. ROSS, superintend- 
ent of public schools, Fremont, 
Sandusky county, and one of the 
oldest established and most widely 
known schoolmen in Ohio, was born in 
Medina county, Ohio, December 24, 1824. 
The Ross family descended from an- 
cient and time-honored Scottish blood. 
Our subject's great-grandfather, Capt. 
Alexander Ross, was an officer in Gen. 
Wolfe's army of invasion, and took part 
in the battle on the Plains of Abraham, 
Quebec, which resulted in the defeat of 
the French, and the conquest of all Cana- 
da. For gallant services he subsequently 
received a grant of lands from the 
Crown, and settled in Prince Edward 
county. Upper Canada, in 1785, where 
he lived until his death, in 1805. Ac- 
cording to the genealog}', as traced by the 
Canadian cousins of W. W. Ross, 
"Capt. Ross was a grandson of Alexan- 
der Ross, Laird of Balnagown, Ross- 
shire, Scotland, who descended in direct 
line from Hugh Ross, of Rairiches, who 
was second son of Hugh, the sixth and 
last Earl of Ross, of the old family." The 
fifth Earl of Ross led the Ross-shire clans 
on the field of Bannockburn. In the an- 
cestral line was Rev. Alexander Ross, of 
Aberdeen, Scotland, Chaplain to Charles 
I, of England, and a distinguished author 
of many religious works, both in English 
and Latin. 



When Capt. Ross received the grant 
of lands in Canada he took his family 
from the Highlands of Scotland to live 
there. His son Alexander was the grand- 
father of our subject, W. W. Ross. He, 
Alexander, was born in Ross-shire, in 
the Scottish Highlands, not far from the 
site of the castle of Macbeth, before the 
family went to Canada. It is said he 
spent his life on his father's estate in 
Canada, near Picton, Prince Edward 
Co., Ontario. The full details of 
his life history seem not to be recorded, 
for his son, Joseph Ross, the father of 
Prof. W. W. Ross, was born, it is known, 
near Saratoga, N. Y. , in 1805, a few 
months after his father's death. Joseph 
Ross married Mary Harkness. He was a 
shoemaker by trade, and in his earlier 
days spent his time between New York 
State and Canada. He migrated from New 
York to Medina county, Ohio, in pioneer 
days, in 1830, and was one of the first set- 
tlers at Seville, where he worked at his 
trade until he was elected justice of the 
peace, in which capacity he served over 
thirty years 
formation, 

judgment. His probity and knowledge of 
law were universally recognized, and it 
became a proverb among the attorneys 
that if a case had been tried before Jus- 
tice Ross an appeal was useless. It is 
said that not a single case tried before 
him was ever reversed in the higher 
courts during his thirty years of service. 
His death occurred in 1876. Mary Hark- 
ness, the mother of our subject, was born 
in Salem, Washington Co., N. Y. , in 
1806, and is still alive, having her resi- 
dence with her son, W. W. Ross. She 
removed to eastern Ohio about the same 
time as her cousins of the same name 
(Harkness), who settled a little farther 
west, and who eventually became the 
multi-millionaire founders of the Standard 
Oil industrj". She was a teacher in both 
New York and Ohio, and was married to 
Joseph Ross at Seville in 1831. To their 



He was a man of good in- 
broad views and discerning 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



49 



union were born seven children: Alex- 
ander DeW'itt, wlio died at the a},'e of 
seventeen; Zaccheus, who died in in- 
fancy; McDonoufjh, who died in child- 
hood; /achary, who now resides in Fre- 
mont; Mary K. , wife of William Decker; 
Albert, a farmer, of Sandusky county, 
and W. W. 

Prof. \V. W. Ross received his school 
training almost exclusively in the com- 
mon and academic schools at Seville, 
Ohio, one term onl\', 1S52, having been 
passed at the Twinsburgh Institute, 
Twinsburgh, Ohio. His parents gave him 
and his elder brother, .\lexander De Witt 
Ross, their entire time for school work, 
besides rendering them much assistance 
and encouragement at home. Under the 
inspiration and guidanceof Charles Foster, 
a graduate of Dartmouth College, who 
was eminent as a preceptor and educator, 
and who taught a flourishing school for 
years at Seville, he made rapid progress, 
and in his earliest " teens '" was well along 
in algebra, geometry and other studies, in 
all of which he excelled. [His teacher, Mr. 
Foster, died during the war of the Re- 
bellion, in which he was serving as cap- 
tain.] 

Our subject commenced teaching when 
sixteen, in Seville, and for fourty-four 
years since has been engaged, almost un- 
remittingly, in school work, giving thirty- 
one consecutive years of this time to 
superintending the schools of Fremont, 
Ohio. After a first trial in a small, select 
school at home, he taught two winter 
schools in the country, and then in the 
fall of 1S53 organized a select and nor- 
mal school at Spencer, Medina Co., Ohio, 
over which he continued to have charge 
for four years, building up a large and 
flourishing school which drew pupils from 
thirty miles around. He immediately 
thereafter took charge of the academy in 
his native village, which he taught for 
three years, beginning with the fall of 1S57. 
In both these schools he established a 
reputation as a most successful teacher. 



He again taught in Spencer in the fall of 
1860, and in Wadsworth in 1861 62; in 
the fall of 1.S62 he took charge of the pub- 
lic schools of Clyde, Ohio, and after two 
years of successful work there was, in 
1864, elected superintendent of the Fre- 
mont public schools. Thirty-one years 
have rolled away, and still Prof. Ross is 
holding his position of superintendent. 
L'nder his supervision great improvement 
and progress ha\e been made, and Fre- 
mont boasts that no city is her peer in 
school equipment. 

During the vacations of his school 
work in Spencer and Seville Prof. Ross 
studied law under J. C. Johnson, of Se- 
ville, Herman Canfield, of Medina (who 
fell, while serving as lieutenant-colonel of 
the Seventy-second Ohio Regiment, at 
Shiloh . and in the office of Noble & Pal- 
mer, Cleveland, Ohio, and was admitted 
to the bar in 1861. More or less famil- 
iar from childhood with law proceedings 
in his father's courts, where he was ac- 
customed to hear such distinguished men 
as D. K. Carter (afterward chief justice 
of the District of Columbia) and John 
McSweeney (one of America's most bril- 
liant bar orators), his early aspirations 
were all in the line of the legal profes- 
sion. His health had partially failed him 
some years before his admission to the 
bar, and the apprehension that his health 
and strength would not justify the labors 
necessary to eminent success in a new 
profession he continued to work in a field 
with which he was already familiar, and 
in which he was already assured of suc- 
cess. It was nearly a score of years be- 
fore he fully abandoned the study of the 
law, but he was eventually well satisfied 
with his chosen work, into which, from 
the first, he threw his whole soul and all 
his energies. He never recovered vigor- 
ous health, and has said that he had not 
seen a perfectly well day in forty years. 
Although achieving an immense amount 
of work, he has always found it necessary 
to restrain his ambition within prescribed 



50 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



limits, in order to avoid nervous exhaus- 
tion. 

He early evinced, through the inspira- 
tion of his father, his academic school 
life and the environments of aiitc-bclhnn 
pioneer times on the Connecticut Western 
Reserve, a love for historical, dramatic 
and forensic literature, for public debate 
and general politics. In his earliest 
" teens " he had read, re-read and re- 
written Plutarch's Lives and gone through 
Gibbon's three thousand stately pages. 
Always punctual in his school composi- 
tion and declamation work, he early laid 
a foundation for subsequent success in 
public speaking on the lecture and polit- 
ical platform, and in general literary work. 
In his earlier school work he prepared 
many dramas, Shakespearean and others, 
for presentation on the school stage, and 
found in the preparatory work e.xcellent 
elocutionary drills both for himself and 
pupils. He was always an active partici- 
pant in the debating societies, and the 
mock congresses that on the Connecticut 
Western Reserve were wont to discuss, in 
the years before the war, the great ques- 
tions growing out of slavery, and was an 
active public speaker in the Douglas cam- 
paign of i860. His services were always 
in demand on the Fourth of July occa- 
sions, which were unfailingly observed in 
his native village. 

Prof. Ross has ever kept abreast with 
educational progress in both local and 
national matters. He has served three 
terms as a member of the Ohio School 
Board of Examiners, and was president of 
the same most of the time. He was a 
candidate for State School Commissioner 
in 1 87 1, but being a Democrat was de- 
feated. He has served as president of 
the Ohio State Teachers' Association, 
and also as president of the Tri- 
State Teachers' Association, composed 
of the States of Ohio, Indiana and 
Michigan, and has been quite a regular 
attendant of the National Teachers' As- 
sociation. The honorary degree of M. A. 



was conferred upon him by Western Re- 
serve College, Hudson, Ohio (succeeded 
by Adelbert University). As an educator 
Prof. Ross has few peers. He is a man 
of broad general knowledge, a close stu- 
dent of economics, and, like most public 
economists, is an ardent advocate of 
tariff reform. He has published a series 
of masterly pamphlets on tariff reform, 
in which he shows the absurdity of pro- 
tection, and handles McKinleyism with- 
out gloves. The titles of some of the 
pamphlets are: "Tariff Reform" (pub- 
lished October 15, 1888), "Indirect 
Tariff Taxation," and "Governor Mc- 
Kinley, at Fremont," etc. His paper 
entitled " Free Text Books," read before 
the Ohio Teachers' Association, at Chau- 
tauqua, N. Y. , and published in Xh.^ Edu- 
cational Jlloiit/ily, Akron, Ohio, and in 
the School Commissioners' Report to the 
Ohio Legislature, is an able treatise in 
favor of the idea it suggests. Prof. Ross 
is a lecturer of ability, and his patriotism 
and true Americanism are evident in all 
his writings and lectures. In the Con- 
gressional campaign of 1894 his name 
was urged by his party friends for con- 
gressional honors; but he declined to 
allow its use, stating that he had outlived 
all personal political aspirations, and was 
conscious that he had not the health and 
strength to stand the wear and worry of a 
congressional campaign, especially the 
labors of the stump. Mr. Ross is the 
inventor of a set of dissected mathemati- 
cal forms, and the author of an accom- 
panying treatise for illustrative instruction 
in mensuration and concrete geometry, 
which have been received with unqualified 
commendation by the leading educators 
of the country. 

Prof. W. W. Ross was married, in 
1863, to Miss Julia Houghton, of Well- 
ington, Ohio, and they have three chil- 
dren: William DeWitt, who has charge 
of the high school at Fremont, Ohio; 
Clara J. ; and Harry Houghton. In re- 
ligious connection Prof. Ross is a member 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



61 



of the M. E. Church, and has had charge 
of the Sunday-school about thirty years. 
Socially he is a ineinbcr of the Masonic 
Fraternity. 



I 



JUDGE JOHN I. GARN. If history 
teaches by example, the lessons in- 
culcated by biography must be still 
more impressive. We see exhibited 
in the varities of human character, under 
different circumstances, something to in- 
struct us in our duty, and to encourage 
our efforts, under every emergency. And, 
perhaps, there is no concurrence of events 
which produce this effect more certainly, 
than the steps by which distinction has 
been acquired through the unaided efforts 
of youthful enterprise, as illustrated in the 
life of Judge John I. Gam. 

Our subject is by birth a Pennsylvan- 
ian, having been born in Bedford county 
October 27, 1833, a son of C. M. and 
Elizabeth (Ickes) Garn, both also natives 
of the Keystone State, the former born in 
Bedford county, in 1799, the latter in 
York county. The father was a lifelong 
farmer in Bedford county, dying there at 
the advanced age of eighty-four years, the 
mother passing away when a few months 
older; they were members of the Lutheran 
Church, and in politics he was originally 
a Whig, later a Republican. Frederick 
Garn, father of C. M. Garn, came from 
his native country, Holland, to America, 
settling m Pennsylvania. Judge Garn is 
the third, in the order of birth, in a family 
of eleven children, a brief record of the 
others being as follows: Susan (now de- 
ceased; married E. Conrad, and lived in 
Blair county. Penn. ; Catherine married 
S. Mauk. and resided in Bedford county, 
Penn. ; George lives in Sandusky county, 
Ohio; Daniel also lives in Sandusky coun- 
ty; Hannah married John Kesoberth; Mar- 
garet lives in Bedford county, Penn. ; the 
other four are ileceased. 

Judge Garn received a liberal educa- 
tion at the public schools of his native 



place, and assisted his parents on the 
farm until he was twenty-one years old, 
when he came to Sandusky county and 
bought an eighty-acre farm in Jackson 
township which he cleared with his own 
hands and carried on some eighteen years. 
He then entered the service of the Penn- 
sylvania Railroad Company as ticket and 
freight agent at Millersville, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio, a position he filled with effi- 
ciency the long period of twenty-one 
years, when he came to Fremont. In 
November, 1893, he was elected, on the 
Republican ticket, probate judge of San- 
dusky county, taking his seat February 
j 12, 1894. While at Millersville he served 
as justice of the peace some fifteen years, 
which gave him good insight into the 
laws of the State, thereby well qualifying 
him, in that respect, to fill the position of 
probate judge. 

In January. 1855, Judge Garn was 
united in marriage in Sandusky county 
with Miss Maria Garn (no blood relation), 
and seven children were born to them, 
to wit: Elizabeth J. married Abram 
Rinebolt. and they have two children — 
John and Minnie. Anna Mary married 
Henry Madison, and they have six chil- 
dren — Lottie, Anna. John, Charles, Ida 
and Grace. Delilah married Robert Mc- 
Caul, and has one child, Minnie. Han- 
nah is the wife of .Mexaiider Claycom, 
and has one child, Delilah. Sarah C. is 
at home. Minnie is at home. John mar- 
ried and is now deceased; he was a tele- 
graph operator. In religious faith Mr. 
and Mrs. Garn are members of the Evan- 
gelical Church, and they are both highly 
respected in the community; socially he 
is affiliated with the Knights of Honor. 

AK. FERGUSON. M D.— The 
old-time pioneers of the far-famed 
Black Swamp, who transformed 
a howling wilderness into the gar- 
den spot of northern Ohio, are fast pass- 
ing away. Especially is this noticeable 



52 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in the case of the pioneer preachers, 
doctors and lawyers, who traveled on foot 
or on horseback through dense forests, 
along winding obscure roads or Indian 
trails, to visit their patrons in lonely 
cabins, to administer their primitive rem- 
edies for the ailments of mind, body and 
soul. As an example of one of the best 
preserved medical gentlemen of those 
early days, who is now an octogenarian, 
and whose tales of adventure and privation, 
experienced and observed among the early 
settlers in Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, Ohio, would fill a volume, we in- 
troduce the subject of this sketch. 

Dr. A. R. Ferguson, Ballville town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born in 
Trumbull county, Ohio, on September 
20, 1 8 14, a son of Samuel and Mary 
(Ralston) Ferguson. Samuel Ferguson 
was born in Antrim county, Ireland, and 
came to America with his parents when 
he was sixteen years of age, settling in 
Beaver county, Penn. He was the young- 
est of the family, a farmer by occupation, 
a Democrat in politics and a member of 
the Seceders, a branch of the Presbyte- 
rian Church. About the year 1808 he 
married Mary Ralston, who was then 
living at the home of her uncle, Nathaniel 
Ralston. In Trumbull county, Ohio, 
during the war of 1812, SamuelFerguson 
and Nathaniel Ralston were drafted into 
the U. S. military service, and were sent 
under Gen. Wadsworth to guard the 
mouth of the Sandusky river. Mary 
Ralston was born in Pennsylvania, in 
1776, and died in Trumbull county, Ohio, 
in 1854. The children of Samuel and 
Mary Ferguson were: (i) James, a car- 
penter and joiner, of Warren, Trumbull 
Co., Ohio, born in 18 10, died in 1840; (2) 
Andrew, a farmer, same locality, born 
in 1812, died in 1889; (3) Archibald R., 
our subject; (4) William, a lawyer, who 
went to the West and died there; (5) 
John, born in 18 16, who died in Kansas. 

Our subject grew to manhood in Trum- 
bull county, where he attended common 



schools, and spent several years at Farm- 
ington Academy. He studied medicine 
about four years under John W. Seely, 
one of the pioneer doctors of Trumbull 
county, who became one of the leading 
stockholders in the Western Reserve Bank 
at Warren, Ohio. In the fall of 1839 
Dr. Ferguson located and began the prac- 
tice of medicine in Woodville, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio. Here he kept a small drug 
store, and served the country people as 
family physician for many miles around, 
during a period of about twenty years, 
traveling usually on horseback. His 
practice was unusually lucrative, netting 
him $1,000 the first year. In addition to 
his medical projects, the Doctor also 
found time and means to engage in sev- 
eral other enterprises which were profit- 
able. He was for a time proprietor of an 
ashery, a dry-goods store, a saw and grist 
mill, and he built at Woodville the nicest 
tavern stand then known in Sandusky 
county. He owned the first buggy ever 
used in Woodville, for which he bought 
the wood-work of a wagon-maker at 
Tiffin, Ohio, had the ironing done at 
Lower Sandusky, and did the painting of 
it himself. During the construction of 
the Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland rail- 
road through Sandusky county. Dr. Fer- 
guson was emplo3'ed by the projectors of 
the road to assist in securing the right of 
way through Woodville township, and to 
solicit subscriptions to stock from indi- 
viduals and trustees in Ballville and Green 
Creek townships. When the route was 
changed so as to pass through Elmore 
instead of Woodville, the Doctor lost no 
time in selling out his property in Wood- 
ville and locating in Ballville township, 
which has been his permanent home since 
that time. The Doctor's enterprise and 
public spirit were recognized by his neigh- 
bors in his election to the office of justice 
of the peace two terms in succession, and 
to the office of sheriff of Sandusky county, 
two terms. During the past twenty years 
he has devoted most of his time to the 



COMMEMORATn^E BIOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



68 



improvement of his model farm of 200 
acres, lyinj; two miles east of Fremont, 
and to the raisinp of choice farm products. 
He was for several years president of the 
Sandusky Comity Farmers' Club, and has 
since that time kept in touch with the 
best methods of agriculture by the read- 
ing of select farming literature. He has 
also taken an active interest in educa- 
tional matters in his neighborhood. From 
his many tales of pioneer adventure we 
give the following as a sample: Once upon 
a time a man came after the Doctor from 
the present site of Pemberville to secure 
his services for a sick friend, and returned 
homeward on foot through a dense forest, 
walking some distance in advance of the 
Doctor, who followed on horseback. 
Thinking to play a joke on the Doctor, 
he turned aside and stood behind a tree, 
and howled in imitation of a wolf. The 
Doctor, not suspecting deceit in his fellow 
traveler, yelled and shouted to scare away 
the supposed wolf, but kept briskly on his 
way. In a few minutes he heard the howl 
of a real wolf in an opposite direction. 
In a short time the man who had raised 
the tirst howl was alarmed by the howling 
of a pack of wolves, and had to run like 
a deer to escape being attacked by them. 
He afterward told the Doctor that he 
came near losing his life by trying to play 
this unkind trick on him at the wrong 
time. 

Dr. A. K. Ferguson was married in 
1843 to Miss Marietta Hart, a native of 
New York, who died at W'oodville, Ohio, 
in 1850. They had two children: (i) 
Archibald, who resides at Tiffin. Ohio, 
was a soldier in the Civil war, served as 
bugle boy in the One Hundred and 
Eleventh O. \'. I., and now receives a 
pension; has two children, Lillie and 
Clarence. (2) Mary, who died at Tiffin. 
Ohio, at the age of thirty-one, and was 
buried in Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, Ball- 
ville township. 

After the death of his first wife Dr. 
Ferguson married, in 1855, Sevilla E. 



Cook, who was born January 5. 1835. in 
New York State, a daughter of John G., 
and Lucy (Martin) Cook. Her father 
was born in 1 776, in Massachusetts, and 
her mother in New York. Her father was 
wont to say: "I lived si.x weeks under 
the King of England, and then rebelled." 
He died in 1861, praying for the success 
of the Union army. His parents were 
English, and came to America — a part of 
the " Pilgrim Fathers." The children of 
Dr. Ferguson by his second marriage 
were : William, who grew up on his 
father's farm, married Miss Georgia \'an- 
demark, of Green Creek township, and 
their children are — Mabel, Charles, Fred 
and Edward Glenn; Edward, who mar- 
ried Miss Nattie Young, and whose chil- 
dren are - Ha/el, Kupert and Clifton; 
Lillie B., wife of Kelly N. Myers, drug- 
gist, Fremont, Ohio, whose children are — 
Hazel and Cecile; Nellie, wife of George 
Harris, whose children are — Hallie, 
Archie, George J., and Ruth; Lulu, wife 
of Hiram Smith, of Fort Wayne, Ind., 
who has one child— \'eta; Sevilla E., 
living at home; Frank R., a citizen of the 
State of Washington, who married Clara 
Whitmore, and has two children — Wan- 
eta and Wan; and Fannie G., Alice and 
John Albert, living with their parents. 



R 



EV. MICHAEL LONG. Any pio- 
neer record of the Black Swamp, 
in northern Ohio, which does not 
give an account of the old-time 
traveling preachers or circuit riders, who 
did so much to cheer the homes of the 
early settlers, must be incomplete, and 
any list of such itinerants which does not 
include the familiar name of Rev. Michael 
Long is untrue to history. For more than 
fifty years he traversed this region in 
every direction, and thousands loved to 
listen to the voice of his unstudied elo- 
quence. 

Rev. Michael Long was bom May 3, 
1814. in Guernsey county, Ohio, son of 



•54 



COMMEMOBATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



Daniel and Margaret (Brill) Long, natives 
of Pennsylvania. He vvas reared to farm 
work, and was educated in the common 
schools. At an early age he joined the 
United Brethren Church, and at the age 
of twenty-one years was licensed to preach 
the Gospel. In 1834 he migrated from 
Guernsey to Sandusky county, Ohio, 
where he married, on April 20, 1837, 
Miss Sarah Gear, of the same county, and 
they lived at various places most conven- 
ient to his fields of labor. On April 26, 
1836, he joined the Sandusky Conference, 
and was assigned to a circuit of twenty- 
eight appointments, at which he preached 
regularly every four weeks, requiring for 
each round a travel of four hundred miles, 
for the most part through the forests, 
either on foot or on horseback. For his 
services the first year of his ministry he 
received a salary of forty dollars. His 
circuit the second year, and indeed for 
quite a number of subsequent years, was 
much like the first, with salary ranging 
from one hundred to one hundred and 
seventy-five dollars. 

He was an active itinerant, and for 
fifty years was continuously employed by 
the Conference as missionary, pastor or 
presiding elder, which, with one year's 
subsequent service as supply, made fifty- 
one years of active itinerant life. He was 
a member of the Conference and present 
at every session for fifty-six years, never 
missing the opening prayer. For many 
years he was almost constantly engaged 
in revival work, for which he was natur- 
ally fitted. His voice was wonderfully 
strong, clear and voluminous, his nature 
genial and his deportment dignified. He 
was directly instrumental in the conver- 
sion and addition to the Church of about 
five thousand persons. He solemnized 
more marriages and preached more fu- 
neral sermons than any other minister 
within the bounds of his acquaintance, and 
he no doubt traveled longer and suffered 
more privations than any other minister 
in his Conference. His unwritten stories 



of daring adventure and hair-breadth 
escapes would fill a volume. When trav- 
eling in the Maumee Valley he sometimes 
passed trains of Indians half a mile long. 
He was endowed with remarkable phys- 
ical powers, and could endure hunger and 
fatigue with little apparent discomfort. 
He was a friend to the so-called higher 
education, and encouraged it in his family, 
the fruits of this being manifest in the 
honorable standing of his three sons in 
the active ministry. He and his noble 
wife were examples of economy after 
which it would be well for many of our 
young people to pattern. Starting in life 
with scarcely an3-thing of this world's 
goods, they lived within their small in- 
come, and so managed that a small per 
cent, was saved year after year until they 
were able to provide a comfortable home 
for themselves and family, near Fremont, 
and render aid in the education of their 
children at college. Mrs. Long died at 
the family residence on January 15, 1889, 
and his death occurred at the home of his 
nephew, Rev. James Long, at Weston, 
Ohio, November 17, 1891. Their chil- 
dren were: Martha Jane, deceased wife 
of John Ernsberger; Desire Angeline, 
wife of Martin Maurer; Rev. N. S. Long, 
of the U. B. Church; Rev. B. M. Long, of 
the Presbyterian Church; Calista, wife 
of J. W. Worst; and Rev. Milon De Witt 
Long, of the Presbyterian Church. 



FRANK HEIM. That a review of 
the life of such an energetic and 
enterprising individual as is the 
subject of this memoir should have 
prominent place in the pages of a work of 
this kind is peculiarly proper; because a 
knowledge of men, whose substantial 
record rests upon their attainments and 
success, must at all times exert a whole- 
some influence on the rising generation 
of the American people, and can not fail 
to be more or less interesting to those of 
maturer years. 




q/7Ccu^(^ 




COMMEMOUATIVH BIOORAPHWAL RECORD. 



55 



Mr. Heim was born February 26, 
1852, in tlie State of New York, a son of 
Albert and Margaret (Malkanuisj Heim. 
natives of Hessia, Germany, the father 
born August 28, 1826, the mother in 
1 83 1. They were married in the Father- 
land, soon afterward emigrating to the 
United S ates, for a time sojourning in 
New York State, whence, in 1853, they 
came to Fremont, where the father fol- 
lowed his trade, that of carpenter, and was 
also in the retail liquor trade. He died 
November 25, 1867; the mother passed 
away in 1871. Children as follows were 
born to them: Frank, subject of sketch; 
Joseph, now living in Indian Territory; 
William, conducting a dry-goods busi- 
ness in Fremont, and Clara, Henry 
and Charles, all three at home. The 
maternal grandmother of this family 
died in Germany at the age of ninety 
years. 

The subject proper of these lines was 
about a year old when his parents 
brought him to Fremont, and at the 
public schools of that city he received 
a liberal education, at the age of eigh- 
teen commencing business for his own 
account in the retail licjuor trade. In 
1877 he purchased an interest in the 
Fremont Brewery Co., of which he is 
now the president, and since he has been 
associated with the concern its output 
has been increased, whilst many im- 
provements have been made. He is 
also president of the Electric Light and 
Power Co. of Fremont, and of the 
Opera House Co. As a public-spirited 
and liberal citizen, he is more or less 
identified with most enterprises tending 
to the welfare of the city and the com- 
munity at large. 

On March 27. 1890, Mr. Heim was 
united in marriage with Miss Delilah 
Soward, who was bom in Seneca county, 
Ohio, daughter of Thomas Soward. In 
politics our subject is a Republican, and 
in religious faith a member of the Roman 
Catholic Church. 



SARDIS BIRCHARD. merchant, 
banker and philanthropist, Fre- 
mont, Sandusky county, was born 
at Wilmington, Windham Co., 
Vt., January 15, 1801. Both of his par- 
ents died when he was yet a child, the 
father, Roger Birchard, in 1805, the 
mother, Drusilla (.•\ustin) Birchard, in 
181 3. Both of his grandfathers were 
Revolutionary soldiers. His grandfather, 
Elias Birchard, died of disease contracted 
in the service toward the close of the war. 
His grandfather, Capt. Daniel Austin, 
served as an officer under Washington 
throughout the war. and survived many 
years. The Birchards were among the 
first settlers of Norwich, Connecticut. 

When the mother of our subject died, 
five children survived her, Sardis being 
the youngest. He was placed in charge 
of his sister, Sophia, wife of Rutherford 
Hayes (father of Gen. R. B. Hayes), be- 
came one of their family, and lived with 
them at Dummerston, Vt., until 181 7, 
when he accompanied them in their emi- 
gration to Ohio. In N'ermont young 
Birchard had acquired the rudiments of an 
English education, by an irregular at- 
tendance at such schools as were in ex- 
istence at that day in the country towns 
of that State. He had also become an 
expert hunter and horseman, for a boy of 
his age, and gained some knowledge of 
business in the store of his brother-in-law, 
Mr. Hayes. In Ohio he worked with the 
latter in building, farming, driving and 
taking care of stock, and employing all 
his spare time in hunting. He was able 
with his rifle to supply his own and other 
families with turkeys and venison. In 
1822 his brother-in-law, Mr. Hayes, died, 
leaving a widow and three young children 
and a large unsettled business. Of these 
children of his sister, the eldest, Lorenzo. 
was drowned at the age of ten years; 
Fanny became the wife of William A. 
Piatt, of Columbus, Ohio; and the young- 
est, Rutherford Birchard Hayes, born the 
year of his father's death, 1822, became 



56 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the nineteenth President of the United 
States. Mr. Birchard, who was barely 
twenty-one years of age, at once assumed 
the duties of the head of the family, and 
applied himself diligently to the manage- 
ment of the unsettled affairs of the es- 
tate, and the care of the household. In- 
heriting from his father what was con- 
sidered a handsome start for a young man, 
possessing a genial and friendly disposi- 
tion and being fond of wild sports and 
wild company, with no one to look up to as 
entitled to control or advise him, his fu- 
ture might well have been regarded with 
apprehension. He was then a slender, 
delicate, handsome youth, with engaging 
and popular manners, and was a favorite 
among the young people in the new coun- 
try. Warmly attached to his sister and 
her children, he devoted himself to their in- 
terests and was the mainstay of the family. 
While yet a boy he was hired to help 
drive some hogs to Fort Ball (now Tiffin), 
Ohio, to feed the first settlers, in 1817. 
This was his first visit to the Sandusky 
region. His first visit to Lower San- 
dusky was made in 1824, in company with 
Benjaming Powers, a merchant of Dela- 
ware, Ohio. They stopped at Leason's 
tavern, a log house on the east side of 
Front street, where Shomo's Block now 
stands. The pickets were still standing 
around Fort Stephenson, and the ditch 
was quite perfect. The village then con- 
tained about two hundred inhabitants. 
After a trip to Portland (now Sandusky 
City), they returned home, and the same 
fall Mr. Birchard, with Stephen R. Ben- 
nett as partner, bought and drove to Bal- 
timore, in the first cold weather of the 
winter, a drove of fat hogs. Mr. Birchard 
has narrated two incidents of the trip: 
The young men had to swim their hogs 
across the Ohio river at Wheeling, and 
came near losing all of them by the swift 
current of the river. By great exertion, 
and at considerable risk to themselves, 
they got all but four or five across. In 
the meantime they were overtaken on the 



road by a tall fine looking gentleman on 
horseback, who had also a carriage drawn 
by four horses, and two saddle horses 
with attendants. The gentleman helped 
Mr. Birchard get the hogs out of the way, 
chatted with him about the state of the 
markets, and the prospects of the weath- 
er, and advised him as to the best way to 
dispose of his hogs at Baltimore. This 
gentleman turned out to be Gen. Jackson, 
on his way to Washington after the Pres- 
idential election of 1824, in which he re- 
ceived the highest vote, but was not 
finally the successful candidate. 

In the summer of 1825, while mowing 
in the hay field, Mr. Birchard was 
seriously injured in health by over-exer- 
tion, his ambition not allowing him to fall 
behind the stronger men. From the ef- 
fects of this he never fully recovered. In 
the winter of 1825-26 he was confined to 
his bed by an attack called "consump- 
tion," and it was supposed that he would 
not live until spring; but his cheerful dispo- 
sition and the elasticity of his constitution 
carried him through. In the month of 
May he set out on horseback eastward, 
making short daily journe3's as his strength 
would permit, and in due time reached 
Vermont, where he remained until the ap- 
proach of winter, when he traveled south 
to Georgia and remained until the spring 
of 1827. This year he made his first 
purchase of goods as a retail dry-goods 
merchant. He went to New York with- 
out money and without acquaintances, 
but soon found a friend in William P. 
Dixon, who sold him a stock of goods in 
his line, and recommended him to others. 
His stock of goods was made up and 
shipped to Cleveland, himself accompany- 
ing it, intending to sell to laborers on the 
Ohio canal, which was then being built 
from Cleveland southward. On passing 
down into the Tuscarawas valley he be- 
camed dissatisfied with that trade, sold 
part of his goods to another trader, and 
took the rest to Fort Ball (now Tifiin), on 
the west side of the Sandusky river. Here 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



hT 



he remained, trading successfully with the 
new settlers, until December, 1S27, when 
he removed to Lower Sandusky, having 
decided to go with Dr. L. Q. Rawson, 
who preceded him a few days. He at 
first went into business alone in a store, 
on the corner of Front and Croghan 
streets, where the Dryfoos clothing house 
now stands, which was erected and owned 
by Richard Sears, who had made a for- 
tune, trading with the Indians, and had 
left for Buffalo, N. Y. in the spring of 
1827. 

Though there were three other stores 
in the place and two distilleries, Mr. 
Birchard received the Indian trade to a 
large e.vtent by refusing to sell them 
liquor. He was in trade three or four 
years, and, having accumulated about ten 
thousand dollars, considered himself rich 
enough to retire. About the year 1831, 
however, he formed a partnership with 
Rodolphus Dickinson and Esbcn Husted, 
himself furnishing the capital. The firm 
name was R. Dickinson & Co., and they 
soon had in operation one of the largest 
retail stores north of Columbus and west 
of Cleveland, their yearly sales amount 
ing to fifty thousand dollars, the sales being 
largely on credit. Mr. Birchard, with 
Richard Sears, bought the first sailing 
vessel (each owning an equal interest), a 
schooner named "John Richards," worth 
then four thousand dollars, and of about 
one hundred tons burden. The first ship- 
ment of wheat out of Lower Sandusky was 
made on this schooner, and it was prob- 
ably the first one sent eastward from any 
port west of Cleveland. 

The Indians with whom Mr. Birchard 
chiefly traded were the Senecas. They 
drew an annuity from the State of New 
York, payable at Albany, amounting to 
$|,7CX3, and among Mr. Birchard's cus- 
tomers, whom he trusted during the year, 
were Tall Chief. Hard Hickory, Seneca 
John, Curley Eye, Good Hunter and 
others. Before the annuity was paid he 
would get authority to draw money, signed I 



by the chiefs, and go to Albany to collect 
it. This he did three times, with some 
risk but without loss. Besides the Seneca 
tribe he also traded with the Wyandots,. 
Ottawas, and a few Delawares. The 
Senecas owned a reservation of forty 
thousand acres east of the Sandusky 
river, on the line of Sandusky and Seneca 
counties. Their principal settlement was 
north of Green Spring, where they had a 
mill near the site of where Stoner's mill 
stood later. Their Council House was 
not far from the mill, northwestward. 
Mr. Birchard attended some of the Indian 
dances, both in the daytime and at night, 
and was present at the religious ceremony 
of burning the white dogs. The Indians 
danced in the Council House, in the center 
of which was a fire over which was boiling 
a pot of corn and meat Their musicians 
had in their hands some bundles of deer 
hoofs, which they rattled and pounded on 
a skin stretched over a hoop. Among 
the white men who joined in the Indian 
dance, were Mr. Birchard, Rodolphus 
Dickinson, Judge Justice, and Mr. Fifield. 
Mr. Birchard was the guest at night of 
Hard Hickory, and he was called by the 
Indians "Ausequago, " or the man who 
owns the most land. Seneca John was 
in the habit of trading with Mr. Birchard, 
and called at the store to see the amount 
of indebtedness the evening before he 
was killed by Coonstick and Steele for 
witchcraft. His friend, Tall Chief, settled 
the account for him later, as he believed 
that no Indian can enter the happy 
hunting grounds of the Spirit Land untif 
his debts are paid. This chief was a man. 
of great dignity of manner and character. 
In their business transactions these In- 
dians were generally very honest. They 
would not steal as much as the same num- 
ber of whites with the same opportunities. 
Mr. Birchard sometimes had his store 
room full of Indians, sleeping all night on 
the floor, with no watch or guard, and he 
himself sleeping on a cot near them. The 
Indians paid for goods mostly in deer skins. 



58 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



finely dressed, and in coon, muskrat, and 
sometimes in mink, otter and bear skins. 
The Indians dressed these skins much bet- 
ter than white men could. 

In 1835 Mr. Husted died, and his 
place in Mr. Birchard's firm was taken by 
George Grant, who had been a clerk in 
the establishment since its formation. He 
was a man of great business capacity and 
energy, of prepossessing appearance, tall, 
slender, of fine address and full of life and 
ambition. He died in 1 841, at the age 
of thirty-two, after which the firm was 
dissolved, and the business settled by Mr. 
Birchard. 

On the first day of January, 1851, Mr. 
Birchard, in partnership with Lucius B. 
Otis, established the first banking house 
in Lower Sandusky, under the name of 
Birchard & Otis. On the removal of 
Judge Otis to Chicago, in 1856, Mr. 
Birchard formed a partnership with Anson 
H. Miller, and a year later with Dr. 
James W. Wilson, under the name of 
Birchard, Miller & Company. In 1863 
the First National Bank of Fremont was 
organized, and the banking house of 
Birchard, Miller & Co., was merged into 
it. This was the second National Bank 
organized in Ohio, and the fifth in the 
United States. Mr. Birchard was elected 
president of the bank at its organization, 
and he held that position by re-election 
until his death. 

When Mr. Birchard came to reside in 
Lower Sandusky there were only two 
lawyers in the place: Harvey J. Harmon, 
was cultivating the island in the river, 
and Rodolphus Dickinson, a graduate of 
Williams College, Mass., who had a good 
knowledge of the law, having studied 
under Judge Gustavus Swan, in Colum- 
bus, Ohio. The latter was active in the 
politics of his time, was thrice elected a 
member of the Board of Public Works, 
and twice elected to Congress, and died 
while a member of the House of Repre- 
sentatives of the United States, in 1849. 
For his private virtues and his public 



services he is still held in grateful remem- 
brance by the people not only of San- 
dusky county but throughout northwest- 
ern Ohio. 

There were no church buildings in 
Lower Sandusky in 1827. Religious 
meetings were held in a log school house 
that stood nearly where the high school 
building is on Croghan street. Court 
was held in the same building, until the 
frame court house was finished, in which 
Rev. H. Lang afterward lived. The 
preachers were Rev. Mr. Harrington, a 
Presbyterian, and Rev. Mr. Montgomery, 
a Methodist missionary, who lived with 
the Seneca Indians, near Fort Seneca. 

During the years that intervened 
between his arriving at manhood and his 
death, Mr. Birchard was ever conspicu- 
ous in, and the ardent promoter of, every 
good work designed to advance the wel- 
fare of the town of his residence. As has 
been stated, he was connected with the 
first enterprise that opened river and lake 
commerce between Fremont and Buffalo. 
Appropriations by the State, for the con- 
struction of the Western Reserve and 
Maumee road, had in him an early, un- 
tiring, and efficient advocate; and through 
his efforts in circulating petitions through 
the State to influence public opinion, and 
thus secure favorable legislation, that 
work was doubtless completed many years 
earlier than it otherwise would have been. 

He ne.xt became enlisted in the enter- 
prise of constructing the Toledo, Nor- 
walk & Cleveland railroad. The chances 
then were that the northern and rival 
route, now known as the Northern Divi- 
sion, would be constructed first, and a 
long struggle ensued between the sup- 
porters of each route. In connection 
with C. L. Boalt, of Norwalk, Mr. 
Birchard was so effective in advancing 
the success of the southern route, by the 
pledge of every dollar of their private 
fortunes, and thus raising the funds to 
prosecute the work, that the issue turned 
in their favor, and the work went on to 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPUICAL RECORD. 



50 



completion that, but for their extraordin- 
ary efforts, would probably not have been 
finished for many years afterward. Mr. 
Boalt was made the first president of the 
road, upon the organization of the com- 
pany, and heartily co-operating with him, 
Mr. Hirchard, through his inlluence with 
leading capitalists of New York, was 
successful in obtaining the necessary 
means to push forward the work. 

Mr. Birchard was a Whig while that 
party existed, and subsequently an earn- 
est supporter of the Republican party, 
the administration of Abraham Lincoln, 
and the prosecution of the war for the 
Union. Hospitable, warm-hearted and 
friendly, in addition to his contributions 
to religious and benevolent objects, he 
cheerfully aided all really charitable ob- 
jects. He had a deep sympathy for the 
poor, and could not bear to know suffer- 
ing without offering relief. During the 
last years of his life, when poor health 
required confinement at home, he left 
with Mr. Miller, cashier of the bank, 
standing instructions to contribute liber- 
ally to worthy charities. His tenderness 
and solicitude for the unfortunate is illus- 
trated by a letter which Mr. Miller still 
preserves. It was written on a cold, 
stormy day in early winter, and reads as 
follows: "Mr. Miller: What a storm! 
I fear many poor people are suffering. 
If you hear of any such, give liberally 
forme. S. Birchard." 

In 1 87 1, Mr. Birchard presented to 
the city of Fremont the large park be- 
tween Birchard avenue and Croghan 
street, and the small triangular park at 
the junction of Birchard and Buckland 
avenues. In 1873 he set apart property 
amounting to fifty thousand dollars for 
the purpose of establishing a free public 
library in Fremont, appointed trustees to 
take charge of the fund, and provided 
for their perpetuity. The first collection 
of books was placed in Birchard Hall, 
on the corner of Front and State streets. 
In order to obtain a location suitable 



for putting up a library building, the 
trustees united with the city council to 
purchase the Fort Stephenson property 
at a total cost of $18,000, the trustees 
paying $6,000, and thus was secured 
the famous historic locality to the people 
of Fremont forever. From the address of 
Kev. Dr. Bushnell, delivered at the laying of 
the corner-stone of the Birchard Library 
Building, July 18, 1878, we take the fol- 
lowing: •' It was not in his thought, at 
first, that this bequest of his should be 
coupled with the commemoration of the 
defense of Fort Stephenson, but the 
proposal to join with the city council 
in this movement received his hearty 
consent. And thus the building itself 
with its uses, and the site on which it 
stands, combine, like strands of gold, 
to form a cord of hallowed recollections 
ever attaching our thoughts alike to the 
deed of heroic defense, and to the be- 
quest of kindly esteem. For, I wish 
personally to take this occasion to sa^' 
that the bequest for this library was 
born in Mr. Birchards heart, of the 
most kindly consideration for the people 
of Fremont and of Sandusky county. 
I know whereof I speak, for this is not 
a mere inference. He first determined 
to devote a liberal sum of money to 
some public benefit which all might have 
opportunity to enjoy; as to the especial 
form of it he took council, and what he 
said to others I do not particularly know, 
but he repeatedly expressed to me in this 
connection, his kindly feeling toward all 
in the community." 

Mr. Birchards gifts to the city are 
estimated at $70,000, or about one-fifth 
of his estate. In addition to these gifts 
made during his lifetime he made in his 
will bequests to Oberlin College, to Home 
Missions, to the Fremont Ladies' Relief 
Society, and to the Conger Fund, a fund 
designed for the relief of superannuated 
preachers. 

Mr. Birchard was benevolent to a 
degree and in a manner known only to 



-•eo 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



his most intimate friends. Aid in neces- 
sity was extended to many when none 
knew it except the recipients, and per- 
haps a friend whom he consulted. Mr. 
Birchard was especially devoted to the 
fine arts, and during his eventful life made 
a fine collection of oil paintings, which 
will eventually form one of the chief at- 
tractions of Birchard Library. Among 
them is an oil painting of his favorite 
horse, "Ned." 

In May, 1857, Mr. Birchard became 
a member of the Presbyterian Church of 
Fremont, and he remained in its com- 
munion the remainder of his life. He 
contributed constantly to its incidental 
and benevolent funds. He also contrib- 
uted $7,000 to the erection of the new 
edifice now occupied by the congregations. 
In this he took especial satisfaction. He 
also aided other congregations without 
distinction of denomination. He gave 
most satisfactory evidence of sincerity in 
his religious experience, and died in per- 
fect composure of mind. He had talked 
much with his friends concerning death, 
and seemed to be altogether ready. He 
was one of the marked characters in the 
■early history of the country, and his life 
was fortunately spared to a ripe old age. 
Of him it may well be said, as the faith- 
ful steward he received the gifts of for- 
tune and gave, in his turn, freely as he 
had received. He died January i, 1874, 
aged seventy-three years. His funeral was 
attended by the largest concourse of citi- 
zens ever assembled on such an occasion 
in this vicinity. As a testimony of respect 
to the deceased all the stores and shops of 
the city were closed from one o'clock un- 
til four, in the afternoon, when he was 
laid to rest in Oak Wood Cemetery. 



REV. PATRICK O'BRIEN, pastor of 
St. Ann's Congregation, Fremont, 
was born at Piltown, County 
Wexford, Ireland, February 20, 
1844. He arrived in America on April 



15. 1857, being at that time only thirteen 
years old. 

Like all young men of his age and na- 
tionality, seeking a home in the New 
World, our subject applied himself as- 
siduously to the task. The American 
Civil war, as the reader well knows, com- 
menced in 1861, and our subject haviiig 
imbibed that spirit of patriotism which is 
so characteristic of his race, handed down 
to him by his undeniable Celtic ancestors, 
donned the blue, enlisted in the Northern 
army for the purpose of assisting the Re- 
public in preserving the life of the Union. 
Owing to ill health he could not render his 
adopted country that assistance for which 
he had hoped; however, he did his duty 
as a loyal subject of ' ' Uncle Sam, " to the 
best of his ability, actuated by the purest 
patriotic motives, until by reason of ill 
health, he was discharged from the or- 
ganization in which he had enlisted. Af- 
ter his return from the service he resumed 
his studies, and very soon realized that 
his vocation was that of a priest. He was 
encouraged by his parents and friends in 
this idea, and attended college with a view 
of studying for the sacred ministry. Fi- 
nally, Bishop Rappe received him into 
St. Mary's Seminary, at Cleveland, Ohio, 
as a student, and in a short time the stu- 
dent became master of philosophy and 
theology, and the late lamented Rt. Rev. 
Bishop Gilmour, D. D., bishop of Cleve- 
land, ordained him priest July 21, 1872. 

Father O'Brien has been recognized 
by those who know him as one of the 
ablest priests in Ohio, and especially in 
oratory he is unsurpassed anywhere in 
this section. He has had charge of the 
largest congregations in the diocese of 
Cleveland; was for some years pastor of 
the Immaculate Conception parish in 
Toledo, Ohio, one of the largest English- 
speaking congregation in that city. He 
was transferred from the Immaculate 
Conception parish to St. Francis De- 
Sales, on Cherry street, Toledo, and re- 
mained there a short time, when he was 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



61 



again transferred to the pastorate of St. 
Patrick's Congregation of Cleveland, the 
largest congregation in the diocese. 
While pastor of St. Patrick's he built one 
of the finest schoolhouses in the State, 
which is an ornament not only to the city 
of Cleveland but to the State of Ohio. 

Owing to the hard work that he was 
compelled to do at St. Patrick's, our sub- 
ject was broken down in health to a cer- 
tain extent, and, procuring a leave of ab- 
sence, he traveled abroad extensively, 
making a flying trip to Ireland on his 
way to Rome and Jerusalem. During his 
absence he wrote very interesting letters 
on his travels abroad, which were pub- 
lished in the leading journals of this sec- 
tion. W'hile visiting in the Holy Land 
he encountered a severe rain storm, and 
the result was that he contracted rheuma- 
tism, and it was on this account that he 
asked to be relieved from the charge of 
St. Patrick's, and to be sent to a place 
where he would not be required to do so 
much work. His request wns granted, 
and he was transferred to St. Ann's, Fre- 
mont, Ohio. 

While Father O'Brien is a celebrated 
poet, patriot and writer, perhaps his 
principal work outside the priesthood is 
that which he gives to the temperence 
cause. He has been identified with the 
Catholic Total Abstinence Union of 
America since its organization, or nearly 
so, and has held many prominent offices 
in the Union. He is to-day president of 
the C. T. A. U., of Ohio, and at a recent 
convention held in New York City was 
chairman of the committee on resolutions, 
and drafted the resolutions which created 
so much discussion at the National con- 
vention. He is a thorough American in 
every sense and meaning of that word, and 
is respected and has always been respected 
by Protestants and Catholics alike. He 
was assigned to the pastorate of St. Ann's, 
Fremont, Ohio, in 1893, and he has been 
a valuable accession to the roll of the 
prominent pastors and citizens, and both 



he and the temperance and other organ- 
izations of St. Ann's have done a vast 
amount of good in the community. 



SAMUEL DOLL. Among the active 
spirits, which the oil and gas dis- 
coveries in Sandusky county have 
brought to the front in business 
circles, the name of Samuel Doll stands 
prominent. He is a widely-known pio- 
neer of Jackson township, and in the 
spring of 1892 he organized the S. Doll 
Gas & Oil Co., of which he is now vice- 
president. The company has leased a 
large amount of land, and is pushing the 
new industry with energy and dispatch, 
and with marked success, having opened 
fourteen or more wells, the majority of 
which have produced gas in paying quan- 
tities. 

Mr. Doll was born in Jackson town- 
ship, March 3, 1835, son of John and 
Catherine (DayhofT) Doll. The father 
was born, in 1797, in Bedford county, 
Penn., married in that State, and in 1S34 
migrated to Ohio, settling in Jackson 
township. Sandusky county, where he re- 
mained until his death, in 1865. He 
was a Democrat in ante-bellum times, but 
during the closing years of his life he 
voted the Republican ticket. His wife, 
Catherine Dayhoff, was a native of Mary- 
land, and died in 1875 at the age of 
sixty-four years. A large family of chil- 
dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Doll, as 
fellows: Two who died in infancy; Joshua, 
who enlisted in the army during the 
Civil war, and died in Tennessee; John, 
who married Margaret A. Sprout, and 
died in 1890, leaving four children — Ralph 
P., Nancy, William and Fmma; Daniel 
(deceased), who married Adeline Kennon 
and had six children — Alice, Byron D., 
Elmer, John, Peter and Nettie; Samuel, 
subject of this sketch; Mary E., who 
became the wife of Solomon Warner, of 
Jackson township, and has had seven 
children — Emma, Laura, Elsie, Charles, 



62 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



Chauncey.Estelle and Blanche; Sarah A., 
who died young; Noah, a resident of 
Neosho county, Kans. , whose children 
are Alfred, Chalmer, Edith, Henry and 
Mary; one who died young; Susan, wife 
of Isaac Hite, of Jackson township, and 
mother of the following children — Doro- 
thy, William, Francis, Irvin, Milan, 
Edward, Lee, Verna and Franklin; and 
Jacob, who enlisted in the fall of 1864, 
and died at Camp Chase, Ohio. 

Samuel Doll was reared in the pioneer 
wilderness of Jackson township. Educa- 
tional facilities were meager, and the 
ambitious boy or girl must perforce stimu- 
late his or her waking mental powers by 
poring over books beside the log blaze 
in the home cabin. Education was ob- 
scured, or wholly ignored. Other needs 
were pressing. The clearing of the land 
was the prime consideration, and the lad 
who could swing the ringing axe the 
lustiest was the hero of the day rather 
than the pale-faced youth who could spell 
down the entire school. Mr. Doll amply 
filled the requirements of that day, as he 
does, too, at the present time. He was 
a young man of almost gigantic stature, 
and of unusual strength and activity, and 
even to-day, though he has turned his six- 
tieth year, he can do more physical work 
than many a man at forty. He was mar- 
ried in 1S59, to Mary Hummel, who was 
born in Scott township, April 12, 1839, 
daughter of George J. Hummel, a native 
of Germany, and to this union were born 
eleven children, as follows: A. J., born 
June 6, 1 860, who married Emma J. Beau- 
man, and has a family of two children 
■ — John F. and Jay; Mary C. , wife of J. F. 
Hartman, and mother of three children — 
George, Clark and Vera; Harmannus, 
born September 2, 1861, died in infancy; 
John, born in 1862, died November 7, 
1872, Lucy M., wife of William Hey- 
man, of Sandusky county, and the mother 
of two children — Cecil and Veva; Eddie, 
who died in 1872, aged four years, nine 
months and twenty-seven days; George, 



who died November 12, 1872, aged two 
years, one month, twenty-two days; Elsie, 
wife of F. B. Rollins; Orville and Arvilda, 
twins; and Estella. Mrs. Doll died Jan- 
uary 21, 1889. She was a devoted wife 
and mother, and a devout member of the 
United Brethren Church, where Mr. Doll 
also worships. Mr. Doll served in the 
Union army during the summer of 1864 
at Fort Ethan Allen, near Washington, 
and he is now a member of Manville Moore 
Post, G. A. R. , Fremont. He is a 
prominent member of the P. of L Our 
subject devoted his life exclusively to 
farming up to the time he entered the 
oil business, and now owns a large and 
well-cultivated farm, which he has always 
tilled with signal profit and success. 



GEN. RUTHERFORD BIRCH- 
ARD HAYES, the better part 
of whose life is so closely inter- 
woven with the history of this en- 
tire nation — whether we speak of him as 
General, Governor, or President — was 
born at Delaware, Ohio, October 4, 1822. 
He was descended from George Hayes, 
a native of Scotland, who came to Amer- 
ica in the latter part of the seventeenth 
century, settling at Windsor, Conn. Ruth- 
erford Hayes, of the fifth generation from 
this George Hayes, was born, in 1878, in 
West Brattleboro, Vt., and in 181 3 mar- 
ried Sophia Birchard, of Wilmington, in 
that State, " a lady of fine intellect and 
lovely character." In 18 17 the family 
moved to Ohio, the trip being made in a 
covered wagon and consuming forty-seven 
days, and in the town of Delaware they 
settled. Here in July, 1822, Mr. Hayes 
died, leaving a wife and one daughter, 
and in less than three months the future 
president of the United States was born, 
a posthumous child. The estate and 
management of the family affairs were en- 
trusted to Sardis Birchard, Mrs. Hayes' 
brother, then a young man, who took a 
loving interest in his sister's welfare, and 




LUCY WEBB HAVES. 



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COMMEMOUATIVB BIOQRAPUICAL RECORD. 



68 



became very fond of his young nephew, 
takiiifj him under his immediate charge. 
The lad received his early education at the 
common schools, attended an academy at 
Norwalk, Ohio, and in 1837 went to Isaac 
Webbs school at Middletown, Conn., to 
prepare for college. In 1842 he gradu- 
ated from Kenyon College, valedictorian 
of his class. During this school period 
he spent a large part of his vacation time 
at the residence of his uncle at Lower 
Sandusky (now Fremont), Ohio; in the 
meantime his sister had married William 
A. Flatt, of Columbus, and the mother 
made her home in that city. Having con- 
cluded to make the profession of law his 
life work, Mr. Hayes commenced study 
in the office of Thomas Sparrow, of Col- 
umbus, Ohio, and was graduated at the 
Law School of Harvard University, in 
1S45, on May 10 of which year he was 
admitted to the bar at Marietta, Ohio. 
He began practice at Lower Sandusky 
(now Fremont) where, in April, 1846, he 
formed a partnership with Hon. Ralph P. 
Buckland (now also deceased). 

In 1S49 he opened a law office in Cin- 
cinnati, where he soon attracted attention 
through his ability and acquirements, and 
where he successfully pursued the prac- 
tice of his profession till the breaking out 
of the war of the Rebellion. In 1 856 he 
declined a nomination for judge of the 
Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. 
Two years later he was appointed city 
solicitor of Cincinnati, and served until 
April. 1861. On the organization of the 
Republican party, he at once became one 
of its active supporters, being attracted 
thereto by his strong anti-slavery senti- 
ments. 

At the outbreak of the war, he was 
elected captain of the militarv' company 
formed from the celebrated Cincinnati 
Literary Club. In June, 1861, he was 
appointed major of the Twenty-third 
O. V. I., and in July following his regi- 
ment was ordered to West Virginia. Gen. 
Hayes' verj- gallant and meritorious mili- 



tary career has been overlooked in the 
prominence given to his political life. An 
examination of his record in the army 
shows that such brave, gallant and able 
service has rarely been equalled, even in 
the annals of war. 

In August, 1864, while fighting under 
Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, Gen. 
Hayes was nominated by a Republican 
district convention, in Cincinnati, as a 
candidate for Congress. He was elected 
by a majority of 2,400. The General 
took his seat in Congress December 4, 
1865, and was appointed chairman of the 
Library committee. In 1S66 he was re- 
elected to Congress. In the House of 
Representatives he was prominent in the 
councils of his party. 

In 1867 he was the Republican can- 
didate fur governor of Ohio, and elected 
over Judge Thurman. In 1869, he was 
re-elected governor of Ohio over George 
H. Pendleton. In 1872, despite his fre- 
quently expressed desire to retire from 
public life, Gen. Hayes was again nomi- 
nated for Congress by the Republicans 
of Cincinnati, but was defeatad. 

In 1873 he returned to Fremont, and 
the next year inherited the considerable 
estate of his uncle, Sardis Birchard. In 
1875, notwithstanding his well-known 
desire not to re-enter public life, he was 
again nominated for governor of Ohio, 
and, although he at first declined the honor, 
he was subsequently induced to accept 
the nomination, and after a hard-fought 
canvas was elected over William Allen by 
a majority of 5,500! This contest, by 
reason of the financial issue involved, be- 
came a national one, and was watched 
with interest throughout the country, and 
as a result he was nominated for the 
Presidency on the seventh ballot of the 
National Republican Convention which 
met at Cincinnati June 14, 1876. The 
doubtful result of the election in three 
Southern States threw the whole country 
into a state of an.xiety which continued 
until inauguration day; but Gen. Hayes 



64 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



was declared elected by the highest author- 
ity in the government, and on the 4th of 
March, 1877, he took his seat in the 
Presidential Chair. 

The administration of President 
Hayes, although unsatisfactory to ma- 
chine politicians, was a wise and conserv- 
ative one, meeting with the approval of 
the people at large. Throughout, his 
administration was intelligently and con- 
sistently conducted with but one motive 
in view — the greatest good to the country, 
regardless of party affiliation. That he 
was eminently successful in this, and was 
as wise, patriotic, progressive and benefi- 
cial in its effects as any the country has 
enjoyed, is the judgment of every intelli- 
gent person who gives it an unbiased 
study. 

On the expiration of his term, ex- 
President Hayes retired to his home in 
Fremont, Ohio. Here he died January 
17. 1893. of neuralgia of the heart, deeply 
lamented not only by relations and friends, 
but by the entire nation, whose welfare 
he had ever at heart. That he was pre- 
eminently a soldier, his career as such, his 
interest in the Grand Army, the Loyal 
Legion, the Union Veterans Union, and 
all other organizations associated with the 
army, prove beyond peradventure. As a 
lawyer he was successful; as a congress- 
man he was popular; as Governor and 
President he revealed the statesman. He 
was never idle — wherever duty called there 
was he ever to be found, and in this re- 
spect the many claims upon his time made 
him almost ubiquitous. 

Gen. R. B. Hayes was the recipient 
of the degree of LL. D. from Kenyon, 
1868; Harvard, 1877; Yale, 1880; and 
Johns Hopkins University, 1S81. He 
was commander-in-chief of the military 
order of Loyal Legion; was first president 
of the Society of the Army of West Vir- 
ginia. He was president of the John F. 
Slater Education Fund, and one of the 
trustees of the Peabody Fund — both for 
education in the South. He was also 



I 



president of the National Prison Reform 
Association, and a trustee of a large num- 
ber of charitable and educational institu- 
tions. After leaving the Presidency, Mr. 
Hayes was actively engaged in education- 
al, reformatory and benevolent work, and 
became president of many societies and 
associations, the chief object of which was 
the welfare of his fellow-men. Indeed, 
his life from beginning to end was a very 
busy one, and no less beautiful. 

On October 30, 1S52, Gen. R. B. 
Hayes was united in marriage with Miss 
Lucy Webb, who was born August 28, 
1 83 1, in Chillicothe, Ohio, at that time 
the Capitol of the State, daughter of Dr. 
James and Maria (Cook) Webb, and 
descended, on both sides of the house, 
from Revolutionary stock. Miss Webb 
was instructed by the university profes- 
sors, preparatory to entering the Wes- 
leyan Female College at Cincinnati, and 
it was while attending this institution that 
Mr. Hayes made her acquaintance. Mrs. 
Hayes first became known to the outside 
world during the Civil war, and in the 
army, among volunteer soldiers, she found 
ample opportunity for the exercise of her 
rare faculties in making people happy. 
Upon learning of the severe wound re- 
ceived by her husband at the battle of 
South Mountain, she hastened east and 
joined him at Middletown, Md. As soon 
as he was able to be about she would 
spend a portion of each day in the hos- 
pitals, cheering and comforting the wound- 
ed of both armies with delicate attentions 
and tokens of sympathy. Eminently 
social and domestic, her residence, 
"Spiegel Grove," was seldom without 
visitors, and was always, in every station, 
mistress of her own household. The fol- 
lowing named children were born to Gen. 
and Mrs. Hayes: Birchard A. Hayes, of 
Toledo; Webb C. Hayes, of Cleveland; 
Rutherford P. Ha3'es, of Columbus, and 
Fannie and Scott R. Hayes, of Fremont. 
Eight years of beautiful private life were 
granted Mrs. Hayes, years which were 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPmCAL RECORD. 



Co 



filled to the brim with joy and occupa- 
tion. On June 21, 1889, she was stricken 
with apoplexy, resulting in paralysis, and 
on the 2Sth her soul took flight. She 
took an interest in all charities, and was a 
leader among the originators of the Sol- 
diers' and Sailors* Orphans' Home in 
Ohio. She was also a member of the 
Womans' Relief Corps of the State of 
Ohio. To her husband and herself the 
Methodist Episcopal Church in Fremont 
is largely indebted for its beautiful Church 
edifice. 



T.WLOR FULLER, president of 
the Peoples Bank at Clyde, is a 
business man of recognized and 
deser\ed prominence among the 
diversified interests of Sandusky county. 
He is one of those sound, conservative 
men, whose judgment is rarely if ever at 
fault. He possesses a mind of those 
qualities which thoroughly grasp the sub- 
ject it engages itself upon, determines its 
relation to extraneous matters, and finally 
passes unerring judgment upon the con- 
sequences of given conditions. He is 
thoroughly conversant with the principles 
which rule in the commercial world. 
Men like him are needed in every com- 
munity to give voice to sound business 
principles, and to give proper direction to 
enterprise and industrj-. 

Mr. Fuller comes of sterling pioneer 
stock. He was born in Townsend town- 
ship, Sandusky county, March 29, 1840, 
son of William and Emma M. (Levisee) 
Fuller. William Fuller was one of the 
hardy and respected pioneers of Sandusky 
county who, perhaps, met with more than 
his share of severe hardships and misfor- 
tunes, but whose strength of character 
conquered every obstacle and bore him 
safely on to eventual comfort and af- 
fluence. William Fuller was born in 
Hawley, Mass. , Januarj- 23, 1799. His 
father was Jason Fuller, a native of Con- 
necticut, where he was born May 24, 



1767. When a young man Jason Fuller 
moved to Massachusetts, and there mar- 
ried Fhilanda Taylor. In 18 16 he moved 
with his family to what is now Livingston 
county, N. Y. , and here his wife died two 
years later, aged forty-nine years. Jason 
Fuller died October 25, 1819, at the 
home of his son William, in Milan town- 
ship, Huron county. He had been a 
farmer through life. Both he and his 
wife were honest, upright people, and 
members of the Baptist Church. They 
had eight children, as follows: Cynthia, 
who married, in Massachusetts, Silas 
Pratt, moved in 1824 to Sandusky county, 
Ohio, and died here; Rachel, who mar- 
ried Amos Hammond, in New York State, 
and died in Michigan; Philanda, first wife 
of James Morrill, died in Massachusetts; 
Electa, second wife of James Morrill, died 
in Kansas; William, father of Taylor Ful- 
ler; John, who married Rhoda Powell in 
Green Creek township, and died in Ne- 
braska; Betsey, who married Ichabod 
Munger in New York State, and died in 
Michigan; Thomas, who married Margaret 
Ewart in New York, and died in Michigan. 
William Fuller remained in his father's 
family until F"ebruary, 1818. He then 
started alone and afoot for the wilds of 
Ohio, arriving thirteen days later in Milan 
township, Huron county, where his father, 
his eldest sister and his youngest brother 
joined him two weeks later, and took pos- 
session of a tract of land for which Jason, 
the father, had previously negotiated. 
William engaged to clear ten acres as a 
compensation for his time during the two 
remaining years of his minority. In July 
of the same year he returned to New 
York and to Massachusetts on business. 
While at the New York home his tnother 
died, before the father could arrive. 
Here William Fuller married Mehetable 
Botsford, November 7, 1818, and in Feb- 
ruary, with his wife and his father, re- 
turned to Ohio with a yoke of oxen and a 
sled, the journey consuming twenty-two 
days. His father died in the following 



66 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



autumn, and William continued to re- 
side in Milan township until 1824, cul- 
tivating and clearing land which his 
father had negotiated for, but had never 
purchased. In 1823 William Fuller 
purchased forty acres in Green Creek 
township, Sandusky county, and in the 
spring of 1824 moved to the little place 
and began to clear and improve it. 
But misfortunes overtook him. He was 
taken ill in June, and was unable to work 
until late in August. Through the fall he 
suffered with ague. During the following 
summer he could do scarcely any work. 
In August, 1826, his oxen ran away, 
throwing his eldest child from the cart, 
and killing him. The same month his 
wife and youngest child died. Leaving 
his two remaining children in the care of 
his sister, Mrs. Hammond, he returned to 
New York State and worked there four 
years. He, in Livingston county, married 
Cynthia Havens, May 15, 1831, and with 
her returned to his home in Green Creek 
township. In 1S34 he bought wild land 
in Townsend township, and again began 
a pioneer career. Death entered his 
household January 23, 1835, and again 
took away his wife. Left with four chil- 
dren to care for, he could not well break 
up housekeeping, and on July 6, 1835, he 
married Marcia M. George, a native of 
New York State. She survived her mar- 
riage just one year. Mr. Fuller was 
again united in marriage October 19, 
1837, this time to Emma M. Levisee, who 
survived him. She was born in Lima, 
N. Y. , March 24, 1818, daughter of Aaron 
and Anna (Lyon) Levisee. 

Aaron Levisee was born in New Jersey, 
June 19, 1774, son of James Levisee, who 
had previously moved to that State from 
Connecticut. Aaron was the eldest child 
of a family of nine children. His boy- 
hood was passed in Connecticut and 
Massachusetts. He acquired a fair -edu- 
cation, followed the seas three years as 
clerk of a sailing vessel, then taught 
school. While teaching a term at 



Lanesborough, Mass., he had for a pupil 
Anna Lyon, whom he soon after married. 
She was born at Lanesborough, May 13, 
1778, daughter of Thomas and Thankful 
Lyon, both natives of Massachusetts. 
After marriage Aaron and Anna Levisee 
lived in Massachusetts, in Greenfield, Sara- 
toga Co., N. Y. , in Lima, Livingston Co., 
N. Y. , and in Allen, Allegany Co., N. Y. 
Here Aaron Levisee died June 18, 1828. 
Four years later the widow migrated with 
her children to Townsend township, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio. In 1844 she moved 
to the home of her daughter, Mrs. Thank- 
ful Botsford, near Ann Arbor, Mich., and 
died there July 3, 1845. The nine chil- 
dren of Aaron and Anna Levisee were 
Almedia, born August i, 1799, married 
Ezra Lyons, and died in Townsend town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohio, June 28, 1853; 
Eveline, born June 21, 1801, married 
Hubbard Jones, and died in Townsend 
township June 13, 1873; Thankful, born 
July 15, 1804, married David Botsford, 
and died in Washtenaw county, Mich. ; 
Eliza Ann, born May 6, 1806, first mar- 
ried to Jonathan Wisner, afterward to 
Joseph Cummings (she died in Townsend 
township November 6, 1838); John L. 
and Sarah L. (twins), born July 4, 1809, 
the former a prominent citizen of Town- 
send township, died at the age of eighty- 
six, the latter dying at the age of four years 
in 1813; Sarah Sophia, born February 
14, 181 5, married Charles Gillett, and 
died in Steuben county, Ind. , March 16, 
1847; Emma M., born March 24, 181 8; 
and Aaron Burton, born March 18, 1821, 
a prominent lawyer of Fargo, North 
Dakota. 

After his marriage to Emma M. Levi- 
see, William Fuller continued farming in 
Townsend township. His industry and 
patience were rewarded in time. He ac- 
quired much land, and each of his five 
sons who grew to maturity were helped 
to a farm by their father. William Fuller 
was a Democrat until 1856; but from that 
time to his death, which occurred Janu- 



COintEMORATIVB BIOORAPHTCAL RECORD. 



67 



ar)- 7, 1S84, he wasa Rcpublicin. In re- 
ligious faith lie was a Universalist. Two 
children by his first wife, Uavid and John, 
grew to maturity. David was born July 8, 
1S21, married, for his first wife, Mary Z. 
Hi;;lcy, and, for his second, Eli/a J. 
Plumb. He died May 18, 1879. John, born 
April 7, 1823. married Eliza Mallory, and 
removed to Branch county, Mich. By his 
second wife William Fuller had two chil- 
dren: William T., who was born April lO, 
1832, married Mary J. Van Buskirk, and 
resides at Townsend; and Cynthia M., 
born November 2, 1833, and died Decem- 
ber 22, 1853. One child was born to his 
third wife, Jason E., who died in infancy. 
Three children were born to William and 
Emma M. (Levisee) Fuller, as follows: 
Taylor, James and Albert. James was 
born October 13. 1844, married Betsey 
Richards, and lives in Townsend town- 
ship; Albert, born June 22, 1846, died 
September 26, 1849. 

Taylor Fuller, the eldest of these three 
children, grew up on the farm in Town- 
send township, and attended the district 
schools. He enlisted in August. 1862, in 
Company K, One Hundred O. \'. I., 
which was organized at Toledo. The 
regiment was sent to Kentucky, and oper- 
ated against the forces of Gen. Kirby 
Smith. During the winter of 1862-6311 
remained in the vicinity of Lexington, 
and in the fall of 1863 crossed the moun- 
tains to Kno.wille, Tenn. A detachment 
of 240 men, sent up to the Virginia State 
line to guard the railroad, was captured 
by the Rebels. The regiment was en- 
gaged in nearly every battle of the Atlanta 
campaign, then returned to Tennessee, 
and met Hood at Columbia. Franklin and 
at Nashville. After Hood's defeat at 
Nashville, Mr. Fuller, then a sergeant, 
went with the command to North Caro- 
lina. It was actively engaged at Wil- 
mington and assisted in the capture of 
that city, then moved to Goldsboro and 
met Shermans army. The regiment was 
mustered out at Greensboro. N. C, 



June 20. 1865, and discharged at Cleve- 
land, July I, following. Sergt. Fuller was 
a faithful soldier, and was with the regi- 
ment during the whole of its active and 
eventful service. Returning to his home, 
he again took up the vocations of peace. 
On December 3. 1867, he was mar- 
ried to Miss Lina E. Stone, who was born 
in Seneca county. Ohio, April 15, 1843. 
Their only child, Dermont E., was born 
November 6, 1868, and was educated in 
the schools of Clyde and at the Ohio 
Wesleyan University, Delaware; he is 
now assistant cashier of the Peoples Bank 
at Clyde. Taylor Fuller began house- 
keeping on a farm in Townsend township 
which he had previously purchased, but 
later settled on his present farm in York 
township. Besides looking after his farm- 
ing interests he has been one of the lead- 
ing stock farmers at Clyde for ten years 
or more, and for a number of years he 
has been a prominent wool dealer also. 
He was one of the founders of the Peo- 
ples Bank, which was organized in 1883 
with a capital stock of $50,000, and which 
is one of the leading and prosperous finan- 
cial institutions of the county. He served 
as vice-president continuously until elected 
to his present responsible position of presi- 
dent of the bank. In politics Mr. Fuller 
is a pronounced Republican. He is a 
member of the G. .\. R.. and of the 
U. V. U. No man in the township ranks 
higher as a public-spirited citizen, and as 
a capable business man. 



SAXTON SQUIRE R.ATHBUN 
(deceased). For over seventy years 
this venerable and hearty pioneer 
was a resident of Green Creek 
township. Sandusky county, and at the 
time of his death he was one of the oldest 
settlers of the county. When his people 
came to the wilderness there was not a 
residence of any kind between Green 
Creek township and Sandusky Bay, and 
Indians inhabited the woods on every 



68 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



side. It was in 1820 that Jonathan Rath- 
bun, grandfather of Saxton S., migrated 
from Genesee county, N. Y. , to Ohio, 
settling first in Lorain county, and four 
years later coming to the farm in Green 
Creek township lately occupied by S. S. 
Rathbun, where he permanently located. 
Jonathan Rathbun was one of three 
brothers who emigrated from England to 
America and the fourth in a family of ten, 
children. He settled in Tyringham, 
Mass., and later migrated with his family 
to Genesee county, N. Y. He had four 
sons — Clark, Chaplin, Lucius and Mar- 
tin— and four daughters — Sally, Marvel, 
Eliza and Laura — all of whom moved with 
him to the Western home. 

Chaplin Rathbun, father of Saxton S., 
was born in Tyringham, Mass., July 3, 
1793. He was married in New York 
State to Lucinda Sutliff, who was born 
on the Genesee river. New York State, in 
1792, and whose grandfather. Gad Sut- 
liff, a ship carpenter by vocation, emi- 
grated from England, and died in New 
York State, at the age of ninety-three 
years. Many of his descendants now 
live in Lorain county, Ohio, among 
them being William H. H. Sutliff, of 
Wellington. The children of Chap- 
lin and Lucinda Rathbun were as 
follows: Saxton S. , born in Genesee 
county, N. Y. , June 3, 1813; Jeannette, 
who married James Cleveland, and died 
in Green Creek township; Jonathan, who 
died aged seven years; Catherine, who 
married Christian Huss, and died in 1894; 
Lucinda, married to Morris Lemmon, and 
died in Steuben county, Ind. ; Sarah, who 
married H. Foster, and died recently in La 
Grange county, Ind. ; Bliss, who died in 
Green Creek township, aged twenty- 
five years; Eliza, wife of John Hunter, of 
La Grange county, Ind. Chaplin Rath- 
bun died January i, 1865. He was a man 
of large size, hardy constitution and mus- 
cular frame. In politics he was a Whig 
and Republican successively. 

Saxton S. Rathbun was a lad of 



eleven years when his parents entered the 
dense wilderness which covered the now 
fertile farms of Green Creek township. 
The educational possibilities of the back- 
woods were not great, but he took ad- 
vantage of such opportunities as the fron- 
tier then afforded. He attended a school 
in a log cabin wherein, as a substitute for 
a window, a hole was cut in a log and 
paper pasted over the opening. On 
April 9, 1S35, he was married to Bar- 
bara E. Huss, born in Lancaster county, 
Penn., December 27, 18 16, and their 
children were as follows: (i) Edwin, born 
March 10, 1837, who, while a river man, 
unmarried, died of yellow fever at St. 
Louis, Mo., in 1880. (2) Norton G., 
born September 19, 1839, now of Green 
Creek township, an ex-county commis- 
sioner, married, and is the father of three 
children — Edwin, Arthur and Herman. 
(3) Burton, married, and is the father of 
one child — Leonard. (4) Thaddeus, who 
died aged eight years. (5) James, who 
yielded up his life for his country on the 
battlefield of Stone River, December 30, 
1862, after a service of nearly two years; 
he was a member of the 121st Illinois 
Regiment, in the division of Gen. Rose- 
crans; was six feet one inch tall in his 
stockings; alwa3's read}' for duty, and the 
best man in his regiment; the bereaved 
father went to Tennessee and brought 
home the remains. (6) Norman died of 
t3'phoid fever, aged twenty-two years. 
(7) Chaplin L. married, and is the father 
of eight children — Harry, Edith, Fannie, 
James, Nina, Lucy, Ollie and Mabel. (8) 
Lucinda is the wife of Charles Storer and 
the mother of five children — Alice, Bes- 
sie, Mary, James and Carrie. (9) Brace, 
of Eaton Rapids, Mich., is the father of 
three children, one of whom died at the 
age of four years, those living being Ban- 
nie and Bertha. (10) Orvilla, wife of H. 
Sackrider, of Fremont, is the mother of 
five children, two of whom died in in- 
fancy, the living being Lynn, Blanche 
and Grace. (11) Jacob died in infancy. 



COMlfEMOIiATIl'E DWQIiAPUICAL RECORD. 



69 



(i2) John E., connected with the Oak- 
wood Cemetery Association, of Fremont, 
for the past fifteen years, has one child — 
Ferra Fern. 

After his marriage Mr. Rathbun pur- 
chased eifjhty acres of land in Green 
Creek township. The original deed for 
the land bears the signature of Andrew 
Jackson, President, under date of 1832, 
and Mr. Rathbun paid for the land by 
working fur $ 1 o per month. Nobly aided 
by his wife, he essayed the task of clear- 
ing the land, and gradually increased the 
acreage until it developed into the pres- 
ent excellent farm of 200 acres, all of 
which was acquired and improved by its 
worthy owner and his faithful helpmeet 
and co-worker, whose loss by death, oc- 
curring March 13. 1894, he deeply 
mourned. The rearing and educating of 
their large family consumed much of her 
time, but she proved equal to the stern 
responsibilities, and to her Mr. Rathbun 
ascribed due meed for the efficient man- 
ner in which she contributed to the accu- 
mulation of the estate. In politics Mr. 
Rathbun was a Democrat until the open- 
ing of the Civil war, after which time he 
was a Republican. He was trustee of 
the township fourteen years. In the es- 
teem of his fellow citizens no man ranked 
higher than this brave and earnest pio- 
neer. His life work was well done, and 
its remembrance will Imger long in the 
memories of men. He passed from earth 
February 3, 1895. 



WB. HEIM. Among the enter- 
prising and successful young 
business men of Fremont, San- 
dusky county, may be justly 
mentioned William B. Heim, of the well 
known dry-goods firm of Heim & Barnum, 
corner of Front and State streets. Al- 
though of German parentage, Mr. Heim 
is a native of the " Buckeye State," hav- 
ing been born in Fremont, Ohio, June 6, 



1S57, a son of Albert and Margaret (Mal- 
kamus) Heim. 

William B. Heim entered business life 
as a clerk in the dry-goods store of J. 
Ryan, in 1875, and remained in that ca- 
pacity until 1882. Having mastered the 
problems involved in mercantile transac- 
tions thoroughly, and economized his 
time and means, he found himself ready 
to embark in an enterprise for himself, 
and in 1S85 became a member of the firm 
of Heim & Richards, successors to J. 
Ryan. This firm was afterward changed 
to Heim & Barnum, our subject remain- 
ing connected with the firm. There are 
few men in any community who can boast 
of having gained the confidence of the 
public more thoroughly than he; and this 
has been done by fair dealing and genuine 
courtesy. The store of Heim & Barnum, 
No. 1 16 N. Front street, is 86 by 23 feet, 
and they occupy part of the second story of 
of the building; eight clerks are employed. 

Mr. Heim was married in 1887 to 
Miss Clara A. Dorr, of Fremont, and they 
have one child, Bogniard. Mr. and Mrs. 
Heim are both possessed of good educa- 
tional ideas, and their aim is to give their 
son the advantage of modern methods of 
culture. Mr. Heim is a Democrat, a 
member of the Roman Catholic Church, 
and of the National Union. 



HON. JOHN KELLY (deceased), 
who, for the long period of over half 
a century, was a resident of what 
is known as the Peninsula, Ottawa 
county, was born in the city of Truy, N.Y., 
December 14, 1809. In the fall of 18 18 
he came to Ohio with his father, the fam- 
ily settling at Sandusky, at that time a 
wilderness inhabited by Indians and wild 
animals. In 1832 our subject moved to 
the Peninsula, and on July 23, 1835, was 
married to Elizabeth Pettibone, soon 
after which event he purchased the farm 
whereon he passed the rest of his days. 
Mr. Kelly enjoyed about the usual 



70 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



school advantages of pioneer days, and, 
such as they were, they ended with his 
fourteenth year; but his extreme fondness 
for reading in a measure suppHed the 
deficiencies of his early training. The 
Bible, the Iliad, Shakespeare, Goldsmith, 
Scott, Burns and Byron were among his 
favorite books and authors. He was a 
man of strong, resolute, independent 
character, possessed of deep convictions 
which were not shaken in the least, even 
if all the world disagreed with him. He 
would allow himself to be under no obli- 
gations to any one, and would not suffer 
anybody to have any power or control 
over him. He would deny himself a ne- 
cessity before he would contract a debt 
that might embarass him in the future. 
He was very exact in the performance of 
all his engagements; a debt with him must 
always be paid on the day it fell due. 
Though not pretending to a knowledge of 
the details of the law, he was well-versed 
in legal maxims, and had such rare judg- 
ment in their application that he was 
often called upon by his neighbors for 
legal advice, and in this way ofttimes 
rendered them material aid. He had a 
retentive memory, and could repeat en- 
tire many of the longer poems of his 
favorite poet, Burns. He never held a 
public position that was not given with- 
out asking. He served his township as 
justice of the peace for twelve consecu- 
tive years, and held various other minor 
public positions. In 1862 he was elected, 
on the Republican ticket, to represent the 
Thirtieth Senatorial District in the Fifty- 
fifth General Assembly of Ohio, wherein 
he served a term of two years — 1862-63. 
Mr. Kelly firmly believed in an over- 
ruling Providence, in retribution for evil 
doing, and in good works as an infallible 
index of good character; further than which 
it is doubtful whether he had any formu- 
lated belief. Upon this, as, indeed, upon 
every subject, he did his own thinking; 
he accepted nothing upon authority, scout- 
ing the idea that a man jiiiist believe any- 



thing. He felt that the average Church 
creed was too detailed and definite to be 
wholly true, or even reverent. 

He passed from earth April 18, .1883, 
at the age of seventy-three years, after 
but two days' illness, although he had 
been in feeble health for many years, the 
immediate cause of his demise being con- 
gestion of the lungs. His death-bed was 
surrounded by his wife and every one of 
his living children, who mourned the de- 
parture from their midst of a kind, affec- 
tionate husband and loving, indulgent 
father. 



HON. WILLIAM KELLY, one of 
Ottawa county's prosperous farm- 
ers and stock dealers, is a native 
of the county, having been born 
March 17, 1838, in Danbury township, 
and is the son of the Hon. John Kelly, a 
sketch of whom precedes this. 

The subject of this sketch was reared 
on a farm, during this time receiving a 
common-school education, which was 
afterward supplemented bj' a two-years' 
course at Oberlin College. About this 
time he made his choice of a companion 
who was to share with him the joys 
and sorrows that might await him, and 
on March 27, 1859, he wedded Miss 
Laura Lockwood, also a native of the 
county, born May 20, 1840, and a daugh- 
ter of Edward J. and Lydia (Ramsdell) 
Lockwood, a sketch of whom follows. 
The young couple started out on life's 
journey full of hope and with bright pros- 
pects of success, which time has shown to 
have been fully realized. To this union 
have come four children — one son and 
three daughters — to wit: (i) Arthur A. , 
born February 23, i860, married to Jen- 
nie Latimore, and they are now the par- 
ents of two children — Edward L. , born 
February 8, 1888, and Mary Gertrude, 
born January 25, 1895. (2) Mary E., 
born August 6, 1862, and married to Dr. 
Carl Esch, of Cleveland, Ohio. (3) 




Thr^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAFUICAL RECORD. 



71 



Josephine, born March 17, 1864, mar- 
ried to Dr. K. L. Waters, of lilniore, 
Ohio. (4) Lydia, born October 17, 1S75, 
still livinj; with her parents. 

Mr. Kelly has always been engaged 
in agricultural pursuits, including dealing 
in live stock, and besides general farming 
he has engageii extensively in the culture 
of fruit, an industry for which the Penin- 
sula, on which his farm is located, has 
become noted. He is energetic and pub- 
lic^pirited, and has held many positions 
of local trust. Always identified with 
educational interests of Port Clinton, he 
served as a member of the Board of Edu- 
cation for over seventeen years, and for 
ten years was its president. He was like- 
wise several times elected a member of 
the council, which incumbency he filled 
with ability. In 1890 he held the posi- 
tion of receiver for the Lakeside & Mar- 
blehead railroad, having been appointed 
by the court pending the adjustment of 
difficulties among its stockholders. In 
this position he managed the affairs of the 
company with such prudence and faith- 
fulness that the court allowed him a lib- 
eral compensation, and -what was more 
gratifying to him -conmiended him highly 
for his ability. 

In 1891 Mi; Kelly was elected a mem- 
ber of the Seventieth General Assembly 
of Ohio, on the Republican ticket in a 
county largely Democratic, and in 1893 
he was again honored by a re-election. 
While in the Seventieth Mr. Kelly served 
on several important committees, promi- 
nent among which was the "Committee 
on I'ish Culture and Game." In this ca- 
pacity he secured the passage of an act 
reimbursing fishermen for large losses 
sustained by them in consequence of the 
destruction of their nets by the Fish War- 
den under an act afterward declared un- 
constitutional. During the same session 
he was instrumental in securing the pass- 
age of a joint ditch law. In speaking of 
Mr. Kelly's efforts in this instance, we 
can do no better than to quote the 7"<>- 



licio Bti- oi April 19, 1S92, a Democratic 
paper, reading as follows: ' ■ Representa- 
tive Kelly, of Ottawa, last evening se- 
cured the passage of his bill amending 
the existing statutes, so that, in the con- 
struction of a joint ditch, reviewers shall 
assess the damages to be paid by the up- 
per county. This is a fight between Ot- 
tawa and Wood counties. Representa- 
tive James fought the bill at every stage 
of the proceedings, but the quiet, unas- 
suming ways of Kelly, of Ottawa, cap- 
tured the House, as he made one of the 
ablest business-like arguments that has 
been delivered on the floor of the House 
this winter. His influence over fellow 
members of the House consisted largely 
in the fact that he was never known to 
introduce, favor or support any measure 
savoring of schemes; but was ever on the 
alert, watching closely every measure un- 
der consideration, and always taking sides, 
favoring or approving every measure 
pending before the House, as the interest 
of his constituents and the welfire of the 
State might dictate." 

In the Seventy-first General Assem- 
bly, he was again placed on several im- 
portant committees, one of these being 
appointed by the Speaker under a resolu- 
tion passed by the House. Mr. Kelly 
was made chairman of this committee, 
whose duty was to prepare plans for re- 
modeling the State House with a view to 
making room for the Supreme Court of 
the State to hold its sessions, this body 
having been increased by a former Legis- 
lature to six members in order to facili- 
tate the work of the court and to get im- 
portant cases disposed of, by making two 
divisions of the court, making more room 
necessary. The work was acceptably 
done, but never executed for want of a 
fund from which to make an appropria- 
tion for carrying on the same. Sir. Kelly 
likewise was instrumental in securing the 
'• passage of a law allowing courts, whose 
I term expired by limitation, to reconvene 
! at once when in the midst of a lengthy 



72 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



case, to complete it, saving much time 
and needless expense. 

Mr. Kelly has always been a promi- 
nent and influential leader in public af- 
fairs, possessing almost unrivaled gifts of 
persuasive eloquence and convincing 
logic. He is courteous in debate, fer- 
tile in resource, and a powerful sup- 
porter of any cause to which he may give 
his sanction. These characteristics, in 
connection with his able work in the 
Legislature, brought him into prominence, 
and made him the recipient of many 
complimentary notices from the Press of 
the Ninth Congressional District. At the 
Republican convention held in Toledo, 
June 19, 1894, Chairman of the Conven- 
tion complimented the convention on hav- 
ing so many candidates, any one of whom 
would make admirable representatives, 
mentioning Mr. Kelly's name among the 
number. When the time came for nom- 
inations, the Hon. William Miller, of Ot- 
tawa, and Presidential elector who cast 
the vote of his Congressional District for 
Mr. Harrison the second time, announced 
the name of William Kelly, ''the only 
man who had twice carried that Bourbon 
stronghold." The Toledo Blade oi that 
date, in speaking of the different candidates 
before the convention, says: "Mr. Kelly re- 
ceived a continuous ovation all last evening 
from his many friends, not only from To- 
ledo, but also from the other delegations." 

With this brief account of his life and 
work, we leave the subject of this sketch 
in the enjoyment of good health at his 
pleasant home in Port Clinton, surround- 
ed with the comforts of life, and the 
well-earned confidence and esteem of his 
many friends, the ripened fruit of a dili- 
gent and honorable life. 

Edward J. Lockwood, who for over 
seventy years has been a continuous resi- 
dent of Ottawa county, and to-day is one 
of the few surviving pioneers who have 
been spared to see flourishing towns and 
productive farms and orchards supplant 
the primeval forests, was born in the city 



of Albany, N. Y., August 17, 18 13, and 
is a son of Col. Samuel M. and Mary 
(Doughty) Lockwood, the former a na- 
tive of Stamford, Conn., the latter of 
New York Cit)'. 

The parents and five members of their 
family came to Ottawa county a short 
time prior to the arrival of the subject of 
this sketch, when it was a part of Huron 
county, a wild and uncultivated tract of 
land, and they participated in all the 
trials and hardships that fall to the lot of 
early settlers. C3n November 9, 18 17, 
Mrs. Col. Lockwood died in Danbury, 
Ottawa county, Ohio, and on November 
30, 1818, Col. Lockwood was again 
united in marriage, this time to Gertrude 
Doughty (a sister of his former wife), who 
survived him many years, dying June 6, 
1875, at Plasterbed, Ottawa Co., Ohio. 
The children by the latter union are John 
Wickliffe Lockwood, Horace A. Lock- 
wood, A. Piatt Lockwood, Hon. James 
K. Lockwood, Lane Lockwood, Laura 
Lockwood, Emeline Lockwood and Imo- 
gene Lockwood. Col. Lockwood was one 
of the energetic pioneers of this country. 
He made quite a history, a part of which 
was his service for four terms in the Leg- 
islature of Ohio, serving two terms in the 
House of Representatives, and two terms 
in the Senate. He was president of the 
first railroad built in Ohio. 

Our subject, who is the only surviving 
member of Col. Lockwood's family by his 
first wife, was reared as a farmer boy, re- 
ceiving a limited education in the old log 
schoolhouse near his home. After com- 
ing to Ottawa county he worked in the 
quarries at Plasterbed, where for some 
years he operated a stationary engine, 
afterward receiving a position as engineer 
on a steamboat; but the greater part of 
his life has been devoted to agricultural 
pursuits, and his industry and close atten- 
tion to business have made his farm one 
of the finest in Ottawa county. He set 
the first vineyard and the first peach and 
quince orchard that was set on the Pen- 



COMMEMORATIVB BIOORAPUWAL RECORD. 



78 



insula, a locality that has since become 
so famous as a fruit-f^'rowiuf^ section. 

Edward J. Lockwood has been twice 
married; first time to Lydia Ramsdeli, a 
dauf:;hter of Jacob and Experience Kams- 
deil, who where ainonj; the honored pion- 
eers of Ottawa county. Hy this union there 
were born four daughters: Laura, now 
the wife of Hon. Kelly, of Port Clinton; 
Ellen, wife of William Sloan, who is 
livinjj in Portafje township, Ottawa coun- 
ty; Experience; and Elizabeth, wife of 
George K. Marshall, of Mansfield, Rich- 
land Co., Ohio. The mother of this 
family died March 24, 1890. and Mr. 
Lockwood subsequently married Mrs. Julia 
(Streeter) Wonnell, widow of James Won- 
nell, Esq., of Portage township, and a 
daughter of Solomon and Sarah (Arnold) 
Streeter, of New Hampshirf. 

Mr. Lockwood has never desired or 
sought the honor or emoluments of public 
office, preferring to give his time and at- 
tention to the duties of his farm, yet he 
has, by the earnest solicitations of his 
friends, accepted and efficiently filled var- 
ious positions of trust in the township. 
In his political views he was formerly a 
Whig, giving his first vote for William 
Henrv Harrison, and when the Republi- 
can party was formed he joined its ranks, 
and is still one of its earnest advocates. 
Although well-advanced in years, and one 
of the oldest citizens in Ottawa county, 
Ohio, he is still hale and hearty and more 
active than many men that are some years 
his junior. He gives his personal atten- 
tion to his large and productive farm, and 
spends his evenings amidst the surround- 
ings of his comfortable home in Port Clin- 
ton, where he has many friends who hold 
him high esteem. 



JUDGE MALCOLM KELLY, who 
since the latter part of 1S91 has 
been judge of the court of conunon 
pleas of the first subdivision of the 
Fourth Judicial District of Ohio, is a 



native of Ohio, son of Hon. John Kelly, 
having been born July 31, 1S44, in Dan- 
bury township, Ottawa county, on his 
father's farm. Here he grew up, going 
to school winters and working on the farm 
summers. 

During the years i860 and 1861 he 
attended the high school at Sandusky, 
and the winter before he was twenty-one 
years of age he taught his first country 
school. During the winters of 1865-66 
and 1866-67 he again taught school, and 
in spring of the latter year entered the 
Business Institute at Oberlin, Ohio, but 
in consequence of sickness did not finish 
his course till the latter part of the sum- 
mer of 1868. As soon as his course was 
completed he was offered the position of 
teacher in that institute, which he ac- 
cepted, and he continued in that position 
till the spring of 1870, when he returned 
home, remaining there for a year. In the 
spring of 1 87 1 our subject began the study 
of law in the office of Homer Goodwin, at 
Sandusky, Ohio, and in the following 
October entered the law department of 
Michigan University, Ann Arbor. Mich., 
where he was graduated in March, 1873, 
and received the degree of Bachelor of 
Laws. Immediately thereafter he was 
admitted to practice in the State of Michi- 
gan. In .\pril following he formed a 
partnership and commenced the practice 
of law in Chicago, having been admitted 
to the bar of Illinois. During the entire 
winter following he was suffering from ill- 
ness, and had to submit to a severe surg- 
ical operation; afterward, in April, re- 
turning to Chicago, where he remained 
till late in the fall. .At that time he sold 
out his interest in the partnership, and 
removed to Port Clinton. Ohio, where he 
has ever since made his home. 

Early in 1875 Judge Kelly was admit- 
ted to practice in Ohio, and he then 
formed a partnership with T. L. Magers 
now of Tiffin under the firm name of 
Magers & Kelly, which partnership was 
dissolved in 1878. Our subject c<intinued 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the law practice without any other busi- 
ness connection till the fall of 1891, when 
he was elected judge of the court of com- 
mon pleas, to fill the unexpired term of 
Judge J. L. DeWitt, and was elected for 
the full term next following. He assumed 
the duties of the office in the latter part 
of 1 89 1, and has ever since been acting in 
that capacity with his characteristic abil- 
ity and zeal. 

In 1876 Judge Kelly was married to 
Miss Susie Smith, and they have three 
children — two daughters and one son. 
The Judge in his political preferences is a 
Republican, has served on the board of 
school examiners of Ottawa county, and 
was mayor of Port Clinton one term. In 
religious faith he is a member of the Con- 
gregational Church. For the past two 
years he has held the position of presi- 
dent of the German-American Bank of 
Port Clinton. 



WILLIAM D. SHERWOOD, re- 
tired farmer, Fremont, San- 
dusky county, was born in Sen- 
eca county, Ohio, April 22, 1822, 
a son of William D. Sherwood and Martha 
(Allen J, daughter of David Allen, of Es- 
sex county, N. J., who was a brother of 
Col. Ethan Allen, of Vermont, famous 
for bravery in Colonial days. 

The father of our subject was born on 
a farm in Dutchess county, N. Y., which 
lay on the Hudson river, and has since 
become a part of New York City. He 
was educated in the city schools, studied 
law, was admitted to the bar and prac- 
ticed law a few years. During the war 
of 1 8 1 2 he served as captain of a com- 
pany of Jersey Grays, and also as colonel 
of a regiment; during the latter part of 
the war he served as commissary. After 
his marriage he began the manufacture of 
edged tools, at Plainfield, N. J., and con- 
tinued at the same with good success 
about ten years, employing usually about 
forty men. In 1 820 he sold his plant and 



moved to the then wilds of Seneca coun- 
ty, Ohio, north of Tiffin, where he en- 
tered 820 acres of government land, on 
which not a stick of timber had been cut 
except sufficient to open a winding road 
through the woods from Lower Sandusky 
to Delaware, Ohio. He cleared about 
fifty acres for farming purposes and erect- 
ed a double hewed-log house, a part of 
which was afterward sided up with boards, 
and is still (1895) standing as one of the 
oldest pioneer landmarks. Six years later 
he sold this land to different parties, 
among whom were the Souders and the 
Stoners, and himself located on 160 acres 
of government land on Green creek, three 
miles east of Lower Sandusky. . This was 
in 1826, when the country was a wilder- 
ness, and Indians and wild animals 
roamed the forests in all directions at 
their will. With herculean labor he cut 
the heavy timber from one hundred acres, 
and cleared the land for farming pur- 
poses, using ox-teams and pioneer imple- 
ments. 

Physically, Mr. Sherwood was a 
heavy-set man, muscular, five feet eight 
inches in height, of light complexion, with 
blue eyes, and in the enjoyment of robust 
health, regarded as one of the most pow- 
erful men in the settlement. He could 
wield an axe or a maul, or drive a yoke 
of oxen at loggings, or plow among roots 
and stumps to pioneer perfection. Among 
his scattered neighbors he was public- 
spirited and progressive, and held the 
offices of school director and township 
clerk for a number of years. In politics 
he was an Old-line Whig, and in religious 
faith a Universalist. His first wife died 
near Tiffin in 1822. For his second wife 
he married Miss Lois Emerson, sister of 
Jesse Emerson, late of Ballville township. 
Mr. Sherwood's death occurred in Au- 
gust, 1846, and he was laid to rest in a 
burial lot on his farm which he had pre- 
viously given to the public for a ceme- 
tery, now known as the Dana Cemetery. 
The children of William D. Sherwood, 



OOMMBMORATfVB BIOORAPUWAL RECORD. 



75 



Sen., by his first marriage were: James, 
Mary. Janettc. Kuth, Nancy, Joseph, John 
and William U. 

William D. Sherwood, our subject, 
spent his childhood anionfj Indian [ilay- 
mates, and prow up to hard work on his 
father's farm. He helped to set out one 
of the first apple orchards in Sandusky 
county. In 1839 he went to Iowa, then 
a territory, to locate land, and spent a 
year among the Mus(]uaka Indians, whom 
he taught many things, and by whom he 
was a petted hero. He next took a trip 
to Tennessee and Kentucky, to visit his 
brother James, and while there engaged 
in steamboating. In 1S45 he returned 
to Ohio, where he married Miss Mary E. 
Scovill, and farmed for his father. In 
the fall of the same year he moved to 
Burlington, Iowa, where for four years 
he assisted his brother, Joseph, to run a 
steamboat wood-yard. In 1849 his wife 
died of cholera, and he then abandoned 
business for a time. In the spring of 
1850 he started for California with a party 
of prospective miners, by the overland 
route. They drove ox-teams, and took a 
herd of cattle with them over the plains 
and mountains and across the rivers, oc- 
cupying six months and one day on their 
journey. They operated gold mines chiefly 
on the Yuba and Feather rivers. In the 
winter of 1853-54 Mr. Sherwood re- 
turned to Fort Seneca, Ohif). where, after 
farming one year, he married Miss Frances 
Elizabeth Harris, daughter of Mark Har- 
ris. In 1856 he engaged in the tanning 
business at Fostoria. and continued there 
until 1861. within which time he held the 
offices of township trustee and mayor of 
the village. At the outbreak of the Civil 
war, in iS^n, Mr. Sherwood, as first lieu- 
tenant, joined Company B, Fifty-fifth O. 
v. I., under Col. J. C. Lee, of Tiffin, and 
se^^•ed with his regiment about a year, 
when, on account of impaired health, he 
resigned and returned to Fostoria. In 
1865 he came to Fremont, and bought a 
tannery of Jesse S. Van Ness. This he 



worked about two years, when he sold 
out and purchased the property now oc- 
cupied as a parsonage by the pastor of 
St. Ann's Catholic Church, where his 
family resided several years. Here he 
suffered another attack of the gold fever, 
and went on the newly-constructed Union 
Pacific railroad westward as far as he 
could, to Evanston, 300 miles east of 
Salt Lake City, from which place his party 
were obliged to " stage it " to Diamond 
City, a distance of 1,200 miles, crossing 
the Rockies twice, and suffering many 
hardships. In 1870 he returned again to 
Fremont, and for two years, kept the 
" Croghan House " billiard saloon, and for 
one year a saloon on Front street. In 
1874 he sold out, and went again to Cali- 
fornia to engage in mining on the Yuba 
river. He operated a hydraulic mine, at 
great expense, on Slate creek, and sunk 
about ten thousand dollars. Two years 
later he returned to Ohio, and for six 
years kept a saloon on Croghan street, 
Fremont, where the A'<"i'i- office is located. 
In the meantime he bought lot 1018, on 
Hayes avenue, which he improved as a 
place of residence. Later he kept a sa- 
loon, two years, on the corner of Garrison 
and Front streets. His second wife died 
October 2, 1884, and on December 26, 1888, 
he married Miss Ida May Hawk, daugh- 
ter of Joseph Hawk, a pioneer of Green 
Creek township. His children by his first 
wife were Alice and John, those by the 
second wife being Norman C, Eugene H., 
and William D. ; those by his third wife 
being Harry Allen and Olive May. 

Mr. Sherwood has held various local 
offices. He has been sanitary policeman, 
health officer, street commissioner, asses- 
sor, and since he quit keeping saloon has 
been janitor of the Union Club room. He 
is a member of the Masonic Fraternity 
and of Eugene Kawson Post, G. A. R. ; 
in politics a Republican, and in religious 
faith a Universalist. A full account of 
his exploits would fill volumes. Though 
past his three score and ten years his 



76 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



health is good, his mind clear and his 
memory undimmed; results which he at- 
tributes to the fact that he never used 
tobacco in any form, nor intoxicating 
drinks, nor indulged in gambling, nor in 
any social impurity. 

Norman C. Sherwood, treasurer of the 
Trommer Extract of Malt Co., Fremont, 
was born at Fostoria, Ohio, May 17, 

1857, a son of William D. and Frances 
E. (Harris) Sherwood. His childhood 
was spent at Fostoria where he attended 
the village schools, and at the age of eight 
years he came with his parents to Fre- 
mont, where he grew to manhood, mean- 
while attending the city schools. At the 
age of twenty he took a position as book- 
keeper in the above named company, and 
has remained with them, serving in vari- 
ous relations, for a period of more than 
eighteen years, and becoming a stock- 
holder in the same. Being possessed of 
a genial and social nature, he is popular 
in the various social circles of Fremont. 
He has served as chorister of the M. E. 
Church for a number of years very ac- 
ceptably; is a member of the Masonic 
Fraternity, and in politics is a Republi- 
can. On April 19, 1882, he married Miss 
Susan Lewis,who was born November 16, 

1858, at Fremont, Ohio, daughter of B. 
W. Lewis. Their children are: Charles 
Lewis, Norman Dickinson, Jeannette and 
Norma, all born in Fremont. 



LEVI WOLFE, a farmer of San- 
dusky township Sandusky county, 
was born April 10, 1836, in Union 
county, Penn., a son of Michael 
and Margaret (Engleman) Wolfe, who 
were of German descent. 

Mr. Wolfe's paternal great-grand- 
father was one of three brothers who 
emigrated from Germany to America, and 
served with Washington in the Revolu- 
tionary war, and later settled in Union 
county, Penn. This great ancestor of 



the Wolfe families, from whom our sub- 
ject is descended, died in Union county, 
Penn. , at the age of eighty years. Amongst 
the first settlers in the Buffalo Valley was 
George Wendell Wolfe, who served as a 
private in Capt. Clark's company. Col. 
Patton's regiment, in the Revolutionary 
war, in 1776. He had seven sons: Mich- 
ael, Peter, John (surnamed the strong), 
Jacob, Christian, Leonard and Andrew. 

Michael Wolfe, the eldest, and grand- 
father of our subject, was a man of large 
stature and robust health, as were also 
his father and brothers, who were noted 
for feats of strength. He was a black- 
smith by trade. He married Miss Cath- 
arine Smith, and settled on a farm in 
Union county, Penn., where he died. 
Their children were: George, Margaret, 
Mar3', Elizabeth, Abraham, Julia, John, 
Michael (Jr.), and Catharine, of whom 
all except John became heads of families, 
and only three are now living — Elizabeth, 
Julia and Catharine, who are widows. 

Michael Wolfe (Jr.), father of our sub- 
ject, was born August 6, 1809, in Union 
county, Penn., and on January 31, 1833, 
married Miss Margaret Engleman, who 
was born August 17, 1812, in Union 
county, Penn. She was the daughter of 
Solomon and Anna M. (Bruner) Engle- 
man, the former of whom was born Octo- 
ber 2, 1753, in Maryland, the latter on 
December i, 1753, in Lehigh county, 
Penn. They died in Union county, Penn. 
Their children were: Elizabeth, David, 
Amelia, Jonathan, John, Margaret, Rachel 
and Tobias, all of whom became heads 
of families except Jonathan. Of these, 
only Margaret, mother of our subject, is 
now living. In 1843 Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe 
came to Ohio, moving from Pennsylvania 
in a one-horse and a two-horse wagon, 
and located on a farm two miles west of 
Fremont, on Muskallonge creek, in San- 
dusky township. Michael Wolfe had 
twice previously walked and staged the 
distance, a journey of more than four 
hundred miles through the forests. 



COMMEMORATIVE DIOOIiAPnWAI. l;i:roiiD. 



11 



The recortl of the children of Mich- 
ael and Margaret Wolfe is as follows: 
Two sons, one born June 2, 1834, and 
another March 28, 1835, died in infancy. 
Levi, born April 10, 1836, is mentioned 
farther on. Solomon Wolfe, born Feb- 
ruary 8, 1838, was married January 16, 
1862, to Mahala Bowlus, who was born, 
April 21, 1839, and they had five chil- 
dren — George W. (who was killed by a 
traction engine when a young man), 
Kosa, Catharine, Jessiah and Howard; 
they live in Seneca county, Ohio, where 
Solomon Wolfe is a farmer and grain 
thresher; he is a I^epublican in politics, 
and a member of the M. P. Church. 
Jessiah Wolfe, born February' 17, 1840, 
was married May 9, 1867, to Elizabeth 
Loose; they had three children — one that 
died in infancy, and Clarence and Monroe; 
they live at Lindsey, Ohio, where Jes- 
siah is engaged in the grain, produce and 
live-stock business. Andrew J. Wolfe, 
born July 19, 1842, married Jemima 
Stults, February 16, 1865 (he is men- 
tioned farther on). One son, born June 
6, 1844, died in infancy. Jane Ellen, 
born May 27, 1845, was married in July, 
1879, to A. D. Hook, of Fremont, Ohio, 
proprietor of a shirt factory; they have 
no children. Catharine Ann, born No- 
vember 29, 1847, was married February 
16, 1 87 1, to William L. Baker, of the 
firm of Engler & Baker, grain and pro- 
duce dealers, of Fremont; they have two 
children — Harry M. and Verna L. Mar- 
garet Savilla, born January 25, 1850, 
was married in 1872 to James U. Hensel, 
a farmer west of Fremont; they had five 
children — two living, Nora and Mabel, 
and three deceased. Two other children 
of Michael Wolfe dietl in infancy. In the 
spring of 1865 Michael Wolfe moved 
from his farm on the Muskallonge creek 
to his farm on the Western Reserve and 
N!aumee pike, to enjoy the fruits of his 
labor and economy, where he lived until 
his death, April 15, 1879. He was ever 
a kind and devoted husband, an affection- 



ate father, always looking after the wel- 
fare of his children, and it is said of Mr. 
Wolfe that he never had an enemy. 

Levi Wolfe, our subject, came with 
his parents from Union county, Penn., 
to Sandusky county, Ohio, when seven 
years of age, and grew to manhood on 
his father's farm. He received his early 
education in the country schools, and 
later attended several terms in the Fre- 
mont schools and at Oberlin College. On 
December 17, 1857, he married Chris- 
tiana M. Lantz, who was born July 31, 
1836, in Northumberland county, Penn., 
daughter of John and Elizabeth (Dieffen- 
bach) Lantz, whose other children were 
Mary Ann, Simon, Nicholas, Kosanna, 
John, Henry, Philip, and Emanuel, all 
of whom came to Ohio about the year 
1846, and settled on a farm in Washing- 
ton township, Sandusky county. In May, 
1864, Mr. Wolfe enlisted in the One 
Hundred and Si.xty-ninth Regiment, O. 
\'. I., under Col. Nathaniel E. Haynes, 
in Company H, Capt. Jacob D. Thomas, 
and served four months at P"ort Ethan 
Allen, Virginia, one of the defences of 
Washington City, whun Gen. Early at- 
tempted to take it. Mr. Wolfe was hon- 
orably discharged in September, 1 864, and 
resumed farming in Jackson township. 
A year later he removed to the old home 
farm, which he conducted, and also en- 
gaged in grain threshing. He operated 
one of the first steam-threshing machines 
in the county. In 1883 he abandoned 
farming, moved to Fremont, and sold 
farming implements and machinery. In 
1 884 he went to his mother's farm, to man- 
age and care for her, and continued the 
sale of farm machinery. In 1895 here- 
moved to Fremont, his present residence. 

The children of Levi and Christiana 
Wolfe, which includes two pairs of twins, 
are: (ij Robert Andrew, born October 
31, I S58, who married Miss Jane Druck- 
enmiller, November 6, 1879. and had si.x 
children — Blanche B., Harry and Clyde, 
who are living, and Claude, Daisic E. , 



78 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and James O., deceased. In 1885 the 
family moved upon a prairie farm in 
Edwards county, Kans. (2) Lydia Ce- 
cilia, born February 25, i860, died Feb- 
ruary 17, 1862. (3) Catharine Cadilia, 
born February 25, i860, married Feb- 
ruary 20, 1882, to John J. Stein, whose 
children are — Essie A., Minor W., Mary 
C. , and Matilda W. Mr. Stein is a 
butcher by trade. In 1890 he removed 
with his family to Lewisburg, Penn. , 
where he had formerly resided, and is at 
present engaged with the Quaker City 
Meat & Provision Company, at Sunbury, 
Penn. (4) Emma Rosanna, born April 
28, 1 861, married Elliott T. Fox, Feb- 
ruary 23, 1887, whose children are — Adda 
Corinne, and George Chester. Soon af- 
ter their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Fox 
moved upon a new prairie farm in Ed- 
wards county, Kans. {5) Ellen Helena, 
born July 19, 1862, who, August 10, 1883, 
married David Svvinehart, and whose 
children are — Alva A., and Merrill James. 
Mr. Swinehart lives on his father's farm 
in Washington township. (6) James H., 
born October 31, 1863, married November 
18, 1 89 1, Miss Kate Boyer, of Fremont, 
and has one child, James Robert. J. 
H. Wolfe is assistant secretary of the 
Lehr Agricultural Company, Fremont. 
(7) Chester Edward, born November 28, 
1865, married November 28, 1889, Miss 
Hattie Waggoner, and lives on the Samuel 
Waggoner farm, five miles west of Fre- 
mont. (8) Michael John, born No- 
vember II, 1867, married September 18, 

1889, Miss Minnie Boyer, of, Fremont, 
and has one daughter — Corinne W. ; 
M. J. Wolfe is a butcher in the em- 
ploy of the Quaker City Meat & Pro- 
vision Company, Sunbury, Penn., where 
he resides. (9) Margaret Elizabeth, born 
November 11, 1867, married June 26, 

1890, Calvin Benner, a blacksmith, of 
Fremont, and has two sons — James Levi, 
born March 27, 1891, and Robert Rice, 
born January 18, 1894. (10) AddaSavilla, 
born August 5, 1874, married, Augusts, 



1894, William H. Hensel, a farmer, four 
miles west of Fremont. 

In politics Levi Wolfe is a Republi- 
can, and has held various local offices. 
He has cared kindly for his aged mother 
who has been an almost helpless invalid 
for the last two )'ears, and who has now 
reached the advanced age of eighty-three. 



WASHINGTON GORDON. For 
more than half a century the 
name of Gordon has been closely 
identified with the growth and 
progress of Ottawa county, more particu- 
larly with Salem township. The family 
is of Scotch ancestry on the father's side, 
while the mother is of Yankee parentage. 
The parents and grandparents of our sub- 
ject were natives of Somerset county, 
N. J. The first members of the family 
to settle in Ohio were John and Rachel 
(Smith) Gordon, parents of our subject, 
who removed from Somerset county, N. 
J., in I S3 1, and located in Salem town- 
ship. After residing here for about six 
months, they removed to Harris town- 
ship, where they remained three years, at 
the end of that time returning to Salem 
township, making it their place of abode 
during the remainder of their lives. They 
were honored and respected people, and 
had a large circle of warm friends. The 
father passed away November 7, 1S51, 
preceded to the grave by the mother, who 
departed this life March 3, 1842. 

In every community various pursuits 
are followed which add to the material 
prosperity of the neighborhood, while ad- 
vancing the interests of the individual. 
Among the worthy representatives of the 
commercial class in Ottawa county, there 
is no one more highly respected than 
Washington Gordon, of Salem township, 
a self-made man, who is now a prosperous 
lumber dealer of Oak Harbor. He was 
born in Harris township, Ottawa Co., 
Ohio, January 9, 1834, and since his in- 
fancy has resided in Salem township, 




^'. 



c 



■^ "t t^l I 



C-^l"^ 



COyfJdF.yrORATIVE BWORAPmCAL RECORD. 



79 



being to-day one of its oldest residents. 
His educational advantages in early life 
were of a very limited nature, his boyhood 
having been largely occupied with the 
arduous duties that accompany farming in 
a new region. Not wishing, however, to 
engage in agricultural pursuits through 
his entire business career, he turned his 
attention to the manufacture of lumber, 
and is one of the leaders in this line of in- 
dustry in Ottawa county. 

On July 7, 1857, in Portage town- 
ship, Ottawa county, was celebrated the 
marriage of Mr. Gordon and Miss Mar- 
garet Kymers, who was born in Stark 
county, Ohio. January 25, 1834. daugh- 
ter of Frederick and Catherine (William- 
son i Kymers, who came to Ohio, and 
settled in Ottawa county in 1S41. liy 
this union there were six children: Will- 
iam H., born June 13, 1858, and died 
December 8, i860; Frank, born August 
13, i860, died February 25, 1867; Will- 
iam, born December 15, 1862, now 
prosecuting attorney of Ottawa county 
(on September 12. 1893, he was married 
to Elizabeth Gernhard, who was born 
December 8, 1874. daughter of Conrad 
and Augusta (Wilke) Gernhard. who 
came from Germany); Eva, born Janu- 
ary 31, 1865, married October 11, 1882, 
to William Hleckner, postmaster at Oak 
Harbor (Mr. Bleckner was born Febru- 
ary 14, 1854); Nora, born June 20, 1867, 
wife of H. A. Kilmer, of Oak Harbor; 
and Harry J., born November 7, 1870, 
now a school teacher. 

Mr. Gordon capably served for many 
years as treasurer of Oak Harbor, for 
four years was county treasurer, was jus- 
tice of the peace three years, and was 
a member of the board of education of 
Oak Harbor. In all these positions he 
dis' barged his duties with protnptness an<l 
tiilility. and won the commendation of 
all concerned. Socially, he is connected 
with Oak Harbor Lodge, No. 495, F. & 
A. M., and in his political affiliations he 
is a stanch advocate of Democratic 



principles. The family attend the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Gor- 
don is a man of more than ordinary 
natural ability, and has made good use of 
his opportunities in life. With a gener- 
ous sympathy, kindliness, and a desire to 
live an upright and helpful life, he has 
endeared himself to a large circle of 
friends. He has devoted himself to his 
business — pleasure coming as an after 
consideration — and his success, therefore, 
has been but the consequence of a natural 
law. His prosperity is well merited, and 
his honorable straightforward career has 
earned for him the prominence he now 
enjoys in the community. 



PETER SFIELDENNER. farmer 
and importer of thoroughbred 
horses, Fremont, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born October 25. 1840, in 
1 I^orraine, France, a son of I-'rancis and 
I Elizabeth (Gerber) Spieldenner. The 
j father was a native of the same place, 
and a farmer by occupation. In 1845 he 
emigrated to .America with his family, 
and locating in Washington township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, bought forty acres 
of the forest land, which he cleared up 
for a home. Here he died September 15, 
1 850, aged forty-seven years, four months, 
three days, leaving a wife and five chil- 
dren, viz. : Peter, the subject of this 
1 sketch; Frank, who resides in eastern 
Ohio; Margaret, who married John 
Nomene, and resides in Putnam county, 
Ohio; Elizabeth, who married Peter 
Nomene. and resides in Putnam county, 
Ohio; and John, who lives with his broth- 
er Frank. The mother of this family 
passed away February 28, 1895. at the 
advanced age of eighty years, si.x months, 
three days. 

.After the death of Francis Spielden- 
ner. our subject remained with the family 
to provide and care for them until the 
children were all grown up. on which ac- 
count he was deprived of educational ad- 



80 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



vantages, but he mastered the rudiments 
of English and German by private study 
at home. On May 2, 1865, he was mar- 
ried to Mary Snider, and they have two 
children: Fredolina, who married John 
L. Reineck, of Fremont, Ohio, a mem- 
ber of the firm of Hetrick, Bristol & Co., 
dealers in hardware, and Adolph, unmar- 
ried, who lives with his parents. Two 
children died, Johannah at the age of 
seventeen, and one in infancy. Mrs. 
Spieldenner is the daughter of Martin and 
Mary (Flatz) Snider, and was born No- 
vember 19, 1846, in Tyrol, Austria, being 
educated at Wolfurt, near Bregenz. 
When she was twelve years old her par- 
ents came to America, and the family set- 
tled in Rice township, Sandusky county, 
Ohio. The mother died on the second 
day after reaching Fremont. The chil- 
dren remained at home until their mar- 
riage, and the father is now living at 
Millersville with his son-in-law, F. Fish- 
er. He was born November 11, 1806, 
in Austria, and was alwavs a farmer; his 
wife, born in 1809, died June 25, 1859, and 
was buried in Ludwick Cemetery. There 
were fourteen children in the family, six 
of whom are living, one in California and 
the others in Sandusky county. Mrs. 
Spieldenner's maternal grandmother, May 
Ann Grising, was born in Austria about 
1778. 

After his marriage Peter Spieldenner 
settled on a farm in Ballville township 
and followed agriculture exclusively for 
about six years; then moved to Sandusky 
township, where he bought eighty-five 
acres of land west of Fremont, just out- 
side the corporation, on which he now 
lives. Upon his removal to this place he 
engaged in buying and shipping live stock 
to Eastern markets, chiefly to Buffalo, 
N. Y. , and a few years later he became 
interested in the breeding of horses, be- 
coming an importer of French stallions. 
He went to France about the year 1882, 
and purchased two Percheron stallions, 
which he brought to Fremont. For sev- 



eral years subsequent to this he devoted 
his attention to the breeding of horses, 
and on a second trip to France he im- 
ported six stallions. While abroad in 
Europe he traveled through Scotland, 
England and parts of France, visiting his 
relatives in Paris. During the last thirty 
years Mr. Spieldenner has been well 
known in the vicinity of Fremont as a 
popular auctioneer, being able to speak 
both German and English fluently. He 
is a Democrat in politics, and has served 
as trustee of Sandusky township. He 
and his family are members of St. 
Joseph's Catholic Church of Fremont. 



LAUREL ELMER ROBINSON, 
M. D., a successful and thoroughly 
trained medical practitioner of 
Clyde, Sandusky county, was born 
in Holmes county, Ohio, August 14, 1845, 
son of Basil \V. and Elizabeth (Blair) 
Robinson. 

The father was born at Danville, Ivnox 
county, in 18 18, and now lives at Mt. 
Vernon, Ohio, a successful retired farmer 
and stock dealer. He bought horses and 
sheep extensively, selling them at Chi- 
cago and in other markets. The pater- 
nal grandfather of B. W. Robinson emi- 
grated from Scotland about the middle of 
the last century, and settled near Harris- 
burg, where he was engaged in general 
merchandising. He died possessed of 
considerable property, and his will is now 
in the possession of B. W. Robinson. 
William Robinson, one of the sons of 
this Scotch emigrant, was a member of 
one of the early legislatures of Ohio. 
Solomon Robinson, another son, father of 
B. W., migrated from Pennsylvania to 
Ohio in 1799 or 1800. He had eleven 



children, the eldest of whom was born in 
Ohio in 1801. Solomon Robinson died 
of apoplexy in his eighty-sixth year on 
the farm he had cleared near Mt. \'ernon. 
Only three of his children survive: Dan- 
iel, of Lima; Mrs. Brooks, of Newark; 



COMMBMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



81 



and B. \V. The latter is a Republican 
in politics; and a nionibor nf the Baptist 
Church. His wife, liiizabcth Blair, was 
born in Ashland county. Ohio, in 1821. 
and died in 1S89. Her father was a 
Scotch emigrant; her maternal grand- 
mother was stolen from Ireland by a 
brother, and educated in America. The 
mother of Elizabeth Blair is said to have 
been the first white child born west of the 
Ohio river. When a child, during,' the 
early Indian troubles, she witnessed, 
through a crack in the stockade, the mas- 
sacre of her brother — twenty-one years 
old — and of her sister — two years younjjer 
— both victims of the tomahawks and 
scalping knives of the savages. B. W. 
and Elizabeth Robinson had five chil- 
dren, four of whom lived to maturity, as 
follows: Kovilla, who married John God- 
frey Jones, a Methodist minister, and a 
graduate of Kenyon College, and now re- 
sides near Portsmouth: Laurel Elmer, 
subject of this sketch; W'infteld Scott, a 
physician, who was educated at Mt. Ver- 
non. Ohio, and Philadelphia, Penn.. and 
who died in 1893; R. J., also a physician, 
now deceased; and one child that died in 
infancy. 

Laurel Elmer Robinson was educated 
at Mt. X'ernon. In 1868 he entered the 
U. S. regular army as hospital steward 
for a term of five years, passing a strict 
technical examination before his appoint- 
ment could be made effective. From this 
service Dr. Robinson received great pro- 
fessional benefit. He was stationed in 
Arizona during the Indian troubles of 
1870, and in his professional capacity was 
often under fire from the savages. His 
hat brim was once shot off, ami bullets 
several times pierced his clothing. He 
was under Gen. Crooks comman<l, and 
not infrequently prescribed medicine for 
this unassuming commander, but brilliant 
Indian fighter. Retiring from the army 
service. Dr. Robinson completed a course 
of study at Rush Medical Ctjilege, gradu- 
ating with the class of 1874. He prac- 



ticed two years at Mt. Vernon with his 
brother, R. j., then three years at Re- 
public, Seneca county, and in 1879 set- 
tled permanently at Clyde, where he has 
since built up a large practice. Dr. Rob- 
inson was married at Mt. \'ernon. in 
1876, to Miss Cora B. McElroy. and four 
children have been born to them — How- 
ard, Lester, Carl and Russell; the latter 
died in June, 1894, aged two years and 
si.\ months. Dr. Robinson is a member 
of the Sandusky County Medical Society, 
and in politics he is a Republican. 



SB. TAYLOR. M. D., physician 
.ind surgeon, Fremont, Sandusky 
county, has been engaged in the 
practice of medicine for thirty 
years. He was born at Lower Sandusky. 
Ohio, March 19, 1844. son of Austin B. 
and Delia A. (Pettibone) Taylor. His 
father was born in Newfane, \'t., in 1814, 
and at the age of twenty-four came to 
Lower Sandusky, Ohio, to clerk for Sardis 
Birchard, of the firm of Birchard, Dick- 
inson & Grant, whom he afterward suc- 
ceeded in business, and was one of the 
pioneer merchants of the village. He 
died February 22, 1863. Dr. Taylor's 
mother was born in Granby. Conn., in 
1822. daughter of Hon. Hiram Pettibone. 
a native of Connecticut, who in 1S36 
came to Lower Sandusky, and was one 
of its first attorneys. He died at Fond 
du Lac, Wis., in 1886; his wife died at 
Fremont in 1854. Mrs. Taylor died in 
1888. at Fremont, Ohio. 

The children of Austin B. and Delia 
A. Taylor were: Mary, who died in 1857. 
at the age of fourteen; Sardis B. , our 
subject; Charles, who died in Dunlap. 
Iowa, in 1891; George, who died in At- 
tica. Harper Co.. Kans.. in 1891; Oscar 
W.. who died in Dunlap, Iowa, in 1891; 
Austin B., who resides at Dunlap, Iowa; 
and Delia, who is a teacher of German 
I in the Fremont public schools (Miss 



82 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



Taylor is a graduate of Wells College, 
N. Y.). 

Dr. S. B. Taylor was reared in Fre- 
mont, there receiving his primary educa- 
tion in the public schools, and subse- 
quently passed through the Preparatory 
Department of Western Reserve College, 
at Hudson, Ohio. He then commenced 
the study of medicine at Cleveland, Ohio, 
under Dr. S. R. Beckwith, and later en- 
tered Cleveland Medical Institute, from 
which he graduated with the class of 
1864. He afterward attended Starling 
Medical College, Columbus, Ohio, from 
which he graduated with the class of 
1872. He began the practice of his pro- 
fession in 1864, in the capacity of assist- 
ant-surgeon of the One Hundred and 
Sixty-ninth Regiment, O. V. I., at Fort 
Ethan Allen, Va., and since that time he 
has been in constant practice at Fremont, 
Ohio. He was physician at the County 
Infirmary from 1868 to 1872, and he is 
now president of the Sandusky County 
Soldiers' Relief Commission, and a mem- 
ber of the Sandusky County Medical 
Society, of which he was the first libra- 
rian. Dr. Taylor is a member of Dick- 
inson Tent No. 21, K. O. T. M., of 
which he has been physician, and a mem- 
ber of Eugene Rawson Post No. 32, 
G. A. R. , numbering 170 members, of 
which he has been surgeon for twelve 
years. He was aide-de-camp to the G. 
A. R. for Sandusky county in 1890. He 
is a Democrat in politics. Dr. Taylor is 
a lineal descendant, great-grandson, of 
Brig. -Gen. Chauncey Pettibone, who 
served in the Revolutionary war. 



JOSEPH L. RAWSON. Few fam- 
ilies have honored the memory of 
an illustrious line of English ancestry 
more than has the Rawson family in 
Sandusky county, Ohio. Depending 
whoU}' upon their own exertions, each has 
left the impress of his life and character 
upon the history of the community in 



which he lived and labored. As an honored 
representative of the Rawsons we present 
the one whose name opens this article. 

Joseph L. Rawson, surveyor, was 
born in Fremont, Ohio, in 1835, a son of 
Dr. L. Q. and Sophia (Beaugrand) Raw- 
son, the former of English and the lat- 
ter of French descent. Dr. Rawson was 
a native of Irving, Franklin Co., Mass., 
born September 4, 1804, a son of Lemuel 
Rawson, who was also a native of Massa- 
chusetts, born January 18, 1767. Lemuel 
Rawson was a tanner by trade until 1812, 
after which he was a farmer; he was mar- 
ried on September 8, 1 791, to Miss Sarah 
Barrus, and after farming successively at 
Orange, New Salem and Irving Grant, 
Mass., until 1836, came to Bath, Summit 
Co., Ohio, where he remained until Sep- 
tember 20, 1844, when his wife died, and 
he then removed to Lower Sandusky. 
Their children were: Sallie Rawson, 
who was first married to Capt. Jesse 
Thompson, and after his death to Mr. B. 
Hubbard, who settled in Putnam county, 
Ohio; she died October 15, 1853. Lemuel, 
born December 14, 1793, died October 6, 
1866; he settled on the Rawson farm, in 
South Orange, Mass. Secretary Rawson, 
who practiced medicine in Summit county, 
Ohio, forty-two years, after which he 
went to DesMoines, Iowa, where he died 
in 1 89 1, aged ninet3'-five years; he was a 
member of the Presbyterian Church. 
Elizabeth, twin of Secretary, died when 
two years old. Abel Rawson, an attorney 
at law of Tiffin, Ohio, died in 1871. Bass 
Rawson, who was a hatter b}' trade, and 
later a physician and surgeon of Findlay, 
Hancock Co., Ohio; he died in 1891, 
aged ninety-two j'ears. Hannah Rawson, 
wife of John Galbraith, of Seneca county, 
Ohio; she died in September, 1867. L. 
Q., father of our subject. Alonzo Raw- 
son, who published a weekly paper at 
Athol, Mass. , called the Freedom Sentinel, 
until 1833, when he cametoTifiin, Ohio, 
and published the Independent Chronicle 
two j'ears; after this he engaged for a 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



88 



time ill mercantile pursuits, and then 
studied and practiced medicine; he died at 
Colton, Ohio, November 25, 1864, aged 
fifty-eight years. 

Dr. L. y. Rawson was reared and 
educated in Massachusetts, and in 1824 
attended a medical college at Cincinnati, 
Ohio. He began the practice of medi- 
cine in 1825, in Wyandot county, and in 
1826 came to Lower Sandusky, whence 
after a brief stay he then went east and en- 
tered the Medical College of the Uni- 
versity of Pennsylvania, where he finished 
his education and received the degree of 
M. D. ; he returned to Sandusky county, 
and continued in the practice of his pro- 
fession until 1855. He held various of- 
fices of honor and trust in hiscoiimiunity, 
for a time serving as clerk of courts, and 
also as clerk of the supreme court from 
1836 to 1851. From 1853 he devoted 
part of his time to the building of the 
Lake Erie & Western railroad, of which 
he was president several years. The 
town of Kawson was named after him, 
as was also Kawson avenue, Fremont. 
He was considered a man of good finan- 
cial ability and force of character. On July 
8, 1829, Dr. Kawson was married to 
Miss Sophia Beaugrand, at Lower San- 
dusky (now Fremont), Ohio, who was 
born October 20, 1810. a daughter of 
John 11 Beaugrand, one of the early 
pioneers of the lilack Swamp, who was 
a merchant at Maumee from 1 802 to 1812. 
He had married in 1802, at Detroit, 
Mich., Miss Margaret Chabert, daughter 
of Col. Chabert de Joucaire. of the 
French army. Dr. L. Q. Kawson died at 
Fremont, in September, 1888, and his 
wife in May. 1882. Their children were: 
Milton E., a physician, who graduated 
from Cleveland Medical College, practiced 
medicine in Grand Haven and Muskegon, 
Mich., and at Fremont, Ohio; Xavier J., 
who died in infancy; Joseph L. , whose 
name opens this sketch; Josephine, who 
died in childhood; Ko.xine H., born in 
1838, and died in 1846; Eugene A., born 



March 14, 1840, a soldier of the Civil 
war, who died July 22, 1864, and after 
whom a G. A. R. Post is named (he 
enlisted in the Twelfth New York In- 
fantry, was transferred in December, 
1861, to the Seventy-second Regiment, 
O. V. I., with the rank of adjutant, and 
soon afterward received the rank of major 
which he held up to the time of his 
death. He participated in the battles of 
Shiloh, first liuU Run, siege of Corinth, 
V'icksburg, and other engagements of less 
note. During a skirmish near Guntown, 
Miss., July 15, 1864, he received a wound 
which resulted in his death a week later, 
at Memphis, Tenn.); and EstelleS., born 
March 2, 1849, wife of L. .\. Russell, of 
Cleveland, Ohio. 

Joseph L. Rawson was reared and 
educated in Fremont, and occasionally 
performed farm labor. He took up civil 
engineering, which he followed for a time, 
and for about ten years also had charge 
of a grain elevator at the docks in Fre- 
mont. In September, 1859, he married 
Miss Margaret A. Gelpin, of Fremont, 
Ohio, whose parents were Lyman and 
Martha (Stevenson) Gelpin, the former 
from New York State, the latter from 
Maryland, both having come to the 
Western Reserve at an early day, where 
they died. To our subject and wife Avere 
born three children: Sophia E., born 
July 4, i860, wife of Theodore Harris, a 
merchant of Tecumseh, Mich., who has 
one child, Jennie May; Jennie A., born 
February 7, 1863, wife of Dr. O. H. 
Thomas, of Fremont, Ohio, and La 
yuinio G., born October 28, 187 1, an 
attorney at law of Cleveland, Ohio, who 
read law with James H. Fowler, Fre- 
mont, attended the Cincinnati Law 
School, from which he graduated, stand- 
ing fifth in a class of ninety-seven, and 
was admitted to the bar in 1891. 

Our subject is a Republican in 
politics; his family are members of the 
St. Pauls Episcopal Church. The Raw- 
son family is of English ancestry, being 



84 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



descended from Edward Rawson, who 
came to the Colony of Massachusetts, in 
1636-37, and settled at Newbury, Mass. 
Some of the family line were ministers, 
some sea captains, and others physicians. 
The family have a coat of arms traced 
back to England, and a well-written 
book of family genealogy. 



IVl 



AJOR EUGENE ALLEN 
RAWSON. Prominent among 
the patriotic and brave young 
men of Sandusky county, who 
voluntarily sacrificed their lives on the 
altar of their country during the Civil war, 
1861-65, was he whose name introduces 
this article. 

^^'hile a student at Homer, N. Y., and 
just about finishing his academic course 
preparatory to entering Yale College, he 
promptly responded to Abraham Lincoln's 
first call for volunteers by enlisting in the 
Twelfth New York Regiment. In the 
capacity of private he took a noble part 
in the battle of Bull Run, evincing great 
coolness and bravery. In December, 
1 86 1, he was appointed adjutant of the 
Seventy-second Reginent O. V. I., by the 
governor of Ohio, and was accordingly 
transferred to it by the War Department. 
He left Fremont with the regiment in 
January, 1862, when it moved to Camp 
Chase, preparatory to going to its final 
destination — Paducah and the Southwest. 
He shared its perils after it joined the 
army of the Tennessee, and moved down 
the Mississippi to Pittsburg Landing. 
Many boys of the regiment were sick with 
the diseases peculiar to that Southern 
climate, and Mr. Rawson's natural buoy- 
ancy of spirit and cheerful sprightly man- 
ner did no little to drive away despond- 
ency. A few incidents will give an idea 
of his bravery. On Frida}' preceding the 
battle of Shiloh, at the head of Company 
B, Adjutant Rawson, with forty men, 
having only a fallen tree for their breast- 
work, kept six hundred Rebel cavalry in 



check for several hours, until relieved by 
the timely arrival of Col. Buckland. 
When the battle opened on Sunday 
morning, April 6th, and the Rebels came 
like an avalanche upon the unsuspecting 
Union troops, Buckland's brigade re- 
sponded to the beat of the "long roll" 
with such alacrity that they stood in the 
very front of Sherman's Division, ready 
for action, before the enemy had gained 
rifle distance of their position. Col. R. 
P. Buckland being in command of the 
brigade, the command of the regiment 
devolved upon Lieut. -Col. Canfield, and 
as Major Crockett, the only other field 
officer of the regiment had been taken 
prisoner two days previous. Adjutant 
Rawson, by common consent assumed 
the duties of major for the occasion. At 
the first or second fire, Lieut. -Col. Can- 
field fell mortally wounded, and Adjutant 
Rawson alone remained to command the 
regiment, and cheer the boys who stood 
steadfast amid the storm of leaden hail 
that mowed through their ranks, until 
Col. Buckland, seeing their extremity, 
came to their relief. The horse of Adj. 
Rawson was shot from under him, and 
another that had been sent for him was 
captured before it reached him, but he 
performed his duties promptly and effi- 
ciently on foot. He distinguished himself 
later in the three-days' fight at Pittsburg 
Landing, at the siege of Corinth, in the 
pursuit of Forrest through Tennessee, in 
the marches, skirmishes and battles from 
Memphis to Vicksburg, in the pursuit of 
Johnson, under Sherman, to Jackson, in 
the return to Memphis, and in the expe- 
dition into Mississippi. 

After the Seventy-second had re-en- 
listed as veterans, and after the main body 
composing Sherman's expedition had 
moved southward, a small force of about 
1,600 men was sent out on the venture- 
some expedition of making a feint into the 
enemy's country, where they were hold- 
ing a position on the bank of the Talla- 
hatchie to intercept and defeat the cross- 



COMVEMORATTVB BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



86 



ing of reinforcements moving to the sup- 
port of Sherman. Of this small force, 
theScventy-second regiment, under Lieut. - 
Col. Eaton and Maj. Kawson formed a 
part. Tlie latter officer had been pro- 
moted by common consent to the rank of 
major, and performed his part of the un- 
dertaking with rare good judgment and 
intrepidity. From the badly managed 
expedition of which the Seventy-second 
regiment ft)rmed a part, which was sent 
out from Nfemphis under Gen. Sturgis, 
and which ended so sadly at Guntown and 
Kipley, in .Mississippi. Maj. Rawson 
reached Memphis with such of the officers ' 
and men as were saved from the general 
disaster; marching over eighty miles with- 
out food or rest, in less than forty-eight 
hours. The Seventy-second regiment 
acted as a rearguard to the fleeing troops, 
and valiantly beat back the pursuing foe 
until out of animunition and having their 
supplv train destroyed by the Kebels, 
when they were at last forced to make 
good their escape by flight after 250 of 
their men had been captured. Scarcely 
rested from this scene of suffering, the 
Seventy-second regiment, imder Maj. 
Kawson, started again, under. Gen. A. J. 
Smith, to encounter the same foe. Com- 
ing up to the enemy at Tupelo, Miss., 
Maj. Kawson was mortally woundeil at 
Old Town Creek, while gallantly leading 
a charge against the Kebel lines. He 
was borne from the field and conveyed 
back to Memphis, where he died July 22, 
1864, aged twenty-four years. His re- 
mains were embalmed and sent home to 
Fremont, Ohio, where with appropriate 
ceremonies they were interred in Oak 
Wood Cemetery. Kcsolutions of respect 
were adopted by the remaining officers of 
the regiment, and forwarded for publica- 
tion to the Press of Sandusky county. 
In the year 1881, the first organization of 
the Grand Army of the Republic, at I're- 
mont, was named after Maj. Eugene Al- 
len Kawson. and among its charter mem- 
bers were Gen. K. P. Huckland and Gen. 



R. B. Hayes, the latter of whom donated 
the use of Hirchard Hall to the Post. free, 
as long as they shall maintain their organi- 
zation. 

Major Rawson was the son of Dr. La 
Quinio and Sophia (I^eaugrand) Rawson, 
and was born at Fremont, Ohio, March 
14. 1S40. While absent from his regi- 
ment on furlough. August 31. 1863, he 
married Miss Jennie Snyder, an amiable 
and accomplished lady of Cortland. New 
York. 



JD. BEMIS, M. D., is a native of 
Ohio, born in Elyria, March 14. 
1858, a son of Eri and Lydia A. 
fGriswold) Bemis, the former of 
whom was a well-to-do farmer of I^orain 
count}' until the breaking out of the Civil 
war. At that time, tired with the spirit 
of patriotism, he gave his services to the 
government, for the preservation of the 
Union, by enlisting, in .\ugust, 1862, in 
Company E, First Ohio Light Artillery 
(Edgerton's Batteryi, in which he bravely 
served until he died at Nashville, Tenn., 
July 13, 1863; his remains were sent 
home to Elyria for burial. The mother 
of our subject also died in comparatively 
early life, leaving four children, namely: 
Charles, who lives in Elyria, Ohio; H. 
E., in California; Dr. J. D. ; and Clara, 
now the wife of C. W. Benton, of Elyria, 
Ohio. 

The subject of these lines after the 
death of his parents was placed in care 
of his uncle. Dr. Griswold, of Elyria, 
Lorain county, and attended the schools 
of that city until he was about nine years 
of age, when he was received into the Sol- 
diers and Sailors Orphans himie. at 
Xenia. Ohio (of which institution his 
uncle had just been appointed superin- 
tendent . remaining there until he was 
thirteen years old. This brings us now 
to 1871. at which time our subject re- 
ceived, at the hands of Lieut. -Gov. J. C. 
Lee. the appointment of bill-room mes- 



86 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGBAPHICAL RECORD. 



senger for the Ohio Senate, in which ca- 
pacity he served two years. During the 
State Constitutional Convention, 1873-74, 
he was appointed page, and later he filled 
the office of assistant sergeant-at-arms, 
under appointment from M. R. Waite, 
president of the convention, and after- 
ward chief justice of the United States. 
In 1874-75 Dr. Bemis attended Baldwin 
University, and from there returned to 
Elyria, where he pursued the stud}' of 
medicine in the office of Dr. Perry, having 
previously studied at intervals with the 
aid of his uncle's medical library. From 
Dr. Perry's office he went, in 1876, to 
the Eclectic Medical Institute, Cincin- 
nati (Ohio), graduating thereat in 1879, 
and then came to Fremont, where he at 
once commenced the practice of his 
chosen profession, and, as a hard student 
of advanced ideas in both medicine and 
surgery, has placed himself in the fore- 
most rank of skilled practitioners in the 
county. 

In 1892 the Doctor was elected health 
officer for the city of Fremont, and is at 
present filling the incumbency with his 
proverbial skill and efficiencj', the quality 
of which is well evidenced by the present 
high sanitary condition of the city. In 
1892 he was appointed a member of the 
United States Board of Pension Examin- 
ing Surgeons, and has been its secretary 
since 189^. 



WILLIAM A. CLEMONS, famil- 
iarly known as "Judge dem- 
ons," one of the most prominent 
citizens of Ottawa county, was 
born in Erie county, Ohio, December 15, 
1 829, and is a son of Alexander and Ange- 
line (Hollister) demons, the former a 
native of Maine, the latter of Connecticut. 
They were of Scotch ancestry on the ma- 
ternal side, but the demons family, as far 
as known, originated on the Isle of Guern- 
sey, where two little boys, Isaac and 
» John demons, were stolen while on their 



way to school, and brought to America, 
locating at Salem, Mass., in the early 
part of the eighteenth century. 

Our subject is descended from Isaac, 
who afterward located in the State of 
Maine, and became the father of two 
sons — Edward and John. The former 
had four sons — Jock, Samuel, Jabez, and 
Frank — and these four brothers removed 
to Madison, N. Y., in 1795. The first 
named became the father of three sons 
and two daughters. Samuel had one son 
and two dughters; Jabez, two sons and 
three daughters; Frank had three daugh- 
ters. Jabez became the father of David 
demons, the father of the celebrated 
humorist, who is best known to the world 
as Mark Twain. John, the brother of Ed- 
ward, had three sons and three daughters, 
namely: John, Jonathan, Eli, Ruth, 
Hannah and Eunice. John wedded Mary 
McLellan, of Gorham, Maine, and their 
children were — Cary, Andrew, Alexander, 
John, Eunice, Ai, Elijah, Nancy, Samuel 
and William. Ruth, a sister of the father 
of this family, became the wife of Col. 
Charles Wadsworth, son of Gen. Peleg 
Wadsworth, of Revolutionary fame, and 
the brother of the mother of Henry 
Wadsworth Longfellow. Hannah mar- 
ried William Cotton. The mother of 
John demons, and the great-grandmother 
of our subject, was Abigail Wetherbee, 
who lived to be one hundred and four 
years old, and left one hundred and sixty- 
four descendants. 

Alexander demons, father of our sub- 
ject, was born in Hiram, Maine, February 
II, 1 794, and was a cabinet maker by 
trade, but after locating in Ottawa county 
engaged in stone quarrying. He was one 
of the best known and most prominent 
men of his day. He was married February 
1 1, 1824, to Almira Angeline Hollister, who 
was born in Glastonburg, Conn., April 5, 
1806. Their children were: Winslow, 
born in Sandusky, Ohio, December 29, 
1824; Milo, born April 6, 1S27, and died 
March 6, 1 888 ;William Alexander;Phineas 





nui lA 



OOXMEilORATIVB BWORAPHWAL RECORD. 



87 



Harrison, born February i6, 1832; Sarah, 
born March 4, 1834; Frances, born April 
6, 1836; Myron Ehjah, born l-'ebruary 
25, 183S; Albert Alonzo, born April 9, 
1840; Lucian Monroe, born November 
28, 1S41; Lester Newton, who was born 
in 1843, and died March 5, 1S46; Lucia 
Louise, who .was born in December, 
1844, and died November 20, 1849; Hub- 
bard Mortimer, born March 27, 184S; Ai 
Jay. born June 17, 1S50; Eunice, who 
died March 6. 1888; and one son who 
died in infancy. 

When our subject was three years old 
he was brought by his parents to Dan- 
bury township, Ottawa county, and he is 
to-day an honored pioneer whose resi- 
dence covers a period of sixty-three years. 
His father passed away March 12, 
1 886. his mother on March 24, 1861. 
William obtained a limited education in 
the district schools, and then worked in 
his fathers quarry, after which he en- 
gaged in business for several years with 
his brothers, but later was associated with 
no partner. Since 1891 he has lived re- 
tired, enjoying a rest which he truly 
earned and well deserves. 

Mr. demons was married at Marble- 
head Lighthouse, January i, 1856, to 
Alvira V'.. daughter of J. B. and Arvilla 
( Knappj Keyes. the former a native of 
New York, the latter of \'ermont. Her 
father was born May 8, 181 5, was a sea- 
faring man, and for several years light- 
house keeper, at Marblec ead. He was 
niarried December 24, 834, to Mrs. 
Arvilla Wolcott. who wjjJborn Septem- 
ber 21, 1810, and February 21. 1830, 
married W'illiam B. Wolcott. In her 
family were i-ight children: Harrison W. 
born February 21, 1S31; Mary F., born 
December 20, 1832, and Arvilla A., born 
April 21. 1835, all three now deceased; 
Alvira V., born September 17, 1837; 
Charles M.. born October 28, 1840, now 
living in Sandusky City; Thomas J., born 
December 28, 1842, is at Berlin Heights. 
Ohio; Jane Ellen, born March 21, 1845, 



• died in infancy, and Jennie V. , born Sep- 
ten)ber 5, 1846, now the widow of Hor- 
ace Fond, of Elyria. The father died 

I July 20, 1891, the mother on June 8, 
1892. 

Our subject and his wife have had 
twelve children, as follows: Ada \'. , born 
February 16, 1857, now the wife of 
Richard Coorty, a prominent merchant 
of Marblehead; Arvilla C, born March 
I, i860, and died December 3, 1869; 

I Cora A., born April 19, 1862; Sarah E., 

i born July 12, 1864; James A., born 
August 29, 1866, a merchant of Marble- 
head; Charles B. , born August 22, 1868, 
now a member of the crew of the Mar- 
blehead life-saving station; Francis J., of 
Marblehead, born April 12, 1870; Harry 
R., born November 12, 1S72; Clarence 
M., and Clement M., born June 17, 1874, 
and died in infancy; Walter L. , born 
July 26, 1876: and Erie May, born Feb- 
ruary 21, 1879 

In his political views, Mr. Clemons is 
a Republican. His business enterprises 
have been generally successful, and by in- 
dustry, integrity and perseverance he has 
accumulated a snug fortune, ami to-day 
is in a position to enjoy the rest which he 
has so well earned. He has lived in Mar- 
blehead for sixty-three years, and has ap- 
plied himself to business pursuits unfalter- 
ingly, never failing to discharge his pe- 
cuniary obligations, and his business rec- 
ord is without a blemish. Most of the 
pioneers of the county have passed to 
their long homes, yet they were men of 
sterling integrity who left the impress of 
their individuality upon the community 
with which they were identified. The 
log cabins of the early ^ 'ttlers, in which 
all received a hearty wccr«me, have dis- 
appeared, and in their place stand hand- 
some and imposing res' <ences. Where 
once there was not! inp^j'ut a dense forest 
there are now wiH. cultivated farms and 
fruit orchards, and most of this change 
has taken place within the memory of 
Mr. Clemons. The good old pioneer days 



88 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL liECORB. 



have passed, but he well remembers the 
generosity and helpfulness which charac- 
terized the early settlers. He was fav- 
ored with but few advantages in his youth, 
yet he made the most of his opportuni- 
ties, and is known as a straightforward 
business man, a public-spirited and pro- 
gressive citizen, an affectionate husband 
and kind father, and a trusted friend and 
neighbor whose example is well worthy of 
emulation. 



ELIJAH CULBERT, who has been 
a resident of Sandusky township, 
Sandusky county, for the past 
several years, is a native of Ire- 
land, born August 9, 1821, in the city of 
Belfast, County Antrim. 

William Culbert, grandfather of our 
subject, was born in County Donegal, 
Ireland, and was there married to Sophia 
Greer, of the same nativity, by whom he 
had four children, as follows: David (our 
subject's father); Sophia, who married 
Hugh Patton, and died in Belfast; Mary, 
who married William Ross (they both also 
passed away in Belfast); and Andrew, 
who was drowned about the year 1830 at 
Belfast. The parents both died i.; that 
city. The family are of Scotch descent, 
the father of William Culbert having 
migrated from Scotland to the North of 
Ireland. 

David Culbert, eldest son of William 
and Sophia (Greer) Culbert, and father of 
Elijah, was born in County Donegal, Ire- 
land, removing to Belfast with his father's 
family. He was a wholesale and retail 
merchant in glass, oils and colors. In his 
native land he married Eleanor Patton, 
who was born in Newtownards, County 
Down, Ireland, and a record of the chil- 
dren of this uni'^n is as follows: David, 
born January, t-^-\'J, died July, 1888, at 
Southampton, Cour/,- . of Bruce, Upper 
Canada (now Province of Ontario) ; Will- 
iam, born October 23, 1819, died in 
Toronto, Canada, July 16, 1893; Elijah, 



who is the subject proper of this sketch, 
comes next; Mary, born in 1823, died in 
Belfast, Ireland, in 1828; Sophia, born 
in 1825, was married in 1857 to John 
Moore, and died in Lindsay, Canada, in 
1877; Thomas, born August 12, 1828, 
died December 20, 1877, at Cape Croker. 
County of Bruce, Upper Canada (now 
Province of Ontario); Isaac Cookson, 
born in 1830, died in Lindsay, Canada, 
November, 1856; Mary Amelia, born 
January 19, 1834, in Lindsay, Canada, 
died September 12, 1855, in Toronto, 
Canada. All the others were in the city 
of Belfast, Ireland, and on April 26, 1833, 
the family set sail for the New World, 
Little York, Upper Canada (now the city 
of Toronto, Ontario), being their destina- 
tion. From there, after a brief sojourn, 
they moved to Lindsay, County of 'Vic- 
toria, where the mother died May 6, 
1853, the father on Good Friday, 1856. 
He was a man of mark in his day, and 
while a resident of Lindsay held four 
commissions under the Canadian govern- 
ment, to wit: commissioner of the Court 
of Queen's Bench; commissioner of the 
Court of Requests; justice of the peace 
(under commission from the Governor 
General of Canada); and postmaster at 
Lindsay, holding all the offices up to the 
time of his death. 

Elijah Culbert, of whom this memoir 
more particularly relates, was a lad of 
twelve summers when he accompanied 
the rest of his Hther's family across the 
ocean. On A, ril 30, 1846, he was mar- 
ried at Port H 5e, Canada, to Miss Eliza 
Day, Rev. Joan Genley officiating; in 
1848 he moved to Lindsay, where he re- 
sided nine years, and then left Canada 
for the United States, making his first 
home under the Stars and Stripes at East 
Hamburg, Erie Co. , N. Y. From there 
he, in 1859, removed to Fremont, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, where he engaged in 
the nursery business for a short time, or 
until his enlistment in the Union army 
during the Civil war, an account of which 



VOMMEMORATiVB BIOORAPUICAL HECORD. 



S« 



will presently be given. Since his dis- 
charge from the army in June, 1865, he 
has been enfjaf^ecl more or less in af;ricul- 
tural pursuits. 

To Elijah and Eliza (Day) Culbert 
were born ten children, as follows: (i) 
Eleanor Jane, born in Toronto, Canada, 
March 2. 1S47, died in Lindsay, Canada, 
September 2, 1848. (2) Sophia Eliza- 
beth, born in Lindsay, Canada, January 

21, 1S49. graduated from the Fremont 
rOhio) public schools, and is a teacher in 
the Fremont Grammar Schools of twenty- 
five years' standing. (3) Thomas Andrew, 
born in Lindsay, Canada, July 5, 1851, 
died at the same place, March 7, 1853. 
(4) Samuel James, born in Lindsay. July 

22, 1853, married Margaret Conly, and 
has three children — Gracie. Walter, and 
one whose name is not given fhe lives in 
Michigan. (5) John Patton, also born in 
Lindsay. Canada, September 1, 1855, 
died in Ballville township, Sandusky Co. , 
Ohio, November 13, 1893; he married 
Lena Cook, and has six children — Jessie, 
Eva, George \V., Wilbur. Susan and 
Lula. (6) Letitia Emily, born in Lind- 
say. Canada, September 2, 1857, was 
married, in 1880, to John Nickles, by 
whom she had the following children — 
Lottie, Maud, Lucy E., Helen S. , .Addie 
E.. Walter W., and Kuth. the last named 
dying Augiu^t 11. 1894. (7) Charles 
Henry, born in Ballville township, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, December 24. 1859. 
and died unmarried. December 10. 1889, 
in Sandusky township. (8) Albert Ed- 
ward, born in Ballville-^township, San- 
dusky Co. . Ohio, March 27, rS62, married 
Mary Rose, and has three children — 
Chester, Stella and Ralph P. (9) Mary 
Eleanor, born in Ballville township. San- 
dusky Co. , Ohio, January 15. 1866, and 
is still living at home, single. (lo^ Edgar 
Augustus, born in Sandusky township. 
Sandusky Co.. Ohio. June 25. 1868. 

War record of Elijah Culbert is as 
follows, from his own graphic pen; "On 
September 7. 1 863. I enli.sted at Fre- 



mont, Ohio, in Company \, Twelfth O. 
V. C. for three years or during the war. 
My regiment belonged to the Fourth Cav- 
alry Brigade, Twenty-third Corps, Army of 
the Cumberland. I participated in three 
battles, the first being at Mt. Sterling, 
Ky. . when we encountered Gen. John 
Morgan, Gen. Marmaduke and others. The 
engagement commenced in the early morn- 
ing of Thursday, June 9, 1864, and con- 
tinued until 9 A. M. ; at 10 A. M. Morgan 
was reinforced and the fight was renewed, 
lasting till 3 I'. M.. Morgan being defeated 
in both engagements, and terribly used 
up. On the Ticktown pike his dead lay 
like ranks of cordwood, presenting a hor- 
rible sight such as I wish never to set eyes 
on again. At 3:30 i-. m. the Rebels start- 
ed for Lexington, Ky., twenty-six miles 
from Mt. Sterling, and there plundered 
the stores and banks, besides looting the 
government corrals of the best horses 
and mules they could lay their hands on, 
destroying the remainder. Our divisiort 
lay at Mt. Sterling that afternoon and 
night, on the following morning proceed- 
ing to Lexington. Morgan's rear guard 
leaving that city just as our advance 
guard was entering it. At this time we 
wep.' under Gen. Burbridge, who for some 
re'-3on halted our division on the main 
street, keeping the men standing at their 
horses heads all day. At night we pur- 
sued the Rebels, and reached Paris about 
sunrise Saturday morning. Jtme 11, where 
we remained all day; the following night 
found us riding to Cynthiana, overtaking 
Morgan on the morning of June 12, with 
whom we had another stubborn tussel. 
again defeating him. This was Morgan's 
last fight, for we slew and took prisoners 
a great number of his inen; most of the 
remainder sought safety in the mountains, 
while Morgan himself and his generals 
fled to Tennessee, where he was after- 
ward betrayed by a woman and killed. 

"My third and last engagement oc- 
curred on Sunday. October 2. 1864. at 
Sallville. \'a.. when we foutrht airaiust 



90 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Gens. Earl}', Breckenridge, Roberts, 
Jackson and others. It looked as if the 
mountains were covered with the Con- 
federate soldiers, so vast was their num- 
ber, at least five to one of us. We ex- 
pected to be reinforced by Gen. Gillam, 
but his corps did not arrive in time; 
however, we kept the enemy at bay all 
day, and at night our division retreated. 
Our officers detailed men to light fires on 
the mountains and the Rebels thought 
they had us all ' bagged, ' but our men 
got safely awa}'. Tfie Eleventh Michi- 
gan Cavalry was rear guard at first, on 
this retreat, and next day fought like 
good fellows, but were unable to check 
the enemy, who were now in full pursuit, 
and Gen. Gillam then ordered the Twelfth 
Ohio Cavalry to act as rear guard. In 
this engagement I, among hundreds of 
others, was taken prisoner, and we were 
at first confined in an old shed at 
Fort Breckenridge, Saltville, six days, 
where we were stripped of our boots and 
clothing, and fed on nothing but a little 
flour once a day. On the night of Octo- 
ber 8. a bitterly cold night, we were 
hustled off, half-naked as we were, to 
Glade Springs, eight miles distant, where 
we changed cars for Lynchburg, but had 
to wait several hours for the train, dur-jig 
which time we tramped up and down the 
station platform on our bare feet, al- 
though the ice and snow was several 
inches deep. When we reached Lynch- 
burg prison we were driven, like so many 
hogs, into the yard which was paved with 
nigger-heads, and most of the prisoners 
had to pass the night there. I was more 
fortunate, being permitted to sleep with 
some others in a sort of boarded-up 
place under the stairs, but were nearly 
suffocated to death when the doorway 
closed. From Lj'nchburg we were con- 
veyed to Libby, arriving there October 
13, where our first day's rations consisted 
of one tub of ' Mississippi pea soup ' to 
be divided among 1 50 famishing men. 
Having no such luxury as a spoon or 



ladle we were content to dip the soup up 
with the half of a tin tobacco box, and 
pass it round. This, however, was too 
slow a process for a lot of starving men, 
so three or four of the boys grabbed the 
tub, and turning it to one side, as many 
as could get their heads into it at a time 
did so; then they had to be choked off 
to allow others to get a chance, and such 
pushing, crawling and fighting over that 
tub I never saw equaled except, perhaps, 
by a lot of pigs at a newly-filled swill 
trough. 

"I was confined in Libby until No- 
vembers, 1864, and was removed to Pem- 
berton prison, at which time the cold was 
intense. There were 300 men on each 
floor, and when time to ' retire ' at night 
we would divide into three squads of 100 
e3ch; one squad would take the center of 
the floor, the other two being stretched 
out by the walls. Before lying down we 
would take a sort of plebiscite vote as to 
which side we would lie on — ' right or 
left ' — and once down we could not ' turn 
over ' until another vote was taken, the ma- 
jority always carrying the day — or rather 
'the night.' This is only one example 
of the many methods we unfortunates 
used to adopt in order to keep ourselves 
warm; but in spite of all our precautions 
many of our poor boys were badly frozen. 
Our rations generally consisted of pieces 
of corn bread (two inches square, the 
flour being made of corn and cob ground 
together) every twenty-four hours, and if 
any mules got ly lied in battle, and any 
bones were left after the Confederates 
had picked them clean, we got the bones. 
I have even seen some of our boys hunt 
in the spittoons for any stray bones, 
which, if found, they would take to a 
windlass near by, crush them between the 
cogs and then swallow the fragments. 
But I will refrain from dwelling further on 
such disgusting episodes, true though 
they be, those I have here related being 
mild in comparison to many I could record. 
In December, 1864, I was seized with 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPUICAL RECORD. 



91 



congestive chills, and had to run up and 
down the prison floor for three consecu- 
tive days and nights, or die. On Christ- 
mas Day. 1S64. I was carried to the Con- 
federate Hospital No. 21. Carey street, 
Richmond, the prison doctor who sent 
me there affirming that I could not live 
more than two or three hours. [Only titc 
iiyini:;u\rc scut to the liospitixl !\ It was 
found I had pleuro-pneumonia, and I live 
to be able to say that I was the only pneu- 
monia patient in my ward who survived! 
" On the 5th day of February, 1865, I 
was paroled, and same day left Libby 
prison for home, after being a captive 
four months and three days. On Sun- 
day, February 5, 1865, we left Rich- 
mond, Va., on the steamboat "Cyrus Al- 
lison ' which conveyed us to Aikens Land- 
ing, on the James river, where I once 
more beheld 'Old Glory,' at the sight of 
which tears came unbidden to my eyes. 
Aikens Landing, some nine miles from 
Richmond, was neutral ground, set apart 
for the exchange of prisoners. At this 
time one thousand and twenty of us were 
paroled and sent north, the Northern 
steamer ' City of New York ' taking us 
down the river, on Sunday afternoon, as 
far as Bermuda Hundred, where we re- 
mained until morning, when we started 
for Fortress Monroe; thence crossed 
Chesapeake Bay to Annapolis, Md. , 
which city we reached on Tuesday morn- 
ing in a furious snow-storm. All the 
clothing I had on was a ragged pair of 
pants, an old unlined blouse, with no 
shirt under it, a well-wr.rn pair of shoes, 
four sizes too large for my weary feet, 
most of which apparel had been stripped 
from the dead bodj' of one of my com- 
rades in the hospital — in fact the dead 
had to be stripped in order to provide 
covering for his lii'ine^. But at Annapolis 
' Uncle Sam ' supplied us with new and 
comfortable clothing. After remaining 
in camp there si.Nteen days, we were sent 
to Camp Chase. Columbus. Ohio, where, 
not having fully recovered my health and 



strength, I received a thirty-days' fur- 
lough. On this I went home, but took a 
relapse and became very ill, so much so 
that I was under the necessity of having 
my furlough twice renewed before I was 
able to return to parole camp at Colum- 
bus. On June 10, 1865, I received my 
discharge from the service by War De- 
partment Order No. 770. Thus ends the 
record of my army service." 

In May, 1886, Mr. Culbert was mus- 
tered into Manville Moore Post No. 525, 
G. A. R. ; was junior vice-commander in 
1890; elected senior vice-commander in 
1 89 1, and post commander in 1892. On 
September 4, 1889, he commenced re- 
cruiting for S. A. J. Snyder command of 
Union \'eterans Union, an organization 
composed only of the soldiers who were 
in active service at least six months, a 
part of the time at the front engaged in 
actual warfare. On Novembers, 1889, 
he had his command ready for muster-in, 
which was effected by Gen. Loomis, of 
Norwalk, Ohio, at that time Department 
commander in the State. Mr. Culbert 
was elected its first colonel; for two years 
was staff officer on Gen. Ellis' staff; in 
1893 was elected lieutenant-colonel, and 
in 1894 was appointed colonel by Gen. 
W. T. Clark, of Cleveland, Ohio, which 
position he holds at the present time. 



CAPTAIN ANDREW NUHFER. 
retired farmer, Woodville, San- 
dusky county, was born in Bava- 
ria, Germany, October 19. 1819, 
a son of Nicholas and Eve (Weaver) Nuh- 
fer. also natives of Bavaria. 

They came to America and first set- 
tled in Lancaster county, Penn., in the 
fall of 1S35. where for two years they 
engaged in the nursery business. In 1839 
the\' removed to Maumee City, Ohio, 
remained two years, and then located in 
Woodville township. Sandusky county, 
on the Western Reserve and Maumee 
turnpike, three nules east of Woodville. 



92 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Here Nicholas Nuhfer died, two years 
later, at the age of sixty-eight years, and 
his wife at the same age, in 1854. While 
in Germany they were members of the 
Roman Catholic Church, but soon after 
coming to Ohio they joined the M. E. 
Church. Their children, all born in Ger- 
many, were: (i) Frederick, a soldier and 
sailor; (2) Margaret, now dead, who 
married William Geyer, of Washington 
township; (3) Anthony, a baker, now 
living at Maumee, Ohio, who, at the time 
of his parents' emigration, was in the 
German army, as body guard to King 
Otto, whom he accompanied to Athens, 
Greece, and to other parts of the East, 
but, wishing to accompany his parents to 
the New World, escaped from a fort by a 
ruse, made his way to France,' and thence 
to the United States; (4) Nicholas, who 
died in Toledo, Ohio, in 1892. was for- 
merly a well-known minister of the Ger- 
man M. E. Church; (5) Maria, wife of 
William Behrends, now living in Illinois; 
(6) Andrew, our subject; (7) Catharine, 
wife of Rev. E. Riemenschneider, who 
was sent as a missionary to Germany, by 
the M. E. Church, where she died; 
(8) Helen, who married Jacob Artz, and 
now lives at Lindsey, Ohio. 

Our subject first came to Woodville 
with his parents. Later he spent three 
seasons as fireman and assistant en- 
gineer on lake steamers. After having 
learned the blacksmith trade in Maumee 
City, he returned to Woodville and started 
a blacksmith shop, buying his tools in 
Buffalo, and the first hard coal ever 
burned in Woodville township. He car- 
ried on his trade at this place with good 
success for twenty years, until the fall of 
1 86 1, when, under a commission from 
Gov. Tod, as second lieutenant, he en- 
listed and organized Company D, Seven- 
ty-second Regiment, O. V. I. This com- 
pany was composed largely of the best 
young men of Woodville township, and 
they subsequently chose him captain. 
At the head of this company he followed 



the various fortunes of his regiment, par- 
ticipating in all its campaigns and en- 
gagements, except when incapacitated by 
wounds or confined in Rebel prisons. At 
the battle of Shiloh he was wounded, 
but he remained with his company until 
the enemy were driven from the field. 
For his bravery and soldierly conduct on 
this occasion he received special mention 
in the report of Col. R. P. Buckland 
who commanded the brigade. Owing to 
the serious nature of his wound he was 
sent to the General Hospital at Cin- 
cinnati, where his limb barely escaped 
amputation, and he was shortly after 
ordered home to recuperate. As soon 
as he was able to walk about he re- 
joined his command at Monterey, Miss., 
and later participated in Grant's futile 
campaign in northern Mississippi; helped 
guard our line of communications along 
the Memphis and Charleston railroad; 
took a part in the campaign which re- 
sulted in the fall of Vicksburg; was in 
two battles at Jackson, Miss., in the latter 
of which he commanded the skirmish 
line which drove the enemy into their 
breastworks on the day prior to their 
evacuation; was with the advance on 
Brandon, and for a short time was in 
command of the regiment at Oak Ridge, 
in October, 1863. 

The regiment having by this time been 
much reduced in numbers, Capt. Nuhfer 
was sent home in charge of a recruiting 
party. While he was engaged in this 
duty, the regiment veteranized, and he 
rejoined it after its veteran furlough. He 
was with it at Paducah when Gen. Forrest 
made his attack, and when Sturgis made 
his first expedition into northeastern 
Mississippi. On the second and ill-fated 
Guntown expedition, along with about 250 
other officers and men of his regiment, he 
was taken prisoner by the forces under 
Gen. Forrest and conve3-ed to Anderson- 
ville prison. Here Capt. Nuhfer, as the 
ranking officer of the regiment, and being 
able to speak German, was requested b}- 



COMMEMORATIVE BWOHAPIflCAL RECORD. 



UU 



his comrades to interview Capt. Wirz. in 
cominanil o( the prison, and pet hinj to 
allow all the officers and men of the 
Seventy-second regiment to remain to- 
gether. The request was made, but W'irz 
refused and at once became abusive. He 
held the privates at Anderson vi lie. but 
sent the officers to Macon, Ga. When 
the latter place was threatened by Union 
troops, they were sent to Charleston, S. 
C, then to Columbus, S. C, then to 
Raleigh. N. C, then to Goldsboro. N. C. 
and thence to points in \'irginia and to 
Wilmington. N. C, for exchange, after a 
continenientof nine months. At Columbia, 
S. C, Capt. Nuhfor was taken down with 
fever, and would have died had it not 
been for his iron constitution and the care 
he received from a brother officer, Lieut. - 
Col. \'on Helmrich, formerly an officer in 
the Prussian arm) , who also loaned him 
a sum of Confederate money. After his 
exchange he was furloughed for thirty 
days to recover his health, and meanwhile 
the war closed. 

Capt. Nuhfer married, October 23, 
1843. Miss Elizabeth Shuler. of Perrys- 
burg. Wood Co.. Ohio, born in Witten- 
berg, Germany. Their children were: 
(1) John George, of Fremont, Ohio, who 
married Miss Olivia J. Totten, by whom 
he had one child, George Bartlett, after 
which she died, and he afterward married 
Mrs. Martha G. Hafiford; (2) Caroline, 
deceased wife of Theobald Schunck, who 
had five children — George D., Charles. 
Caroline. William and .Albert; (3) Sophia, 
who married John Otjen. and had four 
childron^ — Caroline E.. Nellie O.. Kate 
and William: (4) Daniel, who died in in- 
fancy; f5) Catharine, who became second 
wife of Theobald Schunrk; (6j .\gnes 
Amelia, dcrcased wife of George Hlake. 
who had one child — Flossie; (j) Esther 
Elizalicth. unmarried, who died at the 
age of twrnt) -seven; fS) Charles A., 
fanner of Wondville township, who mar- 
ried Caroline Haker. and has a son — 
Elmer L. : (9; Minnie, wife of John Blake. 



whose daughter, ^finnie E.. died shortly 
after the <leiith of her mother, who was 
aged twenty-one; ( lOy William, a clerk in 
Toledo, who married Miss Sarah Unger. 
who has a son — Earl A. 

Since the war Capt. Nuhfer has been 
engaged in mercantile business, the sale 
of hardware, the management of his farm 
property, fifty acres just outside of the 
Woodville village limits, and in the over- 
sight of his real estate in the oil region. 
For fourteen years he was village post- 
master, under the administration of Presi- 
dents Grant and Hayes. He has twice been 
nominated for county treasurer by the 
Republicans, and in each election polled 
more than his party's vote. He has been 
township trustee six years, and a member 
of both township and village school 
boards for some twelve years, and a mem- 
ber of the city council. He has always 
tried to promote the interests of his adopt- 
ed county in the lines of education, tem- 
perance and religion. For the last thirty 
years he has been a member of the Evan- 
gelical Association. During his residence 
of fifty-five years in Woodville, he has 
seen it grow from a collection of half a 
dozen scattered houses to hundreds of 
handsome homes occupied by well-to-do 
and happy families. Of the early pio- 
neers of the place, only he and his faith- 
ful wife remain. 



HON. JOSEPH /IMMEKMANN. 
editor of the Fremont Courier, the 
German organ of the San<lusky 
county Democracy, was born in 
the city of Mainz, Germany. June 19. 
i8;i. .After his graduation in the Prot- 
estant public schi>(>ls of his native city he 
studied the languages and prepared him- 
self for mercantile pursuits, under private 
tutors. In 1866 he came to America, 
and. afi :i years of newspaper work 

in Peiin .ind Ohio, he in 1S77 took 

editorial charge of the Fremont Coiirii-r, 
to succeed Judgi- I" Wilmer. In f'*'^' 



94 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



he was elected member of the board of 
education, and was re-elected in i8S6 and 
1889, serving as president of the board 
six j'ears and clerk two years. While 
presiding over the deliberations of the 
board he displayed great executive ability, 
and under his administration three fine 
new school buildings were erected in 
Fremont, while all his dealings with 
school officials, teachers and the public, 
were characterized by good tact and judg- 
ment. He is a stanch friend of the pub- 
lic-school system, and keeps thoroughly 
informed on all matters pertaining to ed- 
ucational peogress. 

In 1885 Mr. Zimmerniann was elected 
State senator of the Thirtieth District of 
Ohio, consisting of the counties of Erie, 
Huron, Ottawa and Sandusky, and was 
re-elected in 1887. As a State senator 
he was in favor of every measure tending 
toward educational progress, and was also 
one of the most active promoters of the 
compulsory education law now on the 
statutes of Ohio, which has worked so 
well for the promotion of the interests of 
Ohio's school youth. Though a Demo- 
crat in a legislative body which was two- 
thirds Republican, he was elected chair- 
man of the committee on public printing. 

On October 6, 1S91, he was ap- 
pointed, by Gov. Campbell, probate judge 
of Sandusky county to fill the vacancj' 
caused by the death of Judge E. F. Dick- 
inson, and in November following was 
elected to that office by the people, by a 
large majority. Since that time he has 
devoted his attention to professional 
duties as editor of the Courier. His of- 
fice is in the New Opera House, corner 
of Arch and State streets, and is well 
supplied with literary helps, a well se- 
lected library, maps and pamphlets. 
Judge Zimmerniann is the author of the 
Criminal History of Sandusky County, 
published by Williams Brothers in 1882, 
giving a detailed account of the Sperry 
and the Thompson murder trials. He 
also wrote the first Masonic history of 



Fremont. Socially he is a member of 
Fort Stephenson Lodge, F. & A. M., Mc- 
Pherson Lodge, I. O. O. F., the Knights 
of Honor, B. P. Order of Elks, and other 
organizations. Since 1877 Mr. Zimmer- 
mann has been local representative of the 
Cunard, the Hamburg-American and the 
North German Lloyd lines of ocean 
steamers. 



AB. LEVISEE, familiarly known 
as Judge Levisee, was born in 
Livingston count}'. State of New 
York, March 18, 1821. In 1832 
he migrated, with his mother, an older 
brother and a sister, to Ohio, and settled 
in Sandusky county, where the brother 
and sister still live. The mother died, in 
July, 1845, 3-t the home of an elder daugh- 
ter in Michigan. 

Sandusky county was at that time es- 
sentially a wilderness, interspersed here 
and there with hardy pioneer settlers — 
most of them located right in the solid 
woods, with but little to aid them save 
their brave hearts and strong arms. Here 
the subject of this sketch, with an axe or 
a hoe in his hands, from one end of the 
year to the other, practically "grew up 
with the country." The only educational 
facilities he enjoyed in his youth were 
those afforded by the primitive log school- 
houses, with such teachers as the time 
could furnish. It was in these circum- 
stances that he lived and grew to the 
years of early manhood. In the meantime 
he had become inspired with a purpose to 
improve his education. Under the impulse 
of this thought he labored in season and 
out of season to accumulate the necessary 
means wherewith to accomplish this great 
purpose. At length, in March, 1844, 
with the few hundred dollars thus gather- 
ed at the slow rate of $10 to $11 per 
month, he went to Ann Arbor and became 
a student at the University of Michigan, 
where he pursued the regular undergrad- 
uate course until November, 1847. For 





CM 



COMMBMORATIVB BIOORAPHWAL RECORD. 



95 



want of means to continue his studies 
lonjier at the University, he left without 
a degree and went directlj' to Louisiana, 
where he taught in a private school in 
Baton Rouge a short time, and then went 
to Alabama. He spent about two years 
teaching in Selma and Montgomery, and 
in the spring of 1850 went to Talladega, 
and there established an independent 
private school, which he continued to con- 
duct some three years, and which won for 
him a wide reputation as a successful 
teacher. One of his students entered the 
Junior Class at Princeton, New Jersey, 
while one entered the Junior Class of the 
University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, and 
others in the lower classes. The board 
of regents of the last-named school recog- 
ni2ed his scholarship and efficiency as a 
teacher by conferring on him the honorary 
degree of A. M. 

During the years 1853 and 1854 our 
subject attended law lectures in New 
York; then returned to Alabama and was 
tendered the presidency of the teaching 
faculty of the Female Collegiate Institute 
at Talladega, which he accepted tempor- 
arily to accommodate the board. At the 
close of 1854 he resigned the same, and 
went to Louisiana to enter upon the prac- 
tice of law, and located at Shreveport in 
March. 1855. where he continued to 
practice until 1877, including nearly five 
years, during which he occupied the bench 
as judge of his district. The Judge's 
thorough education, previous mental train- 
ing and studious habits, brought him 
rapidly forward in his new profession in 
which he achieved a high degree of finan- 
cial success, and an enviable reputation 
as a jurist and attorney. In 1875 76 he 
held the position of commissioner of 
United States Circuit Court. 

In politics Judge Levisee was a fol- 
lower of Clay and Webster while they 
lived. He was a Republican and Anti- 
Secessionist in i860, and took a decided 
staml against the secession movement. 
He remained in Louisiana during the en- 



tire war; was nominally in the Confeder- 
ate service from July, 1863, to the close, 
as an attache of the Inspector General's 
department, with the rank of first lieuten- 
ant. He was never assigned to any com- 
mand. In April, 1868, he was elected 
judge of his Judicial District, and was re- 
elected in the general election of 1873 by 
at least 1,500 majority and was "counted 
out." By that time the survivors of the 
lost cause had partially recovered from 
the fright incident to their defeat. The 
returned brigadiers and their subordinates, 
together with the small politicians, were 
reorganizing the Rebellion under the 
auspices of the White League. It was 
the same old fight under changed circum- 
stances and a new name. The White 
League was the paramount authority in 
the State at that time, and, of course, 
dominated all elections and dictated the 
results. In 1874 Judge Levisee was elect- 
ed a member of the State Legislature, 
and was "counted out; " but under the 
Wheeler Compromise the leaders of the 
White League were themselves compelled 
to admit that he was elected and he held 
his seat. In the National campaign of 
1876 he was a candidate for Presidential 
elector for the Fourth Congressional Dis- 
trict of Louisiana, comprising an area of 
not less than ten thousand square miles. 
He made at his own indiviilual expense a 
thorough canvass of the entire District, 
which was the first time that it had been 
undertaken by any Republican. He went 
up and down throughout the District, 
rallied the negroes in great mass meet- 
ings, told them their rights, and encour- 
aged and emboldene<l them to assert their 
rights in a proper and legal way by regis- 
tering and voting. The result was a 
larger majority in that District than the 
entire Republican majority in the State. 
But he was "counted out" again; and 
this time it required the National Elec- 
toral Commission to settle the matter. At 
length, disgusted and weary of the insane 
strife that had raged about him so long. 



96 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



he determined that the opportunities of 
life were too valuable to be further thrown 
away in such bootless contest, and at the 
cost of professional prestige and wealth 
honorably earned by useful service, he 
abandoned the home of his adoption to 
find again a place where he could live a 
free life and enjoy the equal privileges of 
a citizen. 

For three years from July, 1878, he 
held the position of a Government Agent 
in the Internal Revenue Service, at the 
close of which period he resigned that 
position, and in 1881 located, with his son, 
in North Dakota. In addition to his 
other professional labors in Dakota, Judge 
Levisee rendered a highly appreciated 
service to the bar of that then Territory 
by the preparation and publication of an 
annotated edition of the Dakota Codes, 
which was approved and adopted by the 
Legislature and the profession, and is still 
in general use. 

After e.xperiencing the vicissitudes of 
frontier life for twelve years in North 
Dakota, the Judge began to feel that it 
was time to retire from active pursuits, 
and to prepare for the end. He returned 
to his old home — the home of his child- 
hood and youth. Here in the beautiful 
village of Clyde, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
he has built for himself a sumptuous place 
of abode. Here, in elegant retirement, 
amid his books and maps, he spends the 
evening of his long and useful life, sur- 
rounded by all that can make old age 
agreeable, blessed with excellent health 
and cheered by thfe merited friendship and 
esteem of all who know him. 



RW. SANDWISCH, ex-sheriff of 
Sandusky county, was born in 
Woodville township, that county, 
July 20, 1846, a son of Hermon 
and Catharine (Mergel) Sandwisch. The 
father was born in Hanover, Germany, 
in 181 1, and died at Woodville in 1854, 
of Asiatic cholera. He had come to this 



country a young man, married in this 
country and worked at the blacksmith 
trade. The mother was born in Hanover, 
Germany, in 18 10, came to this country, 
and is still living as one of the pioneers 
of Woodville. Their children were: 
Mary Jane, wife of Jacob Bishoff; Louisa, 
wife of Benedict Emch; R. W., our sub- 
ject; J. G., in Bowling Green, Ohio; and 
Emeline, who married C. G. Bradt, a 
contractor, living at Atlanta, Georgia. 

Our subject grew to manhood in Wood- 
ville township, on a farm, learned the 
blacksmith trade in early life at Wood- 
ville, and later worked two years at the 
same in Toledo, Ohio. In the fall of 
1868 he opened a blacksmith shop in 
W^oodville, which he operated himself for 
eighteen consecutive years, making twen- 
ty-two years of work at his trade. For 
several years past he has been promi- 
nently identified with politics in Wood- 
ville township as an ardent Democrat. 
He was first elected supervisor of roads, 
and afterward justice of the peace for 
three terms. He became the regular 
nominee of the Democratic party for 
sheriff, and was elected to that position 
in 1885, taking charge of the office in 
January, 1886. In 1887 he was re-elect- 
ed, serving a second term. After leaving 
the sheriff's office he engaged in selling 
farming implements, and in that capac- 
ity traveled extensivel}' over Sandusky 
county. 

Mr. Sandwisch was married, in 1868, 
to Miss Clarinda Swartzman, who was 
born in Woodville township, January 11, 
1849, a daughter of Isaac Swartzman, a 
native of Pennsylvania, and an early 
pioneer of Woodville township. They 
have children as follows: Albert H., 
born May 30, 1869, who was his father's 
deputy when he held the office of sheriff, 
and is engaged with him in business at 
the present time. Catherine Lovisa, born 
September 20, 1871, living at home; and 
Adolph Franklin, born January 18, 1877. 
Mr. Sandwisch is a member of the 



COMMEMORATIVB BIOGRAPHIOAL RECORD. 



y? 



I. O. O. F.. MclMiersoii Lodge. No. 637. 
Fremont, and has tilled all the chairs in 
the subordinate loilfje. having been a mem- 
ber since 1S70. He is also a member of 
Fort Stephenson Masonic Lodge. Fre- 
mont, and has taken the third degree. 



C.\PTAIN B. S. OTTEN. In 
scanning the pages of this volume 
one will tyid the history of many 
men who nave made a success of 
life in various lines of terrene occupations; 
but the subject of this sketch is a man 
who has been highly successful not only 
on land, but also on the sea. 

Many a time has Capt. Otten stood on 
the deck of his vessel in the night time 
and ga^ed at the great clock whose face is 
the blue heavens, the markings on which 
are the glittering stars, and whose hand 
is the silver moon. With his sextant he 
has measured the moons distance from 
some prominent star, thus determining 
the variation of his chronometer. Then 
on a beautiful morning we again see him, 
measuring the altitude of the sun, by 
which means he determined the latitude 
and longitude of his vessel, thus enabling 
him to guide her safely into port. 

Capt. B. S. Otten, the subject of this 
sketch, now one of the most prominent 
merchants of Woodville, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born in Hanover, Germany, Jan- 
uary 26, 1835. son of Herman and Anna 
(Juils) Otten, both of whom dieil in their 
native country, the former at the age of 
eighty-tivc years, and the latter at the end 
of her three-score years and ten. To 
them were born six children, as follows: 
Margaret and Etta, who now live in 
Germany; Marie, who came to America, 
and settled in Woodville; Herman, a 
commission merchant in Germany; B. S. ; 
and Gerhard, who lives in Pember\ille, 
Ohio 

Our subject attended the public 
schools of his native place until about 
si.\teen years of age, when he went to sea 



on the Atlantic as mast-boy, in which 
capacity he served si.v years. He then 
returned to Ciermany and took a full 
course in navigation at one of the leading 
schools of that country, graduating there- 
from in 1859, after which he resumed 
sailing, putting into practical use the 
studies of his college course. Mr. Otten 
now entered marine life as mate, in which 
position he served for two years, when he 
was given a ship and made captain there- 
t of, serving ably in this capacity for thir- 
teen years. Be it said to his credit as a 
j sea captain that while he encountered 
severe storms, he never, in the entire 
I time he had charge of a boat, lost a man 
I by accident. His first wife. Betty Bring- 
i man, who accompanied him many a time 
on long journeys on the sea. was born in 
1850. and they were married in 1S72. 
To their union came one child. Otto I)., 
born July 19, 1874, in Baltimore, Md., 
who never saw his mother, as she died 
the ne.xt day after his birth. She was 
the daughter of John and Rebecca (Bring- 
manj Bringman. the former of whom was 
a sea captain for many years, and now 
resides in Wood county, Ohio; his wife 
died some time ago. In January, 1876, 
Capt. Otten marrieii Miss Matilda Bring- 
man (a cousin of his former wife), who is 
a daughter of Borchard and Marguerite 
Bringman. Borchard Bringman was also 
a sea captain, and was drowned in the 
Atlantic while on a voyage; the mother 
still lives in Germany. To them were 
born five children, of whom Mrs. Otten 
is the second: her brother Gustav was 
: washed overboard in a high sea and buried 
I in a watery grave, as was also her brother 
Borchard. The grandfathers on both 
sides were sea captains. 

On leaving the sea, Capt. Otten was 
for two years engaged .is ship chandler 
in Baltimore, Md. . after which, in 1876, 
he sold out, anil came to Woodville, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, where two years later 
he embarked in the general mercantile 
business, which he ha-; ••>••■• -^incc sue- 



98 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



cessfully conducted. Mrs. Otten is a 
thorough business lady, and is well ac- 
quainted with their extensive mercantile 
business, being often found assisting in 
the different lines of their enterprise. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Otten have been born six 
children, three of whom are living, name- 
ly: Anna, who is now in the store; Etta, 
who is devoting her time to study in the 
public schools of Woodville; and Olga. 
The family is one of the most prominent 
in Woodville, in both a business and 
social way. Capt. and Mrs. Otten are 
highly esteemed by all who know them, 
while their beautiful brick residence on 
Main street is a standing witness to their 
admiration of a modern home. 



ISAAC MARVIN KEELER, senior 
editor of the Fremont Journal, and 
one of Fremont's most respected citi- 
zens, is of Puritan parentage on both 
sides of his family. Of his ancestors to 
the seventh generation, Ralph Keeler 
came from England in 1639, settling at 
Hartford, Conn., and Matthew Marvin 
preceded him in 1635. His grandfathers, 
Luke Keeler and Isaac Marvin, emigrated 
with their families to Ohio in wagons 
from Norwalk, Conn., in 181 7, coming 
by way of Pittsburg and making the trip 
in six weeks. Two of their children, Eri 
Keeler and Sally Marvin, both born in 
Connecticut in the last year of the pre- 
ceding centur}', were married in July, 
1 821; and Isaac Marvin Keeler was born 
in Sharon township, Richland Co., Ohio, 
September 8, 1823. Five years later the 
father, Eri Keeler, and the grandfather, 
Luke Keeler, were among the incorpora- 
tors of the town of Norwalk, Ohio, named 
after their old home, Norwalk, Conn. 
Eri Keeler died April 11, 1894, lacking 
but a few days of being ninety-five years 
of age. 

The subject of this sketch lived at 
Norwalk until 1840, when he came to 
Lower Sandusky (now Fremont), and en- 



tered the office of the Lower Sandusky 
J r/iio- as Sin apprentice. Between 1843 
and 1849, Mr. Keeler was temporarily 
in Milan, Norwalk, Sharon and New York, 
and in 1850 was commissioned postmaster 
at Fremont, serving in that capacity two 
years. In 1854 he purchased the Fre- 
mont Journal, the predecessor of which 
was established in July, 1829, which he 
edited and published until 1865, during 
all the bitter years of the Civil war, sell- 
ing the office at last on account of poor 
health, and going into the insurance and 
i real-estate business. In December, 1877, 
he repurchased the Journal, and in asso- 
ciation with his son, S. P. Keeler, con- 
tinues to edit the paper. 

Mr. Keeler was married June 23, 1847, 
to Anna F. Hulburd, of Lower Sandusky, 
who died October 26, 1850, leaving one 
child. On May 12, 1857, he married 
Janette Elliot, daughter of Judge Samuel 
and Linda (Hayes) Elliot, of Brattleboro, 
Vt., by whom he has two children — one 
son and one daughter. In the more than 
fifty 3'ears of his residence in Fremont 
Mr. Keeler has not only watched its de- 
velopment from a rough frontier hamlet 
into a beautiful and thriving city, but he 
has been prominently instrumental in that 
development; and while his voice and 
pen have ever been on the side of muni- 
cipal progress they have never swerved in 
time-serving expediency from what was 
pure and just and of good report. 



BYRON A. FOUCHE, attorney at 
law, Fremont, Sandusky county, 
was born in Wayne county, Ohio, 
September 8, 1858, a son of 
Josiah and Susannah (Stutzman) Fouche. 
The father of our subject was born in 
Somerset count}-, Penn., in 1830, where 
he grew to manhood, and whence he 
came at the age of twenty-three to 
Wayne county, Ohio, where he still re- 
sides. He was a school teacher by pro- 
fession, and followed his vocation in 



COUMBMORATTrB BIOORAPHTCAL RECORD. 



99 



Wayne, Holmes and Tuscarawas coun- 
ties for many years. He finally settled 
on a farm where he is now passing his 
declining years. 

Our subject's mother was born in 
Wayne county. Ohio, in 1833, and here 
she grew to womanhood and became the 
wife of Josiah Fouche. Nine children — 
two sons and seven daughters — were the 
fruits of their marriage. Our subject's 
paternal grandfather was born in 1793, 
either in France or in Somerset county, 
Penn. He emigrated thence to Holmes 
county. Ohio, where he died in 1873. 
His father (subject's great-grandfather) 
was a native of France, enlisted under 
Lafayette, came to America, and assisted 
the Colonies in the Revolutionary war. 

Byron A. Fouche attended the com- 
mon schools in his native place, and then 
the University of Wooster, at Wooster, 
Ohio, from which he graduated in the 
class of 1883. He worked his own way 
through college by teaching school. He 
studied law in the office of the famous 
criminal lawyer and advocate, John Mc- 
Sweeny, and was admitted to the bar in 
1886 He located in Fremont. Ohio, in 
1888. He is at present Deputy State 
Su|>ervisor of Elections for Sandusky 
county. In politics he is a Republican. 
On December 31, 1887, he married Miss 
Jane Parmeter. at Caanan, Wayne coun- 
ty, Ohio 



WKIGLEY BROTHERS, proprie- 
tors of the Daily and Weekly 
A'tTi'j-, Fremont, Sandusky coun- 
ty, are sons of James and Mary 
(Haywood) Wrigley. James Wrigleywas 
born in eastern Pennsylvania, September 
25. 1821, and died December 16, 1878. 
His wife was born in Lancashire, England, 
in 18^4, and came when a child with her 
parents to .\mcrica. She resided at Dcni- 
son. Iowa, where she died July 15, 1895. 
To them were bom ten children, of whom 
seven are hving: Alfred C, December 19, 



1849: Mark H., July 12, 1853; James 
B.. February 21. 1859; Alice J.; Ger- 
trude \'. ; Anna A. , wife of Philip A. 
Schlumberger: and Mary H. All of the 
daughtersreside at Fremont. Ohio, except- 
ing Mrs. Schlumberger. 

The Wrigley Brothers are natives of 
the town of Conshohockcn, Penn., where 
they grew up, attended the public schools 
and learned the printer's trade. They 
were proprietors of the Conshohockcn 
Reeonler, a weekly paper, from 1877 un- 
til i88t. when they sold it and removed 
to Denison, Iowa, where they bought the 
Denison Review, which they published in 
English and German. In 18S8 they sold 
out, and next published the Boone Week- 
ly Repiibliean. at Boone. Iowa, about 
four years. In June, 1892, they purchased 
the Fremont .Wrij, the only daily paper 
in Fremont, Ohio, with a circulation of 
1.250, and also publish a weekly, which 
has a circulation of 3,200. It is devoted 
to the business interests of Fremont and 
Sandusky county, furnishes fresh and re- 
liable news from all parts of the world in 
a brief and attractive form, and is neutral 
in politics. The proprietors are sparing 
no pains to make it the best local paper in 
northern Ohio. 



HG. EDGERTON. D. D. S. The 
name Edgerton is of English 
origin, but representatives of that 
family have been many years in 
the United States. 

Prominent among the business men 
and manufacturers of Fremont. Sandusky 
county, for nearly half a century has been 
Chester Edgerton. who was born in 
Pawlct. \t., in 1819. and came to Ohio 
in 1844. He is now seventy-six years 
old. and is living retired. He was an at- 
torney in his day. and a very successful 
collector. He was also for a number of 
years engaged in the lumber business, as 
a member of the firm of Edgerton Bros. ; 
by fair dealing and close attention to busi- 



100 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



ness he accumulated a small fortune, and 
is recognized as one of the most success- 
ful men of the early days of Fremont. 
He is a Republican in politics, and in the 
year 1847 was elected mayor of the city. 
In 1845 he married Miss Augusta F. 
Fusselman, who was born in 1826, and 
six children were born to them: Frank, 
now living in Tennessee; Hattie, wife of 
G. Ivinney, an attorney at law, of Fre- 
mont; Fannie A., who died in 1879; 
Maude, wife of Lieut. John Garvin, U. S. 
N. ; Chester, living in Kansas City, Mo. ; 
and H. G. 

Dr. H. G. Edgerton was born in Fre- 
mont, Ohio, April 23, 1859, and was edu- 
cated in the Fremont public schools and 
at Oberlin College. He began the study 
of dentistry in 1875, and graduated from 
the Dental Department of the University 
of Ann Arbor (Mich.) in 1881, with the 
degree of D. D. S. He practiced his pro- 
fession at Toledo, Ohio, one year, and 
then came to Fremont, where he has had 
a leading practice for several years in his 
pleasant rooms over the First National 
Bank. He is a Republican, a member of 
the I\nights of Pythias and of the National 
Union, and is connected with several 
social clubs of the city. On January 29, 
1884, he married Miss Clara Meek, 
daughter of B. Meek, an attorney at law, 
and four children have been born to them: 
Mary B., Rachel, Dorothy and Henry 
Meek. 



JOSEPH KINDLE, attorney at law, 
Fremont, Sandusky county, was 
born at Caroline, near Republic, 
Seneca county, Ohio, December 
9, 1858, a son of Gottlieb and Mary 
Magdalena (Michels) Kindle. 

Our subject's father was born in 
Triesen, Principahty of Lichtenstein, 
Germany, and emigrated to America in 
1852. He had followed the trade of 
blacksmith in the Fatherland, but on 
settling in Seneca county, Ohio, upon a 



farm, he devoted his time to agricultural 
pursuits, and did only his own black- 
smithing. Our subject's mother was 
born in Baden, Germany, in 1837, and 
came with her father's family to San- 
dusky county, Ohio, when three years 
old. Here she grew to womanhood, be- 
came the wife of Gottlieb Ivindle, and 
died March i, 1866. Their children 
were: Regina, who married Frank Bin- 
sack, of Fremont, Ohio; Rosa Ann, who 
died at the age of eighteen; Mary Ann, 
who is unmarried; and Joseph, our sub- 
ject. 

Joseph Kindle came with his parents 
at an early age to New Riegel, Ohio, 
where he attended school until he was 
fourteen years of age, also a parochial 
school, in which he was at the head of 
his classes at the age of eleven, and kept 
his place as they progressed upward for 
three years. In August, 1871, the 
family removed to Green Creek township, 
Sandusky county, where they remained 
about five years. In March, 1876, they 
moved to Sandusky township, near Book- 
town, at the mouth of Muskallonge 
creek, upon a farm where the parents 
lived and died. After settling up his 
father's estate, our subject, being of a 
literary turn of mind, sought the halls of 
learning to qualify himself for an occupa- 
tion better suited to his tastes. He at- 
tended school two years at Notre Dame 
University, South Bend, Ind., devoting 
the first year to a commercial course, 
from which he graduated, and received 
his diploma, and the second year he took 
a mixed course, scientific and literary, in 
a line with the study of law. On his re- 
turn from school he followed the occu- 
pation of bookkeeping for a year, and 
then went into a general mercantile busi- 
ness for himself, in which he continued 
with good success for ten years, most of 
the time at Fremont, Ohio. He then 
sold out and resumed the study of law 
with the firm of Meek & Dudrow, and, 
was admitted to the bar on December 8, 



COMMEMORATIVB BIOOKAPIIICAL RECORD. 



101 



1892. He now has an office on Croghan 
street, Fremont, opposite the First 
National Hank. 

Mr. Kiiullc is a man of large stature, 
manly form and commanding presence. 
He possesses great strength and power of 
endurance, physically and intellectually, 
which, coupled with his ability to use the 
German language as fluently as the 
English, gives him a vast advantage over 
the ordinary man. He is a Democrat in 
politics, and, as were his parents before 
him, he is an ardent Roman Catholic. 
He is one of the most prominent tnem- 
bers of Branch No. 290, Catholic Knights 
of America, also a member of Branch No. 
8, Catholic Knights of Ohio, of which 
Branch he is the present president, and is 
a member of St. Josephs Parish. He 
has been an officer of trust in these so- 
cieties during nearly all the time of his 
membership therein, and has represented 
them in diftorent state councils. 

Mr. Kindle was married April 28, 
1884, to Miss Mary Drum, daughter of 
Jacob and Anna (Durnwald) Drum. Her 
father was a Union soldier in the late 
war, and is now a member of Eugene 
Rawson Post, G. A. R., Fremont, Ohio. 
The children of Joseph and Mary Kindle 
are: Frank J., Edward A., Gertrude M., 
and Laura Ann. 



FRANK E. SEAGER, prosecuting 
atti>rney for Sandusky county, was 
born in Ballville township, San- 
dusky Co.. Ohio, October 17. 
1861, a son of Charles D. and Caroline 
(Hoover) Seager, natives of Sandusky 
county. Charles I). Seager was an only 
son of Charles L. Seager, a native of New 
York State, who came west in 1835, was 
one of the early pioneers of Sandusky 
county, and died in 1843. Our subject's 
maternal grandparents. Lawrence Hoover 
and wife, were natives of Germany, and 
also came at an early day to Sandusky 
county; they are both now dead. Our 



subject's parents were married in Ball- 
ville township, Sandusky county, in 1858. 

Frank E. Seager was reared in the 
place of his nativity, attended the com- 
mon schools and the Fremont city 
schools, later the Normal University, at 
Ada, Ohio, where he completed the clas- 
sical course in 1886, and then attended 
the Northwestern College, at Naperville, 
III., from which he graduated in 1887. 
He then began studying law, alternating 
that with teaching winter schools. He 
located in Fremont in 1888. and entered 
the law office of Finefrock iJv: Brinkerhoff, 
for the purpose of continuing his law 
studies and engaging in the insurance and 
loan business. He was admitted to the 
bar in 1893. and in 1S94 was elected 
prosecuting attorney, which office he still 
holds. 

Socially, our subject is a member of 
Croghan Lodge, No. 77, I. O. O. F. . 
and Fremont Encampment. No. O4. He 
is also a member of the Uniformed Rank, 
Patriarchs Militant, and, of the Masonic 
Fraternity, a Royal Arch Mason. He is an 
active member of the Church of the Evan- 
gelical .Association; was for several years 
its efficient Sunday-school superintendent; 
he also superintends a Sunday-school at 
Ballville village. In politics he has al- 
ways been a Republican, and takes an 
interest in local and national affairs. On 
May 16, 1895. Mr. Seager was married, 
at New Carlisle, Clark Co., Ohio, to .Miss 
Marie Gates. 



FRED R. FRONIZER, attorney 
at law. Fremont, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born near Buffalo, N. Y., 
in 1852, son of Henry and Mary 
(Young) Fronizer. natives of Germany, 
who emigrated to New York, where they 
were married. In 1853 they came to 
Sandusky county. Ohio, locating in Ball- 
ville township, where they followed farm- 
ing. The mother died in 1885. Their 
children were: Fred R.. our subject; 



102 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



John, a carpenter, of Fremont; Simon, a 
contractor and grocer; Matilda, who died 
at the age of four; Lana; Susan; Katty, 
and Joseph. 

Our subject was reared to farm labor, 
and attended the country schools. At 
the age of eighteen he entered upon life 
for himself, attended the Fremont city 
schools, and taught country schools in 
the winter seasons to pay his way. Later 
he went to a Normal school at Fostoria, 
Ohio, for a few terms, and then taught 
the Woodville High School two years. In 
the spring of 1874 he commenced the 
study of law in the office of J. T. Garver, 
in the meantime continuing to teach 
winter schools, and was admitted to the 
bar in April, 1877. He held the office of 
justice of the peace in Ballville township 
six years, and in 1887 was elected to the 
office of prosecuting attorney for San- 
dusky county, which he held six years. 
He was county school examiner from 
August, 1 88 1, to 1887. Mr. Fronizer is 
a life-long Democrat, and a member of 
the M. E. Church of Fremont. Socially, 
he is a member of Croghan Lodge, No. 
"/"J, I. O. O. F. He was married, in 
Sandusky county, to Miss Isabella Boyer, 
daughter of George Boyer, a pioneer of 
Washington township, that county, and 
two children have blessed their union — 
Irvin F. and Harry L. 



DAVID GORDON. For more than 
half a century the name of Gor- 
don has been closely identified 
with the growth and progress of 
Ottawa county, and more particularly with 
Salem township. The family is of Scotch 
ancestry on the father's side, the mother's 
people being Yankees. 

The parents and grandparents of our 
subject were natives of Somerset county, 
N. J., and the first members of the fam- 
ily to settle in Ohio were John and Rachel 
(Smith) Gordon, who removed from Som- 
erset county, N. J., in 1831, and located 



in Salem township. After residing here 
some six months they removed to Harris 
township, where they remained for three 
years, and returning then to Salem town- 
ship made it their place of abode during 
the remainder of their lives. They were 
honored and respected people, and had a 
large circle of warm friends. The father 
passed away November 7, 1851, the 
mother on March 3, 1842. 

It will thus be seen that the famil}- 
has been identified with Ottawa county 
since pioneer days, and David Gordon is 
now the oldest living resident of Salem 
township. He is numbered among the 
prominent and progressive farmers and 
stock raisers, and has a home pleasantly 
situated about one mile and a half from 
Oak Harbor. Born in Somerset county, 
N. J., March 19, 1827, he came to Salem 
township with his parents when only four 
years old, and since 1831 has been a con- 
tinuous resident of the farm he now owns. 
The township in those days was an un- 
broken wilderness, without roads and 
without schoolhouses, the latter being at 
that time considered a needless luxury. In 
consequence David Gordon received very 
meager privileges for obtaining a literary 
education. From early life he was ob- 
liged to engage in the arduous duties of 
developing a new farm, a work that had 
to be accomplished with rude machinery, 
for the wonderful inventions in farm im- 
plements were then a thing of the future. 
He perseveringly continued his labors, 
however, and is still engaged in farming, 
now on an extensive scale, being number- 
bered among the most prosperous agricul- 
turists of his adopted county. 

Mr. Gordon was married, December 
I, 1 85 I, in Erie township, Ottawa county, 
to Miss Caroline Redding, who was born 
in Warren county, N. J., February 9, 
1827, daughter of David B. and Anna 
(Engler) Redding, natives of New Jersey, 
who located in Ottawa county in 1839. 
Ten children have been born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Gordon, but the eldest died when 




-/^ L^T-'/y^ 



Cr'i ^r' ^S^-^-t 



C0MM3M0RATIVE DIOQRAPUICAL RECORD. 



108 



only a (ew hours old. The others are 
John, who was born September lo, 1854, 
and is now a prominent farmer of ICrio 
township; Rachel and Cornelius (twins), 
born February 22, 1S57, of whom Cor- 
nelius was drowned February 27, 1S59, 
and Rachel is the wife of \V. A. Kisenhour, 
who was clerk of Ottawa county, and is 
now a farmer of Erie township; David and 
George (twins), born January 9, 1859, 
the former a resident of Montana, the lat- 
ter a prominent farmer of Salem town- 
ship, Ottawa county; Kvaline, born Feb- 
ruary 3, i860, deceased in infancy; Cath- 
erine, born July 26, 1862. who died in in- 
fancy; Marian, born September i 5. 1864, 
who also died in infancy; and Helen, born 
May 16, 1865. 

Mr. Gordon is a charter member of 
Oak Harbor Lodge No. 495, F. & A. M.. 
and belongs to Fremont Chapter No. 64, 
R. A. M., and Fremont Council No. 61, 
K. T. He and his family attend the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and in poli- 
tics he is a stanch supporter of the Demo- 
cratic party. He is numbered among the 
honored pioneers of Ottawa county, who 
have witnessed its growth and develop- 
ment from the days of its infancy, and in 
the work of progress and advancement he 
has ever borne his part as a faithful citizen. 



DR. FRANK CREAGER, the well- 
known dentist of Fremont, San- 
dusky county, was born July 25, 
1850, in York township, San- 
dusky Co.. Ohio, on the farm of David 
Moore, about four miles southwest of 
Bellevue, Ohio, son of Jacob and Mar- 
garet Ann Creager. The parents, who 
were of 'German descent, came from 
Hagerstown, Maryland. 

In early life our subject removed 
with the family to White Pigeon, Mich., 
and thence to Elkhart county, Indiana, 
where he was reared on a farm, and 
where he received a common-school edu- 
cation. In 1865 he commenced the studv ! 
7 



of dentistry with Dr. H. H. Boswell, of 
Rochester, N. Y., and in 1870 accepted 
a situation as an assistant in the office of 
Drs. Cummins and Hawk, of Elkhart, 
Ind., remaining with them three years. 
To these gentlemen he is indebted for 
much of his early education in dentistry. 
In 1873 he located in Fremont, Ohio, 
for the practice of his profession, soon 
establishing a large and lucrative busi- 
ness, and gaining the national reputation 
he now enjoys. He also enjoys the d s- 
tinction of having spent more years in 
active practice than any other dental 
practitioner in the history of Sandusky 
county. It is needless, however, to speak 
of him in a professional light, for his 
skill as an operator and his mechanical 
abilities are extensively known. The 
prominent positions he has occupied in 
the various dental societies of the country 
are also matters of history. He has one 
of the finest dental offices in the State, 
provided with all the modern improve- 
ments and appliances known to the pro- 
fession, many of which are of his own 
invention. 

On March 11, 1875, Dr. Frank 
Creager was married to Miss Clara L. 
Moore, of Hallville, Ohio, daughter of 
John and Eli/a Moore; the children born 
to them were Edna, Volta, Grace, Bes- 
sie and Frankie Bon. The first two died 
of diphtheria in the latter part of the 
winter of 1880, Edna dying February 
19, and Volta on the 29th of the same 
month, only a difference of ten days 
in the time of their deaths. When 
twenty-one years of age Dr. Creager 
joined the Masonic Fraternity at Bris- 
tol, Ind., but shortly afterward he 
took a dimit and united with Brain- 
ard Lodge No. 336, F. & A. M.. 
Fremont, and has been an active mem- 
ber ever since. He is now the master of 
the Lodge, a position he has held con- 
tinuously for three terms, and under his 
guidanceship it has ac<iuire<l an enviable 
reputation In fni ii i-; conceded to be 



104 



COMMEMOBATIVE BIOGBAPHICAL RECORD. 



one of the best working Lodges in the 
State. He is also a member of the Grand 
Council, Royal Arcanum; but the efforts 
which brought him most prominently be- 
fore the people were in the interest of 
the National Union (a similar beneficial 
organization), and especially the local 
Council which was named, in honor of his 
little girl, "Edna." The loss of this 
child, their first-born, was a severe blow 
to the parents, and the honor thus be- 
stowed by his associates in naming the 
Council after her perhaps made the Doctor 
take more than the usual interest in its 
welfare. Edna Council was instituted 
December 3, 1883, with forty-nine 
charter members, and Dr. Creager was 
chosen its first president. The following 
January he was re-elected, and the of- 
ficers and members went to work in such 
an earnest manner that in less than six 
months the roll was swelled to more than 
a hundred members, and Dr. Creager's 
nameappears on nearly all theapplications. 
At a meeting of the Ohio State As- 
sembly, which was held in the city of 
Fremont June 10, 1884, he was chosen 
Senator for two years, being one of the 
first Senators elected by the Councils to 
represent the Order in that Supreme body. 
The Edna Ritual was exemplified by the 
Council to the members of the Assembly 
during their stay in the city, and although 
in rather a crude state, it was well re- 
ceived. At the session of the Senate in 
1884 Dr. Creager was elected speaker, 
and also a member of the Finance Com- 
mittee. At the session of 1885, held in 
the city of Chicago, he was elected vice 
president, and was also retained on the 
Finance Committee, of which he was a 
valuable member. During 1885 he was 
a member of the Committee on Laws. 
At the session of the Senate held at Mans- 
field in 1886, he was chosen president, 
and on his return home was met at the 
depot by the council in a body, and es- 
corted to his residence on Main street, 
where he was most cordially received by 



his neighbors and the members of his 
Council. The following year he was 
unanimously re-elected president of the 
Senate, and was also made a life member 
of that Supreme body — one of the highest 
honors within its gift. In 1888 he re- 
vised the Ritual originally prepared by 
him, which has been unanimously en- 
dorsed by every Council and member of 
the Order. 

In 1 89 1, during the session of the 
Senate at Milwaukee, Wis., he presented 
to the assembly a beautiful and impres- 
sive Burial Service, in perfect keeping 
with the tenets of the Order, which has 
been universally admired. His last and 
best effort, however, in ritualistic work, 
was the Public or Private Installation 
Ceremony written and arranged by him 
in 1894. It is a scholarly production, 
and commends itself to nearly all the fra- 
ternal societies of the country. It can 
truly be said that Dr. Creager has tried to 
serve the order faithfully and well — 
"With malice toward none, with charity 
for all. " Taking the office at a time when 
affairs at headquarters were not in the 
best condition, he has triumphantly come 
through it all, and to-day the National 
Union is recognized as one of the leading 
beneficial societies. 

Dr. Creager is a pleasant and fluent 
speaker, most of his addresses being in 
connection with the Grand and Supreme 
bodies with which he is affiliated. In 
1895 he entered actively into the cam- 
paign which terminated in the nomina- 
tion of Col. Horace S. Buckland as a can- 
didate for common pleas judge, announc- 
ing his name to the convention in an elo- 
quent speech, which was most enthusias- 
tically received. 



JACOB GABEL. The value of a 
biographical work, such as the one 
in which these sketches are found, 
is readily conceded when one realizes 
how fast the old landmarks are disappear- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



105 



ing in the onward march of time, and how 
few are left of that generation of brave 
pioneers under whose patient strokes the 
forests gave place to well-tilled fielils with 
their wealth of golden grain, and these, 
in their turn, to busy, thriving villages, 
which anon grew into cities, the smoke of 
whose countless iniUistries ascend without 
ceasing, and the names of whose citizens, 
famous in statesmanship, war or com- 
merce, have become known throughout 
the world. 

The men and women who contributed, 
even in the humblest way, to the planting 
and growth of this great commonwealth, 
must feel a laudable pride, when, them- 
selves in the sere and yellow leaf, they 
can look back on lives spent in honest 
industry and patient toil, and see the re- 
sults in the happy homes and wonderful 
progress of the State, which has been the 
birthplace of so many great men, and 
which holds so enviable a place in the 
Union. Of the early settlers ot this State, 
as well as others, many were of German 
birth, and to no class of people is the 
country more indebted for its substantial 
properity. Hardy, industrious and frugal, 
they were well adapted to confront the 
obstacles which lay in the path of the 
pioneer, and to them and their children 
are due the thanks of those now enjoying 
the benefits of their labors. 

Jacob Gabel, the subject of this 
sketch, who is now enjoying at his pleas- 
ant home in Fremont, Sandusky county, 
the rest earned by a long life of activity, 
was born May 4. 1821. in Alsace. Ger- 
many. His parents. Jacob and liarbara 
(Lebald) Gabel. who were natives of the 
same place, sailed for America in 1829. 
when their little lad was about eight 
years old. Their first location was at 
Buffalo. N. Y., where they were engaged 
in farming for seven years. In 1836 they 
removed to Ohio, and settle<l in what was 
known as the Black Swamp, in Jackson 
township, four miles from Fremont. Their 
home was a small log cabin, in the midst 



of a dense forest; no roads through the 
timber, no neighbors, no comforts or con- 
veniences of any kind, and mud, mud 
everywhere. Nothing daunted, their busy 
hands cleared away the trees, tille<l the 
gnjund, sowed and reaped the abundant 
harvests and reared the children who 
came to cheer their loneliness. On this 
farm, wrested from the wilderness by in- 
cessant toil, Jacob Gabel, Sr. , lived his 
long life, dying in 1S72, at the advanced 
age of eighty-nine years, five months and 
some days. The mother passed away in 
1866, at the ripe age of eighty-two years. 

To this worthy couple were born six 
children — three sons and three daughters 
— all of whom lived to a goodly age: 
Joseph, a farmer in I^allville township. 
Sandusky county, who lived to be eighty- 
two years old; Michael, who followed 
farming in Jackson township, and died 
when si.\ty-two years old; Jacob, our sub- 
ject; Catharine, who married Louis 
Schutz, and resided in Ballville township, 
where she died at the age of si.xty; Eliza- 
beth, who married George Rimmelspach- 
er, and Magdalena. wife of Adam Bien- 
sack. 

Jacob Gabel. the subject of this 
sketch, grew up on his father's farm, and 
at the age of twenty-three was married to 
Miss Magdalena Durr. who was born 
January 20, 1826, in Wurtemburg, Ger- 
many, and came to this country when 
twelve years old. making her home in 
Ottawa county. Their marriage took place 
in I-'remont, Nfay 12. 1845. and the 
young couple took up their abode with the 
father of our subject, where they resided 
until the death of the fornier. A large 
family, eleven children in all. was born 
to this estimable couple, and on February 
13. 1876. the beloved wife and mother 
passed away, leaving behind her a most 
gracious memory of a loving and well- 
spent life. The follcwing brief record is 
given of the children of Mr. and Mrs. 
Gabel: (1) Catherine, born May 8, 1846, 
married Joseph Dolweck. and lives in 



106 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



'Ottawa county, this State; she is the 
another of six children — Clara (who mar- 
ried Fred Bauer; they reside in Cleveland 
and have one child, Helen), Lena, Jacob, 
John, Frank and Alpha. (2) Peter, born 
October 25, 1847, niarried and living in 
Fremont, has seven children — Rosa, 
Anna, Katie, Mamie, Alois, Herman and 
Estella. (3) Caroline, born May 22, 
1850, married John Busold, and lives in 
Fremont; they have had four children, 
of whom the following are living: Rosa, 
Frances and Lidwina. (4) Jacob, born 
November 20, 1852, is married, and lives 
in Jackson township; his children are 
seven in number: Henry, Ella, Minnie, 
Edward, Herman, Max and Clara. (5) 
Mary, born March 3, 1855, married 
Joseph L. Fegelist, lives in Bellevue, and 
has three children — Ervin, Leander, and 
Oliver. (6) Charley, born April 21, 
1857, lives in Jackson township, and has 
had four children — Frances, Lucy, Leo, 
and Hedwig (deceased). (7) Frank, born 
May 25, 1859, lives in Fremont, and has 
four children — Lidwina, Alphonse, Oscar 
and Olive. (8) Louis, born May 28, 1 861, 
lives in Jackson township, and has four 
children — Ida, Roman, Cletus and Clem- 
ent, thelatter two being twins. (9) John 
S., born June 23, 1864, lives in Jackson 
township, and has three children — Flo- 
rine, Walter and Bernard. (10) Albert, 
born September 29, 1866, lives in Jack- 
son township, and has one child — Anna. 
(11) William, born September i, 1870, was 
educated in the Ohio Normal University, 
and subsequently clerked in the drug 
store of Thomas & Grund, in Fremont, 
after which he accepted the position 
which he now holds, that of bookkeeper 
in the First National Bank of Fremont. 
He is a Democrat, and an active member 
of the Young Men's Sodality of St. Jo- 
seph's Church. 

Jacob Gabel, the father of this inter- 
esting family, has for fifty years been a 
successful farmer in Jackson township, 
where he now owns some 600 acres of 



land, accumulated by industr}' and econ- 
omy. He gives the credit for his success 
to his noble wife, who, he thinks, was the 
best woman in the world. After her 
death he could not bear the loneliness of 
country life, and came to Fremont, where 
he resides with his daughter Caroline. 
Although he has given up the care of his 
farm to his sons, he frequently goes out 
to it and looks after his interests there. 
He also owns a grocery store in Fremont, 
which is managed by one of his sons. 
In politics Mr. Gabel is a Democrat, and 
in religion a devout Catholic. His father 
was one of the founders of St. Joseph's 
Church in Fremont. The last years of 
his life are passing peacefully by in the 
society of his numerous children and grand- 
children, with the sustaining thoughts of 
a life well spent, and the hope of a glori- 
ous immortality. 



CALEB TAYLOR (deceased) was 
born in Mar3land, October 20, 
1800. His parents moved to Vir- 
ginia when he was a lad of seven 
years, and after living there two years 
located in Belmont county, Ohio, where 
they remained until 1828, in that year 
moving to Richland county, Ohio, 

In the spring of 1822 Caleb Taylor 
was united in marriage, in Belmont coun- 
ty, with Sarah Yost, who was born in 
that county, October 21, 1802. Her 
parents were of German ancestry. For 
nine years, or until 1837, Caleb Taylor 
worked at his trade of blacksmithing and 
also at farming, and in that year located 
in Sandusky county, Ohio, on an eighty- 
acre tract of timberland, the greater part 
of which he had cleared by the time of 
his death. He passed away on January 
12, 1 87 1, at the age of seventy-one j'ears. 
Mr. and Mrs. Caleb Taylor had eleven 
children, as follows: John, a carpenter, 
who married Barbara Shrively, and had 
six children; Elizabeth, who married Eli 
Reeves, a retired carpenter of Gibsonburg, 



COXUBMORATTVE BIOORAPmCAL RECORD. 



107 



Ohio; Lydia, who livos in Oregon, mar- 
ried to Christian Rhcinhart, by whom 
she had five children; Ben, who died in 
1864 in the war of the Rebellion; Will- 
iam, who died at the age of seventeen; 
George, who died in Michigan June 12, 
1893, at the age of sixty years; J. B., a 
resident of dibsonburg, Sladison town- 
ship, who married Cynthia Campbell, and 
has had two children; Enoch, born April 
I, 1837; Hannah, who married Eli Khein- 
hart, a farmer of Indiana; Mary J., who 
married James Wells, a weaver, and lives 
in Hradncr, Wood Co., Ohio; and Aaron, 
who died in infancy. Mrs. Taylor is still 
living, at the advanced age of ninety- 
two, having her home with her daughter 
at dibsonburg part of the time, and on 
the old homestead. She has for the 
greater part of her life been a devout 
member of the German Baptist Church. 

Enoch Taylor, a son of Caleb Taylor, 
always lived at home, excepting the time 
he was in Steuben county, Ind., where he 
bought forty acres of land on which he 
lived two years. On December i, 1864, 
he was united in marriage with Elizabeth 
Rheinhart, who was born June 4, 1844, 
and they have had five children, namely: 
Martha A., who died young; L. C, a 
school teacher in Gibsonburg. Madison 
township, who received most of his school- 
ing at the district school, attended school 
one term at Angola, Ind., and one at 
Fostoria, Ohio (he married Eliza Schnei- 
der); George W.. born January 29, 1875, 
who works at home; Mary E., born March 
31, 1877; and Orphia. born March 28, 
1883. Mrs. Taylor's parents. Christian 
and Barbara Raymer* Rheinhart, were 
natives of Pennsylvania. 

In 1863 Enoch Taylor took his father 
to a railroad station, and on their return 
home the team became frightened and ran 
away, throwing him out and fracturing 
his right shoulder, which injury has caused 
him a great deal of inconvenience in later 
years. In 1876. by a kick from a horse 
in the forehead, his skull was fractured, 



and he was picked up for dead, but after 
two months he was able to get around 
again. Since then his eyesight has been 
impaired. He has always worked hard 
from his youth, and since the death of 
his father has had charge of the old 
homestead. 



DAVID GARN. Jr. The entrance 
of the darn families into Wash- 
ington township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, dates back as early as 1834. 
They have been widely and favorably 
known as enterprising farmers and busi- 
ness men, and the parents of our subject 
were among the early pioneers of the 
Black Swamp. 

David Garn, Jr., the subject of this 
sketch was born June 3, 1846, in Wash- 
ington township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, a 
son of David Gam and NIargaret fickes) 
Garn, the former of whom died in Feb- 
ruary, 1S48. David Gam's earlier edu- 
cational advantages were limited, but he 
afterward attended the high school at 
Fremont two terms; Normal school at 
Milan. Ohio, two terms; and business 
college at Oberlin, Ohio, one term. He 
was a Union soldier in the war of the 
Rebellion, having enlisted at Fremont, 
Ohio, May 2, 1864, in Company G, One 
Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment, O. V. 
I., and served four months at Fort Ethan 
Allen, Virginia, where he suffered from 
sunstroke and camp-fever. On Septem- 
ber 4, 1864. he was honorably discharged 
at Cleveland, Ohio. He was a member of 
Eugene Rawson Post, No. 32, G. A. R., 
at Fremont. Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. 
David Garn. Sr. , were born children as 
follows: Sarah, wife of Daniel Swickard; 
Daniel, who was a member of Company K, 
One Hundred and Sixty-ninth O. \. I. 
(he married Miss Hattie King, and their 
children are — Ella, Mary, William, .Albert, 
Edward, Samuel); Mary, wife of Michael 
Weible, farmer of Sandusky township 
(they had one child, who with parents are 



108 



COMMEMOBATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RE COED. 



all deceased); Isaac, a commission mer- 
chant, of Vinton, Iowa, born February 

9, 1 84 1, married to T. C. Mitchell, daugh- 
ter of Jacob Mitchell (Isaac was a mem- 
ber of Company G, One Hundred and 
Eleventh O. V. I); Alexander, born July 

10, 1843, was a soldier in the Civil war, 
in Company I, Seventy-second Regiment 
O. V. I., and died near Memphis, Tenn. ; 
David, Jr., is the subject of our sketch. 

David Garn, Jr., was married in San- 
dusky county, January 20, 1884, to Miss 
Anna Hoffman, who was born August 10, 
1864, at Hagerstown, Md., a daughter of 
Jacob and Johanna (Lesher) Hoffman. 
Their children are: Firm, born December 
10, 1884; Ray, born January 3, 1886; 
David, born June 10, 1887; Leo, born 
February 6. 1895. Mr. Garn is a mer- 
chant at Helena, Ohio, and has held the 
office of notary public and of postmaster 
since 1885. He previously held the 
offices of precinct assessor, school direc- 
tor and clerk of the board of public 
schools for eleven years. 



WILSON DWIGHT (deceased) 
was a son of Josiah and Abigail 
(Fish) Dwight, and was born 
June I, 1 8 19, upon a farm near 
Cincinnatus, New York. 

When seventeen years of age he came 
to Huron county, Ohio, where he rented 
land and engaged, in his own behalf, in 
agricultural pursuits. One year later his 
father's family also came to Huron coun- 
ty, purchased a farm, and Wilson made 
his home with them until he had passed 
his twenty-seventh birthday anniversary, 
when he wedded Electa Osterhout. To 
this union came four children, viz. : 
Charles G. , who died when eight years of 
age; Jennie M., deceased wife of James 
Swisher; Emma L. , wife of William Lev- 
ering, a contractor, of Findlay, Ohio; and 
Flora Bell, wife of Lester Wilson, an at- 
torney at law of Fremont, Ohio. 

Shortly after his marriage, Mr. Dwight 



moved to La Grange county, Ind., and 
purchased a farm upon which he resided 
for three years, when he sold out and re- 
turned to Ohio, buying a farm in Groton 
township, Erie county. Here he made 
his home until 1873 when he removed to 
Clyde, Ohio, and purchased a splendid 
home where his widow now resides. 
During the twenty-two years of his resi- 
dence in Clyde, although he lived a quiet 
life and gave little attention to business 
other than a general supervision of his 
farm, he came to be universally known as 
a man of kind and accommodating dis- 
position, and the personification of honesty 
and integrity. He passed away June 6, 
1895, and was laid to rest in the beauti- 
ful McPherson cemetery, adjoining the 
village. 



DAVID R. RUSSELL, who in his 
lifetime was an honored citizen of 
Riley township, Sandusky count}", 
was born November 23, 1855, in 
Castalia, Erie Co., Ohio, and is a son of 
Alonzo and Sarah (Baker) Russell, both 
also natives of Ohio, the father born in 
Erie county, April 8, 1823, the mother 
in Castalia, Erie Co., Ohio, March 28, 
1829. They were married August 28, 

1848, and were the parents of eight chil- 
dren as follows: Sophronia, born in 

1849, and now living in Erie county, 
Ohio, was married to James Lemon, who 
died in 1881; Lafayette born in 1851, 
married Nettie Lemon, and the}' have 
two children (they live in Erie county); 
Mary, born in 1853, married George Rig- 
gel, and they have had four children 
(they live in Huron county, Ohio); David 
R. , is the subject of this sketch; Emma, 
born in 1857, married Eugene Zabst, and 
they have one child (they live in Bay 
City, Mich.); Frank, born in 1859, died 
at the age of eighteen years; George, born 
in 1 86 1, married Maud Upton, by whom 
he has four children (they live in Mis- 
souri); and Sarah, born in 1863, married 



COMMBMORATIi'E BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



100 



Hiram Harris, and has two children (they 
live in Miclii^^an). 

Aion/o Kussell when a yoiinfj man 
was employed by the day. After his 
marriajje he moved to Michigan, bought a 
farm there, lived on it for two years, and 
then seilinj^ it removc<l to Erie county, 
Ohio, where he worked four years for a 
man by the name of David Richmond. 
He saved his money and bought fifty 
acres of land, later purchasinj; sixty-five 
more. He died February 7, 1874. since 
when his widow has managed two farms. 

David K. Kussell. the subject proper 
of these lines, was raisetl by his parents, 
received a common-school education, and 
worked at home until his marriajje. On 
May 2, 1S82, he was wedded to Miss 
Harriet Livingstine. who was born April 
8. 1S63. in Sanilusky county, and five 
children have blessed their union, as fol- 
lows: Sadie May, born March 7. 1883; 
Charles David, born February 9, 1883; 
Rosa Harriet Gertrude, born I'obruary 2, 
1887; Clara Catherine, born November 
12. 1 888; and John Robert, born Sep- 
tember 5. 1891. Of these children. Sadie 
May died January 17, 1895. aged eleven 
years, ten months and ten days. The 
father. David R. Russell, departed this 
life September 26, 1895. at the age of 
thirty-nine years, ten months and three 
days. He died, of enlargement of the 
spleen, at the home of his sister in West 
Bay City, Mich., whither he had gone for 
the benefit of his health, and his remains 
were brought back to his home by his fath- 
er-in-law, Charles Livingstine, and were 
laid to rest in the Scotch cemetery in Riley 
Riley township. Sandusky county. The 
services at the funerals of both father and 
daughter were comlucted by Rev. V. Feifler. 
in Grace Lutheran Church, at Fremont. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. 
David R. Russell settled in Riley town- 
ship, Sandusky county, her father having 
given her thirty-three acres of land there. 
In 1884 Mr. Russell bought thirty-five 
acres adjoining, paying for it at the rate 



of seventy-five dollars per acre. As did 
his father before him in political matters, 
he voted the Republican ticket, and he 
donoted liberally toward the support of 
the Lutheran Church. 



Gi:ORGE REYNOLDS, a retired 
farmer of Sandusky county, living 
in Ballville village, near Fremont, 
was born March 9, 1S17, in Essex 
count)', N. Y. , near Eli^abethtown, son 
of Daniel and Betsey (Adams; Reynolds. 
Daniel Reynolds was born near Sara- 
toga Springs, N. Y. In 1834 he migrated 
to Ohio with his son, George Reynolds, 
and settled in Lorain county, near Elyria, 
where he remained for some years. In 
the latter part of his life he removed to 
Ballville township, Sandusky county, on 
land now occupied by his son George, 
where he died at the age of sixty-six. the 
mother also passing away at the same 
age. Mr. Reynolds was a Whig in poli- 
tics, a descendant of an old Yankee family. 
There were eleven children born to him 
and his wife — Lyllis, George, Harry, 
Melissa, Ransom, Daniel, Rosetta, Phile- 
mon. Lucinda. Edgar and Rousseau — six 
of whom are still living. 

George Reynolds spent his youth and 
attended school in the State of New York. 
After coming to Ohio, he resided about 
five years in Elyria, and afterward re- 
moved to Fremont, settling in Ballville 
township, where he has resided on the 
same farm for fifty years. He has a tract 
of 145 acres of land under a high state of 
cultivation, lying on the east bank of the 
Sandusky river. Here, on F'ebruary 6. 
1844. he married Miss Maria Prior, who 
was born, November i, 1823, in Sandusky 
county, on their present farm. A brief 
record of their children is as follows: ,1) 
Chauncey. born October 17. 1844. mar- 
ried Miss Effie Bender, and they have two 
chiklren - George and Bessie. (2) Cyn- 
thia, born June 6. 1850, married T. L. 
Parker, and now resides with her parents 



110 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



(they have one child, Effie, who married 
James Hill, and has a daughter — Delia 
Irene). (3) Orrin, born May 23, 1855, 
was an attorney at law, and died at Fre- 
mont, Ohio, in 1879. (4) Delia, mar- 
ried R. W. Mitchener, and they have 
two children — Kent and Robert Don- 
nell. (5) Ransom, born May 15, 1859, is 
unmarried, and is living with his parents. 
All the married children were married on 
the home farm. Our subject is a Repub- 
lican in politics, and for about eight years 
has been a member of the M. E. Church, 
with which his wife has been united from 
childhood, she being the oldest living 
member of that organization in Fremont. 
Mrs. Reynolds is one of the old pioneers 
of Sandusky county, and can relate many 
incidents of early pioneer life. 



HON. SOLOMON W. REED.— 
Among the men of mark of Ottawa 
count}, and representative citizens 
of this section of Ohio, stands the 
gentleman whose name is here recorded. 
A native of Sandusky township, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, born February 9, 1840, 
he was there educated at the public 
schools, and also learned the trade of 
carpenter with his father, who was born 
about the year 18 10, in Pennsylvania, 
and died in 1869. The mother of our 
subject passed away on November 4, 
1895, s^t the age of seventy-seven years. 
This honored couple were the parents of 
fourteen children — seven sons and seven 
daughters. At the age of twenty-three 
3'ears our subject moved to Elmore, Ot- 
tawa county, where he has ever since, 
now a period of thirt3'-two years, been a 
highly-esteemed citizen. For one year 
he was engaged at his trade, and then 
embarked in lumbering and farming, bus- 
inesses he still carries on, in connection 
with which he is also interested in the 
manufacture of staves and headings. In 
1870 Mr. Reed appraised the real estate 
of Harris township to the unqualified sat- 



isfaction of all concerned, thus establish- 
ing a recognition of his adaptability for 
positions to which good judgment is an 
importance essential. In iS92the "oil 
boom " reached Elmore, and our subject 
at once embarked in that speculation, and 
he has since put down fifteen wells, most 
of which are producing. In 1893 he 
purchased of Caleb Klink the Elmore 
Wagon and Carriage Factory, in which 
he placed the machinery for the manu- 
facture of heading, staves and lumber, 
and in his various businesses he now em- 
ploys an average of some seventy-five 
hands. In the year just mentioned he 
was appointed assignee for the Ottawa 
County Bank, located at Elmore. 

Mr. Reed, in his political proclivities, 
is an ardent supporter of Democratic 
principles, and in 1895, justly appreciat- 
ing his merits and abilities, that party 
placed him in nomination as representa- 
tive of Ottawa county for the Ohio State 
Legislature. On the 5th of November, same 
year, he was elected by a majority of 374 
over his opponent, Emery Thierwechter, 
of Oak Harbor, which in itself is substan- 
tial enough evidence of his popularity. 

In i860 Hon. S. W. Reed was united 
in marriage with Miss Emma Hetrick, 
daughter of George and Catherine Het- 
rick, and to this union have been born 
eight children, to wit: Saloma (Mrs. John 
Reber, of Elmore), William Lester (de- 
ceased, who for several years prior to his 
death was engaged with his father in 
business), EmbroT. (a farmer at Elmore), 
Franklin M. (in a lumber and stave busi- 
ness), Ella, Edwin E., Eva and Warrie 
W. The entire family enjoy the high- 
est esteem and regard of the community 
in which they live. 



EMBRA T. REED. Among the 
younger representatives of the ag- 
ricultural interests of Ottawa coun- 
ty is this gentleman, who was 
born on March 10, 1865, in Washington 



COMHEMORATirE BIOORAPnWAL RBCORD. 



Ill 



township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, a son of 
Solotnon Wilson and Etneline (Hetrick) 
Reed. The former was born in Wash- 
ington township about 1840, and his first 
business venture was the purchase and 
sale of horses which he secured for the 
Union army during the war of the Ke- 
belhon. In i860 he married Miss Het- 
rick, who was born in the same locality in 
1 838. and they became the parents of eight 
children — five sons and three daughters — 
seven of whom are now living; William 
Lester died in 1890 from an injury re- 
ceived several years before. 

The boyhood days of our subject were 
spent under the parental roof at Elmore, 
Ohio, and he there obtained his educa- 
tion. In 1884. at the age of nineteen, he 
started on a trip through the South and 
West, first going to Texas, thence to Cali- 
fornia, where he remained a year, and 
then on to Montana, returning to his Ohio 
home by the way of North Dakota. He 
continued with his father through the 
winter, and in the succeeding spring went 
to New Mexico and to Colorado, where 
for two years he was engaged in silver 
mining. On the expiration of that period 
he made his way to Oregon and Washing- 
ton, remaining in that section of the 
country for nine months when he again 
came to Ohio. 

On October 11. 1888. Mr. Reed was 
joined in wedlock with Miss Julia James. 
of Elmore, who was born in Harris town- 
ship, Ottawa county, January 21, 1867. 
She was educated in the district schools, 
and until her marriage remained at home 
with her parents. Her father, Orin James, 
was born in Sandusky county, Ohio, 
February 7, 1S32, and came to Ottawa 
county during his boyhood. He married 
Miss Mclvina Richards, who was born in 
Ottawa county in 1830, and died in 1873. 
Three children grace the union of our 
subject and his wife: Le Koy Trask, born 
July 28. i88y; Carl Ue Witt, born De- 
cember 28, 1892; and Arzella, born Sep- 
tember 23. 1894. For a year after his 



marriage Mr. Reed lived in Findlay, Ohio, 
engaged in the cooperage business. He 
then came to Harris township, Ottawa 
county, and took charge of one of his 
father's farms which he is still operating. 
He is also engaged in raising stock for 
the local trade, and is doing a good busi- 
ness. In his political views he is a Repub- 
lican. He and his wife hold membership 
with the Disciple Church of Elmore, and 
are highly-esteemed residents of his lo- 
cality, having many friends. He has the 
culture which travel brings, and many in- 
teresting incidents which he can relate of 
his journey make him an entertaining com- 
panion. 



CS. KEATING. Although he has 
long since passed his allotted 
three score years and ten, and 
has now entered his eightieth 
year, tliis well-beloved old gentleman of 
Clyde, Sandusky county, is at this writ- 
ing as erect in figure, as quick in action, 
as a man of half his years. His eye- 
sight is keen, and he is yet an active fol- 
lower of Nimrod and of Walton. Each 
summer he visits the haunts of noble 
game, and the favorite nooks of the trout 
and the muskallonge, while his pleasant 
home is adorned with numerous and 
valuable trophies of the chase. In this 
respect it resembles rather some old ba- 
ronial hall than a modern dwelling house, 
and for each trophy Mr. Keating has an 
interesting storj-. 

He was born in Main April 8, 18 16, 
son of John and Elizabeth (Mathews) 
Keating, both also natives of the "Pine 
Tree State." John Keating was a man 
of earnest convictions. About 1819 he 
with his wife and family made the long 
and tiresome journey by wagon from 
Maine to Ohio, settling near Zanesville, 
whore he farmed and followed the trade 
of millwright. In 1825 he moved to a 
farm in Clinton township, Seneca county. 
There was then but one frame house in 



112 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Tiffin. He cut a wagon road from Tif- 
fin to his little log cabin in the woods 
two and a half miles away, and soon 
after found employment as a ship carpen- 
ter at Sandusky, Huron and Fremont, 
following that trade for ten years or 
longer. He was also a Baptist minister, 
and preached the Gospel at frequent in- 
tervals from a sense of right, and not for 
emoluments, and each Sunday he made 
long trips on horseback through the mud 
and woods to fill these clerical appoint- 
ments. He had nine children as follows: 
John M., who died at the old homestead 
after marriage; Joseph, a boss ship- 
builder, who married and lived at Toledo, 
where he was accidentally killed at the 
age of fifty-six years; Edward and Ed- 
win, who both died young; Capt. A. C. 
Keating, of Clyde; C. S., subject of this 
sketch; Henry A., who lives on the 
pike below Clyde; George L., residing 
on the old homestead near Tiffin; Louisa, 
who married Elias Jackson, and is now a 
widow, living in Indiana (Mr. Jackson 
died several years ago); Elizabeth, mar- 
ried to Charles Sloat, now living in Cali- 
fornia; and one child who died in infancy. 

C. S. Keating grew to manhood on ; 
the pioneer farm in Seneca county, re- 
ceiving a scant education in the log school 
houses of that age. He paid for one 
term of instruction by chopping trees, 
and remembers that one tree which he 
tackled was too large for him, and he was 
obliged to call his father's assistance in 
felling it. He remained on the home 
farm till twenty-two j'ears of age, then en- 
tered the shipyard at Marblehead as car- 
penter; he followed this trade at Lorain, 
on the Black river, at Vermilion, Huron 
and Fremont, for about two years. On 
December i, 1839, he was married to 
Miss Olive E. Butler, born near Rock- 
land, Maine, August 29, 1822, a distant 
relative of Ben. Butler. She is the daugh- 
ter of Brackett and Nancy (Mathews) 
Butler, the former of whom was of En- 
glish ancestry, and by his wife Nancy had 



five children, as follows: Myra, wife of 
Samuel Russ, of Boston, Mass. ; Lucj', 
who died at Clyde, the wife of Gilbert 
Perry; Olive; Marie, wife of Charles Brad- 
bury; Amanda, now Mrs. Boston, of Bos- 
ton, Mass. Mrs. Butler died in 1827, 
and Mr. Butler married again, b}- his sec- 
ond marriage rearing a family; he died in 
Indiana. Olive met her future husband 
while visiting in Ohio. Mr. Keating be- 
gan housekeeping at Hedges Springs, 
Seneca county. He lived there six years, 
and followed his trade of ship carpenter 
at Fremont as well. He also cleared up 
some land in Adams township, Seneca 
county, and farmed there for several 
years; then bought timber land on the 
pike below Clyde, paying $14 per acre, 
and selling it for $80 per acre during the 
Civil war. At the close of the war he 
bought another farm. He lived on the 
place about six 3'ears, then moved to 
Clyde, where he now resides. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Keating were born four children, 
a brief record of whom is as follows: (i) 
Joseph B., born July 8, 1841, was edu- 
cated in the Clyde schools and in a Com- 
mercial College at Cleveland, followed 
railroading and, subsequently, the jewelry 
business; he died at Huntington, Ind., 
February 25, 1889, leaving two children 
— Laura and Truman. (2) Alice K., the 
widow of William Weaver, is an in- 
structor in the public schools at Hunting- 
ton, Ind. (3) Russ, born October 29, 
1853, is a traveling salesman at Fond du 
Lac, Wis , for the Diebold Safe & Lock 
Co. ; he is married and has one child — 
Charles. (4) Walter L. , born January 
17, 1859, engaged in the safe business at 
La Crosse, Wis., is married and has one 
child — Florence. Mr. and Mrs. Keating 
celebrated their golden wedding in 1889. 
Mrs. Keating is an active member of the 
Methodist Church, and an earnest worker 
in the temperance cause. Her father was 
a Baptist from boyhood, and was a leader 
in the Church choir, having a cultured 
voice. 



OOMMKMOHATiyE BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



118 



Mr. Keating has not yet lost his keen 
zest f(jr the gun ;ind fishing rod. He at- 
tributes his well-preserveil eyesight and 
his unimpaired vitahty, not so much to 
his hardy physique as to the excellent 
care he has taken of himself. The tro- 
phies of his skill which adorn his home 
recall the lines of Walter Scott, in "The 
Lady of the Lake:" 

Here jjrins tin- wolf a.s when lie dieil. 
There haii).;.- the wild cat's brindled hide. 
And all around, the walls to tfr.ice, 
Han^ trophies of the fi)fht and chase. 

In the year 1852 Mr. Keating became 
a I'ree Mason at Clyde, Ohio, joining 
Monticello Lodge No. 244. In politics 
he is non-partisan, with a predilection 
toward the Republican party. Convic- 
tion and principle dominate his ballot as 
well as his religion, and his relations to 
his fellow men. He is a genuine-hearted 
man, held in highest esteem by all who 
know him. 



JOHN L. LEV I SEE is one of the 
comparatively few men born so far 
back as 1809. He is the oldest man 
in and one of the earliest pioneers of 
Tovvnsend township, Sandusky county, 
having located there on October 29, 1 83 1 . 
His parents were Aaron and Anna (Lyon) 
Levisce. 

James Levisee, his paternal grand- 
father, was born in Connecticut, and went 
from there to New Jersey. He had two 
sons: Aaron Levisee, born in New Jersey, 
July 9, 1774, and John. During their 
younger days these brothers followeil the 
sea. While their vessel was lying off the 
coast of South America, a number of the 
crew were stricken with yellow fever, in- 
cluding the brothers, Aaron and John. 
When they reached New York, John died 
in the hospital there, but .Aaron survived, 
although all his hair fell out. leaving him 
entirely bald. In 1798 Aaron Levisee 
was united in marriage with Anna Lyon. 
win, was born in Massachusetts, and their 



children were: Almeda, born August i, 
1799; .Xvelina, June 21, 1801 ; Thankful. 
July 15, 180?; Eliza Ann, May 6, 1806; 
John L. and Sarah L. , July 4. 1809; two 
who died in infancy; Sophia, born Feb- 
ruary 14, 1815; Emma, born March 24. 
1818; and .\arnn Hurton, born .March 18. 
1821. Of these, the survivors arc: John 
L. , the subject of this sketch; Emma, 
widow of William Fuller, of Townsend 
t<jwnship, Sandusky township; and .\. H. 
Levisee, of Clyde, Green Creek town- 
ship, Sandusky county. Aaron Levisee, 
Sr., died June 18, 1828. in Allen, Alle- 
gany coimty, N. Y. ; his widow died in 
1S45. Mrs. Levisee was a daughter of 
Thomas and Thankful Lyon. 

John L. Levisee was born in Charles- 
ton, Ontario Co. (since Lima, Livingston 
Co.), N. Y. , on the east bank of the Gen- 
esee river, and went with his parents to 
Allegany county in 182^. .At the age of 
twenty-two he left his native State to 
make him a home in the unbroken wil- 
dernessof northern Ohio. His mother and 
the other members of the family came in 
the following year. Of these sturdy pio- 
neers, it could well be said: "There 
were giants in those days" — giants in en- 
durance, strength and courage. Here 
Mr. Levisee worked for five years, clear- 
ing and preparing a tract of land. At the 
end of that time he was united in mar- 
riage with Diana Stanley, who \sas born 
in Jefferson county, N. Y., October 25, 
1810. They have the following named 
children: Sarah, born May 5, 1838; .Anna, 
July 28, 1840; Elizabeth, October 27, 
1842; Eliza, August 18, 1844; Mary Jane. 
October 23, 1846; Civilia, January 30. 
1849; David. November 21, 1850; and 
Chauncey, May 23, 1855. Mrs. Levisee 
was a ilaughter of .Asa and Anna Stanley, 
of York township. Sandusky county, and 
was a member of the Methodist Church; 
her death occurred July 4, 1835. 

On November 15, 1866, Mr. Levisee 
again married, taking for his second wife 
Mrs. Statira E. (Cable; Reynolds, who 



114 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL BECOBD. 



was born in Lorain county, Ohio, June 7, 
1830, a daughter of Shubael and Ehza- 
beth Reynolds, and thej' had two chil- 
dren: Francis A., born August 12, 1868, 
and Willie, born July 12, 1870, and died 
December 14, 1870. In his younger days 
Mr. Levisee worked somewhat at the 
carpenter trade. He lives on the farm, 
which he cleared over sixty years ago, but 
retired from the active supervision of the 
place several years since, and his son 
Chauncey now has the management. Mr. 
Levisee is a Republican in politics, and 
in Church connection is a Universalist. 



FJ. WHITTEMORE, M. D., a 
prominent and leading physician 
and surgeon of Clyde, Sandusky 
county, was born in Massachu- 
setts, January 15, 1831. In the Willis- 
ton Seminary of East Hampton, Mass., 
he was prepared for college, after which 
he entered the New York University, 
where his literary education was com- 
pleted, graduating in the class of 1851. 
Later he became a student in the med- 
ical department of the same university, 
where he received the degree of M. D. 
In Plymouth, Conn., he began the prac- 
tice of his chosen profession, and re- 
mained there for ten years — the follow- 
ing years in New Haven, Conn., until 
about four years ago, when he came to 
Ohio, leaving his son, a skillful physician, 
in charge of his extensive practice. He 
belongs to the Allopathic school, and in 
New Haven did a general practice; but 
since coming to the Buckeye State has 
made a specialty of chronic diseases, and 
his practice has grown so rapidly that he 
has almost more than he can attend to. 
He has ever been a close student of his 
profession, and well deserves the liberal 
patronage which he receives. 

The Doctor is a son of Amos and 
Clara (Hamilton) Whittemore, both na- 
tives of Massachusetts, the former born 
at Spencer, the latter at Chester. The 



father began business as an agriculturist, 
but later became connected with railroad 
work, serving for many years as yard- 
master. He was of English descent, the 
great-grandfather of our subject coming 
from Wales at an early day, locating in 
New England, where the grandfather was 
born. The maternal grandfather, John 
Hamilton, came to the New World from 
Ireland, and during the Revolutionary 
war served as lieutenant in the Continen- 
tal army, which rank he was holding at 
the time of Burgoyne's surrender. The 
father of the Doctor was called from this 
life about 1862, at the age of seventy-six 
years; the mother passed away at the age 
of fifty-seven years. They left one son 
besides our subject — Louis W. , a resident 
of Hartford, Connecticut. 

At Plymouth, Conn., Dr. Whitte- 
more was united in marriage with Miss 
Fallah Terry (now deceased), daughter of 
Eli Terry, who made the first clock in this 
country, and was the first large manu- 
facturer of clocks in the United States. 
His father, a resident of Windsor, Conn., 
constructed the first wooden clock. To 
the Doctor and his wife have been born 
four children: (i) Dr. Frank H., a gradu- 
ate of Bellevue Hospital Medical College, 
New York, who also studied in Europe, 
and has succeeded to his father's prac- 
tice in New Haven, Conn. ; he is mar- 
ried and has one child — E. Reid. (2) 
William R. , who studied law, but is now 
traveling. (3) Clara, wife of Rev. E. 
Oakley, of Romeo, Mich.; they have three 
children — Frank, Ralph and Roy. (4) 
Lillie (now deceased), who married Charles 
L. Knapp, a manufacturer, of New York 
City; they made their home in Brooklyn. 
For his second wife Dr. Whittemore wed- 
ded, in 1887, Miss Alice J. Blackman, of 
New Haven, Connecticut. 

Although he has but lately come to 
Sandusky county, Dr. Whittemore has 
made many warm friends, and has secured 
a lucrative practice. He uses his right 
of franchise in support of the Republican 



COMMEMOliATlVB BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



115 



party; while in religious faith he belongs 
to the Congregational Church. He oc- 
cupies quite a prominent position among 
the medical fraternity and holds member- 
ships with the State Medical Association, 
and also with the Sandusky County Medi- 
cal Society. 



JAMES RAMAGE, postmaster at Gib- 
sonburg, Sandusky county, has been 
a resident of that city for about 
twenty-two years, and is held in the 
highest esteem by his fellow citizens. He 
is now holding the office of postmaster 
for the second time, having been ap- 
pointed under Cleveland's first adminis- 
tration, and again under his present one. 
Abner Kaniage. the father of our sub- 
ject, was born in Fayette county, Penn., 
and came to Ohio, settling in Holmes 
county in 1823, where he carried on 
farming. He was born in 1800 and died 
in 1 86 1. He was married in Holmes 
county to Mi.ss Susannah Custer, who 
was born in Leesburg, Penn. , and was 
a full cousin of Gen. Custer, who was 
massacred by the Indians on the Little 
Hig Horn, during the Indian troubles in 
the West some years ago. Mrs. Ramage 
was about fifty years old at the time of 
her death. She was the mother of ten 
children, of whom our subject is the eld- 
est, the others in the order of birth be- 
ing as follows: Mary, who married John 
Malone, is deceased; Sarah, who married 
a Mr. Mitchell, is also deceased; John J. 
lives in Delaware county, this State (he 
enlisted, at the commencement of the war 
of the Rebellion, and served all through 
the struggle, receiving a severe wound in 
the hip; he went to the front as orderly 
sergeant, and returned as second lieuten- 
ant; he was with Sherman on his march 
to the sea. On his return home he 
sened two terms as county auditor of 
Delaware county, Ohio/. Elizabeth died 
in youth; George is a practicing physician 
at Jennings, La. (he was an assist- 



ant surgeon through the war); William 
lives in Memphis. Tenn. ; Delila married 
M. J. \'anSsvearengen. and lives in Illi- 
nois; Lydia died when sixteen y^ars old; 
Hampton lives in Findlay, this State. 
The Kamagcs are of French descent, 
and were early pioneers in America. The 
Custers are of Pennsylvania-Dutch stock. 

James Ramage grew to manhood in 
Holmes county, this State, in his boyish 
da_\s attending the common schools which 
were held in log schoolhouses. with 
puncheon floors, greased paper for win- 
dows, and slab seats and desks. He 
worked on his father's farm until twenty- 
eight years of age. in the meantime, when 
twenty-five years old. marrying Miss 
Christma Mills, who was born in Tu.sca- 
rawas county, Ohio, in 1831, and died in 
1886. This worthy couple were the par- 
ents of nine children, as follows: Eliza- 
beth, now the widow of S. C. Bevington. 
and living with our subject (she has two 
children — Elsie and Floyd); .•Kbner N., 
who died when seven months old; Joseph, 
who died when three ^ears old; Ida. de- 
ceased at the age of two years; Elmer, who 
died when about ten months old; John, 
unmarried and living at home; Alice, now 
the wife of P. A. Rust (they have two 
children — Florence and Dewitt); Hattie, 
who died when nineteen years old; and 
Rena. at home. 

The subject of this sketch learned the 
carpenter's trade in Holmes county when 
he was twenty-eight years of age, and 
followed that occupation until 1 861. He 
then entered the dry-goods business at 
Middletown. Holmes county, and carried 
same on for four years, when he sold out 
an<i went to Mansfield, this State, work- 
ing at his trade for about four years. In 
1873 he came to Gibsonburg, at the time 
the Pennsylvania railroad was being 
built, and has worked at his trade most of 
the time except when acting as postmas- 
ter. Mr. Ramage has always been a 
stanch Democrat, and has been active in 
promoting the interests of his party. In 



116 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



religious faith, he has been a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church for about 
thirty years; socially, he belongs to the 
I. O. O. F. , and is a member of the 
Masonic lodge, at Genoa. 



FRED CURTISS. The annals of 
the lives of some men read more 
like a romance than sober history, 
on accout of the adventurous turn 
of their mind, and the circumstances un- 
der which they have lived, causing them 
to roam from place to place. Among these 
is the gentleman whose name introduces 
this sketch , and who is engaged in the 
grocery business in Clyde, Sandusky coun- 
ty. In Green Creek township, that coun- 
ty, he was born September i6, 1855, and 
is a son of Charles and R. J. (Hurd) Cur- 
tiss. 

Tradition has been more often con- 
sulted and relied upon than recorded 
facts, and as a consequence the English 
origin of the Curtiss family — like Homer's 
birth-place — has many locations. It is 
believed that our subject is descended 
from the Curtiss family of Stratford, 
Conn., who are known to have lived there 
in 1658, as the record shows, and were de- 
scended from William Curtiss, the founder 
of the family in America being one of the 
passengers on board the ship "Lion," 
which arrived in Boston harbor, Sunday 
evening, September 16, 1632. The pa- 
ternal grandfather of Fred was born in 
New York State, and came to Ohio at an 
early day, locating in Sandusky county, 
where his son Charles was born; but the 
former, who bore the name of Benjamin 
Curtiss, died when his son was a mere 
child. The mother again married, and 
the son was reared by his uncle, James 
Cleveland. After his marriage the father 
of our subject settled on the farm near his 
uncle, and after clearing up this tract he 
sold and bought the old homestead in 
Townsend township, Sandusky county, 
whese he engaged in farming, but later 



became a merchant of Clyde, and was 
thus engaged until the time of his disap- 
pearance. He had been unfortunate in 
business, and those who knew him best 
assert that he was swindled by his part- 
ners. He took the matter deeply to 
heart, and one day, saying he was going 
hunting, he started out with his gun and 
was never heard of afterward. His fate 
will doubtless always be an unrevealed 
mystery. This occurred when our sub- 
ject was only five years old, and his 
mother was left with five helpless chil- 
dren and only five dollars of visible means 
for their support. She was born in San- 
dusky county, and is still living at the age 
of sixty-six years. 

The family comprised (i) Benjamin, 
who, at the age of fourteen years, enlisted 
in the United States army. His mother 
afterward secured his release on the 
grounds of his minority, but as he was 
anxious to go into the field he re-enlisted 
for actual service, which he experienced 
until the close of the war, after which he 
came home on a visit. He then went to 
the Pacific coast where he remained 
twenty-two years, most of the time being 
in the employ of the government, but for 
the past few years he has been in the 
timber business. (2) Frank, who also 
served in the regular army, subsequently 
secured a position with the government, 
hauling supplies to the great Northwest. 
He became a hunter and trapper of Wash- 
ington and Idaho, and in the latter State 
was married, but he now resides in Seneca 
county, Ohio. (3) Fred is next in order of 
birth. (4) Mary is the wife of Robert Foster, 
of Townsend township, Sandusky county. 
(5) Ada, who lives in London, Ohio, is 
the wife of George J. Holgate. As the 
mother was unable to support the family, 
the boys were obliged to go among strang- 
ers as soon as they were able to earn their 
clothes and board, and consequently the 
early life of Fred Curtiss was not a very 
pleasant one. At an early age he began 
peddling fruit on the cars and around the 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



117 



depot, after which he drove milk wagon, 
ice wapoii and dray, and later became 
brakenian fur the Lake Shore & Miclii- 
gan Southern railroad. On quitting that 
occupation he worketl for one season on 
the farm of Wiliiain McPherson, a brother 
of Gen. McFherson, and for a while lived 
with the General's mother, working during 
the winter for his board and being allowed 
to attend school, while during the sum- 
mer season he was employed in a brick 
yard. 

On attaining the age of nineteen years, 
after a series of trials and vicissitudes, 
Mr. Curtiss determined to act on Horace 
Greely's advice to "Go West" and grow 
up with the country- Accompanied by 
an old friend, he accordingly started for 
Wisconsin, and on arriving in New Lis- 
bon, that State, he secured employment 
in a dry -goods store, where he remained 
six months. He then went to Minnesota, 
and thence to Iowa, but found no per- 
manent employment. At Siou.x City, 
Iowa, he engaged with the captain of a 
steamboat to work his passage still 
farther west. He stood the life of a 
" roustabout " until he reached I'ort Ran- 
dall, whence he proceeded to Yankton, 
S. Uak., and later went to V'ermillion, in 
the same State. On reaching the latter 
place he had but twenty-five cents re- 
maining, and employment was a neces- 
sity. While looking around, to his great 
surprise he met Frank Haywood, the 
friend whom he had left in Wisconsin. 
Through that gentleman he soon found 
employment in a brickyard, where he re- 
mained until securing a better position in 
a sawmill up the river, where he received 
$2.00. On leaving that place he went to 
Nebraska, thence to Missouri, and still 
later we find him in Kansas, where he 
went to work as a stock drover, remain- 
ing there until shipping time in the fall, 
when he came East with the stock. 

On returning home Mr. Curtiss be- 
gan work with J. L. Ames, a farmer of 
Sandusky county, with whom he remained 



for four or five years, after which he be- 
gan railroading again as brakeman. On 
giving up his position he was employed by 
his uncle, T. P. Hurd, of Clyde, until he 
started in business for himself. He 
opened his present store in 1886, where 
he carries a full and complete line of 
staple and fancy groceries, and has now 
the largest trade of any dealer of the 
kinil in the city. 

In 1885 Mr. Curtiss wedded Miss 
Catherine Mulchy, a native of Sandusky 
county, where thej- are both widely and 
favorably known. He holds membership 
with the Masonic Fraternity, belonging 
to the Blue Lodge, Clyde, and is also a 
member of the Knights of Pythias. As a 
man and citizen he is respected and es- 
teemed by the community in which he 
lives, and enjoys the regard and confi- 
dence of all who know him. He is now 
serving as director of the First National 
Bank. Politically he votes with the Dem- 
ocratic party. 



JACKSON TINNEY (deceased) was 
born in Niagara county. N. Y. , June 
15, 1832. and died at Greensburg, 
Ohio, June 24, 1891. His father, 
Stephen Tinney, was a native of Massa- 
chusetts, and his mother, Julia Scott, was 
born in New York. When Jackson was 
only one year old his parents moved to 
Lenawee county, Mich., where they 
remained six years, thence removing to 
Ohio, and settling in Scott township, 
Sandusky county, in the spring of 1839. 
where the family has since resided. He 
was the third son in a family of four chil- 
dren. 

On Jidy 4, 1S63, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Sarah Inman, daugh- 
ter of William Inman, one of the pioneer 
settlors of Scott township; as a result of 
this union two children have been bom — 
one son and one daughter. His wife and 
children survive him. His worth as a citi- 
zen was appreciated, as is shown by the 



118 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



fact that he was several times elected 
township clerk, while in 1890 he served 
as appraiser of the real estate of Scott 
township, to the great satisfaction of the 
public and with credit to himself. He 
was a man of honesty and upright char- 
acter. On the day before his death he 
worked as usual in the field, but in the 
evening complained of feeling ill, and took 
some home remedies, thinking he would 
feel better in the morning. About mid- 
night he rapidly grew worse, and died 
early Wednesday morning of heart di- 
sease before a physician could be sum- 
moned. His health failed about one year 
before his death when he had an attack 
of the "grip," from which he never re- 
covered. He died June 24, 1891. His 
funeral occurred on Friday following his 
death from the M.,E. Church, of Greens- 
burg, the services being preached by Rev. 
S. Kaiser, of Gibsonburg, the text se- 
lected being Matthew vi: 25. The inter- 
ment was made in Metzger Cemetery. 

Mrs. Tinney, widow of our subject, 
was born at Fremont, March 7, 1841. 
When she was a child her parents came 
to Scott township, where her father 
cleared a farm and made a home for him- 
self and family. For fourteen years he 
was assessor of Scott township, and was 
an esteemed citizen of the community in 
which he lived. Mrs. Tinney was edu- 
cated in the public schools of Scott town- 
ship. 

Alfred W. Tinney, the son of Jackson 
Tinney, was born May 7, 1864, on the 
farm where he now lives. He was edu- 
cated in the common schools of the town- 
ship, in the Fremont High School, and 
Normal at Ada. For several years he has 
been one of the most successful teachers 
of Sandusky county, and is pronounced 
by those who know him as one of the 
ablest young men of Scott township. In 
addition to his school work he carries on 
the old farm of his father as well as a 
small farm of his own. He is always 
found attending to his business, never hav- 



ing any time for the frivolous things of 
life. Cora, his sister, now Mrs. Kleinhen, 
was born August 8, 1868, and acquired a 
common-school education at home. She 
was married June 2, 1893, to Oscar Klein- 
hen, and they now live at Tinney; they 
have one child, Ida Loree, born August, 
1894. 



CAPTAIN WILLIAM J. LAUNDY, 
who now lives a quiet and peace- 
ful life on his well-improved farm 
near Green Spring, Sandusky 
county, after a thoroughly successful and 
prosperous career on the great inland 
lakes, is by birth an Englishman; but it 
would be difficult to find in this coun- 
try a native-born citizen more intensly 
patriotic than he. His ancestry were 
liberty-loving people, and Captain Laun- 
dy reveres the stars and stripes as the 
only flag to which he now owes any alle- 
giance. 

He was born in the county of Essex, 
England, April 26, 1842, and is a son of 
Henry and Sarah Ann (Fletcher) Laundy, 
people of Cambridgeshire, England, the 
former of whom was a gardener for Sir 
John Young. Grandmother Laundy was 
a preacher in the Friends Church in Eng- 
land, and in her old age wrote many 
letters to her descendants in America. 
The father of Henry Laundy was a re- 
ligious refugee in England from Germany. 
Sarah Ann Fletcher, wife of Henry Laun- 
dy, was an Episcopalian. When William 
J. was a small child his parents emigrated 
to Canada from England in a sailing 
vessel, the trip consuming eleven weeks. 
They located on the St. Lawrence river, 
nine miles below Kingston, thence, in 
1 86 1, removing to Huron county, Ontario, 
where they died at the ages of eighty- 
two and eighty-four respectively, eight 
days apart. Henry Laundy was an or- 
thodox Quaker, a strong anti-slavery man, 
and an active "agent" for the "under- 
ground railway." 



OOMMEHORArtVS BWOIiAPJIWAL llECOHD. 



119 



At the ajje of about twenty William 
J. crossed the border to the United States 
(or the express purpose of taking up arms 
in behalf of its national preservation. 
He expected to join his brother Fletcher, 
who was a meniberof an independent com- 
pany of Illinois cavalry: but before he 
reached him Fletcher had lost his health 
in military service, and strongly dissuaded 
William from enlistinfj. The latter, there- 
fore, went to Milwaukee, where, in 1S63, 
he went on the lakes. He commenced 
as a watchman, and worked up rapidly 
to the position of master, or captain, in 
which capacity he plied many years be- 
tween Huffalo and Chicago, being, all 
told, some twenty-three years on the 
lakes. In 1879 he had purchased his 
present farm, located close to Green 
Spring, Sandusky county, and when, in 
1883, he resigned his captaincj", he came 
to his fertile acres, and has been here 
ever since. 

In 1872 Capt. Laundy was married to 
Miss Deborah A. Rouse, who was born 
in Ottawa county, Ohio, December 20, 
185 1, youngest daughter of George La- 
throp and Mary (Knapp) Rouse, both of 
old New England stock, the former born 
in New York State September 18, 1809, 
the latter on September 13, 1818. They 
were married in Danbury township, Ot- 
tawa Co., Ohio, .\i>ril 27, 1838, and were 
early pif)neers of that county. Subse- 
quently they removed into the village of 
Marblehead, where Mr. Rouse was for 
many years engaged in general merchan- 
dising, and where he to some degree fol- 
lowed his trade of ship carpenter. He 
died May 26, 1853, and his widow sub- 
sequently married Robert Killey; she still 
lives at Marblehead. George L. and 
Mary Rouse were the parents of eight 
children, as follows: Sabra. born Jan- 
uary 8, 1839, married Dominick Barn- 
holt/er. and died July 22, 1895; Laura, 
born .August 3, 1S41, wife of John Bos- 
chen; Lucretia, born Januar)- 10, 1843, 
married James Fletcher, and died De- 



cember II, 1856; Betsy, born September 
24, 1844, married T. Sexton, and died 
March 20, 1864; George Lathrop, born 
June 17, 1846, lives near Grand Island, 
Neb.; Ida, born April 24, 1848, died un- 
married. May 26, 1894; Joseph, born 
July 30, 1850, died February 24, 1864; 
and Deborah. Robert and Mary Killey 
had three children, of whom Frances, 
born December 15, 1S55, and now the 
wife of Frederick Daily, survives. 

To William J. and Deborah Laundy 
three children were born, their names and 
dates of birth being as follows: Fannie, 
September 13, 1882; Mary, August i, 
1888; Luff, August 19, 1893. Capt. 
Laundy is a man of extensive information 
and broad and liberal views. He has 
been a great traveler, and his wide ex- 
perience in life has left upon his receptive 
mind deep impressions, thoroughly as- 
similated by his reflective faculties. His 
wife is a bright, sensible business woman, 
and the devoted couple have the universal 
esteem of the community in which they 
live. 



WILLIAM J. HAVENS. As a 
pioneer of the Black Swamp, a 
region lying between the San- 
dusky and Maumee rivers, ex- 
tending several miles on each side of a 
line drawn from Fremont to Perrysburg, 
and as one who has spent the greater part 
of a busy life in helping to subdue the 
dense forests, reclaim the marshes and 
change the once howling, malarial wilder- 
ness into one of the choicest and healthi- 
est garden spots of the Buckeye State, 
the subject of our sketch is well worthy 
of place in these pages. Having his resi- 
dence on the old parental homestead 
which he has so grandly improved and 
beautified, he is able to appreciate the 
marvelous changes which have taken 
place in this region within the last half 
centur)", and is worthy of the modest 
laurels of pioneer heroes. 



120 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



The grandfather of our subject was 
WilHam Havens, a farmer, hving in the 
State of New Jersey, who married a Miss 
Mackley, and about the year 1815 re- 
moved with his family of eight children 
to Franklin county, Ohio, and settled on 
Black Lick creek, about twelve miles 
east of Columbus. Here, after experi- 
encing the usual vicissitudes of pioneer 
life, he died in 1820; his wife passed 
away twenty years later. Their children 
were Mary, Thomas, Susan, John, Sarah, 
Henry, Martha and William, all now 
dead e.xcept William, who is eighty-one 
years of age. 

Henry Havens, the father of our sub- 
ject, was born in New Jersey, in 1809, 
and at the age of six years came with 
his father's family to Ohio. He grew 
up on the home farm in Franklin coun- 
ty, his educational advantages being 
very limited. In the fall of 1 831, having 
saved up his hard-earned money, he came 
to Sandusky county and entered 160 acres 
of government land in Section 10, Jack- 
son township, at $1.25 per acre. He 
was married the same year to Miss Sarah 
lams (daughter of Hugh lams, who died 
in 1837), and on March 10, 1832, moved 
upon his farm in the Black Swamp. The 
moving party were ten days on the way 
through the forests, being obliged to cut 
out their way as they went among logs 
and underbrush. They built a double 
log cabin in which they lived comfortably 
for twelve years, when they built a frame 
residence, and herein he resided until 
within one year of his death, which oc- 
curred in 1853, when he was aged forty- 
four years; his wife died in 185 i, at the 
age of thirty-eight. Their children were 
William J., Hugh, Birchard, Mahala, 
Ora and Mary J. Henry Havens was a 
highly-respected citizen, and held the 
office of justice of the peace in his town- 
ship for a term of years. He was one 
of the jurors in the first murder trial ever 
held in Lower Sandusky, known as the 
Sperry case. 



William J. Havens was born Decem- 
ber 13, 1833, in Jackson township. He 
received only a common-school education, 
but by reading and observation he has 
developed a broad and liberal intelligence. 
For many years he has been engaged in 
mixed farming, the raising of grain and 
live stock of superior quality, and at one 
time was the owner of over five hundred 
acres of land, only two hundred acres of 
which he now retains, having divided the 
remainder among his sons. He has given 
special attention to the breeding and fat- 
tening of fine hogs, while his farm is a 
model one in point of culture. Mr. 
Havens is a public-spirited citizen, and 
has held various offices of honor and trust 
in his community, such as land appraiser, 
town clerk, treasurer, trustee, and mem- 
ber of the board of education. In 1S63 
he enlisted in Company B, Fiftieth Regi- 
ment, Ohio Home Guards, became first 
lieutenant of his company, and in the fall 
of that year assisted in the guarding of 
Johnson's Island, in Sandusky Bay, where 
Rebel officers were confined as prisoners 
of war. In the spring of 1864, when 
Abraham Lincoln called on Ohio for 
troops, and Gov. Brough responded with 
40,000 Home Guards, Mr. Havens went 
with his regiment to Cleveland, Ohio, 
where, after consolidation with other 
companies, they were mustered into the 
United States service, and he took his 
place as first lieutenant of Company H, 
One Hundred and Sixty-ninth O. V. I. 
They were sent to the defense of Wash- 
ington, D. C. , and were also located four 
months at Fort Ethan Allen, Va., where 
Mr. Havens was taken down with malar- 
ial fever, which impaired his health and 
rendered him unfit for service. After 
returning with his regiment he resumed 
farming. Mr. Havens is a member of 
the Sandusky County Pioneer and Histor- 
ical Society, of Manville Moore Post, G. 
A. R., Fremont, and of the One Hundred 
and Sixty-ninth O. V. I. Regimental As- 
sociation. He is a Republican in politics. 



COltMEMORATlVE BIOORAPBJCAL RECORD. 



i2r 



and in religious affiliation is a member of 
the U. B. Church, with which he and his 
wife united in 18O8. 

On October i, 1852. William J. Hav- 
ens married Miss Ann M. Padcn. daufjhter 
of Alexander and Maria ReMisbur;;) Paden, 
who migrated from Maryland, where 
they were both born, the father in Hagers- 
town, the mother in Middletown. The 
children born to this union were George 
W. , who married Marcella Swickard, and 
has two children — Frank and Dora; Ann 
Rebecca, who married Jerome N'oorhies, 
and haii two children — Stella who dietl 
at the age of seven years) and Lula; John 
F.. who married for his first wife Ann 
Fry (by whom he had one child, Ida), 
and after her death weddeti Miss Fanny 
Winters, by whom he had four children; 
Charles, who married Miss Celiette War- 
ner, and has two children, Milo and Rus- 
sell; Frank, who married Avikia Winters, 
and whose children are Flavel. Robert, 
Essie, Ray. and one son unnamed; James, 
who died in Denver. Col., at the age of 
twenty years; two children who died in 
infancy; Emma Jane, who married C. C. 
Ritter. and has one child, \irgil; Orrviile. 
who married Miss Cora Fought, daughter 
of William Fought, of dibsonburg, Ohio, 
and whose children are Chattie and Orlie. 



SOLOMON S. WRIGHT, an hon- 
ored pioneer of Scott township. 
Sandusky county, was born in St. 
Lawrence county. N. Y.. August 
35. 1816, and died in Helena, Sandusky 
county. Ohio. June 5, 1892. 

He came to Ohio with his parents in 
1835, settling in Scott township, whore 
he resided until 1877, when he purchaseil 
a store in the village of Millersville. Mr. 
Wright, like his brother, settli-d in Scott 
township when it was comparatively a 
wilderness, and lived, not only to see it 
one of the best agricultural townships in 
Sandusky county, but helped to make it 
such, clearing and making for himself a 



good home, and an excellent start in life 
for his children. In 1856 he was married 
I to Miss Louesa Brownell. formerly of 
Rhode Island. Mr. Wright began his 
career as a merchant in the little village 
of Greensburgh (Tinney), in 1856. and 
the firm of S. S. Wright & Brother was 
well and favorably known throughout 
Sandusky and adjoining counties as one 
of the most substantial county general 
merchants in that part of the State. Mr. 
Wright was a man noted for his integrity 
and uprightness of character. He left a 
wife and two sons. His funeral services 
were held at his residence at Helena. 
June 7, 1892. the sermon being preached 
by Rev. Schumaker. of Tiffin, and the in- 
terment was made in Mctzgcr Cemetery. 
His wife. Louesa Brownell. was born 
October 12. 1837. in Rhode Island, and 
now makes her home near Fremont. 
Her father. Horace Brownell. was a na- 
tive of Rhode Island, born in 181 1. In 
1S30 he came to Ohio, bought a farm in 
Scott township, where he died June 10, 
1869. He was one of the pioneers of 
Scott township, making for himself and 
family a comfortable home from the 
wilderness where he first located. His 
wife was born in Rhode Island in 1813, 
and died at Gibsonburg. in February. 
1887. She was the daughter of Amasa 
and Debora (Ross) Harris, who were the 
parents of four children: Elias; Louesa. 
born October 12. 1837; Julia, born May 
15, 1842; and Mary, born October 12. 
1844. Louesa Brownell s ^^!rs. Wright 
paternal grandfather. George Brownell. 
was born alxiut 1786; his wife. Mary 
Bussey, was born about 1790. They 
had one child. Horace Brownell. Mrs. 
Wright's maternal grandmother. Debora 
Ross, was born about 1773. and was the 
mother of a large family. 

The children born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Solomon S. Wright are as follows: Silas 
E.. born January 22. 1857. completed 
his education in Fostoria Normal School, 
and has been associated with his father 



122 



COMMEMORATIVE BTOGBAPHICAL RECORD. 



in business at Millersviile; on December 
21, 1885, he was married to Anna Schu- 
maker, of Toledo; about 1S88 they left 
Millersviile and located on the farm where 
he now lives, and where he has erected a 
good house and outbuildings. Mr. Wright 
is a member of the I. O. O. F. , and politic- 
ally is a Democrat. To them have been 
born two children — Inez, born October 
18, 1886, and Martin, born January 9, 
1890. Mrs. Wright was born December 
3, 1864, in Toledo, where she was edu- 
cated, after which she learned dressmak- 
ing, which she followed until her marriage. 
She is the daughter of John C. and Mary 
Schumaker. Her father was born, Au- 
gust II, 1829, in Hanover, Germany; 
his wife was also born in the same place 
in 1833; they were married April i, 1853, 
and had a family of six children. Mrs. 
Wright's paternal grandfather was born 
in Germany in 18 14, as was also his wife, 
^bout the same year. 

W. R. Wright, the other son of S. 
S. Wright, was born January 19, 1864, in 
Scott township, where he received his edu- 
cation, and at nineteen years of age went 
into the livery business at Gibsonburg, 
after one year transferred his business to 
Millersviile, where he remained three 
years. He then sold out and settled on 
the farm where he now lives at Tinney. 
In 1889 he married Miss Louisa Snear- 
ing, of Fremont, who was born March 
2, 1865, in Sandnsky county; she was 
educated in Fremont, and afterward made 
a specialty of music under Prof. Dickin- 
son. For five terms Mrs. Wright was a 
teacher in the public schools of Sandusky 
county. Her father, Sophferia Snearing, 
was a fine linguist, writing and speaking 
fluently three different languages. He 
was born in France about 1830. In 1856 
he was married to Mrs. Nancy Miner, /u'e 
Nancy Stull, who was born in Reading, 
Penn., in 1829. Four children were born 
to them. Mrs. Snearing's parents were 
born in Germany, and moved to this 
country in 1827. 



GEORGE D. CLEVELAND, 
though still in the prime of life, 
has witnessed a wonderful trans- 
formation in the land about 
Clyde, Sandusk}' county, in the village 
itself, and in the conditions under which 
the people here live. 

He is the son of honored pioneers, 
James and Jeannette (Rathbun) Cleve- 
land, and was born in Green Creek town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohio, September 9, 
1838. In his youth Clyde was known as 
Hamer's Corners, and only a few build- 
ings were then grouped here. The old 
stage-coach lumbered lazily through the 
straggling village, stopping at the inn for 
refreshments, while the passengers dream- 
ed about the time when they might hope 
to reach their destination. There were 
then no railroads. ' The inhabitants had 
not the thrifty and bustling metropolitan 
airs of the present citizens, but the trans- 
position has been made, swift, it seems, 
as the shifting panorama. To one who 
has seen it all, as has George D. Cleve- 
land, the change has been almost magical. 
Clark Cleveland, Sr. , his grandfather, 
migrated with his wife, Jemima (Butler), 
and family early in the century, from Mount 
Morris, Livingston Co., N. Y. , to northern 
Ohio. He first settled in the forests of 
Huron county, and had made improve- 
ments, when he learned that his title to 
the land was not good. He then packed 
up his few household effects, and pene- 
trated deeper into the western wilderness, 
entering eighty acres of government land 
in Green Creek township, and there 
building his second pioneer cabin some 
time prior to 1822. Here he remained 
until his death, which occurred in 1S31, 
in his seventy-first year. The children 
of Clark and Jemima Cleveland were as 
follows: Abigail, who married Oliver Hay- 
den; Cozia, who married William Hamer; 
Moses; Sally, whose first husband was 
Benjamin Curtis, her second, AlpheusMc- 
Intyre; Clark, Jr., who married Eliza 
Grover, and left six children; Polly, who 



co.v.vE.voiiATrrf: BiooR.ipnrcAL record. 



123 



married Timothy Babcock; Betsy, who 
married Samuel Baker, and James. James 
Cleveland was born at Mount Morris, X. V. , 
March 14, 1S06, and migrated with his 
father to the pioneer home in northern 
Ohio. He remained with his father until 
his marriafje. March 3, 1S31, to Jeannette 
Kathbun, who was born in (icnesee coun- 
ty, N. v.. May 9, 181 5, daughter of Chap- 
lin and Lucinda (Sutliff) Kathbun, pio- 
neers of Green Creek township, Sand.usky 
county. At the time of his marriage 
James Cleveland had saved money enough 
to buy forty acres of land in Green Creek 
township, a part of the old Sawyer farm. 
For five years he was clearing and culti- 
vating the land. Then during one winter 
he rented, with his father-in-law, a saw 
and grist mill on Green Creek, several 
miles from the farm. He supported his 
family, and accumulated enough lumber 
to build a barn on his farm, and in the 
spring he returned to his farming opera- 
tions, and purchased some additional land. 
In 1S41 he took a contract to grade 
a half mile of the ^faumee and Western 
Reserve turnpike. He moved his family 
near the scene of the operations, and 
upon its completion five months later re- 
turned to the farm richer by $600, paid 
in "State scrip." A part of this he 
traded for building hardware, and erected 
a large frame dwelling in 1845. Mean- 
while he kept adding more acres to his 
now quite extensive farm. He was a 
sagacious, tireless, thrifty pioneer, and at 
the time of his death, which occurred 
September 1, 1878, he owned nearly 
4(X> acres of land, containing some of the 
best and most extensive improvements 
His wife, who survived 
1891, was a woman of 
and was in every sense 
ambitions and plans for 
She ably seconded his 
efforts to secure a competence that might 
support them in their declining years. In 
physique somewhat below the medium 
size, scarcely weighing 1 20 pounds in her 



in the county, 
until August 8. 
unusual energ)'. 
worthy of his 
advancement. 



' best days, she left nothing undone to ad- 
vance the interests of her family. When 
her husband was clearing up the farm 
she hauled the rails which he split 

! and made the fences with. Once, when 
help was scarce, she fastened her child 

I to her back by a shawl, and. thus burden- 
ed, she planted and hoed corn in the 
field. Her first calico dress she earned 
by picking ten quarts of wild straw- 
berries, and walking to Lower Sandusky, 
where she traded them at a shilling a 
quart for five yards af calico worth two 
shillings a yard. Few pioneer families 
in Sandusky county have left a worthier 
record than that of the Clevelands. Ten 
children were born to James and Jeanette 
Cleveland, as follows: James, born De- 
cember 3, 1 83 1, who reared a family and 
died in 1890, a farmer of Green Creek 
township; Eliza, born November 29, 
1833, married A. J. Harris, of Clyde, 
and died in 1861, leaving two children; 
Clark R., of Green Creek township, born 
April I. 1836; George D.. of Green 
Creek township, born September 9, 1838; 
Lucinda, born May 29, 1841, married 
Horace Taylor; Chaplin S., born July 
28, 1844. a resident of Green Creek 
township; John H., born November 21, 
1847. died October 28, 1879. leaving one 
daughter; Sarah, born September 22, 
1 85 I. married Charles Sackrider. and now 
living on the old homestead; Mary, born 
February 25, 1854, married George Cros- 

! by, of Clyde; Charles, born December 
30, 1857, died December 14, 1879. 

George D. Cleveland grew to man- 
hood on his father's farm near Clyde, and 
attended the schools in that village. He 
was married in 1864 to Miss Rosa Metz. 
who was born in Seneca county, near 
Green Spring, in 1842. She died in 
1880, leaving three children: Clark. Min- 
nie and Olivia; Bertie died aged thirteen 
months. The second and present wife 
of Mr. Cleveland was Miss Mattie Stroup, 
who was born April 30. i860, in Craw- 
ford county, where she was raised. She 



124 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPMWAL RECORD. 



was married June 29, 1882, to George 
D. Cleveland. After living a few years 
•elsewhere Mr. Cleveland settled on his 
father's old homestead. He has been 
buying out the heirs, and now owns 135 
acres located just outside the corporation 
limits of Clyde. He is engaged in gen- 
eral farming and stock-raising, and in later 
years he has also devoted considerable 
attention to fruit. He has built an excel- 
lent barn, and his improvements are 
among the best in the township. In 
politics Mr. Cleveland is a Democrat, and 
as a thrifty progressive citizen he has few 
equals. 



JOHN FRABISH (deceased) belonged 
to that class of valued and progres- 
sive citizens to whom any commu- 
nity owes its advancement and pros- 
perity, and his death was a loss to the 
entire county. He was born in Saxony, 
Germany, August 16, 18 14, and was a 
son of Godlup Frabish, a farmer of Sax- 
ony. He acquired his education in his 
native town, and then began learning the 
shoemaker's trade. In 1838 he crossed 
the Atlantic to America, locating in 
Wheeling, W. Va., where he followed 
shoemaking for a short time, later com- 
ing to Ohio, where he engaged in the 
same pursuit in Fremont. 

In 1852 Mr. Frabish became a resi- 
dent of Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, where he purchased one hundred 
acres of land covered with timber. There 
were no roads in the localit}', and only 
two other settlers in the neighborhood. 
In true pioneer style he began life upon 
this place, building a log cabin and con- 
tinuing the work of cultivation and im- 
provement. His task was a hard one, for 
his farm implements were crude; but un- 
daunted he continued his labors, cutting 
down the trees, removing the stumps and 
planting crops which soon yielded to him 
good harvests. He had to cut his grain 
with a sickle and thresh it with a flail, 



for the improved machinery of to-da}' was 
then unknown. He hauled his products 
to the mill at Green Springs with ox- 
teams, a distance of twenty-four miles, 
and there had it ground into flour that 
the family might have bread. He had to 
go to Fremont to market, and went 
through all the experiences and hardships 
of pioneer life; but time and his arduous 
labor brought a change, and a substantial 
frame residence took the place of the 
rude cabin, a fine orchard supplanted the 
wild forest trees, ditches for drainage 
were dug, barns and out-houses were 
built, and all the improx'ements and ac- 
cessories of a model farm were added. 
Around the home is a well-kept lawn, and 
in front is an ornamental hedge fence, 
making the Frabish farm one of the fin- 
est in the township. 

Mr. Frabish was married in Fremont, 
Ohio, in 1842, to Mrs. Rosenia (Walters) 
Bowers, a sister of Lewis Walters, and 
widow of John Bowers. For more than 
a quarter of a century this happy couple 
lived together in their cabin home, shar- 
ing in the trials of pioneer life, the wife 
encouraging and aiding her husband in all 
possible ways. She died in 1869, and in 
1870 Mr. Frabish married Mrs. Hester 
(Mohler) Tucker, widow of Thomas 
Tucker, who was a native of New York, 
and a farmer by occupation. Removing 
to Ohio, he (Mr. Tucker) followed the 
same pursuit in Madison township, San- 
dusky county. He was married in Fre- 
mont in 1856 to Hester Mohler, and they 
became the parents of four children — Nel- 
son Tucker, a farmer of Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky county; Addie, wife of 
Reuben Clink; Sebastian, who died in 
childhood, and Franklin, who died in in- 
fancy. Mrs. Frabish was born in Basel, 
Switzerland, in 1833, and came to this 
country in 1847. 

Mr. Frabish was a well-known and 
highly-esleemed citizen, and for a num- 
ber of years held the office of township 
supervisor, being elected on the Repub- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOIiAPHJCAL RECORD. 



125 



lican ticket. He was also a director of 
schools for a number of years, taking a 
deep interest in the cause of education. 
He was unfaltering in his support of the 
Republican party. and in his religious views 
was a German Methodist. His life was 
that of an upright and just man, whose 
kindness and generosity were manifest 
toward all. He was a loving husband 
and good neighbor, his genial disposition 
winning for him many friends, and mak- 
ing him very popular with all classes of 
people. His integrity and honor were 
above question, and his fidelity to the 
best interests of his adopted county was 
shown in his devotion to everything cal- 
culated to prove of public benefit — in- 
deed, this Biographical Record would be 
incomplete without a sketch of his life. He 
passed away in 1892 at the advanced age 
of seventy-seven years, five iiK^nths, twelve 
days, mourned by all who knew him. Mrs. 
Frabish. a most estimable lady, still re- 
sides on the homestead, which is now 
operated bv her son. Nelson Tucker, who 
was married, in 1882, to Miss Emma 
Rearick, oT Woodville, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, and resides with his mother. She 
is now surrounded with the comforts of 
life, and enjoys the esteem of a large cir- 
cle of friends. 



JAMES CAMPBELL. One does not 
have to be very old to recall the 
time when the greater part of the 
magnificent State of Ohio was a 
"howling wilderness," nor even to have 
been a participant in the work of the pio- 
neer settlers, clearing away the mighty 
forests, cultivating the virgin soil, building 
roads and bridges, and subduing Nature 
until she became the obedient servant of 
her masters. Then, as the years rolled 
by, these same pioneers have seen the re- 
sults of their labors in busy hamlets, towns 
and cities, in schoolhouses and churches, 
and, best of all, in their children grown 
to be strong and noble men and women. 



who take their places among the wisest 
and best of the land. Happy the people 
who have watched the steady progress of 
the glorious Buckeye State in her march 
to prosperity and honor. 

Among the early settlers of Sandusky 
county were the parents of our subject, 
James and Nancy (Mickminj Campbell, 
who came hither December 2, 1835, from 
Beaver county, Penn., and settled on 
eighty acres of land in Madison township. 
The father was born March 17, 1796, in 
Beaver county, Penn, of Scotch and Irish 
descent, his paternal grandparents being 
natives of Ireland, those on his mothers 
side coming from Scotland. The mother 
was born in 1794, in Pennsylvania, and 
died in November, 1878, in Sandusky 
county. When this worthy couple came 
west and took up their abode in Sandusky 
county, they settled in the midst of a 
forest. With the assistance of their 
.'turdy boys a space was soon cleared, a 
log cabin erected, and the almost inces- 
sant stroke of the a.\es told daily of fallen 
trees, whose space was speedily converted 
into fruitful fields, smiling with golden 
harAests. On this land, wrested from the 
wilderness, the brave pioneer passed the 
remainder of his peaceful life, closing his 
eyes in death March 17, 1861, at the age 
of seventy-three years. His wife survived 
until November 20. 1878. 

.\ family of nine children composed 
the parental household, of which our sub- 
ject was the youngest. The others in 
order of birth were as follows: Robert, 
born June 19, 1823, lives in Madison 
township, where he carries on farming; 
Elisan, born July 17, 1825, died May 10, 
1848; Mary, born March 15, 1827, is the 
wife of .Adam Ickes, a farmer in Steuben 
county, Ind. ; Daniel, born September 16, 
1828, lives in Indiana; Louise Jane, born 
April 3, 1830, died August 8, 1832; 
Beisilvc born December 19, 1831, died 
July 16, 1862; George, born December 
1 1, 1833, is a farmer of Madison township; 
Sinthiann, born September 8, 1836, is 



126 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPEICAL RECORD. 



the wife of Jonathan Taylor, and lives in 
Madison township. 

James Campbell, the subject of this 
sketch, was born in Madison township, 
August 1 6, 1839, on the home farm one 
half mile from Gibsonburg. His early 
days were spent in the hard work which 
falls to the lot of a pioneer's son, and he 
chopped timber and cleared away brush 
with his father and brothers, the only 
break in the steady labor being the few 
weeks in the depth of winter, when he 
attended the primitive schools of those 
days and gained what meager stock of in- 
formation could be imparted in that short 
space of time. He grew up, however, to 
be a strong and sturdy young man, and 
in 1862, at the age of twenty-three, fired 
with the patriotism which is inborn in a 
native American, he laid aside his axe 
and plough and donned the Union blue, 
enlisting in Company H, One Hundred 
and Sixty-ninth Regiment O. N. G. 
They were sent to Virginia to guard the 
Capital from the advancing Rebel army, 
and were on duty for i i 5 daj's. He then 
returned to the farm and resumed his 
peaceful occupations. 

On April 11, 1878, Mr. Campbell was 
married to Miss Caroline Zorn, daughter 
of Christian and Catherine (Snyder) Zorn, 
her parents being natives of Germany. 
Mrs. Campbell is the eldest of four chil- 
dren, viz.: Caspar, unmarried and living 
in Deuel county. Neb. ; Philip, who lives 
in the same county, married Miss Santa 
Hartman, and has one child; Mary, who 
is the wife of John Blausley, also living in 
Deuel county, Neb., and has three chil- 
dren. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have had 
a family of six children, of whom one is 
dead; their names and dates of birth are 
as follows: Eda, August 3, 1879; Eli, 
August I, 1 881; Nelia, September 15, 
1883; Ira, July 24, 1886 (died June 28, 
1891, aged four years, eleven months and 
four days); Matilda, June 6, 1892; and 
Ray, July 1 1, 1894. 

Mr. Campbell has always lived upon 



the home farm, he buying the interests of 
his brothers and sisters after the death of 
the father. He has upon this property 
nine oil wells, which yield him an income 
of $50. per month. He is a Democrat 
in politics, and a man of integrity and good 
business ability. While he is not con- 
nected with anyreligious body, he believes 
in Christianity, is a reader of the Bible, 
and donates liberally to all good causes. 
He has filled the office of school director. 
His wife is a member of the Lutheran 
Church. 



FLETCHER HARTSHORN. The 
subject of this memorial was born 
March 17, 1831, at Danbury, Ot- 
tawa county, where he spent the 
days of his boyhood, youth and early 
manhood. He was a son of Wyatt and 
Jane (Kelly) Hartshorn, the former born 
October 16, 1793, the latter on Septem- 
ber 17, 1805. His parents were married 
on the 1 8th of March, 1824, and he was 
the fourth in their family of eight chil- 
dren: Catherine D., born March 8, 1825, 
became the wife of George Mallory, May 
18, 1845; Isaac B., born November 11, 
1826, married Matilda Bryson, January 
28, 1853; Byron, born January i, 1829, 
wedded Mary Knapp, July 28, 1853; 
Sarah M. was born August 17, 1833; 
Alfred, born October 31, 1835, married 
Jane Mathews, August 31, 1859; Harriet, 
born December 27, 1837, became the 
wife of Charles D. Johnson, February 1 3, 
1859; and Jane, born September 17, 
1842, married Marshall Durov, March 6, 
1864. 

His studious habits enabled Fletcher 
Hartshorn to quickly master all that the 
common schools of that day had to teach, 
and to this he added a course of study at 
Delaware and Oberlin. At an early age 
he left school to take charge of his father's 
business, and was soon brought to notice 
as a business manager by the success 
which attended his efforts. Soon his 




vO /. 



/I 



^ 



y^ J^/i^/:j^n * 



COMMBMORATIVB BWORAPmCAL RECORD. 



127 



financial abilities became well known in 
the commercial circles in which he moved. 
His energy was untiring and his integrity 
beyond question. His sagacity and in- 
sight led to many desirable offers of busi- 
ness connections, some of which he made 
available. He had the Midas touch — all 
ventures seemed to prosper under his 
hands. He became interested at different 
times in farming, grazing, fruit growing, 
the handling and shipping of live stock, 
speculating in real estate, and later in the 
manufacture and shipment of lime. In 
furtherance of the last-named enterprise, 
contiguous to his extensive quarries and 
kilns, he built the work that is known as 
Hartshorn's Dock. 

Mr. Hartshorn was a man of strong 
reliance, resolute character, always re- 
markably reticent in matters concerning 
himself. In such an active career he 
must have met with disappointments, but 
he made no mention of them. He was an 
enthusiast in outdoor sports, his dogs and 
gun furnishing the pastime in which he 
most delighted. He was a royal enter- 
tainer, and in his younger days delighted 
in playing the host to his bachelor friends, 
and later his home, until darkened by the 
affliction under which he suffered, was a 
model of hospitality. When a student at 
Oberlin, he was converted, united with 
the Congregational Church, and often 
acted as teacher in the Sabbath-school. 
He was free from narrowness and bigotry, 
had an open hand for all worthy objects 
of charity, and accepted nothing but good 
works as proof of good character. 

On December 9, 1869, Mr. Harts- 
horn was united in marriage with Ann 
Jemmctta lilwell, the eldest daughter of 
H. H. Klwell, a former resident of San- 
dusky, Ohio, now of Danbury township, 
Ottawa county. Two children were born 
of this union — Lee, born December 10, 
1872, died January 25, 1873; and F. 
Pierre, born June 4, 1875, still residing 
on the homestead. Remaining on his 
(arm for several years, his time and en- 



ergies were given to the development of 
its superior resources. 

While still a young man in the enjoy- 
ment of a prosperous and rapidly increas- 
ing business, Mr. Hartshorn was stricken 
with paralysis. The best medical advice 
was summoned, mineral springs sought, 
and every known means employed, hop- 
ing to prevent a recurrence of the dread- 
ed malady. Few may know the deep 
anxiety which his case elicited from all 
his friends. His aged mother, who still 
survives him, with her superior intelli- 
gence and skill; with the accumulated ex- 
perience of years, gave her loving, watch- 
ful care, striving with a mother's solici- 
tude to lessen his sufferings. His young 
wife, with devotion unparalleled, was 
ever at his side to comfort and cheer, and 
to minister to his every want. But the 
insidious disease could not be eliminated. 
The attacks were repeated, and as time 
passed slowly but surely he was forced to 
yield to the blighting intUience, and at 
length became' a hopeless invalid. 
Through years of physical suffering, 
though disappointed in hopes and aspir- 
ations, his unimpaired mind was actively 
engaged with his business interests, which 
he advised and dictated with the clear- 
ness and precision of former days until a 
short time before the end came. 

Mr. Hartshorn knew his life work 
was well done, his loved ones abundantly 
provided for, and he often expressed a de- 
sire to be released from the life which was 
now a burden, to enter into rest — to go 
to his leather's house, and there in the 
beautiful mansion prepared for him, abide 
the coming of his beloved whom he was 
to leave for a short time. He knew his 
time was very brief at most — a mere frag- 
ment, as he indicated by measurement 
upon his wasted finger — when they might 
join him there. As these thoughts were 
presented, the light in his dimming eyes 
grew brighter and an expression of satis- 
faction and trust came to his countenance. 
By faith in the precious promises vouch- 



128 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPEICAL RECOBD. 



safed him, he had gained a victory over 
death. The tardy messenger came on 
Sunday morning, December 22, 1889. 
The church bells were tolling the hour of 
six as the released spirit took its flight, 
leaving in, our presence the "temple" un- 
tenanted; the seeming requiem of the bells 
unbroken. The wife and only living child, 
though bowed with sorrow inexpressible, 
could not ask that he might longer remain 
this side of the "portal." For weary 
years they had witnessed the ravages of 
relentless disease ; with tender sympathy 
felt his affliction — had been " sad in his 
sadness," and now they were "glad in his 
gladness" and they saw him 

Sustained and soothed 

By an unfaltering trust, approach the grave. 
Like one who wraps the drapery of the couch 
About him and lies down to peaceful dreams. 

The obsequies, conducted by Rev. 
George Peeke, pastor of the Congrega- 
tional Church, were observed at the fam- 
ily residence on East Washington street, 
Sandusky, Ohio, Tuesday, December 24, 
at two o'clock in the afternoon. Mrs. 
Mary Robinson assisted by Messrs. Mc- 
Fall and Talcott of the Aeolian Quartette, 
rendered with much feeling the beautiful 
hymn, ' ' Weary of Earth and Laden With 
my Sin." Rev. Peeke selected for the 
subject of his sermon the following appro- 
priate text, taken from St. Paul's Second 
Epistle to Timothy, second chapter and 
twelfth verse: "If we suffer, we shall reign 
with Him." After an eloquent and pa- 
thetic address on the sufferings of man- 
kind and the reward thereof, he referred 
to the departed in the following touching 
manner: 

"The scope of these remarks applies 
to our departed friend, Fletcher Harts- 
horn. God called him toward suffering 
in order to prepare him for divine no- 
bility. During seventeen years he has 
been a sufferer, and during the past 
nine years a sufferer confined to his home, 
shut in from the busy activities he so much 
loved. The keenness of his suffering can 



be somewhat estimated by considering 
the exceptional vital force with which he 
was endowed. He was a man with im- 
mense vital powers, which, had he care- 
fully considered, might have given him 
an active life until four-score years, but 
his ambition to achieve business success, 
coupled with a desire to see all his affairs 
progress rapidly and hormoniously, made 
him unsparing in his application to every 
detail of business. Early in his business 
life he paid the price of his devotion by a 
paralytic shock. The last nine years 
were years of patient waiting and uncom- 
plaining suffering. It was a signal and 
unusual providence that called so strong 
a man to so many years of trial apart from 
that business life with which his sympa- 
thies were entwined. None but the un- 
seen witnesses of God's moral kingdom 
can know what a soul so placed could suf- 
fer. A disciplining providence placed him 
in the hottest fires, but it melted his dross 
and refined his gold. The result of this 
trial was an unwavering faith, a beautiful 
confidence in God. His frequent express- 
ion was 'It is all right, all right.' Dur- 
ing all his years of trial this was his un- 
swerving attitude. To sit nine years 
wasting away and waiting for the end and 
to feel ' It is all right ' is the very sub- 
limity of confidence and trust. His kind- 
ness was as marked as his confidence. 
The tendency of suffering is to make one 
sensitive, acerb and impatient. None of 
these in our friend. His soul was serene 
and sweet. Conspicuous above all 
shone his remarkable patience. He suf- 
fered and was resigned. His royalty was 
apparent day by day. His patience 
was truely sublime. No saint ever 
suffered martyrdom with more appar- 
ent submission and fortitude than he. 
During my six years acquaintance with 
him, he has been to me a constant 
wonder. To the end he resigned in true 
nobility. All that suffering can do for a 
soul seemed to have been produced in 
Fletcher Hartshorn, and we devoutly 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPIIICAL RECORD. 



129 



recognize the fact that he won the crown 
of spiritual martyrdom. Such siifTerinR 
as his could only lead to humble trust in 
Christ. His confessions of confidence 
and hope were clear and explicit. Pa- 
tiently he waited for the hour of deliver- 
ance, and after the fierce conflict of years 
he rests; 

Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep, 

From which none ever wake to weep." 

The services were concluded with the 
singing; of that beautiful hymn " Lead 
kindly light amid th' encircling gloom." 
The burial was in Oakland Cemetery. 
The spires of the " Silent City" were 
casting lengthening shadows across our 
pathway when we left him to his long 
coveted rest. — [The foregoing is from the 
pens of his loving and devoted wife and 
her mother, Mrs. H. H. Elwell.] 

In connection with the above sketch 
so ably written, there is little to add, 
though it might truthfully be said of the 
deceased that he was a man of fine edu- 
cation, broail and general reading, and 
of a genial, sunn)' temperament, and 
every citizen in Ottawa county was his 
warm friend. In his domestic life he was 
a devoted husband and lather, attentive 
to his home duties through all his under- 
takings; economical, yet given to acts of 
kindness and deeds of charity where de- 
serAed. Always busy himself, he had no 
sympathy for the shiftless and idle; but to 
the unfortunate he was a kind and help- 
ful friend, whose sympathy was shown in 
acts rather than words, and in all plans 
for the advancement of his community, 
his active co-operation could be relied up- 
on. 

No biography of Mr. Hartshorn would 
be complete which failed to make men- 
tion of his most estimable wife and widow. 
Side by side for twenty years they jour- 
neyed along life's pathway together, mu- 
tually encouraging and helping — he a kind 
husband and indulgent father — she a 
faithful w ifc .md loving mother. During 



his long and tedious illness, she was not 
only his constant attendant and faithful 
I nurse, but also looked after his business 
matters, in connection with his quarry in- 
terests, and in these matters not only 
proved her love and devotion, but also her 
excellent executive ability as a thorough 
business woman. 



EDWIN C. TINNEY, one of the 
pioneers of Scott township, is a 
son of Stephen Tinney, and was 
born in Niagara Co., New York 
State, June 0, 1828. When five years 
old he moved with his parents to Lena- 
wee county, Mich., where he lived six 
years; thence came to Scott township, 
Sandusky county, where he has since 
lived. After the death of his father there 
was quite an indebtedness on the farm, 
but the boys remained at home and paid 
up the debt, during which time they added 
one hundred acres to the original pur- 
chase. When all was paid the four chil- 
dren — three boys and one girl — divided 
the property among them, our subject 
taking the eighty acres where he now 
lives at Tinney. On his farm is a very 
productive gas well, which supplies the 
home with fuel and light. 

On November 25, 1858, Mr. Tinney 
was married to Miss Catherine Wiggins, 
of Tinney, and to them were born two 
children: Ida May, born March 2. i860; 
and Charlie, born September 21, 1862, at 
Tinney. Ida was educated in the district 
school, ancl the Normal at Fostoria and 
Fremont High School. She made a 
specialty of music under Prof. Menkhous. 
of Fremont, and for fourteen years has 
been a teacher of instrumental music, she 
finding this preferable to public-school 
teaching, in which she was engaged for a 
time. The son Charlie was educated in 
the Mansfield Normal and in the district 
schools. He was one of Sandusky coun- 
ty's most promising teachers, and had 
also acquired an enviable reputation as an 



130 



COHMEhORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



editor, his first work in that line being on 
the Daily Herald oi Fremont; durinjj the 
last years of his life he was local and 
managing editor of the Fremont Messen- 
ger. He died in the prime of life Janu- 
arj'3i, 1885. Mrs. Tinney, wife of our 
subject, was born January 22, 1837, in 
Scott township, Sandusky county, daugh- 
ter of John and Jane (Kell}') Wiggins. 
She was educated in the country schools, 
and was for a time a teacher in Sandusky 
county. When she was a child her 
mother died, leaving her with Mr. and 
Mrs. Andrew Swickard, by whom she was 
brought up and with whom she lived un- 
til she was sixteen years of age, after 
which she made her home with D. S. 
Tinnej" until her marriage. Her father, 
John Wiggins, was one of Sandusky coun- 
ty's early settlers, coming hither when 
the country was new, and began the 
clearing of the forest and making a home 
for himself and family. He died in 1841, 
at an early age, his wife dying in 1S44. 
Mrs. Tinney 's parents are thought to have 
been born about the year 1808. 



E 



LI REEVES. A man can not hold 
public office without either gain- 
ing the confidence and esteem of 
his fellow citizens, or incurring 
their distrust and animosity. That he 
can retain the same office or be elected to 
others equally responsible, for long terms 
of years is, therefore, proof that he has 
performed his duties in an acceptable man- 
ner, and is popular in both public and 
private life. The record of the subject of 
this sketch, who since boyhood has been 
a resident of Gibsonburg, Sandusky coun- 
ty, illustrates this argument. For twenty 
terms he filled the important position of 
township assessor; he was a notary public 
for eighteen years; justice of the peace 
from 1854 to i860, and township clerk 
for si.K years. In all these capacities he 
earned the commendation of the com- 
munity by his integrity of character and 



upright dealings, while his genial disposi- 
tion has gained him many warm personal 
friends. 

Mr. Reeves was born February 7, 
1 819, in Burlington county, N. J., son of 
David and Grace (Rineer) Reeves, the 
former born in 1 778, in Burlington county, 
N. J. David Reeves was married in 
1807, and with his family came to Ohio 
in July, 1 82 1, settling in Salem, Colum- 
biana county. Here he worked at his 
trade of a carpenter until 1832, when he 
removed to Cleveland, Ohio, remaining 
one 3'ear. He then located in Madison 
township, Sandusky county, and was 
elected count}' survevor, which office he 
filled eleven years. At the expiration of 
that time he removed to Fremont, and 
again worked at his trade for several 
years, when he returned to Madison town- 
ship and there died in 1849; his wife sur- 
vived him until 1871, dying at the ad- 
vanced age of ninety years. They had 
a large family, thirteen children in all, of 
whom four are living. 

Eli Reeves was married September 
26, 1844, to Miss Elizabeth Taylor, who 
was born December 2, 1824, in Belmont 
county, Ohio, daughter of Caleb and 
Sarah (Yost) Taylor, the former born Oc- 
tober 22, 1800, in the State of Maryland, 
the latter on October 21, 1802, in Bel- 
mont county, Ohio. The father came to 
Ohio, in 18 10, living in Belmont county, 
where, on arriving at manhood, he rented 
some land which he farmed until 1822. 
In that year he was married, and then re- 
moved to Richland county, where he 
lived nine years, at the end of which time 
he took up his residence in Madison town- 
ship where he spent the rest of his days, 
dying in 1S73. The mother is still living 
at the venerable age of ninety-three years, 
and makes her home with our subject and 
his wife. She was the mother of eleven 
children, six of whom are living. At the 
time of his death Mr. Taylor owned a 
farm of 120 acres, eighty of which he 
cleared. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



181 



To our subject and his wife have been 
born ten children, two of whom died in 
infancy; the others in order of birth are as 
follows: Lucinda, born April 38, 1845; 
Melissa, November i, 1847; Miriam, Sep- 
tember 18, 1849; R. D., October 13, 
185 1 ; John C , April 2\. 1854; Sarah A., 
September 17, iS'o; Candis E., October 
6, 1864, and Grace S., December 27, 
1866. Nfr. Reeves be^an to learn the 
carj)enter's trade when eleven years old. 
In later life he bought twenty acres 
of land, and afterward purchased eighty 
acres more. He retired from active work 
in 1889. In politics, he is a Democrat. 
Popular with all classes, and interested in 
everj'thing pertaining to the welfare of 
the community, he enjoys the respect and 
esteem of all. 



I 



CONRAD OBERST. Prominent 
among the surviving pioneers of 
Madison township, Sandusky 
county, stands this well-known 
agriculturist, who is a native of Germany, 
bom near the city of Lx>uden. Baden, 
near the River Rhine, September 10, 
1827. 

John Ol)erst. the father of our subject, 
was a native of W'urtemburg, Germany, 
and followed the trade of a wagon maker 
in his native country' until 1832, when he 
crossed the Atlantic to America, the 
voyage occupying ninety days. He was 
married in Germany to Barbara Ault, and 
they became parents of eight children: 
Daniel, a farmer, who died in Indiana: 
John, who also followed farming, and 
died in that State; Conrad; George, who 
died and was buried in Nebraska; Maria, 
widow of F'-t'-r Bowman, a farmer of 
Jackson • county; 

Elizabeth, . .1..:;... ..., a farmer 

of Nebraska; Catherine, wife of Solomon 

Hineline. f •• 

pursuits ill 

farmer of Indiana, who served m the Civil 

war, and still carries a bullet by which he 



was wounded at Lookout Mountain. On 
coming to this country, John Oberst lo- 
cated in Bay township, then a part of 
Sandusky county, but now in Ottawa 
county, Ohio, where he farmed 140 acres 
of land. He was one of the signers of 
■ on to - 
ntly he , i 

in Sandusky county, which he owned and 
operated up to the time of his death, and 
he also followed his trade in this country. 
His wife died in Ottawa county. They 
experienced all the hardships and incon- 
veniences of life in such an unsettled re- 
gion, and they were often obliged to go 
as far as Fremont to mill. Their stock 
of provisions, at the time of their com- 
mencing life in Ohio, consisted of one 
bushel of cornmeal, one-half bushel of 
U,xi-i:n roffi.-i-. forty pounds of maple sugar 
iiiiil fourteen liuiii-jis of potatoes, but no 
meat whatever, and they ate many a 
meal from the old chest in which their 
wearing apparel was kept. 

Conrad Oberst attended the schools of 
Bay township, and at the tender age of 
twelve years began to earn his living by 
working on his father's farm, also cutting 
and hewing timber for building purposes 
to be used for dwelling houses, barns, 
bridges, etc. He continued to make his 
home under the paternal roof until twenty- 
two years of age, when he went to Erie 
county, and worked for one year as a 
farm laborer, being employed by the 
month. Later he came to Sandusky coun- 
ty, and worked by the year for his brother 
on the latter's f r 
.\fter two years , 

ried, and then operated, on shares. 160 
acres of land owned by his brother, bein;; 
thus engaged for several years, durint,' 
which time, through industry and econ - 
my, he saved enough capital with which 
to purchase forty acres of wooded land in 



tion he sold out. with the 
going to Michigan; this plan 



.vjljll- 



132 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ed, however, and purchasing another farm 
in Sandusky county, set about its further 
improvement and development. He has 
erected a substantial residence, good 
barns and other outbuildings, planted an 
orchard and made all the improvements 
that are found upon a model farm, and 
is also the owner of three oil wells, which 
are now operated by a Toledo oil firm. 

On September i6, 1853, in Madison 
township, Sandusky county, Mr. Oberst 
married Betsy Florence, who was born 
April 21, 1S32, and is one of the twelve 
children of John and Lydia (Roberts) 
Florence. Her father, a prominent farmer 
of Madison township, died in i860; her 
mother passed away in 1862. Mr. and 
Mrs. Oberst became the parents of eight 
children, the eldest of whom was Jennie; 
Robert is engaged in farming and bee 
culture in Jackson township, Sandusky 
county (he married Hattie, daughter of 
Peter Bauman, a farmer of Jackson town- 
ship, Sandusky county); Ellen is the wife 
of Augustus Bowman; Frank is a con- 
tractor and builder; Lucy is engaged in 
school teaching; Harry is a farmer and 
oil pumper (he married Minnie, daughter 
of John Peoples, an agriculturist of Madi- 
son township, Sandusky county); Tillie is 
the wife of William Peters, an oil operator 
of Woodville township, Sandusky county; 
John M., who is a farmer and oil operator, 
married Minnie, daughter of Casper Dau- 
sey, an oil speculator of Rollersville, Ohio. 

Mr. Oberst was for many years elected 
trustee of Madison township, of which he 
was treasurer some eight years, and dur- 
ing the Civil war he had at one time over 
$2,000 in his log cabin belonging to the 
township. He was also elected constable, 
filling that position for a long period, in- 
cluding the trying times between i86i 
and 1865. He also did police duty, and 
his service often equaled in danger and 
hardships that of the "boys in blue " at 
the front. He would have gone to the 
war had it been possible, but there would 
have been no one left to care for his wife 



and children; so he discharged his duties 
to his family by remaining at home, and 
to his country by helping to send substi- 
tutes for those drafted, until he paid $175. 
He has held the office of school director, 
was clerk of school District No. 9 for a 
number of years, is still serving as director 
and is one of the most earnest and effi- 
cient advocates of the cause of education in 
this locality, doing all in his power to ad- 
vance the standard of the schools and 
secure capable teachers. While serving 
as trustee he did much for the improve- 
ment of the township in the way of mak- 
ing roads. His duties of citizenship have 
ever been faithfully performed, and his 
irreproachable service in office won him 
the confidence and respect of all. For 
some years he has been a member of the 
band of Rollersville, playing the tuba. 
His success in life has been secured 
through his own enterprising and well- 
directed efforts, and industry and energy 
are numbered among his chief character- 
istics. In politics he is a Democrat, and 
he and his family attend the Disciple 
Church. He and his estimable wife are 
now enjoying the fruits of their former 
toil, and the high regard of many warm 
friends who respect them for their genu- 
ine worth. 



M 



D. WELLER, attorney at 
law, Fremont, Sandusky coun- 
ty. It is generally admitted 
that rural pursuits and rural 
scenes are most conducive to health, 
happiness and contentment, which city 
life and the mere accumulation of wealth 
can never impart. As a professional 
gentleman who enjoyed these favorable 
environments in his younger days, and 
who appreciates their salutary intfuence 
on him in later life, we present the sub- 
ject of this sketch. 

Mr. Weller was born in Thompson 
township, Seneca county, Ohio, May 9, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPUICAL RECORD. 



188 



i860, a son of John and Christena 
(Orneri Wcller. The father of our sub- 
ject was born in Freeburfj, Snyder Co., 
Penn., March 18, 1831, a son Isaac and 
Elizabeth Weller, well-to-do farmers of 
that county, and who died there. John 
Weller catne from Pennsylvania to Ohio 
when a young man, and worked as a 
farm hand about a year at Osceola, 
Crawford Co., Ohio; then four years on 
the njodel farm of George Close, north of 
Bellevue, Ohio; then si.\ years for Daniel 
Close, one of the substantial farmers of 
Seneca county; then one year for his 
next neighbor. Edward Kern, taking good 
care of his earnings and investing them in 
real estate. He first bought and moved 
upon a farm of eighty acres, which in the 
pioneer days constituted a part of what 
was known as the Henry Miller farm, on 
the Kilburn road, northwest of West Lodi. 
This he sold a few years later, and then 
bought the John Payne farm, in Adams 
township, which he likewise sold. He 
afterward bought and sold other landed 
property, until he now owns about 500 
acres, some of which is valued at $125 
per acre. Mr Weller was self-reliant, 
never had a dollar given him, but accumu- 
lated all his property by hard work, econ- 
omy and prudent investments. In all his 
deals he never gave a mortgage in his life. 
His school education was limited to three 
months, in Pennsylvania, but he snatched 
many spare moments from his daily toil for 
self-instruction in the common branches 
of an English education. In 185 1, he 
married Miss Christena Orner, daughter 
of Joseph and Elizabeth (Keller) Orner. 
of Adams township, Seneca Co., Ohio, 
and their children were: Henry J., attor- 
ney at law. in the firm of McCauley & 
Weller. Tiffin, Ohio; .Amanda, wife of John 
Dornbach, a farmer of .Adams township. 
Seneca county; M. D., our subject; Laura, 
wife r>f Louis Hreyman. a railroad man. 
of Republic, Ohio; De.xter B., a (.inner, 
living with his parents; Andrew J., a 
farmer, living on one of the old home- 



steads; Emma C, at home; one that died 
in infancy; B. Jay, also at home. 

Our subject grew up on his father's 
farm where he learned valuable lessons in 
practical agriculture, and from which he 
attended a country school near by. He 
made such rapid progress in his studies 
that at the age of seventeen he was able 
to teach a country school with good suc- 
cess. After spending one whole year in 
attendance at the Bellevue Union schools, 
he resumed teaching winter schools and 
working on a farm during the suunner 
seasons; by the age of twenty-two he had 
taught seven terms of school in the vicin- 
ity uf his home, his last term being at Flat 
Rock, Ohio. .Mr. Weller began the study 
of law in April, 1S83, with Smith & Kin- 
ney, Fremont, Ohio, was admitted to the 
bar December l, 1885, and has been in 
the legal practice at Fremont and vicinity 
ever since. From August, 1887, to Au- 
gust, 1 89 1, he was in the firm of Weller cS: 
Butman, in fire and life insurance. In 
1884 he was chosen secretary of the San- 
dusky County Agricultural Society, and 
held that office four years with credit to 
himself and profit to the society. He is 
at present a member of Croghan Lodge 
No. jj, I. O. O. F. , and of Brainard 
Lodge, and Fremont Chapter, F. & \. M., 
also of the Knights of Pythias, Clyde. 
Ohio, and last, but not least, of the Fre- 
mont German .Aid Society. 

Mr. Weller was married January 30. 
1889, to Miss Carrie Smith, daughter of 
S. H. Smith, grain and lumber merchant, 
of Green Spring, Ohio. Her mother's 
name was Van Sickle. Both of her par- 
ents came from New Jersey. She was 
reared at Green Spring, attended the 
I'nion schools of that village and then the 
academy, from which she was the first 
graduate, and had the honor of receiving 
her diploma from the hands of ex-Presi- 
dent K. B. Hayes, chairman of the board 
of trustees of that instituti<jn. She after- 
wards taught school in Seneca county, 
and later took a course in painting in an 



134 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



art school at Cleveland, Ohio. In addi- 
tion to his law practice, Mr. Weller is at 
present engaged in a general loan and real- 
estate business. He is the owner of 
landed property in the oil and gas region, 
Wood county, where he has several oil 
wells in operation. In politics he is a 
Democrat; his wife is a member of the 
Presbyterian Church. 



CHRISTOPHER STREETER is 
one of the best known old pioneers 
of Green Creek township, San- 
dusky county. He was born in 
Heath, Franklin Co., Mass., April 9, 
181 5, son of David and Sylva (Roach) 
Streeter, the former of whom was a 
native of the same county, and a farmer 
by occupation. He was a lifelong resi- 
dent of Massachusetts, where he died at 
the age of seventy years; the mother died 
when about sixty years of age. The 
family is one of old New England stock. 
Our subject broke away from the an- 
cestral ties in his young manhood at the 
age of twenty-two years, and sought a 
home in the then distant West. In 1837 
he disposed of his interest in the home- 
stead, and in the fall of the same year 
came to Ohio by means that now seem 
insufferably tedious and slow. He settled 
on a farm in York township, Sandusky 
county, which he opened up, erecting a 
small dwelling. On December 3, 1835, 
he had married Miss Louisa Kennedy, and 
to them were born four children: Edward, 
born in Heath, Mass., June 25, 1837; 
Albert, born September 29, 1839; and 
Alonzo and Lorenzo, born June 25, 1842, 
the latter of whom died September 30, 
1 851; the mother passed from earth De- 
cember 26, 1851. Thus within the space 
of three short months Mr. Streeter lost 
a dear child, and the partner of his youth, 
who died with the confident hope of 
Heaven and a bright place on the Resur- 
rection morn. Edward, the eldest son, 
is married, and had five children — Lydia, 



Charles, Ira, Louisa and Levi — of whom 
Louisa died while young. Albert, the 
second son, married and had four chil- 
dren — Minnie, George, Alice and Mabel — 
the last named dying young. Alonzo 
married, and had seven children — Waller, 
Roly, Elmer, Clarence, Abbie, Nora 
and Lena, of whom Abbie died young. 
On February 2, 1853, our subject mar- 
ried his present wife, Henrietta Clark. 
Mr. Streeter in politics has been a Whig 
and a Republican, and cast his first Presi- 
dential vote for William H. Harrison. 
In religious faith he has been a promi- 
nent member of the Advent Church. He 
has been an eminently successful farmer, 
and accumulated 300 acres of well-im- 
proved land. This farm he divided among 
his three son — one hundred acres each — 
and there they reside with their families. 
In 1882 Mr. Streeter erected a fine brick 
residence in Clyde, where he now lives a 
retired life, with the respect and esteem of 
the entire community in which he dwells. 



DAVID A. C. SHERRARD. This 
prosperous farmer of Sandusky 
county, Ohio, near Fremont, was 
born January 10, 1820, at Rush 
Run, Jefferson Co., Ohio, a son of Robert 
Andrew and Mary (Kithcart) Sherrard. 

Robert Andrew Sherrard is a descend- 
ant of Huguenot ancestors who, having 
been driven out of the north of France, fled 
to the Lowlands of Scotland and afterward 
removed to Ireland. A coat of arms, and 
a pedigree in tabular form, were in ex- 
istence in 1872, tracing the lineage of the 
Sherrard family back to Robert, whose 
father emigrated with the Duke of Nor- 
mandy. There were two brothers, Hugh 
and William Sherrard, whose father came 
over from Scotland about 17 10, and set- 
tled in Limavady, County Londonderry, 
Ireland. Here Hugh and William were 
born, and when the former arrived at 
manhood he married and settled across 
the Bann Water, near Coleraine. He 




MRS. NARCISSA T. SHERRARD. 




^./>^/Ke-A/-^</-^<^. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL BECOBD. 



185 



had a son, Hugh Sherrard, who emi- 
grated to America in 1770, and settled on 
Miller's run, in Washington county, 
Pennsylvania. 

William Sherrard, from whom are 
descended the Sherrard families in San- 
dusky county, Ohio, was born in 1 720 in 
Limavady, where he carried on the busi- 
ness of farming and linen weaving. He 
died wealthy in 1781. In 1750 he mar- 
ried Margaret Johnston, by whom he had 
five children — John, Elizabeth, Margaret, 
James and Mary. John Sherrard was 
born about 1750, immigrated to America 
in 1772, and on May 5, 1784, married 
Mary Cathcart, by whom he had chil- 
dren as follows: William J., David 
Alexander. John James, Robert Andrew, 
Ann and Thomas G. The last named 
was one of the pioneers of Sandusky 
county, and was foumi dead in Sandusky 
river April 21, 1824, supposed to have 
been murdered by parties who had rented 
his brother John's sugar camp, of which 
he was manager at the time. John 
Sherrard was with Col. Crawford's expe- 
dition against the Indians at Upper San- 
dusky, during which he had many nar- 
row escapes. Robert Andrew Sherrard 
was born May 4, 1 7.S9, and married Mary 
Kithcart, by whom he had five children: 
Mary Ann, Joseph K., David A. C, 
Elizabeth and Robert. For his second 
wife Robert A. Sherrard married Miss 
Jane Hindnian, by whom he had seven 
children: Nancy, who for the past 
twenty-one years has been principal of 
the Female Seminary of Washington, 
Penn. ; J. H., a Presbyterian minister at 
Kockville, Ind. ; June; Susan; Sarah, de- 
ceased; William, deceased; and Thomas 
J., who is also a Presbyterian minister, 
now preaching in Chambersburg. Penn. 
During the winter of 1894-95 three of 
the sons of Robert A. Sherrard paid a 
visit to Hurof)e, visiting, among other 
places, England, Scotland, Ireland. Ger- 
many, France and Italy, in which latter 
country they trod the streets of old 



Rome; thence they journeyed to Egypt 
and Palestine; near Limavady, Ireland, 
they found some of their cousins living. 
Robert Andrew Sherrard was the author 
of a genealogy of the Sherrard family of 
Steubenville, which was edited by his son, 
Thomas Johnston Sherrard, in 1890. 

David A. C. Sherrard, our subject, 
grew to manhood on his father's farm, 
two miles southwest of Steubenville, Ohio. 
On June i, 1844, he came to Sandusky 
county on horseback, and immediately 
began to improve the forest land which 
he had bought of his father. For about 
three weeks he made his home in a hewed- 
log house which he had rented of his 
uncle Thomas, and which was said to be 
the first hewed-log house erected in Ball- 
ville township, having been put up in 
1823. He then returned to Jefferson 
county, and, on the 4th of September 
following, set out from there with his wife 
and seven-weeks-old child, in a covered 
two-horse wagon, arriving at Lower San- 
dusky September 12. He finished clear- 
ing up nine acres, fenceti it, plowed it and 
sowed it to wheat, and then commenced 
the struggle of clearing up a home in the 
Black Swamp. His timber was chopped 
into cordwood, and sold in Lower San- 
dusky. In October, 1851, Mr. Sherrard 
took the job of clearing off the timber on 
Sections 24, 25, 26 and half of 27, for the 
T. , N. & C. railroad (now the Lake Shore 
& Michigan Southern), and graded half a 
mile of the road-bed east and west of Lit- 
tle Mud creek. In May and June, 1852, 
he furnished and delivered timber for 
bridges over the Muskalounge and over 
Little Mud creek, and hauled and deliv- 
ered timber for Big Mud creek and Nine- 
Mile creek bridges. On September 20, 
1852, he left home with men, teams and 
tools for Hardin county, Ohio, where he 
had a contract on the Pittsburgh & Fort 
Wayne railroad, spending thirteen months 
at grading Sections 43 and 45 of that 
road. In .\ugust. 1853, he contracted to 
clear and grade Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the 



136 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



Fremont & Indiana railroad (now the 
Lake Erie & Western); he also sent part 
of his men and teams to work upon the 
Pittsburg & Fort Wayne railroad, grading 
the road-bed. In the summer of 1854 
the finances of the Lake Erie & Western 
Company failed, and the work stopped. 
In March and April, 1854, he bought wild 
land in various places, at second hand, 
giving as part pay some horses and oxen 
which he had been using on public works; 
he bought forty acres in Barry county, 
Mich., 320 acres in Ottawa county, Ohio, 
and eighty acres in Sandusky county, 
Ohio. These lands he kept from ten to 
twenty years, and sold them at a profit. 
In January, 1858, he bought of his father, 
R. A. Sherrard, the east half of the 
northwest quarter of Section 5, Ballville 
township, which is now half of his home 
farm. He dealt in real estate in Kansas, 
and in Putnam and Fulton counties, Ohio, 
and he and his son, J. F. Sherrard, bought 
a farm in the oil and gas region west of 
Fremont, which they have leased to the 
Carbon Company of Fremont for a term 
of years. Mr. Sherrard was the first man 
to ship lime in barrels from Fremont, 
Ohio, to the glass works at Wheeling, W. 
Va. , in 1864, and he continued this for 
eighteen years, also shipping largely to 
other points for the manufacture of glass 
and paper, and for plastering purposes. 
During the Civil war Mr. Sherrard bought 
horses for the Ohio cavalry. Since 1875 
he has rented his farms and bought up 
live stock, cows and sheep for Eastern 
men, who sold them principally in New 
Jersey. He has now 125 acres under 
cultivation on each of his two farms. In 
1 89 1 he bought a farm of 190 acres in 
Alabama, ten miles north of Huntsville, 
on which his two daughters, with their 
husbands and families, reside. This land 
is very productive, yielding large crops of 
clover, corn, wheat, oats and garden vege- 
tables. In politics Mr. Sherrard has acted 
with the Whig and Republican parties. 
On July 4, 1843, our subject married 



Catharine M. Welday, by whom he had 
three children — Laura A., Keziah W. and 
Elizabeth C. The mother of these died 
September 29, 1847, and on Febru- 
ary 24, 1848, he wedded Narcissa T. 
Grant, by whom he had children, as 
follows: Harriet B., Robert W. , John 
F., Emma V., Mary J., Rose T. , 
and Ida M. Of this large family, 
Laura A. married Benjamin Mooney, 
and their children are Lottie S., Emma, 
Mary A. and Nettie. Keziah W. married 
Homer Overmyer, and their daughter, 
Dora, is the wife of Clifton Hunn. Eliz- 
abeth C. married J. S. Brust, and they 
have a daughter — Ida. Harriet B. mar- 
ried Charles E. Tindall, and died Sep- 
tember 16, 1873; they had a daughter, 
Hattie, who married William, son of A. 
J. Wolfe, a farmer west of Fremont, Ohio. 
Robert W. is fully mentioned farther on. 
John F. married Jennie E. Bowlus, by 
whom he had five children — Harry, Ida, 
Robert, Zelpha and Don. Emma V. 
married Josiah Smith, and to them were 
born the following named children: Mi- 
lan, Robert, Jesse, Howard, Orie, Lulu 
and Granville. Mary J. married David 
W. Cookson, and they have a son — Clar- 
ence. Rose T. married John R. Tindall, 
and they have had three children — Mabel, 
Louis and Etta. Ida M. is the wife of J. 
U. Bodenman, a druggist, of St. Louis. 



ROBERT W. SHERRARD, of the 
firm of Plagman & Sherrard, deal- 
ers in groceries, provisions and 
queensware. East State street, 
Fremont, Sandusky county, was born 
December 21, 1849, 'n Ballville town- 
ship, Sandusky county, Ohio, a son of D. 
A. C. Sherrard. 

Our subject grew to manhood on a 
farm in the vicinity of Fremont, and at- 
tended the country and city schools. He 
remained with his parents until he was 
twenty-one years of age, and while yet in 
his "teens" began to alternate each year 



CO.V.Vt:.V(>HATJVE BIOaiiAPUICM. UKCORD. 



18; 



between teaching country school in the 
winter season and farininj; the rest of the 
time. In the si)rinf,' of 1872 he attended 
the State Normal School at Lebanon, 
Ohio, and in the fall of the same year 
and the sprinf^ of the next he attended 
the Seneca Cuuntv Academy at Republic, 
Ohio, then in charge of Prof. J. Fraise 
Richards. He then taught four more 
terms of winter school, alternating with 
farming. In 1885 he bought out the in- 
terest of John Ulsh, in the firm of Plag- 
man & Ulsh, grocers, and has since con- 
tinued in the same place with his 
brother-in-law, C. H. Plagman. By en- 
terprise, fair dealing and good manage- 
ment this firm have built up a prosperous 
trade. Our subject is a Republican in 
politics, and has held various local offices. 
He and Mrs. Sherrard are members of 
the Presbyterian Church, and socially he 
belongs to McPherson Lodge, I. O. O. 
F. , to the Order of the Red Cross and 
the Equitable Aid Union. 

Robert \V. Sherrard married, on May 
18, 1875, Miss Clara A. Karshner, who 
was born November 23, 1855, daughter 
of Daniel and Lydia (Robinson) Karsh- 
ner, of Riley township, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio. Daniel Karshner, born September 
9, 1822, was a son of John and Christena 
(Drum) Karshner, both of whom died at 
an advanced age in Riley township. The 
children of Daniel Karshner were: F'rank, 
who married Louisa Niester; Charles, 
who died in childhood; Alfred L. , unmar- 
ried; Clara A., wife of Robert W. Sherrard; 
Ella L., who died when aged seven; 
Sarah L. , wife of H. C. Plagman; Anna 
N., wife of John N. Smith; Edwin U., 
who married Mary Bardus; and Willis 
C, who died at the age of fifteen. 

Mrs. Clara A. (Karshner) Sherrard 
grew to womanhood in Riley township, 
attended the country schools and the 
Fremont High School, and taught three 
terms of school in the vicinity of 
her home in Riley and Sandusky 
townships. She now presides over a 



neat family residence on East State 
street, honored by its historic connection 
with Gen. Bell, one of the earliest pio- 
neers of Lower Sandusky. The children 
of Robert W. and Clara A. Sherrard are 
Blanche Mae, born March 10, 1876, and 
Zella Gertrude, born January 18, 1884; 
the former is a graduate of the I*"remont 
High School, and the latter is a student 
of the same. 



S.\LES A. JUNE was born in 
Tompkins county, N. Y., August 
2, 1829, son of Peter June. In 
1833 he came with his father's 
family to Ohio, locating in Sandusky 
city, where he remained until 1849, when, 
at the age of twenty years, he went to 
Cleveland to learn the trade of machinist. 
During the period from 1849 to 1856 
Mr. June alternated between sailing on 
the lakes as an engineer in the summer 
time, and working in the Cuyahoga shops 
in the winter time. About the year 1857 
he went to Brantford, Canada, where he 
became connected with sawmilling, and 
took a contract for furnishing lumber for 
a branch of the Grand Trimk railroad. 
He had a partner in the business, and the 
enterprise was successful, they furnishing 
lumber for the western end of the Buf- 
falo \- Lake Erie, then known as the 
Buffalo A: Lake Huron Branch, Grand 
Trunk railroad. Mr. June next took a 
contract to build a plank road into the 
oil regions of Canada, at Ennisskillen, 
which he completed just before the Civil 
war broke out in the United States. He 
then returned to Cleveland. Ohio. In 
1862 he went to Buffalo and assisted in 
building and finishing out the United 
States steamer "Commodore Perry." 
and became engaged as an engineer on 
the vessel, in the employ of the United 
States Government, continuing thus until 
the latter part of 1865. .After this he 
superintended the building of a propellor 
for the Fremont Steam Navigation Com- 



138 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



pany, and ran her on the lakes until about 
1867, at which time he started a boiler 
works in Fremont, Ohio. After opera- 
ting these works about eight years he sold 
out to D. June & Co., remaining in the 
employ of said company, and being a 
partner in the same until 1890. In the 
year 1891 he received an appointment 
from the United States Lighthouse Board 
at Washington, D. C. , to go to Cleve- 
land, Ohio, and superintend the build- 
ing of engines and boilers of two light- 
house boats, the "Columbia" and the 
"Lilac;" the latter boat is now on the 
coast of Maine, and the former on the 
coast of Oregon. In the fall of 1892 Mr. 
June returned to Fremont and engaged 
in the manufacture of the boiler-scale 
solvent, which has been introduced into 
all the leading boiler shops of Ohio, and 
is presumed to be a great success. 

Sales A. June was married to Miss 
Jane J. Campbell, who was born in Cuya- 
hoga county, Ohio, December 29, 1827, 
daughter of John N. and Jane (Quiggin) 
Campbell, and three children were born to 
them, of whom (i) Adelaide J., born May 
10, 1857, was married in 1880 to William 
Waugh, a Scotchman, who is a whole- 
sale fur dealer at Montreal, P. O. ; their 
children are Florence, Oliver S., Marion 
and William. 

(2) Peter J. June, born September 6, 
1858, grew to manhood and received his 
education in Fremont, where he learned 
the trade of mechanical engineer in the 
shops of D. June & Co. , subsequently going 
to Cleveland, where he worked in the Cuy- 
ahoga shops and for the Globe Shipbuild- 
ing Co. several years. After this he fol- 
lowed steamboating, as engineer, on the 
lakes from 1S78 until 1892, during the sum- 
mer seasons, for several lines, running the 
"Conestoga," "Gordon Campbell," and 
"Lehigh," of the Anchor Line; the 
"Wocoken," " Egyptian " and " Cormo- 
rant, "of the Winslow Fleet; the " North- 
ern Light," of the Northern Steamship 
Co., and the "City of Toledo," of the 



Toledo & Island Steam Navigation Co. 
In the season of 1890 he had charge of 
the McKinnon Iron Works at Ashtabula, 
Ohio. He is now a partner in the Fre- 
mont Boiler-Scale Solvent Co., Fremont, 
Ohio. Mr. June was married at Tyler, 
Texas, to Miss Jennie, daughter of J. C. 
and Agnes (Boyd) Jones, who were from 
Beaver county, Penn., and of Welsh de- 
scent. They have one child, Robert F. , 
born October 24, 1887. 

(3) Elmer Ellsworth, youngest in the 
family of Sales A. June, was born in 1861, 
and died when nine months old. 

In politics Sales A. June and his son 
are Republicans. They are members of 
the Masonic Fraternity, the former hav- 
ing attained the seventh and the latter the 
third degree. 



GEORGE JUNE, retired farmer and 
horse dealer, Fremont, Sandusky 
county, was born in the town of 
Dryden, Tompkins Co., N. Y. , 
December 26, 1822, son of Peter June. 
He came with his father's family, in 1833, 
to Sandusky city, where he attended 
school a few terms, as he could be spared 
from work. 

At the age of fifteen George June left 
home to work on his own account, going 
with his brother Daniel to serve as team- 
ster, in the construction of mason work 
in Maumee (Lucas county) and vicinity, 
and helped build the first poor house in 
Lucas county. In 1838 he went south to 
Springfield, Cincinnati and other cities in 
quest of work. He drove a stage for the 
Ohio Stage Company, on the National 
road, about eleven years, and also drove 
stage for some time at Bellefontaine, his 
wages being usually about $14 per month 
and board. After this he went to Cincin- 
nati, and engaged first as a common hand 
to assist a stock company in shipping live 
stock down the Mississippi river; but his 
natural tact and his long experience in 
handling horses soon caused him to be put 



OOMMBMORATTVE BTOORAPHWAL RECORD. 



180 



in charge of large consignments of horses 
on vessels, as foreman. For about ten 
years he went south in the fall, and re- 
turned in the spring. Having accumu- 
lated some money, he invested it in a 
large farm in Sandusky county, whereon 
he afterward settled. During the Civil 
war Mr. June furnished cavalry horses for 
the Ohio troops, at the rate of nearly 
2,000 per year. He shipped the first car- 
load of horses that ever was shipped from 
Fremont to Boston, and has shipped 
many a carload since. By his long and 
active out-door life, and his temperate 
habits, he has retained robust health in a 
green old age. 



JOHN GEIGER, farmer, of Fremont, 
Sandusky county, was born in Baden, 
Germany, March 12, 1819, a son of 
John and Josephine (Cramer) Geiger. 
His father was born in the same place, 
and was by occupation a glass-cutter and 
window-grainer. He died at the age of 
forty-eight years. His widow came to 
America, and died at the advanced age of 
ninety years, in Reed township, Huron 
Co., Ohio. Their children were: Law- 
rence, who died at the age of forty-eight 
years in Shannon township (he was a 
farmer and wagon-maker by trade); Rosa, 
who married a Mr. Nesser, and died in 
Huron county; Mary Ann, a widow, liv- 
ing in Huron county; Frances, who died 
young in Germany; John, the subject of 
this sketch, and Rudolph, who lives in 
Sherman township, Huron county. 

Our subject worked by the month and 
by the year until he came to America, 
and continued thus for some time after 
coming here. On March 14, 1840, he 
landed in New York City after a voyage 
of forty-eight days, and shortly after 
came to Huron county, Ohio, where he 
settled. He borrowed $8.00 in Buffalo 
from an old schoolmate with which to 
come to Ohio, where he worked for $8 
per month at harvesting. After working 



for a while on a farm he commenced 
wagon-making, but in about two weeks 
he was taken sick with a fever which did 
not leave him until cold weather — in 
fact, it was the ague. He left Huron 
county to get rid of it, coming to Fremont 
in the fall of 1840, and remaining in the 
region of the Black Swamp about three 
months, after which he went to where 
Toledo now is, but failing to get any busi- 
ness he returned to Bellevue. When he 
left Huron county he owed a doctor bill, 
to pay which he had to sell his clothes. 
He had had the ague every other day, 
and the rest of the time was employed 
driving a team, but he only received two 
dollars of his wages in money, the rest in 
trade to the amount of si.x dollars. In 
the latter part of February he had a fall- 
ing out with his employer, and would not 
stay with him over night. He concluded 
to go away ten or twelve miles, to Green- 
field township, and on the way he went 
through a wilderness and found himself 
on a prairie. Here he fell into a ditch 
where the water was up to his waist, but 
he managed to get out, and proceeding 
on his way fell into another ditch in try- 
ing to jump it, this time losing his bundle 
of goods. He now was soaking wet, but 
he had saved his money. He went on 
until he saw a light, which he followed. 
The light went out, but he found a house, 
and when the door opened he dodged in 
without invitation among a Yankee fam- 
ily, with whom he could not talk a word 
of English. He was not slow, however, 
in making his wants known by gestures, 
at which the Germans are so apt, and 
was at once providecl for; but he shool 
with the ague, which was worse than th< 
wet. He got to Greenfield township 
and then started for Huron. On the way 
he took a chill, and lay down till it was 
over. On reaching Huron he got on a 
boat, but he was too sick to sit up, so he 
lay down in a bunk and waited till the 
boat should get ready to go, saying to 
himself, •' Let the boat go where it will," 



140 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and fell asleep. The boat started, and 
on the voyage he got seasick, but the 
ague left him, and the next morning he 
was in Cleveland, where he found work. 
When he was getting off the boat they 
stopped him to get his passage money. 
He said, "No monish. " He got a kind 
Dutchman to help him out, whom he paid 
later. Subsequently going to Buffalo, he 
was employed there as a hostler, earning 
$25. He then took passage to Canada, 
where wages were good, and worked there 
two years for a Dutchman at twelve dol- 
lars per month. His employer was a 
kind man, and paid him $200 in good 
money. After working for others and 
earning some more money Mr. Geiger re- 
turned to Huron county, Ohio, and bought 
forty acres of land in Sherman township. 
Here at Milan he started a brick-yard, 
and continued to run it about si.x years. 
He hauled lumber sixteen miles with one 
horse to build his house, paying out every 
dollar he had for it, and gave a chattel 
mortgage for a barrel of flour. He sold 
these forty-two acres and bought seventy- 
two acres between Norwalk and Milan, 
which he fitted up for a home, and after- 
ward traded it off for one hundred acres 
in Sherman township, upon which he 
moved and went to farming during the 
Civil war. He was drafted on the first 
draft, and hired a substitute, but he was 
loyal to the Government. From Sher- 
man township he moved to Peru town- 
ship, where he was again drafted, and 
here he put in a substitute for three years, 
or during the war. When he was to be 
drafted a third time he was exempted by 
this last substitute. In Peru he cleared 
up a farm of 160 acres. Mr. Geiger is a 
Republican and a Catholic. 

On June 11, 1847, John Geiger mar- 
ried Miss Catharine Grabner, who was 
born January 30, 1823, in Bavaria, and 
the children born to this union were: 
John J. ; Laura, who married Louis 
Hours and had children as follows — Fan- 
nie, Metz, Alpha, Arthur and two others; 



Mary, who married Albert Smith and had 
children — Rosa, Alta, Charles and Frank; 
Frank, who married Mary Hippie, and 
had six children, and Mathias, who mar- 
ried Ann Bitzer, and whose children were 
Herod, Alice, Theresa, and Ada May. 
Mr. Geiger moved to his present resi- 
dence May 8, 1891. Mrs. Geiger was a 
daughter of Lawrence and Ivatharine 
(Ohl) Grabner, who landed in America 
after a passage of eight weeks on the 
ocean, and settled in Huron county, Ohio, 
in 1839. Mr. Grabner died at fifty-three 
years of age. His children were: Mary, 
who married John Suter; Margaret, who 
married Casper Kirgner; Catharine, now 
Mrs. Geiger; John, who married Rebecca 
Bigler (now deceased), and Peter, who is 
also deceased. 



JOHN B. LOVELAND, of Fremont, 
Sandusky county, was born Feb- 
ruary 20, 1827, in New Haven town- 
ship, Huron Co., Ohio, of English 
descent, his great ancestor having settled 
in the Connecticut Valley in the year 1635. 
At the age of nineteen Mr. Loveland 
left his father's home and farm for Ober- 
lin College, which was then a manual la- 
bor institution, and here for four years 
he paid his way with manual labor dur- 
ing term time, and by teaching district 
schools during the winter vacations. In 
1854 he took a position as teacher in the 
Fremont Union Schools, which he held for 
ten years with credit to himself and to the 
entire satisfaction of all concerned. He 
next served as superintendent of schools 
at Bellevue, Green Spring and Woodville, 
adjoining towns in the same county, and 
during his connection with these schools 
he was a member of the Sandusky County 
Board of school examiners, faithfully dis- 
charging the duties of his office for the 
term of fourteen years. He was also an 
officer of the Sandusky County Teachers' 
Institute some twenty-five years. Having 
found leisure time for the study of law, Mr. 



COMMKMOUATIVK DIOGRAPUICAL IlfCOIiD. 



141 



Loveland was admitted to the bar March 
20, 1876, by the district court at Fre- 
mont, but he does not make the practice 
of law a specialty, preferrin;^ the retire- 
ment of his farm just outside the city 
limits. He is the author of "The Love- 
land Genealogy." in three large octavo 
volumes, published in 1892-95. Mr. 
Lovelaiui is a stanch Kepublicaii, and be- 
lieves that the mission of the Republican 
party is not yet ended. He cast his first 
vote in 1848 for the nominee of the Free- 
Soil party, in 1852 voted for John P. 
Hale, candidate of the new party, in 
1856 for John C. Fremont, and in i860 
for Abraham Lincoln. From first to last 
he was opposed to slavery. He is a de- 
cided advocate of temperance and prohi- 
bition, uses no tobacco, and despises the 
use of alcohol in all its forms as a bever- 
age. He believes the use of the one is 
the stepping-stone to the use of the other. 

John 13. Loveland was married at New 
Haven, Huron Co., Ohio, August 22, 
1850, to Miss Martha Jane, daughter of 
Nicholas and Delilah (Hunsicker) Watts. 
She was born in Owasco, N. Y. , March 
3, 1831, and died at Fremont, February 
27, 1883, the mother of children as fol- 
lows: Martha Amelia, born July 31, 185 i, 
died August 22, 1851; Nicholas Eugene, 
born November 20, 1852; and John El- 
mer, born December 22, 1862. On April 
22, 1884, John B. Loveland,for his second 
wife, married, at Fremont, Mrs. Harriet 
Newell Fa.xson, //<V Loveland, who was 
born at Waterville, Penn., February 17, 
1838. At the age of sixteen our subject 
united with the Free-Will Baptist Church 
in New Haven, and he and Mrs. Love- 
land arc now members of the M. E. 
Church at Fremont. 

N. E. Loveland, farmer, of Green 
Spring, Ohio, was born in Greenfield 
township, Huron county, November 20, 
1852, and spent his early life on his fa- 
ther's farm at Fremont. In 1 872 he gradu- 
ated from the Fremont High School, after 
which he served as superintendent of the 



Port Clinton and Woodville schools. He 
studied law with the firm of Everett & 
F'owler, Fremont, and was admitted to 
the bar by the district court, March 20, 
1876, subsequently practicing his profes- 
sion at Columbus Grove and at Fremont, 
but he has now retired to his farm. He 
is a strong advocate of temperance, and 
in politics is a Republican. On November 
16, 1876, he married Miss Annie Parker, 
of Green Spring, who was born there 
July 24, 1857. They are both members 
of the Seventh-Day Advent Church. The 
names and dates of birth of their children 
are Bertha Eugenie, December 15, 1S77; 
Grace Eola, April 25, 1883; Roy Dana, 
April 2, 1886; Daisy Melita, June 3, 1889; 
and Ernest Eugene, October 20, 1892. 

J. Elmek Loveland, an emyloye in 
the Carbon Works, was born at Fremont, 
December 22, 1862, and received his 
education in the F'remont city schools. 
His present residence is on a lot of land 
adjoining that of his father. On October 
29, 1882, he was married, at Clyde, 
Ohio, to Miss Anna Murphy, who was 
born in New York city September i, 
1864, daughter of Michael and Nora 
(Dillon) Murphy, and their children are: 
Martha Hazel, born April 22, 1884; 
Herman, born September 26, 1887; and 
John Talcott, born July 22, 1892. 



JOHN F. GOTTRON. proprietor of 
stone quarry, and dealer in building 
stone, lime, etc., at Fremont, San- 
dusky county, is a native of same, 
having been born there July 21, 1855, a 
son of Philip and Clara (F"ertig) Gottron. 
Philip Gottron was born September 
12, 1812, in Mumbach, Germany, where 
he grew to manhood, and was engaged in 
the lime and the roofing-tile business un- 
til he emigrated to America. He was 
mayor of Mumbach, and at different times 
held other public offices, serving as a 
member of the city council. In 1834 he 
came to America, locating in Fremont, 



142 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



Ohio, where he conducted a hotel for 
some years and a brick-yard. About the 
year 1862-63 he did the first extensive 
business in hme in Fremont. He bought 
a part of the extensive quarries now 
owned by his sons, and carried on a prof- 
itable trade, retiring from business in 
1878; he died in 1881. He was a Dem- 
ocrat in politics, and a Roman Catholic 
in religious faith. His wife was also born 
in Mumbach, Germany, where they were 
married, and she came with him to 
America, dying April 26, 1871. They 
had eleven children (two of whom were 
born in America), as follows: Margaret, 
wife of George Engler, of the firm of 
Engler, Baker & Co., stock and grain 
buyers, Fremont, Ohio; Clara, widow of 
Philip Setzler; Herman, who died at the 
age of thirty-four; Frank, who is foreman 
of the kilns in connection with his broth- 
ers' business at Fremont, Ohio; Anna, 
widow of Andrew Hodes; Anthony N., 
keeper of a restaurant at Fremont, Ohio; 
Rosa, wife of S. Geier, of Cleveland, 
Ohio; Barbara, wife of W. G. Andrews; 
of Cleveland, Ohio; Adam, who is a part- 
ner with his brother John F. in the stone 
quarry, of Fremont, Ohio; John F. ; 
and Philip, who married Miss Ellen Hid- 
ber, and lives at Fremont, Ohio. 

John F. Gottron was reared in Fre- 
mont, where he attended both parochial 
and public schools, and assisted his father 
in business. At the age of thirteen he 
was taken out of school to do work in 
lime-kilns, continuing thus until he was 
twenty, when he went to Cleveland. Ohio, 
and worked a year and a half on Broad- 
way and Central avenue, for a brother- 
in-law, after which, in 1877, he returned 
to Fremont, where he has been engaged 
in the lime business ever since. When 
the Gottron Brothers started in this busi- 
ness, our subject had only $20 and his 
brother $100. In 1890 they bought out 
all competitors, and now have full con- 
trol of the business. They furnish founda- 
tion stones for buildings and bridges, 



employing twenty-five men in the sum- 
mer season in the quarries, and ship lime 
to various parts of Ohio, Michigan, In- 
diana, Pennsylvania and New York. 

On October 3, 1882, John F. Got- 
tron married Miss Bertha Andrews, who 
was born June 13, 1859; she received a 
part of her education in a convent in 
Germany. Her parents were Christo- 
pher and Mary (Fertig) Andrews, the 
father born in North Germany January 
8, 1828, and the mother June 11, 1824, 
in Bensheim. They both came to 
America in childhood. He died March 
27, 1878; she is living with her daugh- 
ter at Fremont, Ohio. Their children 
were: William G. , who married Barbara 
Gottron, and is in the milling business at 
Cleveland, Ohio, being vice-president 
and one of the principal stockholders in 
the Broadway Mills Co., of which he was 
one of the organizers; T. M., living at 
Cleveland; Catharine, wife of A. N. Got- 
tron, of Fremont, Ohio; and Bertha, wife 
of our subject. 

After marriage Mr. Gottron moved to 
his home in the Fourth ward of Fremont, 
and during the second year thereafter 
was elected to the city council, of which 
he was president from 1885 to 1889, and 
served as clerk for four years following. 
In 1894 Mr. Gottron completed one of 
the most beautiful homes in the city at 
the corner of Birchard avenue and Mon- 
roe street, where he now resides. He is 
a member of the Roman Catholic Church, 
the Catholic Knights of Ohio, the Order 
of Elks and of the German Aid Society. 
Mr. and Mrs. Gottron have two children: 
Mabelle and John F. , Jr. 



M 



ERLIN BABCOCK, one of the 
substantial and popular farmers 
of York township, Sandusky 
county, comes of pioneer stock. 
He was born in Ontario county. New 
York, June 27, 1819, son of Elisha and 
Prudence (Hinkley) Babcock, both natives 





cv^'/^'^'i^ '-^^/i'^^^^^^ 



\- 



OOilMEMORATIVB BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



148 



of Stevens township, Rensselaer Co., 
New York. 

I£lisli:i Babcock was born in 1783, of 
remote Holland ancestry, but he himself 
always used to insist that he was a Yan- 
kee. He was a Whig in politics. In 
\^2l he migrated by team with his family 
from New York to Green Creek town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohio, where he 
purchased government land, and was 
among the earliest settlers, the family 
living (or a few weeks in -an old sugar 
shanty while a cabin was being erected. 
The parents went to their long rest many 
years later, after they had converted the 
wilderness into a fruitful farm. To Elisha 
and Prudence Babcock were born five 
children, as follows: Laura, who first 
married P. C. Chapel, and for her second 
husband wedded J. C. Coleman, a grocer 
of Fremont, where she died; Esther, who 
married George Waldorf, of Allegany 
county, N. Y., and died there; Clark, 
who married Ann Lee, and was a farmer 
of Porter county, Ind.; Hiram, who 
married Mary Ann Lay, and after her de- 
cease wedded Josephine Woodruff, and 
who died in Green Creek township, in 
1886, leaving seven children; Merlin, the 
youngest child, is the only survivor of the 
family. 

Merlin Babcock was but four years of 
age when he migrated with his parents to 
Sandusky county. He remained on the 
old homestead in Green Creek township 
until he was twenty-seven years old, in 
his youth attending school in winter about 
three months, and in summer two months. 
For his first wife he married Almira Uir- 
1am, a native of Massachusetts. She died 
in 1846, leaving three children: Sarah, 
wife of John J. Craig, of Coffey county, 
Kans. ; Callie B., who married G. M. 
Kinney, by whom she had one child, 
Merlin, and who now keeps house for her 
father; and Frank, a resident of Gibson- 
burg, who has five chiKlren — Burton, 
Edith, Amy, Chauncey and Jesse. After 
the death of his first wife Mr. Babcock 



left his father's homestead and moved to 
his present farm in York township. Here 
he married Agnes E. Donaldson, by whom 
he had one child, John C, now a resi- 
dent of Nevada. He engaged in general 
farming for a time, then removed to Wads- 
worth, Nevada, and there engaged in the 
hotel business. After his wife died in the 
western home he returned to Sandusky 
county, and has since resided on his farm 
in York township. In politics Mr. Bab- 
cock has been a Henry Clay Whig. He 
cast his first vote for W. H. H Harrison, 
and also voted for his grandson, Benjamin 
Harrison, for President. Mr. Babcock 
remembers hearing Gen. Harrison make 
a speech at Old Fort Meigs in 1840. He 
remembers, too, with vividness, the re- 
markable change that has come upon the 
face of the country during the past fifty 
years, and among other things the three 
old mills on Coon creek, near Clyde, that 
ran several months each year, that stream 
then being filled from bank to bank, in 
striking contrast to the present attenuated 
How of water. He served York town- 
ship for nineteen years as assessor, and 
has filled various other local offices. Mr. 
Babcock is an upright citizen, and is with- 
out an enemy. At his old home in York 
township he enjoys the serenity and com- 
fort which should crown a life so well spent 
as his has been, and he commands the 
highest respect and esteem of a wide cir- 
cle of friends and acquaintances. 



A J. HALE, station agent of the 
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern 
railroad, Fremont, was born in 
Steuben county, N. Y., May 25, 
1828, son of Samuel and Sarah Hale. 

Samuel Hale was born in Massachu- 
setts, and his wife in Connecticut, whence 
she early removed to western New York, 
and there grew to womanhood. They were 
married at Albany. He was first a lumber 
dealer in various sections of the State of 
New York, and later a general merchant. 



144 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



doing business at Tyrone, Steuben county. 
He died in 1842, at the age of fifty-seven 
years, and sfie died at Lake Geneva, in 
1857, at the age of sixty-three, a member 
of the Baptist Church. Ten children 
were born to them, nine of whom grew 
to maturity. 

A. J. Hale was reared in Steuben 
county, N. Y. , and attended the public 
schools until thirteen years of age. He 
then served as clerk in a store, in New 
York State, for two years when, in 1842, he 
came to Bellevue, Ohio, and was there 
actively engaged in business until 1852, 
when he removed to Fremont, becoming 
agent for the Lake Shore & Michigan 
Southern railroad, in 1857, which position 
he filled until 1861. At the outbreak of 
the Civil war, in 1861, he helped to raise 
the first company of three-year men in 
Fremont, and entered the service as sec- 
ond lieutenant of Company E, Twenty- 
fifth O. V. I. After serving with the 
company a short time at Camp Chase, 
Columbus, Ohio, he was appointed and 
commissioned quartermaster of the 
Twenty-fifth O. V. I., under Gov. Tod, 
at the suggestion of Gen. R. B. Hayes. 
Mr. Hale had not sought the position, 
but was chosen on account of his fitness 
for the place. His regiment was assigned 
to duty with the army of Western Virginia 
and he became senior regimental and 
post quartermaster, in October, 1863, 
resigning his post and returning to Fre- 
mont, where he resumed his old place as 
ticket and freight agent for the combined 
offices of the Lake Shore & Michigan 
Southern and the Lake Erie & Western 
railroads. He continued thus until 1880, 
when the increasing business of the roads 
demanded that the business departments 
be separated, and he became freight and 
station agent for the Lake Shore alone, 
and is now acting in that capacity. His 
long period of service before the public 
and his excellent qualities as a citizen 
have made him one of the best known 
and most highly respected citizens in the 



community. In fraternal affiliation he is 
a member of the Knights of Honor and 
of the Royal Arcanum. Mr. Hale was 
married, in Bellevue, Ohio, in 1850, to 
Miss Elizabeth A. Simkins. 



ALBERT VOGT BAUMANN is a 
native "Buckeye," having been 
born in Fremont, in 1S59, a son 
of Jacob and Elizabeth (Vogt) 
Baumann, natives of Switzerland, who 
came from their native country to Fremont 
in 1854. 

Jacob Baumann, his father, has been 
identified with the business interests of 
Fremont since 1856, and by his persever- 
ance and strict attention to business has 
acquired a competency which places him 
in the front rank as one of the solid, sub- 
stantial business men of Fremont. He is 
and always has been an active Democrat 
in politics, but never seeking ofifice. His 
wife died January 7, 1892, aged fifty-six 
years. Their children were: Jacob Bau- 
mann, Jr., of Fremont; Emma Baumann, 
who died recently; Elizabeth Baumann, 
at home; and Albert Vogt, our subject; 
they also had an adopted daughter, named 
Hattie. 

Our subject grew to manhood in Fre- 
mont, attended the city schools, and then 
took a thorough business course at East- 
man College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. He has 
been identified with the progress and de- 
velopment of his native city since his boy- 
hood days, and has taken an active in- 
terest in everything designed for the good 
of the county. He has recently become 
prominent among the oil and gas men of 
Sandusky and adjoining counties. In 1884 
and 1885 he was principal owner and 
manager of the Democratic Messenger, 
the organ of the Sandusky County Demo- 
cracy at Fremont. He was elected city 
clerk in 1882, and served in that capacity 
for six years, having been twice unani- 
mously re-elected. In 1884 he received 
the nomination of the Democratic party 



OOtniEMORATIVB BIOORAPHIOAL RBCORD. 



145 



for auditor of Sandusky county, and was 
defeated bv William L. Baker. In 1887 
he was ajjain nominated by the Demo- 
cratic party for county auditor, and was 
elected over Nfr. Baker, who defeated him 
three years previous. In 1891 he was re- 
nominated and re-elected county auditor, 
receiving the largest niajority of any on 
the county ticket. His whole time and 
attention is now devoted to his business 
interests, which have become extensive, 
mainly through his persevermg nature and 
untiring efforts. He is largely interested 
in The Fremont Gas Company and The 
Fremont Electric Light Company, being 
a director in each and secretary and treas- 
urer of both companies. In January, 
1889, Mr. Baumann was married at Fre- 
mont to Miss Anna Rose Greene, daugh- 
ter of Judge John L. Greene, of Fremont. 
To their union were born two children: 
Albert Vogt, Jr.. and Elsie Elizabeth. 
To his wife and children he is devotedly 
attached. 



C.\PTAIN O. L. SHANNON was 
born in Sandusky township, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, March 30, 1848, 
grew up there and attended the 
district schools. Being a weakly child, 
the physicians ordered that he should take 
a voyage, hence he started on one on the 
lakes when he was a boy ten years old. 
He succeeded in sustaining himself from 
the outset, and sailed on the lakes every 
summer. He finally went before the mast, 
remaining in that capacity until his mar- 
riage, in 1873, to Miss Delia Morrow, 
who was born in Sandusky City, Ohio, in 
1854, and ilied in 1876, leaving one child, 
Le Roy, who is now a drug clerk in Fre- 
mont, Ohio. Our subject's second wife, 
Martha F. (P'linck), was born in Erie 
county, in 1867, married in 1882, in Lo- 
rain, Ohio, and has two children: Wilson 
O.. and Westford ¥. 

After his first marriage Mr. Shannon 
located in Fremont, where he served in 



various occupations until 1874, when he 
passed the examinations in Cleveland, 
Ohio, and received his certificate as mas- 
ter seaman and first-class pilot on the 
Great Lakes. He has sailed a boat near- 
ly every summer since after his location 
in l-'remont, also operated his farm in 
Sandusky township in connection with 
sailing; but five years since he located per- 
manently in Fremont. He is still com- 
manding a steamer. He is a member of 
the I.O.O.F. and of the Disciples Church 
of Lorain, Ohio. His wife is also a mem- 
ber of that Church. Capt. Shannon is 
well known on the lakes and around Fre- 
mont. 

John Shannon, father of our subject, 
was born March 2, 18 13, in the " Block 
House" at Scioto, which was erected as 
a fortress during the war of 181 2. The 
name Shannon is of Low-Dutch origin, 
descending from our subject's great-grand- 
father, George Shannon. He came to 
America in the seventeenth century, lo- 
cated at Schenectady, N. Y., and was 
well-to-do financially. He died about the 
year 1828, at an advanced age. He had 
two children: John and George, the lat- 
ter of whom, our subject's grandfather, 
came west to Ohio in 1809. Soon 
afterward he was married, in Sandusky 
county, to Mary Whittaker, who was 
born in that county in 1 799, and died 
in 1827. She was the daughter of 
James and Elizabeth (Fulks) Whittaker, 
who were both stolen by a party of In- 
dians from the Mohawk Valley, New York 
State. The great-grandfather of our sub- 
ject was about two years old and his great- 
grandmother about four years old when 
they were taken to Lower Sandusky (now 
Fremont), which was then the headquar- 
ters of the Indians in this section. They 
were reared by Indians, and by some 
means were made head of the Indian 
tribes. They were married by Indian 
ceremonies. In due course of time they 
established a trading post on the Whit- 
taker Reserve, which was given them by 



146 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the Indians. They also had a trading 
post at Upper Sandusky. Mr. Whittaker 
kept that post, and Mrs. Whittaker the 
one on the Whittaker Reserve. The In- 
dians traded, from many miles around, at 
Lower Sandusky, and recognized the 
Whittakers as their rulers and chiefs. 
Mr. Whittaker had a partner at Lower 
Sandusky, and was poisoned by him so 
that he died; he was hurried on the Whit- 
taker Reserve. Our subject's grand- 
mother died in the spring of 1832. They 
had children as follows: Isaac, Nancy, 
Mary (subject's grandmother), James, 
Rachel, Charlotte and George. Our sub- 
ject's father saw and knew all of them 
except Nancy, who was married early in 
life to a Mr. Wilson, and moved to 
Canada. In 1 832-33 two of her daughters 
visited here, and afterward a young man 
came and staid a short time; he was here 
at the time of grandmother's death, but 
was never seen afterward. The rest of 
that branch of the family died in Canada, 
or, at all events, all trace of them has 
been lost. Isaac died in Indiana; James 
died in White Pigeon, Mich., where he 
had been a merchant (our subject's father 
was there at that time); Rachel married 
James A. Scranton, of Lower Sandusky, 
and was a prominent figure here for years; 
Charlotte died single; George, the young- 
est, died in Indiana. 

Our subject's paternal grandfather 
never knew what became of his uncle 
John. Grandfather married asecond time, 
but nothing positive is known of their 
history. He was a farmer and a great 
hunter. He made hunting his chief occu- 
pation, and employed others to operate 
his farm. He died at the age of forty- 
two, and his wife at thirty-si.x. They had 
eight children, six of which grew to ma- 
turity: Elizabeth, married to Samuel 
Hubble, a ship carpenter at Fort Miami; 
James, who died near Oregon; John, sub- 
ject's father; William, a farmer, who died 
at Genoa, Ohio; Rachel, who died young; 
Samuel, who died at Plaster Bed, Ottawa 



Co. , Ohio, and Jacob, who died in Fulton, 
Ohio. Our subject's father, John Shan- 
non, is the only one of these now living. 
Capt. Shannon's paternal grandpar- 
ents went away for safety from the war 
in the fall of 1812, and subject's father 
was born in the block house built at 
Scioto, to protect the whites against the 
Indians. While a party of whites were 
digging potatoes and tending other crops 
they were attacked by Indians, and the 
paternal grandfather of our subject was 
so badly wounded that he had to crawl 
two days and nights to reach a friendly 
Indian's cabin, and was assisted back to 
Scioto. He was severely wounded in the 
back, from which he suffered two years, 
during which time the doctor took thirty- 
one pieces of bone from his back. He 
was a strong man and a great hunter. 
Our subject's father grew up among the 
Indians, was a great hunter in the early 
days, and is still a noted duck shooter. 
On October i, 1840, he was married to 
Miss Eveline Patterson, who was born in 
Onondaga county, N. Y. , in 1824. She 
died October 9, 1893. They had ten 
children: Sarah, Emma Jane, Julia (who 
married Andrew Franks, and lives in 
Michigan), Capt. O. L. (oursubject), John 
W. (who lives in Sandusky township), and 
Fannie (wife of Frank Scheffler, of Fre- 
mont, Ohio); the rest of the children 
died young. After the death of our sub- 
ject's mother, his father, John Shannon, 
married Mrs. Sophia Peter, who was a 
widow at that time. 



BYRON R. DUDROW, a resident 
of Fremont, Sandusky county, is 
a native of Ohio, born March i, 
1855, in Adams township, near 
Green Spring, Seneca county, and is a 
son of David W. and Mary J. (Rule) 
Dudrow, the former of whom was born 
October 25, 1825, in Frederick county, 
Md., a son of David and Elizabeth 



OOMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



147 



(Hines) Dudrow, also natives of Mary- 
land, born of German ancestry. 

David W. Dudrow settled in Seneca 
county, Ohio, in 1845, becoming the 
owner of a large farm there, which he 
conducted up to the time of his decease, 
prospering himself and assisting others to 
prosper, his life presenting a striking ex- 
ample of industry, integrity and unselfish- 
ness. On January 8, 1853, he was mar- 
ried to Miss Mary J. Rule, who was born 
in Seneca county, Ohio, daughter of 
Daniel and Jane (Grosscost) Rule, to 
which union were born eight children, 
four of whom died in infancy, and three 
sons and one daughter are yet living, to 
wit: Byron R., in Fremont, Ohio; Will- 
iam and Fred, in Adams township, Sene- 
ca county, engaged in farming and stock- 
raising; and Jennie, with her mother on 
the old homestead. On May 16, 1888, 
the father, David W. Dudrow, met with 
a fatal accident, being instantly killed by 
the kick of a horse. 

Daniel Rule, grandfather of Byron R. 
Dudrow, was born October 28, 1801, on 
the banks of the Susquehanna river, in 
Perry county, Penn., was of Teutonic de- 
scent, and spoke the German language 
fluently, while his wife. Jane (Grosscost), 
was of Scotch-Irish lineage. In the fall 
of 1824 he moved to Seneca county, 
Ohio, at which time the Seneca Indians 
lived on the Seneca Reservation, and he 
became well acquainted with many of 
them, some of whom were Redmen of 
note in their day, including the famous 
warrior chief Small Cloud Spicer, who at 
that time was a resident of the Sandusky 
Valley. Samuel Rule, brother of Daniel, 
owned and improved a large farm in Me- 
nard county. 111., dying there November 
7, 1884, while George, a half-brother of 
Daniel, was one of the pioneers of San- 
dusky county, Ohio. Daniel Rule's 
grandfather was a soldier in the Revolu- 
tionary war, serving under Gen. Wash- 
ington, and participated in the siege of 
Yorktown; after the surrender of Com- 



wallis he returned to his home in south- 
ern Pennsylvania, and there succumbed 
to an abscess which had formed in his 
side. 

Byron R. Dudrow. the subject proper 
of these lines, received his elementary 
education at the district schools of the 
neighborhood of his place of birth, which 
was supplemented with a course of study 
at the Union schools of Tiffin and Clyde, 
Ohio. This for a few years occupied his 
winter days, his summers being passed 
for the most part in assisting on his 
father's farm in Adams township. In 
the autumn of 1872 he entered the Pre- 
paratory Department of Baldwin Uni- 
versity, Berea, Ohio, remaining there 
continuously until June, 1877, returning 
home only for his vacations. By close 
application and hard study he gained one 
year upon his class, and did not require to 
attend college during the session of 1877- 
78; but in the latter year he returned to 
Berea, and on June 6th graduated from 
Baldwin in the classical course, receiving 
the degree of B. A. On June 9, 1881, 
the degree of M. A. was conferred upon 
him. 

On June 18, 1877, Mr. Dudrow com- 
menced the study of law in the office of 
Basil Meek, at Clyde, Ohio, and was ad- 
mitted to the bar by the District Court, 
April 26, 1879. He did not, however, at 
once enter into active practice, but 
served as deputy clerk of courts of San- 
dusky county from the time of his ad- 
mission to the bar until April 26, 1880, 
at which time he commenced the practice 
of the law. He has been engaged in the 
trial of some prominent cases, and with 
success. One of the most important 
trials in which he has engaged was the 
defense of Mrs. Lizzie Aldridge. who was 
charged with the murder of her husband, 
John Aldridge, the trial taking place at 
Hastings, Neb., in June, 1889. Mrs. 
Aldridge was acquitted, and of Mr. Dud- 
row's efforts in this case the Hastings 
(Neb.) ^<*/»«/^/;Vfl« said: "Mr. Dudrow, 



148 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHIOAL RECORD. 



of Fremont, Ohio, was an earnest and 
pleasing talker; every word and action 
had power and weight that exerted an in- 
fluence upon the jurors." The Adams 
county (Neb.) Democrat, also speaking 
of his able argument at the same trial, 
said: "Of Mr. Dudrow, of Fremont, 
Ohio, it may be said that during the trial 
he won the good opinion and admiration 
of our people by his manly, eloquent and 
logical argument to the jury, and by the 
able manner in which he conducted the 
part of the case assigned to him." From 
1883 till 1888 Mr. Dudrow practiced law 
in partnership with H. R. Finefrock, and 
since 1891 he has been associated with 
his father-in-law, Basil Meek, and John 
W. Worst. 

On November 21, 1878, Mr. Dudrow 
was united in marriage at Clyde, Ohio, 
with Miss Mary E. Meek, daughter of 
Basil Meek, and who for several years 
had been a teacher in the Clyde public 
schools. In his political predilections 
our subject is a Democrat, and has three 
times been elected to the office of city 
solicitor of Fremont, his services in that 
capacity covering a period of six years. 
Besides his residence on Birchard avenue, 
Fremont, he owns a 300-acre farm in 
Townsend township, and he is considered 
one of Sandusky county's most useful, 
progressive citizens. 



HA. VAN EPPS. Thirty years 
have passed since the ' ' cruel 
war" waged between the North 
and South was ended, and even 
the youngest of the men who served their 
country in those dark days are growing 
old. But they never tire of the stories 
of camp life, of forced marches through 
the burning heat and deadly swamps of 
the South, of hair-breadth escapes and 
desperate encounters, or of the dreary 
days in Libby Prison, or the lingering hor- 
rors of Andersonvilie and Belle Isle. A 
few more years, and these stories will be 



handed down by their descendants, for 
the old soldiers will have answered to 
their last roll call, and will have passed 
beyond, happy in the thought that they 
leave behind them a government united 
and at peace. While they live, how- 
ever, it is our privilege to honor them for 
their noble deeds, and to show our grati- 
tude for the bravery and zeal with which 
they defended the homes and institutions 
so dear to us. 

It is, therefore, with pleasure that we 
are enabled to give the record of the 
veteran whose name opens this sketch, 
and whose recollections of the war are 
always listened to with delight, especially 
at the camp-fires and reunions of the 
"boys in blue." Mr. Van Epps is a 
ready writer, and portrays most vividly 
the scenes which were enacted under his 
personal observation, especially the story 
of Grierson's raid, in which he was an 
active participant. The limits of a bio- 
graphical sketch will not permit an ex- 
tended account of Mr. Van Epps' life 
during the war, but the following brief 
story of his career will prove of interest 
to his many friends and acquaintances. 

H. A. Van Epps was born in Middle- 
bury, Wyoming Co., N. Y. , March 8, 
1842, and came of good old Knicker- 
bocker stock. His father, Charles Van- 
Epps, was born on the Mohawk river, N. 
Y. , and removed to Middlebury, Wyoming 
Co., N. Y. , in 1806. He was a carpen- 
ter by trade, and subsequently engaged in 
farming; in politics he was a Democrat. 
He died in Middlebury in 1854. Our 
subject's mother, whose maiden name 
was Betsy Wilson, was born in Middle- 
bury in 1812, and died in 1893 at the 
good old age of eighty-one years. She 
was the mother of children as follows: 
Elizabeth, who married H. M. Choat, 
and lives in Darien, Genesee Co., N. Y. ; 
Jane, who died when ten 3'ears old; 
Charles, who lives on the old homestead 
in Middlebury, and is iifty-five years old; 
H. A., our subject; Fayette, deceased 



OOMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



140 



when quite young; Delphene, who lives 
in Darien, N. Y., and is unmarried; 
George, who died when fourteen years 
old. Mrs. Van Kpps' father was a na- 
tive of Vermont, of sturdy Yankee ances- 
tors, and held the rank of colonel in the 
war of 1812. 

The subject of our sketch grew to 
manhood on the home farm in Middle- 
bury, assisting his father in agricultural 
pursuits and obtaining his schooling in the 
district schools and Wyoming Academy. 
In March, 1861, he went to Carroll 
county. 111., where he was engaged in 
(arming. When the call to arms sounded 
throughout the land the patriot blood in 
his veins responded, and laying aside all 
personal considerations he enlisted Sep- 
tember 5, 1 861, in Company B, Seventh 
Illinois Cavalry, for the three-years' ser- 
vice. When the three years had expired 
the Rebellion was still unsubdued, and on 
February 10, 1864, he re-enlisted in the 
same company and regiment, and re- 
mained until the close of the war, being 
honorably discharged November 12,1865, 
after a continuous service of four years 
and two months. During this time he 
received several well-earned promotions. 
In 1863 he was made a corporal, in 1864 
a sergeant, and April 20, 1865, he was 
appointed second lieutenant. 

During these four years Mr. Van- 
Epps followed his regiment through a 
considerable portion of Missouri, Tennes- 
see, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. 
He was in si.xty-three engagements, great 
and small, among which were the follow- 
ing: The siege of Corinth, in the spring 
of 1862; battle of Corinth, in October, 
1862; luka; Coffeeviile; Colliersville; 
Lynnvillc; West Point; Okalona; Sum- 
mersville; siege of Port Hudson; fight at 
Clinton, La. ; CampbcUsville, Tenn. ; 
Shoal Creek, Franklin and Nashville, 
when Hatch's brigade, of which he was 
a member, captured three forts or re- 
doubts. He was also with his regiment 
when following Hood on his retreat from 



Nashville to the Tennessee river, a dis- 
tance of 125 miles. This was a terrible 
experience, the marches being made 
through rain, sleet and snow, and when 
the weary soldiers reached Gravel Springs 
no food was to be obtained, and for two 
weeks they lived on parched corn. 

Mr. Van Epps also took an active part 
in the famous " Grierson Raid," from La 
Grange, Tenn., to Baton Rouge, La. 
He, with his company, was detached from 
the balance of the command and remain- 
ed alone for five days in the very heart of 
the Rebels' country, during which time, 
it is estimated, they traveled four hun- 
dred miles, being in the saddle night and 
day and enduring untold hardships. While 
on picket duty at Coldwater, Tenn., 
guarding a bridge eight miles from camp, 
the enemy charged upon his company, 
capturing all but five of them — himself 
among the number — who made their es- 
cape by running across the fields. They 
finally reached camp at Colliersville, giv- 
ing the alarm in time to save the entire 
command from being captured, as the 
enemy shortly made their appearance, ex- 
pecting to take the Union soldiers by sur- 
prise. They met with a warm reception 
instead, and were badly defeated. While 
acting as sergeant Mr. \an Epps com- 
manded his company for five months, and 
at the second day's battle before Nash- 
ville, while engaged with the enemy in 
the woods, his captain, who at the time 
was acting-major, fell mortally wounded; 
under Mr. Van Epps' leadership his little 
band held the Rebel line in check while 
the dying officer was removed from the 
field. Mr. Van Epps served under Gens. 
Rosecrans, Denver, Hatch, Grierson, 
Wilson, Thomas, Banks and McPherson, 
in different divisions and army corps. 
While escaping almost miraculously any 
serious accident during his long term of 
service, he was not without some mishaps. 
While on drill in the summer of 1864. he 
was thrown from his horse and received a 
severe injury from wlii.h bi- b.is never 



150 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHTCAL RECORD. 



fully recovered. He was taken with the 
measles while at Bird's Point, Mo., and 
was removed to the hospital at Mound 
City, 111., and also spent about five wee.ks 
in the hospital at Town Creek, Ala., suf- 
fering from fever. 

After the war was over Mr. Van Epps 
returned to his home in New York, where 
in 1867 he was married to Miss Ellen 
Bailey, who died July 16, 1872. To this 
union three children were born: Gertrude 
E. ; Leona M., and Elmer A. Mr. Van- 
Epps was married, the second time, to 
Miss Isadora Cornell, who was born at Lin- 
don, Genesee Co., N. Y., in 1847. Two 
children have been born of this marriage 
• — Ethel A. and Ernest C. Our subject 
followed farming with success in New York 
until he sold out and came west. Locat- 
ing in Fremont, in 1881, he purchased the 
Starr ilouring-mills. These he remodel- 
ed to the roller process, adding the latest 
improvements, and also erecting fine ele- 
vators. He carried on these mills, doing 
a large merchant and domestic business, 
until the close of the year 1893, when he 
disposed of this property, and the follow- 
ing April purchased the flouring-mills and 
warehouse at New London, Ohio, and is 
at present operating the same. During 
his residence in Fremont he made many 
friends and was considered one of the sub- 
stantial business men of the town. He 
served four years in the city council, and 
he is past commander of the G. A. R. 



WILLIAM DRIFTMEYER, a sub- 
stantial and prosperous farmer 
of Madison township, Sandusky 
county, was born November 26, 
1816, in Hanover, Germany. His parents, 
Louis and Isabelle (Tichen) Driftmeyer, 
rope makers by vocation, lived in Ger- 
many and died there, the mother in 1822, 
the father in 1843. 

In early life William Driftmeyer re- 
ceived a good German education. He 
worked out by the day till the age of 



twenty-one years, and in 1842 he came 
to America, immediately after landing 
coming to Ohio and renting forty acres of 
land in Madison township, Sandusky 
county, on which he lived one year. 
Then he bought forty acres of timber 
land, twelve of which he sold, and cleared 
the remainder, later buying forty acres, 
then twenty, then another forty, all 
timber land, which he cleared. 

On January 31, 1843, William Drift- 
meyer was united in marriage with Mary 
Cook, a daughter of Henry Cook, and 
they have had eight children, of whom 
William, born July 16, 1844, died at the 
age of seventeen; Henry, born October 
21, 1845, lives in Washington township, 
Sandusky county; Mary, born November 
26, 1847, married John Michael, a farmer 
of Michigan, and they have had two 
children; Eliza, born August 6, 1850, 
married Fred Demschroeder, of Wood- 
ville township, Sandusky county, by 
whom she has had four children; Sarah, 
born November 11, 1852, married Will- 
iam Helambrecht, a farmer, and they have 
had si.\ children; Frederick, born May 5, 
1855, married Mary Wendler, by whom 
he has had two children, and lives in 
Washington township; Sophia, born De- 
cember 30, 1857, married Henry Kilgus, 
and they have had two children, of whom 
one is deceased; and Louis, born Febru- 
ary 2, 1862, married Minnie Friar, 
whose parents, Henry and Rebecca (Sam- 
sell) Friar, live in Madison township. 
Mrs. William Driftmeyer's parents lived 
and died in Germany. 

Mr. Driftmeyer laid out the road 
which separates Washington township 
from Madison and Woodville townships. 
The first oil well in Madison township 
was drilled on his land, and on the land 
upon which he makes his home in that 
township he has six good oil wells that 
yield six hundred barrels monthly; and on 
a thirty-seven-acre tract in Washington 
township he has two wells that will aver- 
age two hundred barrels each month. Mr. 




^ 









fL^^- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



151 



Driftmeyer is a Republican in politics. 
and has been repeatedly honored with 
public office, having been trustee for two 
years, and road supervisor and school 
director for many terms. In religious 
affiliation he is a member of the German 
M. E. Church of Elmore. 



JH. CLAUSS, president and man- 
ager of the Clauss Shear Company, 
Fremont, Sandusky county, was 
born in New York City June 4, 1855. 
His parents were Henry and Jennette 
(Flersch) Clauss, natives of Germany, 
who emigrated to America, sojourned for 
a time in New York City, finally locating 
in Cleveland, Ohio, where they now re- 
side. 

J. H. Clauss was reared in Cleveland, 
where he received somewhat limited school 
privileges. His business experience from 
the time he was fourteen years old was 
that of apprentice in a German printing 
office, porter in a wnglesale millinery 
house, and bookkeeper for a brass manu- 
factory. He did not like to work for 
others, so after attaining his majority he 
began business on his own account as 
manufacturer of cigar bo.xes. in Cleveland. 
This he carried on some four years, after 
which he sold out, and seeing a chance at 
Elyria, Ohio, went there and invested 
what means he had in the Shear Com- 
pany in that city. Seeing that the con- 
cern was not on a safe footing, he manipu- 
lated affairs so that he became secretary 
and treasurer, and finally full manager. 
The business thrived under his control, 
and he remained there until August, 1887, 
when he sold out the boiler, engine, and 
a part of the fixtures of the plant, and 
removed the rest to Fremont, Ohio, here 
meeting with unprecedented success in 
the history of shear manufacturing; but a 
check was put upon his prosperity for a 
brief period by his entire factory being 
burned to the ground on January 1 7, 1 889. 

With his characteristic enterprise Mr. 
10 



Clauss at once resolved to rebuild, this 
time with brick, the former having been a 
frame structure. The dimensions were: 
Main building, 165x40 feet; two wings, 
each 96x40, all three stories high, with 
a basement and engine room 60x40. 
The building of this was accomplished 
from January 17 till March 4, in the 
short space of forty-six days, and is said 
by authority to have been the most ex- 
peditious work of like magnitude ever ac- 
complished. The building is located on 
East State street, on the right bank of the 
Sandusky river, and is one of the hand- 
somest plants of any kind to be found in 
Ohio. The magnitude of the Clauss 
Shear Company is not appreciated until 
we realize that it is by far the largest con- 
cern of the kind in the world. They give 
employment to 250 men in the shops, 
have twenty traveling salesmen in the 
United States, two in Canada and seven 
in Europe. They have a branch office at 
Kansas City fMo. ), in New York City, in 
Toronto (Ontario^, and in London (Eng- 
land). The building-up of this vast indus- 
try is due entirely to the business sagacity 
and enterprise of J. H. Clauss. He has 
pushed the trade into all parts of the 
world. By the erection of this vast manu- 
factory in Fremont, Mr. Clauss has con- 
tributed largely to the city's growth and 
prosperity. Aside from this he also mani- 
fests a leading spirit in all social and local 
affairs. He has just completed an elegant 
new residence on Hirchard avenue, which 
is considered not only the finest in Fre- 
mont, but one of the finest in northern 
Ohio. Mr. Clauss is a stanch Republi- 
can, and a Scottish Rite Mason of the 
Thirty-second Degree. 

WEN DEL SPRANG and wife are 
among the wealthiest and most 
prosperous residents of Green 
Creek, Sandusky county. Their 
success in life is due to frugal habits, 
unfailing industry and sagacious judg- 



152 



COMMEMORATIVE BI06RAPBICAL RECORD. 



ment in farming. For the latter quality 
Mr. Sprang is indebted to his wife, for 
when he came to Sandusky county he was 
wholly ignorant of farming life, and from 
his efficient helpmeet he received his first 
instructions in rural pursuits. That the 
teachings were sound maybe judged from 
the signal success that has attended the 
lives of this devoted couple. 

Mr. Sprang was born in Grafenhausen, 
Baden, Germany, September 19, 1833, 
son of Thomas and Euphemia (Me3-er) 
Sprang, who in 1852 emigrated to Amer- 
ica, locating near Sandusky, where he 
bought a small piece of land and worked 
as a laborer. He died in 1877, aged 
sixty- nine years, and his wife, who was 
born September 15, 18 10, died October 
3, 1880. They were members of the 
Roman Catholic Church, and had seven 
children, four of whom lived to maturity, 
as follows: Philip, who was killed by a 
falling tree at Wolf Creek; William, fa- 
tally crushed by the cars at Mansfield; 
Wendel; and Mary E., wife of Godfrey 
Young, of Green Creek township. The 
paternal grandfather of Wendel Sprang 
was killed at his home in Germany, in 
181 3, by Napoleon's French soldiers, dur- 
ing their retreat from the disastrous Rus- 
sian campaign; the soldiers had demanded 
food which he was unable to supply. 

In 1858 Wendel Sprang was married, 
in Brownhelm township, Lorain Co., Ohio, 
to Anna Margaret Mary Jaeger, who was 
born in Bavaria, Germany, July 31, 1835, 
daughter of Adam John and Anna Do- 
rothea (Schellhouse) Jaeger. Her pater- 
nal grandfather was by birth a Frenchman. 
Mrs. Sprang was only three years old 
when she came to America with her 
parents, who settled in Brownhelm town- 
ship, Lorain Co., Ohio, where her only 
brother, John Henry Jaeger, now lives. 
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Sprang 
settled in Sandusky City, and began house- 
keeping with a capital of $150. Mrs. 
Sprang sewed for two shillings a day, and 
Mr. Sprang worked in a stave factory for 



75 cents a day, one-half of which amount 
was payable in store goods, and Mr. 
Sprang says he would have preferred to 
work for 50 cents per day in cash. Thus 
they lived for two years, at the expiration 
of which time they had $250, which they 
deemed a sufficient sum to begin farming 
with. Coming to Green Creek township, 
Sandusky county, they bought twenty- 
five acres of land at $19.00 per acre, 
reserving $50, with which to build a house 
and "start on." It seems remarkable 
that with this small start the couple could 
make much progress in life; but to-day 
they own 250 acres of fertile and well- 
improved land. During the first season 
Mrs. Sprang cradled all the wheat, while 
Mr. Sprang bound it. Mr. Sprang had 
done no farm work up to that time, and 
his wife with good humor tells many 
amusing stories of how she had to teach 
him. When the Lake Shore road was 
under construction he chopped and hewed 
ties in the woods, and she loaded them 
on the wagon and hauled them to the 
roadbed. Mrs. Sprang also assisted him 
in sawing with a cross-cut saw. She 
laughingly remarks that if it were neces- 
sary she could do the same work now, so 
excellent is her health and robust her 
strength. It is no wonder that with a 
helpmeet like Mrs. Sprang his success 
has been so great. Mr. and Mrs. Sprang 
have one son, John H., and two grand- 
sons, Henry W. and William Harrison. 
In politics Mr. Sprang is a Democrat. 
His religious faith is that of the Roman 
Catholic Church, and his wife is a devoted 
Lutheran; but they have never permitted 
their differences of belief to mar their 
domestic harmony nor cast a shadow 
upon their common, interests. 



PHILIP BRADY, who is numbered 
among the leading and influential 
farmers of Clyde, Green Creek 
township, Sandusky county, is a 
native of County Wexford, Ireland, born 



OOMMEMORATIVS BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



158 



in 1824. His parents, Terrance and 
Mary (Clear) Brady, were both born in 
County \N'cxford and were of old Celtic 
stock. The father died on the Emerald 
Isle, after which the mother came to 
America, where her death occurred at 
the age of seventy years. They were 
farming people of Ireland, where the 
grandfather, Patrick Brady, also carried 
on agricultural pursuits, and for genera- 
tions the family occupied the same home- 
stead. 

Our subject is one of a family of 
eight children, comprising six sons and 
two daughters, and the eldest sister still 
occupies the ancestral home. In order 
of birth they are as follows: Ellen, still 
a resident of Ireland; Thomas, who died 
in Clyde, Ohio; Patrick, who makes his 
home in Wisconsin; Mary, who was the 
wife of Matthew Nolan, and died in this 
country: Michael, a resident of Clyde; 
and Martin Philip and James. Philip, 
the subject of this memoir, grew to man- 
hood in his native land, with such meagre 
school and other advantages as were 
available to him. Like so many of his 
countrymen who love the greatness of 
American liberty, he resolved to cast his 
fortunes under the flag of the young re- 
public, and make it his adopted land. 
Accordingly at the age of si.xteen he em- 
barked for the Western World. He took 
passage on board a ship leaving Ross, 
Ireland, and in due time reached Quebec, 
Canada. He found his first employment 
in the New World with farmers in Lower 
Canada, but subsequently came to the 
United States, where he worked on the 
railroads, or at any emplovment which 
he could find. 

Desiring to become a permanent resi- 
dent, Mr. Brady purchased five acres of 
land near Clyde, Ohio, and by frugality 
and thrift soon became the owner of a 
good home. This he subsequently sold, 
and then bought a tract of uncleared 
and unimproved land north of Clyde. 
Here he found in the densely wooded 



land ample field to exert all his 
energy and indu.-;try; but stubborn 
nature yielded, and Mr. Brady is now the 
proud proprietor of an excellent and well- 
tilled farm. It has now all been cleared, 
and there is no better land to be found 
anywhere in the county. His old log 
house, which he erected tnany years ago, 
is still standing as a relic of the times 
that were, and a memento of the hard- 
ships of pioneer life. At Elyria, he wed- 
ded Miss Mary Keating, a native of 
County Carlow, Ireland, and to them 
have been born eight children, as follows: 
Mary is the wife of John Furlow, of Buck- 
ley, Wash., and they have two children 
— John and Eustatia; Ella is the ne.\t in 
the family; Joseph is a resident of Buck- 
ley, Wash. ; Maggie is the wife of Grant 
Andrews, a merchant of Millersville, San- 
dusky county, and they have two children 
— Mabel and May; John. Philip, Jr., Kit- 
tie and Martin complete the family. 

On his arrival in the New World, Mr. 
Brady had only a few shillings left; but 
by enterprise, industry and economy he is 
now one of the well-to-do citizens of San- 
dusky county. He is a man whose honesty 
and integrity are above (juestion; is of a 
happy, genial disposition, and th<iroughly 
enjoys a good joke. In his political views 
he strongly adheres to the principles of 
the Democratic party, and he and his 
family are members of the Roman 
Catholic Church. 



GRANT FORGERSON, a substan- 
tial farmer and public-spirited 
citizen of Rice township, San- 
dusky county, was bom in that 
county, February 22, 1829. He is a son 
of Thomas and Mary (Hull) Forgerson, 
who were born March 30, 1795, and I'eb- 
ruary 1, 1810, respectively, the father in 
Orange county. New York. 

Thomas P'orgerson worked for his fa- 
ther, Sidney I'orgerson, in New York 
State, and in 18 19 came with him to F^re- 



154 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



mont, Sandusky Co., Ohio, the father 
buying a home here which he occupied 
till his death in 1830. On July 5, 1827, 
in Sandusky county, Thomas Forgerson 
was united in marriage with Mary Hull, 
and five children were born to them, as 
follows: Grant, the subject of this sketch; 
Dorcas A. and Wilford N., born August 
2, 1832; Christina, born December 10, 
1835; ^^^ Thomas, born February 17, 
1 84 1. In 1 830 Thomas Forgerson moved 
to Rice township, and in 1833 bought 124 
acres of land, where he lived up to the 
time of his decease. He was township 
clerk and trustee, and for four years was 
school director. 

In 1844, at the age of seventeen years. 
Grant Forgerson entered the Mexican 
war as a drummer boy in Company C, 
Fourth O. V. I., in company with his 
uncle, Isaac Swanck, who was quite up 
in military tactics. He and his com- 
rades started from home in wagons, being 
conveyed to Maumee City, thence jour- 
neying via canal to Cincinnati, and from 
there to New Orleans. Reshipping, they 
crossed the gulf to Brazos Island, and 
went up the Rio Grande river as far as 
Matamoras, where they remained six 
weeks, then proceeding to Vera Cruz and 
on to Pueblo, Me.xico, where they were 
stationed until the close of the war, Mr. 
Forgerson being in the service for about 
a year. There are few men who, like 
himself, have engaged in actual warfare 
before reaching the age of eighteen years, 
and he can relate many interesting experi- 
ences which he underwent during his serv- 
ice. After the war he came back to 
Rice township, and then going west 
remained two years, again returning to 
Rice township. On January i, 1854, he 
was united in marriage with Nancy Park, 
who was born in Ohio April 29, 1835, and 
they had four children, namely: (i) Mary 
E., born October 8, 1854, married Joseph 
Young, and they live in Rice township; 
(2) James G., born Oct. 29, 1856, mar- 
ried Clara House, and seven children were 



born to them, as follows — Mabel, Janu- 
ary 26, 1883, Hattie, June 6, 1884, Jes- 
sie, December 22, 1887, Addie, January 
26, 1889, Clara, July 9, 1890, Laura, 
February 19, 1892, and Scott, November 
15, 1894; (3) Addie, born Feb. 24, 1861, 
married Frank Foster, and they live in 
Fremont, Sandusky county (they have 
three children, namely: Louis, born June 
19, 1884; Achiel Grant, born December 
28, 1886, and Ida, born March 28, 1893); 
(4) Ida N., born February i, 1861, died 
November 17, 1861, and was buried in 
Rice township. 

Grant Forgerson is engaged in gen- 
eral farming, having 166 acres of land 
worth one hundred dollars an acre. He 
was clerk of Rice township for two years, 
and school director and supervisor for 
twelve years. In politics he is a good 
Republican, and in religious affiliation be- 
longs to the Presbyterian Church, as does 
his entire family. In 1861 Mr. Forger- 
son became a member of the I. O. O. F. 
at Fremont, joining Croghan Lodge No. 
T/, and he has passed all the Chairs; he is 
also a member of the Knights of Honor, 
Lodge No. 95. He is a gentleman of 
mild manners, is widely known as an en- 
tertainer, and, it is almost needless to add, 
his friends are numerous. 



EMANUEL WENGERD is a well- 
known farmer and minister resid- 
ing in Washington township, San- 
dusky county, and has the respect 
of all who know him. Having a wide 
acquaintance in this locality, we feel as- 
sured that the record of his life will prove 
of interest to many of our readers, and 
gladly give it a place in this volume. 

Mr. Wengerd is numbered among the 
native sons of Ohio, his birth having oc- 
curred on the old family homestead in 
this State February i, 1849. He is a 
son of Joseph W. and Marden Julie 
(Walter) Wengerd, who at an early day 
migrated westward from Pennsylvania and 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGHAPniCAL RECORD. 



155 



took up their residence upon the farm 
which was the birthplace of their son 
Emanuel. The father was at that time 
about thirty years of age. and there re- 
mained until he passed from earth, at the 
age of seventy-two. His wife passed 
away when seventy-six years old. Mr. 
VVengerd was one of nature's noblemen, 
his life filled with jj;ood deeds and kind 
actions. He was generous and benevo- 
lent, a good supporter of the Church and 
of all interests that were calculated to 
benefit humanity. When he was taken 
away the community lost one of its best 
citizens, but he left to his family the. price- 
less heritage of a good name. 

The gentleman whose name begins 
this record profited by the good teachings 
and e.xample of his parents, and the lessons 
which he learned in his youth have borne 
splendid fruit. He was trained not only 
to habits of industry, but also learned and 
developed those traits which in any place 
command the respect of all. He now 
devotes his time and energies to farming 
and to work for his fellow men. and has a 
good property in Wa.'^hington township, 
Sandusky county, its neat and thrifty ap- 
pearance well indicating his careful super- 
vision. 

On December 31. 1869, Mr. Wengerd 
was united in marriage with Miss Mar- 
garet Nichols, daughter of Peter Nichols, 
a well-known resident of Sandusky coun- 
ty. Two children — George F. and Ar- 
thur W. — came to bless and gladden their 
home, which was a bright and happy 
spot until the hand of death was laid upon 
the wife and mother. Mr. Wengerd re- 
mained single for a year, and then was 
united in marriage with Miss Catherina 
A. Snyder, whose parents, William and 
Sarah (Heller) Snyder, are residents of 
Seneca county. Ohio; Nfr. Snyder is a 
miller by occupation. This marriage was 
blessed with three children; John M.. 
Charles S. and Howard H.. of whom 
Charles S. is the only one now living; 
John M. died at the age of eight years, 



and Howard E. in infancy. Mr. and 
Mrs. Wengerd have many warm friends 
in this community, and their own home is 
noted for its hospitality. 



ABf^AHAM BLANK, one of the 
most popular and highly-esteemed 
citizens of Sandusky county, car- 
ries on agricultural pursuits in 
Woodville township, and is also engaged 
in speculating in oil. Although an East- 
ern man by birth, he possesses the typ- 
ical Western spirit of progress and enter- 
prise. A native of Columbia county, 
Penn, ;he was born September 9, 1827, 
son of William Blank, and a brother 
of Amos Blank, the latter a well-known 
resident of Sandusky county. 

In 1836, when a child of nine sum- 
mers, our subject accompanied his parents 
and the other members of the family to 
Ohio, locating in Madison township, San- 
dusky county, where he worked on his 
father's farm. They were the earliest 
settlers of that portion of the county, and 
went through all the experiences and 
hardships of pioneer life. Abraham re- 
ceived but limited educational privileges, 
for schools were few and far between, and 
the advantages afforded therein were not 
always of a superior quality. In the 
practical school of experience, however, 
he has learned many valuable lessons, 
and through reading, experience and ob- 
servation has become a well-informed 
man. He continued working on the farm 
of his father from early boyhood until 
1873, when he started out in life for him- 
self, purchasing 120 acres of land, all of 
which was covered with timber. With 
characteristic energy he began to clear 
the place; the trees fell one by one before 
his sturdy strokes, and acre after acre was 
placed under the plow and made to yield 
a golden tribute in return for the care 
and cultivation he bestowed upon it. He 
erected a dwelling house; also built barns 
and outbuildings, put up fences which di- 



156 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



vided the place into fields of convenient 
size, planted an orchard and made other 
general improvements which add to the 
value and attractive appearance of the 
place. He also engaged in the oil busi- 
ness, and in two years made in speculation 
upward of $31,000. 

Mr. Blank has traveled extensively 
through both the Southern and Western 
States, going on business trips to Ken- 
tucky, Indiana, Chicago, Michigan and 
Wisconsin, where he owns large tracts of 
land. He is a man of broad and liberal 
views, and is well liked and very popular 
with all classes of people, being highly 
respected throughout the county in which 
he makes his home, where his acquaint- 
ance is a wide one. For several years he 
has held the office of trustee of Woodville 
township, and during his administration 
a number of roads and bridges were con- 
structed, as well as ditches and other im- 
provements. He is a stanch Democrat, 
warmly advocating the principles of the 
party. An entertaining conversationalist, 
he can relate many interesting instances 
of pioneer life in this locality. He is 
still engaged in the oil business in connec- 
tion with his nephew, and has practically 
retired from farming, having acquired a 
handsome competence which supplies 
him with all the comforts and many of the 
luxuries of life. 



WILLIAM W. POORMAN is num- 
bered among the leading agri- 
culturists of Sandusky county, 
having for many years been iden- 
tified with its growth and upbuilding. He 
was born in Townsend township, San- 
dusky county, January 15, 1828, a son of 
John and Phoebe (Wetsel) Poorman, the 
former of whom was born in 1773; the 
latter was born about 1793, and died in 
Detroit, Mich., at the advanced age of 
eighty-three. Their family numbered four 
children. The Poormans are of German 
descent. 



At an early age our subject accompa- 
nied his parents to Sandusky Cit}^ Ohio, 
where his father was engaged in the gro- 
cery business until his death, which oc- 
curred at the age of sixty 3'ears. When 
William was a youth of fifteen, he accom- 
panied his mother and the other members 
of the family to Fremont, where he 
worked in an ashery for two years, at the 
end of which time his mother removed to 
Ballville township, Sandusky county, pur- 
chasing forty acres of wild land. This 
our subject and his brother cleared, mak- 
ing there a comfortable home. The wild 
land \yas transformed into rich and fertile 
fields, and a good farm resulted from their 
earnest and persistent labors. While re- 
siding on that farm Mr. Poorman was 
married, January 6, 1850, to Miss Je- 
mima Ann Hutson, of Ballville township, 
a native of Franklin county, Ohio, born 
December 4, 1829. Her father, James 
Hutson, was born February 13, 1807, and 
died June 18, 1893; her mother, who 
bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Stultz, 
was born August 28, 1828; they were the 
parents of the following children: Mrs. 
Poorman, John, Peter, Vincent, William 
M., Nathaniel W. and James S. The 
mother of this family passed away August 
4, 1877. The paternal grandfather of 
Mrs. Poorman was John Hutson, who 
married a Miss Needles. The former was 
born in Maryland about 1784, and served 
in the war of 1812; the latter was born 
about 1787, and lived to be 104 years 
of age. The maternal grandparents ■^vere 
Peter and Elizabeth (Cliner) Stultz, the 
former born in 1776, the latter in 1780. 
Mr. and Mrs. Poorman have one child, 
Emma A., born October 2, 1850, and ed- 
ucated in Fremont. On November i, 
1867, she became the wife of Robert A. 
Forgrave, of Scott township, Sandusky 
county, and to them have been born four 
children, one of whom, a son, is now 
living. 

For a year after his marriage, Mr. 
Poorman lived on the farm which his 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



157 



mother had purchased, and then removed 
to the villaRc of Ballvillc, where he 
resided some six years. Purchasing 107 
acres of land in Section 15, Scott town- 
ship, Sandusky county, that farm has 
since been his home. The greater part 
of this farm was in its primitive condition; 
but by patient toil he has made it one of 
the best places in the neighborhood, the 
forest trees giving way to fields of golden 
grain, and the log cabin to the spacious 
frame dwelling. There are also good 
outbuildings, and all modern improve- 
ments. In 1890 he leased the entire farm 
to the Sun Oil Company for an annual 
rental of $1, 100 and one-eighth of the oil 
produced on the farm. Four wells are 
now in operation, yielding about fifty 
barrels per day, and Mr. Poorman there- 
fore secures a good income. He has 
served as township treasurer, and for sev- 
eral terms has been township trustee, 
discharging his duties in a most creditable 
and acceptable manner. His political 
support is given to the Democracy, and 
he is a progressive and public-spirited 
citizen, giving his aid to and co-operation 
with everything pertaining to the welfare 
of the community. 

Robert A. Fcjrc.rave was bom 
November 27, 1842, in Pcrrv county, 
Ohio, and is one of the five children born 
to Robert \V. and Mary (Kuhn) Forgrave. 
The father was born in Philadelphia in 
1807, and was a pioneer of Perr>' county; 
the mother was born in 1818; her father, 
Adam Knhn, was also a native of the 
Keystone State, and lived to the advanced 
age of ninety-two years. Mr. Forgrave 
was educated in the common and select 
schools of the neighborhood, and for some 
years engaged in teaching in Sandusky 
county, at one time being principal of the 
high school at Oak Harbor, while his wife 
was teacher of the primary department. 
In 1861 he joined the Union army, and 
for four years aided in the defense of the 
old flag and the cause it represented, par- 
ticipating in some of the most hotly con- 



tested engagements of the war, including 
the battles of Cold Harbor, Petersburg 
and Spottsylvania, and was at Appomat- 
tox when Lee surrendered to Grant. At 
the close of the war he returned to Scott 
township, and for some years successfully 
carried on agricultural pursuits. He then 
leased his land to the oil company, and 
as the flow of oil is a good one he derives 
an excellent income therefrom. He is a 
man of good business ability, and his man- 
agement of his business affairs has made 
him a substantial citizen. 



AB. KEMMERLING. The hardy 
pioneers of the Northwest, who 
developed the land out of which 
some of the proudest States of 
our Union were constructed, were men 
not only of muscle but of brains; men 
who combined great endurance and in- 
dustry with intelligence and religious prin- 
ciple, and with their wives, as brave and 
courageous as themselves, reared up their 
children in such habits of thrift and mor- 
ality that the country has reason to be 
proud of them. 

Of such worthy parentage was born 
the subject of our sketch, a well-known 
and prosperous dry-goods merchant of 
Gibsonburg, Sandusky county, who is 
among the youngest of the men in that 
place to carry on an independent busi- 
ness, and who may be styled a self-made 
man. He was born in Madison township, 
Sandusky county, October 12, 1863. A 
brief sketch of his parents, Peter and 
Catherine (Unger) Kemmerling, will be 
read with interest by their friends: His 
father was born in Union (now Snyder) 
county, Penn., near Louistown, Septem- 
ber 27, 1813. Here he spent his boy- 
hood days, and in 1835, when twenty-two 
years of age, came to Ohio, locating in 
Wooster, where he lived two years, re- 
nioving in 1837 to Madison township. In 
that early day this part of Ohio was a wil- 
derness, just as it left the hand of nature, 



158 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPSICAL RECORD. 



and dense forests covered the face of the 
country, in which wild animals abounded. 
Deer were plentiful, and wolves made 
night hideous with their howls. Settlers 
were few and far between, but their hos- 
pitality was freely given, and they greatly 
enjoyed visiting each other. Mr. Kem- 
merling on coming here entered govern- 
ment land, which he cleared, and began 
farming. This occupation he followed 
until 1873, when, yielding to the infirmi- 
ties of old age, he retired from active 
work and took up his residence in Gibson- 
burg. Early in life he became identified 
with the Evangelical Church, and for 
many years was a local preacher, at the 
same time working on his farm. He 
traveled all over that section of the coun- 
try on horseback, as was the custom in 
those days, holding meetings at different 
points, sometimes being for weeks on the 
road. The life was one of hardship, but 
no one can tell the amount of good ac- 
complished by these pioneer preachers, 
the advance guard of the great army of 
Christian people who now fill the churches 
of our land. Mr. Kemmerling was faith- 
ful in his self-imposed task until he grew 
old and his voice gave out, and he was 
obliged to cease preaching. He died Oc- 
tober II, 1893, regretted by all who knew 
him. He was an old-time Whig, and la- 
ter, when the Republican party was 
formed, joined its ranks. 

The mother of our subject, who was 
the second wife of Mr. Kemmerling, was 
born March 23, 1835, daughter of Abra- 
ham and Elizabeth (Snyder) Unger, and 
is still living. She became the mother of 
five children, as follows: Salome, who 
married Charles Fairbanks, and lives in 
Madison township; Samantha, wife of 
Alpheus Fraunfelter, living in Gibson- 
burg; A. B., our subject; Franklin, living 
in Cleveland, Ohio; and Lillie, wife of 
James Bowerson, who lives in Cleveland. 
By his first marriage our subject's father 
had thirteen children, five of whom are 
deceased; the others are: Catherine, 



wife of David Garn, living in Indiana; 
James, John and Edward, all of whom 
live in Michigan, and who were all sol- 
diers in the Union army during the Civil 
war; Mary, married to Mr. Mowry, and 
living in Illinois; Maggie, married to H. 
Overmyer, and living in Indiana; Julia, 
wife of James Garn, of Indiana, and El- 
len, who married H. C. Brost, and re- 
sides in Michigan. 

The subject of this sketch grew to 
manhood in Madison township, attending 
the schools at Gibsonburg and gaining a 
common-school education. At twenty- 
two years of age he began taking contracts 
for timber from a railroad company, which 
business he carried on until nearly two 
years ago, in the meantime clerking at 
times. On November 16, 1893, he 
bought out the dry-goods firm of J. W. 
Miller, of which he is the sole proprietor. 
He is doing a flourishing business, and 
ranks among the best and most progres- 
sive citizens of Gibsonburg. Mr. Kem- 
merling was married February 26, 1891, 
to Mrs. Emma Downing, who was born 
in Cornwall, England, in 1859, and they 
have one child. Bliss. Socially Mr. Kem- 
merling is affiliated with the I. O. O. F., 
K. of P., K. O. T. M., P. O. S. of A. and 
F. & A. M. ; in politics he is a Repub- 
lican. 



DANIEL KERNS is one of the most 
widely-known and highly-respect- 
ed citizens of Sandusky county — 
a man whose well-spent life has 
gained for him the esteem of all with 
whom business or social relations have 
brought him in contact. He was born 
June 23, 1817, in Columbiana (now Ma- 
honing) county, Ohio, son of Abraham 
and Elizabeth (Misheye) Kerns, who were 
natives of Pennsylvania, where the pater- 
nal grandfather, George Kerns, was also 
born. 

The parents of our subject removed to 
Ohio during its pioneer days, and settled 




c4y. 79' ^^^f^ 



COMMEMORATIVB BIOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



150 



upon an 8oo-acre tract of land that form- 
ed a part of WashinRtoii township, San- 
dusky county. The place being then 
heavily covered with timber, Mr. Kerns 
at once began to clear and improve it, 
and at the time of his death all but a few 
acres had been placed under the plow. 
He was an industrious and energetic man, 
and those traits of industry and economy 
which had so much to do with his success 
were early instilled into the minds of his 
children. The family was a large one, 
numbering eleven children, namely: >fary, 
who was killed by accident during her 
early girlhood; John, of Wayne county, 
Ohio; Anna, who became the wife of 
Michael Powell, and died leaving four 
children — Albert, Richard, Susan and 
Lydia; Sarah, who became the wife of 
Samuel Powell, and died when well ad- 
vanced in years, leaving a large family; 
Jacob, a retired farmer of Alliance, Ohio; 
Daniel, subject of this sketch; Solomon; 
Lydia; Lavina; Josiah, an M. E. minister 
of Kansas; and Isaiah, of Newton, Iowa, 
land agent, notary public and abstracter 
of titles. 

Thus amid the wild scenes of the fron- 
tier Daniel Kerns was reared, and with 
the family shared in the usual e.xperiences 
of pioneer life. He remained at home 
with his (ather until his twenty-first birth- 
day, attending the district school in the 
winter, and aiding in the labors of the 
farm through the summer months. On 
attaining his majority he began studying 
for the ministry, and after a thorough 
course returned to his home and became 
a circuit preacher, traveling through 
Washington township. After remaining 
here for a year, he went to Illinois, being 
the first minister to establish an Evan- 
gelical society in the city of Chicago, 
where he spent one year, and then again 
returning to Sandusky county was placed 
on the Marion circuit. The succeeding 
seven years of his life were devoted to 
ministerial work, and then, on account of 
ill health, he was compelled to retire. 



During this time he had saved what little 
he earned, and he now invested his capital 
in eighty acres of farm land, which owing 
to his care and cultivation has become 
valuable property. In the years that fol- 
lowed he devoted his energies to agricul- 
tural pursuits until 1886, when he retired 
from active business life and took up his 
residence in Lindsey. He still retains 
possession of his farm, which comprises 
285 acres and yields him a good income. 

On March 30, 1843, Daniel Kerns 
was united in marriage with Miss Julia, 
daughter of Rev. Michael and Polly (Wolt) 
Walter, whose family numbered four chil- 
dren — John, Julia, Susan and Katie. The 
marriage of our subject and his wife has 
been blessed with thirteen children: Caro- 
line Mary, born March 5, 1845, and be- 
came the wife of William Collar; Almira, 
born October 28, 1846, died at the age 
of four weeks; Rebecca P., born Novem- 
ber 5, 1847, became the wife of W. W. 
Smith, a farmer of Sandusky county, and 
they have two children; Lidda Anna, 
born January 17, 1850, is the wife of 
Theodore Kerns, a coal dealer of Cleve- 
land, Ohio, by whom she had one child, 
now deceased; Isaiah M., born August 9, 
1 85 1, died at the age of nine years; Ben- 
jamin F. , born September 22, 1853, is 
deceased; Josiah, born January 19, 1856, 
and John C, born April 22, 1857, are 
both deceased; Obadiah, born July 3, 
1859, is a farmer; Emma, born August 
21, 1 86 1, is the wife of John Slates, a 
miller by trade, residing near Fremont, 
and they have two children; Allen, born 
November 5, 1863. is a farmer; Ida, bom 
May 9, 1866. died at the age of eighteen 
years; Dora V., born October 9, 1868, is 
the wife of Charles Schaebner, a razor 
grinder, and they have one child. 

Mr. Kerns was formerly a member of 
the Grangers. He votes with the Prohi- 
bition party, and is a warm advocate of 
the cause of temperance, giving his sup- 
port to all reforms and measures calcu- 
lated to uplift humanity in general. His 



ICO 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



noble Christian life is one well worthy of 
emulation, and all who know Daniel 
Kerns have for him the highest regard. 



JOHN MALCOLM, one of the sub- 
stantial and influential citizens of 
Clj'de, exemplified in his younger 
days the nobility of labor in a man- 
ner so thorough as few of his compeers 
have done. He is a native of Scotland, 
and brought with him to Ohio a rugged 
constitution, an invincible spirit, a latent 
gift of energy which was expended upon 
the primeval forests of Ashland county 
with telling effect. It has been said that 
the Malcolm family cleared up more land 
than any other in Ashland county. In 
one year it cleared off forty-two acres, 
fenced it, and put the virgin soil in wheat. 
In that elder day the recital of this feat 
meant more than it does now, for the 
present generation can not so well grasp 
the tremendous amount of labor involved 
in the primitive clearing of land as could 
their forefathers who did the work. Labor 
was then the cardinal virtue, the chief 
avenue to success. 

Mr. Malcolm was born at Aberdeen, 
Scotland, October 15, 1821, son of Alex- 
ander and Barbara (Richie) Malcolm. 
Alexander Malcolm was a gardener, and 
his father, William Malcolm, was a milk- 
man, among whose customers was the 
Aberdeen Lunatic Asylum. Two sons of 
William Malcolm, Arthur and James, par- 
ticipated in the battle of Waterloo, one 
of the most fateful in the world's history. 
They were stationed in the famous wheat 
field, where the regiment, or rather the re- 
mains of it, had ' ' formed square, " and for 
some time were confronted on three sides 
by Napoleon's heavy cavalry, who charg- 
ed them again and again without breaking 
the square. Both were wounded, and 
both drew subsequent pensions for their 
injuries. A son of Arthur Malcolm, Ar- 
thur by name, and also a daughter, now 
reside at Akron, Ohio. Alexander Mal- 



colm in 1835 emigrated with his large 
family to America. Landing at New York 
he came directly to Ohio, and after spend- 
ing several months in Westfield township, 
Medina county, and Savannah, Ashland 
county, he purchased one hundred acres 
of forest land in Ruggles township, in the 
latter county. There were then no roads, 
game abounded, and bands of wandering 
Indians still strolled through the premises. 
Here Alexander fashioned for himself his 
permanent home, clearing the land and 
farming industriously until his death, 
which occurred when he was aged sixty- 
seven years. His faithful wife, ten years 
his senior, preceded him to the grave by 
about eighteen months. He was a Presby- 
terian in religious faith, and an unwaver- 
ing Whig and Republican in politics. His 
family of ten children was as follows: 
Alexander, who died in mature life; Archi- 
bald, a resident of Northwest township, 
Williams county; William, who reared a 
family, and passed away many years ago 
(his eldest son David died in the Civil 
war); John, subject of this sketch; Jane, 
wife of Conrad Brandeberry, of Mont- 
pelier, Williams county; James (retired), 
of New London; Charles, who died un- 
married; Thomas, who reared a family in 
Williams county, and died there; Robert, 
who reared a family in Ruggles township, 
and is now deceased; David, who died at 
the age of two years. 

John Malcolm was in his fifteenth 
year when he came with his father's fam- 
ily to Ohio. He assisted his father on 
the farm, but after the latter's start there 
was an abundance of labor in the family, 
and John became a clerk for King & 
Gunn, of Medina, afterward King & 
King. After a clerkship of several years 
he returned to the farm, where he re- 
mained until his marriage, in 1844, to 
Miss Harriet S. Munger, who was born 

Livingston county, N. Y. , April 5, 



m 



1826, and the daughter of Jehiel and Be- 
linda (Janes) Munger, both natives of 
New York. In 1831 they migrated to 



OOmfEMORATrVB BTOORAPmCAL RBCORD. 



161 



Ohio and settled in Townsend township, 
Sandusky county, where the father died 
in 1845. and the mother some years later. 
Here, too, died the father of Jehiel, also 
named Jehiel Munj,'er, an Enfjlishman by 
birth. The children born to Jehiel and 
Belinda Mungerwere as follows: Chapin 
Richard, who reared a family and died in 
Oregon; Clarissa, who died in chiKlhood; 
William K.. who died, unmarried, in 
Townsend; Hiram .\., of Clyde; Harriet 
S. , wife of John Malcolm; Daniel N., 
who died in California, unmarried; Tem- 
ple Jane, deceased in childhood; Tylei 
E., also deceased in childhood; Axie I., 
who married Edward Wheeler, and died 
in Rochester township, Lorain Co., Ohio; 
Jehiel, a bachelor, residing in California; 
Theresa M., whose child by her first mar- 
riage, Rufey Jordan, was the first woman 
admitted to the bar in the United States 
(she practiced at Seattle, Wash., and died 
at Chicago during the \\'orld's Columbian 
E.xposition. Theresa M. married, for her 
second husband, Simeon Ketchel, of Cold- 
water, Mich.). 

After marriage John and Harriet 
Malcolm began housekeeping on a farm 
in Ruggles township, Ashland county. 
He helped to clear up the old farm, then 
bought I 36 acres and helped clear it also. 
Since marriage he, with his own hands, 
cleared 100 acres or more, and he still 
owns 106 acres of fine land in Ruggles 
township. He was engaged in grain and 
stock-farming until 1866, when he re- 
moved with his family to Clyde, and he 
has since been a resident of that city. 
Mr. Malcolm has two children, Barbara 
B. and Marvin J., the former of whom is 
the wife of B. F. Rogers, and lives on 
Piety Hill, at Clyde; her children are 
Malcolm, Lillie and Archie. Marvin J. 
is married to Adelaide Rober, and lives at 
Clyde. Mr. Malcolm has been marshal 
of Clyde for nearly five years. He has 
served as cemetery trustee three years, 
and for twenty-seven years has been a 
prominent member of the I. O. O. V. In 



politics he is a Republican. In June, 
1888. Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm took a pro- 
tracted trip to California, visiting friends 
at Yuba City, Sutter county, and travel- 
ing extensively on the Pacific coast. He 
now lives a retired life in the full enjoy- 
ment of the comforts which have come to 
him after a busy and well-spent career. 



AB. FRENCH. There are lives 
which rise so high above the 
level of the masses as to give to 
the disinterested spectator the 
impression of picturesque Alpine scenery, 
in contrast to the monotony of the prai- 
rie. Spirits are born to dwell in a human 
incasement of a fiber more delicate, of a 
strength more tenacious and of a mental 
force more subtle and elusive than falls 
to the usual lot of mortal man. The ca- 
reer of A. B. French, a prominent citi- 
zen of Clyde, is a most remarkable one, 
remarkable for the strange powers he has 
possessed and exercised among men; re- 
markable for its literary excellence; re- 
markable for the various channels in 
which his efforts have been successfully 
exerted. As lecturer. Spiritualist, orator, 
nurseryman, author and lawyer, in what- 
ever he has undertaken, he has excelled. 
Mr. French was born in Trumbull 
county, Ohio, September 13, 1838, son 
of Samuel and Amelia (Belden) FVench, 
the former of whom still survives; the 
latter died in 1879. Samuel French was 
born in Oswego county, N. Y., October 
2, 1815, son of Byron F'rench, a New 
Englander of Puritan stock. Amelia Bel- 
den was born near Hartford, Conn., in 
1812, daughter of Asel Belden. Byron 
French and Asel Belden were both early 
pioneers in the wilderness of northeastern 
Ohio, and here their son and daughter 
married. Samuel French is a representa- 
tive type of the sturdy Jacksonian-Demo- 
crat. In his school d.iys A. B. French, 
the subject of this sketch, was a pre- 
cocious youth. He acquired his lessons 



162 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



without apparent effort, and easily led his 
class in mental attainments. It was dur- 
ing these days that perhaps the greatest 
crisis of his life occurred. Spiritual rap- 
pings began to be heard in his native 
town. The mother and sister of Mr. 
French were among the first to be in- 
fluenced. They were both highly me- 
diumistic. A. B. was at the age of six- 
teen a student at Western Reserve Semi- 
nary, at Farmington, with an enviable 
record, high ambition and the brightest 
prospects. During vacation he was at 
work on his father's farm one day, when, 
weary and athirst, he sought the house. 
Entering, he found mother and sister 
both entranced. To him it was a strange 
manifestation, and filled his mind with 
dread. He attempted to leave, but invisi- 
ble beings commanded him to stay. Power- 
less, he sat down. A strange spell, such 
as he had never before experienced, came 
over him. He seemed both asleep and 
awake. Mortified and humiliated, he 
strove to shake off the influence, but it 
held him fast. He began to talk and he 
kept on talking. His destiny had come. 
His school days were over. The inspira- 
tion of the spirit world moved him. He 
found no rest save when obeying its be- 
hest. At schoolhouse and hall in neigh- 
boring towns he lectured. He constantly 
rebelled, for the public silently condemn- 
ed, and the sensitive boy, then without 
prophetic eye, keenly felt the ostracism 
to which he was subjected. Repeatedly 
he avowed that he would never speak 
again, but the influences held him fast. 
Before he was twenty years of age he had 
more calls than he could fill. His fame 
had widely extended. His charm of ut- 
terance and the new strange thoughts he 
voiced held spellbound the crowds that 
nightly greeted him. Wherever he went 
a revival of pentecostal times was in his 
midst. The operation of the psychic 
force is thus described. When Mr. 
French with closed eyes first began to 
speak he was almost unconscious. His 



condition slowly changed till it blended 
with the normal state. Thoughts surged 
irresistibly for utterance at times, and the 
audience was carried along by the liood of 
thought. Mr. French's powers have 
been exercised mostly in speaking, but to 
some extent in writing, and there appear 
equally successful. 

In the summer of 1859 Mr. French 
removed to Clyde. In 1863 he started a 
nursery, with an outlook not especially 
encouraging for the enterprise, as his 
means were limited, but by untiring energy 
and liberal dealing he has built up a com- 
manding business, which ranks among the 
largest in this line in the State, and now 
requires the services of fifty laborers and 
salesmen. In 1870 he began reading law, 
in 1871-72 attended the Law Department 
of the University of Michigan, at Ann 
Arbor, and was admitted to the bar at 
Tifiin in 1872. Mr. French began prac- 
ticing law at Clyde in partnership with 
Judge John M. Lemmon. Their clientele 
grew rapidly, and our subject was retained 
in many important cases; but his health 
failed, and in 1875, after three years' 
practice, he was compelled to retire. He 
has never, however, withdrawn from the 
platform. His services have been actively 
sought in many capacities. While devot- 
ing his attention to his nursery chiefly, he 
has lectured on Sundays, delivered various 
public addresses, including many funeral 
discourses, and has perhaps officiated at 
more funerals than any other speaker of 
his age. His happy manner of present- 
ing the glorious truths of immortality, and 
glimpses of a new and beautiful existence 
beyond the fleeting shadows of this life, 
has made calls upon his services very 
numerous. In 1876 Mr. French was 
unanimously nominated on the Republi- 
can ticket for representative, and made a 
noteworthy run, pulling the Democratic 
majority of 800 down to about 200, re- 
ceiving in his own township the largest 
vote ever given any one candidate. In 
1878, when absent from home, he was 



COMMEMORATIVE BtOGHAPniCAL RECORD. 



I6« 



again unanimously nominated, but refused 
the honor. From 1881 to 1888 he was 
en^aped almost exclusively in lecturing, 
and from 18S8 to 1.S90 was a member of 
the Lyceum Bureau of Chicago, and 
while lecturing before Spiritualistic audi- 
ences on Sunday, addressed many literary 
and church societies from Omaha to Bos- 
ton with marked success. He has every 
natural endowment of the popular orator, 
and has won an enviable reputation under 
difficulties known only to his most inti- 
mate friends. During the past few years 
ht has devoted most of his time to his ex- 
tensive nursery business, and the building 
up and improvement of the village of 
Clyde, in which he takes especial interest 
and pride. 

In 1892 there was published a volume 
of lectures entitled " Gleanings from the 
Platform, by A. V>. French." The lec- 
tures included "William Denton," "Leg- 
ends of Buddha," "Mohammed, or the 
Faith and Wars of Islam," "Joseph Smith 
and the Book of Mormon. ' "Conflicts of 
Life," "The Power and Permanency of 
Ideas," "The Unknown," "Probability 
of Future Life," "Anniversary Address," 
"The Egotism of Our Age, " " \\'hat is 
Truth," and "Decoration .Address." 
These lectures, which are artistic gems of 
literature, fairly illustrate the author's 
lucid literary style, and his originality of 
thought and expression. The volume has 
had an extensive* circulation, and is a 
valuable addition to American literature. 
The voluminous contributions of Mr. 
French to the Spiritual Journal have 
been widely disseminated. In his busy 
life have been blended the expression of 
a rare psychic faculty and the exercise of 
business abilities of a high order. He has 
associated in the incorporation of Clyde, 
has served in the city council, and has 
ever been identified with its best inter- 
ests. 

In 1859 Mr. French was married to 
Miss S. A. Dewey, and to them were born 
two children: William B., who died at 



the age of twenty-nine years, leaving one 
child, and Miss L. L., who married A. 
Byers, and has two children. In Decem- 
ber, 1891. Mr. French was married to 
Mrs. Marv E. Thomas, of Cardington, 
Ohio. 



FREDERICK FABING, gas and 
steam-fitter and plumber, Fre- 
mont, Sandusky county, is one of 
the oldest established business 
men in the city. He is a native of France, 
born in Lorraine June 14, 1832, a son of 
John and Mary Ann (Greiner) Fabing, 
who were also natives of Lorraine. 

John Fabing in early life learned the 
trade of gunsmith and jeweler, which he 
followed until he came to .America. In 
1834 he emigrated, locating in Fayette- 
ville, Onondaga Co., N. Y. , and there 
pursuing his trade until 1844, when with 
the sweeping tide of emigration westward 
he came to the village of Lower San- 
dusky, now Fremont, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, and established a home. His death 
occurred July 2, 1845, his wife surviving 
until 1882, when she died, at Fremont, at 
the age of seventy-nine years. Their 
children were: Catharine, wife of John 
Young, of Pilot Hill, Cal. ; John, a farmer 
of Jackson township, Sandusky county, 
who died at the age of fifty-two years; 
Lena, who married in 1S45, and died in 
1847, leaving two children; one that died 
in infancy; Frederick, subject of this 
sketch; and Barbara, wife of M. Hazel- 
tine, of Baker City, Oregon. Mr. Fabing 
was a Democrat and a member of the 
Roman Catholic Church. 

Frederick Fabing attended the com- 
mon schools in Fayettcville, N. Y. , until 
twelve years of age, when he came with 
his father's family to Sandusky county, 
Ohio. He remembers distinctly the open 
winter of 1844, the voyage on shipboard 
from Buffalo to Sandusky City, the subse- 
quent trip to Lower Sandusky, all the 
way by boat, and the landing at that 



164 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPBICAL RECORD. 



place on the 24th of December, 1844. 
The famous " Black Swamp" was then a 
wilderness, and only ten or twelve families 
had settled between here and Toleflo. 
He used to engage in the sports of the 
time, hunting deer and other wild game 
in the deep forests. In 1850 Mr. Fabing 
joined a caravan to cross the Western 
Plains to California. This caravan was 
in charge of a Mr. McClure, who was 
familiar with the Indians and believed in 
treating them kindly, adopting military 
rule for the government of his men in or- 
der to prevent any mistreatment of the 
Indians. On one occasion a man of his 
party shot at a buck and squaw sitting on 
a log some distance away, but did not hit 
them; McClure at once had the offender 
arrested and tried by court-martial — by 
which the man was condemned to be tied 
across a wagon wheel during a half-day's 
travel over the sandy plain, so that his 
head and feet were alternately up and 
down. Most of the party remonstrated, 
but McClure was firm in carrying out the 
verdict, claiming that if the Indians had 
been shot or even slightly wounded the 
whole caravan might have been massa- 
cred. On being released the man was 
more dead than alive, but he soon re- 
covered, and it is needless to say that he 
did not shoot at the Redmen again during 
the journey. Another precaution of Mc- 
Clure for the safety of his party was that 
of not allowing any Indians into his 
camp. He posted his pickets outside, 
and when Indians came to beg food they 
were given coffee, sugar, salt, etc., which 
was divided up amongst them, and they 
went away peaceably. In this manner 
the caravan passed through the most pow- 
erful tribes of the West unmolested. The 
party fared well until near the end of 
their journey, when rations became short. 
From the time they reached the valley of 
the Humboldt river until they entered 
California each man got only one cup of 
soup (made from a cow so poor that there 
was nothing left upon her) and a handful 



of crackers per day. Upon nearing points 
where supplies could be had a couple of 
men were sent ahead on the best horses 
they had, and they purchased flour, for 
which they were obliged to pay two dol- 
lars per pound, and eighteen dollars worth 
of it was cooked into cakes for the crowd 
for one dinner. The first appearance of 
white men after crossing the Missouri 
river was at Fort Laramie on the Upper 
Platte, where one company of United 
States troops was located. Mr. Fabing 
walked all the way across the plains, ex- 
cept one day in each week, when he was 
obliged to drive a team. 

On reaching California, in August, 
1850, he engaged in gold digging, at 
Cold Springs, near Placerville, remaining 
there until fall, when he went to Shasto, 
on Clear creek, where he continued dig- 
ging with good success in 1854. He re- 
turned home by way of the Panama route 
and New York City, remaining a short 
time to visit with friends, returned to the 
gold field by the Tehuantepec route, lo- 
cated on the upper branch of the Amer- 
ican river for a time, and then returned 
to Shasto. Here he had fair success and 
secured enough gold to pay him for all 
his time. Mr. Fabing in 1857 returned 
to Fremont, and in 1862 became con- 
nected with the Fremont Gas Company, 
with which he continued about twenty- 
eight years, most of the time in the ca- 
pacity of superintendent. He became 
interested and skilled in the gas- 
fitting and plumbing business, which 
he followed in connection with his 
other duties, so that on retiring from 
the office of president he found him- 
self controlling the chief trade in 
that line in Fremont. In 1865 Mr. 
Fabing and Mr. Heim jointly built the 
block which bears their names, Fabing 
& Heim, and the former still hold his in- 
terest in it. He is also one of the heavi- 
est stockholders in the Opera House 
Company. In politics he is a Repub- 
lican. In 1865 he joined the Masons, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPffWAL RBCORD. 



Irtli 



being a member of Fort Stephenson 
Lodf^e. No. 225, of I'remont. and ad- 
vancetl in Masonry to Knight Templar, 
becoming a member of De Molay Com- 
mandcry, No. 9. K. T. . Tiffin, Ohio. 
In 1858 Mr. Fabing married Miss Mary 
J. Webber, who was born in Alsace, 
Germany, in 1833. 



EDWARD H. RUSSELL, a real- 
estate and insurance agent, and 
manager of the Opera House, Fre- 
mont, Sandusky county, was born 
at I'remont June 14. 1S55, son of Henry 
S. and Margaret Hawkins; Russell. 

Henry Shubel Russell was born in 
Morgan county, Ohio, in 181 7, and came 
to Lower Sandusky, now F'remont, with 
his father, in pioneer days. He was a 
master builder and contractor. He served 
as sheriff of Sandusky county from 1865 
to 1869; he married in Lower Sandusky, 
in 1843, a daughter of Thomas L. Haw- 
kins, a local preacher of the M. E. Church, 
from Franklin county, Ohio. Mr. Haw- 
kins and his wife were natives of Ken- 
tucky, and came in 1817 to Lower San- 
dusky, of which town he was one of the 
incorporators, and he was a man of re- 
markable pluck and energy. He was a 
cabinet maker, and to get water-power 
built the mill-race which is still in exis- 
tence at F'remont, and erected thereon a 
sawmill. In politics he was an Old-line 
Whig. In March, 1856, he moved to 
\'inton, Iowa, where he and his wife died 
at an advanced age. To Henry and Mar- 
garet (Hawkins) Russell were born four 
children: Frank W., who enlisted August 
7, 1862. at I'remont. Ohio, in Company 
K, One Huii(ire«ilh Regiment, O. \ . I., 
went into active ser^•ice, was captured at 
Limestone Station, Tenn., September 8, 
1 863. and died in a Rebel prison at Rich- 
mond, Va., July 24. 1864: Henry, who 
died at the age of fifteen years; Ella, wife 
of C. A. Freeman, a grocer of Fremont, 
Ohio; and Edward H., whose name intro- 



duces this sketch. The fathers death 
occurred May 18, 1876. In politics, he 
was a Democrat. 

Edward H. Russell was reared in the 
city of I-'rcmont. and educated in the jnib- 
lic schools. On leaving school he trav- 
eled as business manager of a theatrical 
company for a period of eight years, and 
then returned to Fremont to engage in 
the insurance business. In 1890 he took 
stock in the Fremont Opera House Com- 
pany, and became its business manager. 
Socially, Mr. Russell is one of the charter 
members of Fremont Lodge No. 204, 
Knightsof Pythias; a charter member and 
Past Exalted Ruler of IVemont Lodge 
No. 169, B. P. O. E. ; a charter member 
and first financial secretary of Sherman 
Lodge No. III. A. O. U. W. ; a member 
of Edna Council No. 64. National I'nion; 
and a charter member and first presiding 
officer of Onoko Tribe No. 140. Improved 
Order of Red Men. On January 9. 1883. 
Mr. Russell married Mi.ss Laura L. Sny- 
der, daughter of Maj. S. A. J. Snyder, of 
the Seventy-second Regiment, O. V. I., 
ex-postmaster of Fremont, who died in 
1889, and whose widow, Clementine 
(Creager), resides in I'remont, Ohio. 
The children of E. H. and Laura L. Rus- 
sell are: .Arthur McKnight, Major Henrj', 
Harry Allen and Paul Edward Russell. 
Mrs. Russell is a member of St. Paul's 
Episcopal Church. 



STARR \ TUNNINGTON. pro- 
prietors of the Fremont Steam 
Laundry, are well-known business 
men of Fremont, Sandusky coun- 
ty, and have been engaged in their present 
enterprise since 1.S90. Their excellent 
work, especially in the line of shirts, col- 
lars and cuffs, has gained for them an ex- 
tended reputation, and been the means 
of establishing a trade which comes to 
them from all over Northern Ohio, and 
also from Michigan and Indiana, within 
a radius of 1 50 miles. They have the 



166 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



finest plant and the best equipments 
for a laundry that the most advanced 
ideas in machinery and methods have 
been able to perfect. Besides these almost 
perfect appliances and skilled operators, 
Fremont affords them a quality of water 
not to be found elsewhere. With these 
advantages and the well-known business 
ability and integrity of its managers, the 
success of the enterprise is assured. Of 
the proprietors themselves, the following 
sketches will be of interest. 

H. J. Starr was borninElyria, Ohio, 
in 1857, and is the son of Horace Starr, 
of Starr Brothers, who were for years 
among the leading merchants of north- 
ern Ohio, and were very prominent in 
Elyria. He was educated in the public 
schools of his native place, and on arriv- 
ing at manhood took charge of a Boston 
mining compan}'. Later he filled the po- 
sition of commissary for a railroad con- 
struction company in Virginia. When 
this work was completed he decided to 
take up some business more permanent 
in its nature, and with Mr. Tunnington 
purchased the laundry which they are 
now operating. Mr. Starr is a man of 
excellent business abilities, very accommo- 
dating, and of a quiet, pleasant disposi- 
tion which makes him friends wherever 
he goes. He is very popular with the 
people of Fremont, and is a good citizen. 

F. M. Tunnington, the other partner 
in this firm, is a native of this State, hav- 
ing been born in Cleveland, December 19, 
1858. He grew to manhood in Elyria, and 
learned the trade of a printer in the office 
of the Republican in that place, working 
at this about seven years in Elyria and 
Cleveland. He subsequently embarked 
in the laundry business in Cleveland for a 
short time, and then went to Friendship, 
N. Y. , where he perfected himself in the 
details of the business, carrying on a 
laundry there for two years. He then 
sold out and went on the road for a year, 
selling laundry fixtures and machinery. 
Returning to Elyria he purchased a 



laundry, but subsequently disposed of it, 
and with his present partner, Mr. Starr, 
came to Fremont, where they have estab- 
lished the fine plant which has already 
been spoken of. Mr. Tunnington is an 
expert in his line, and it is mainly due to 
his advanced methods of doing work that 
the Fremont Steam Laundry has acquired 
its enviable reputation. 



M 



ARIv THRAVES, farmer and 
dealer in live stock, Ballville 
township, Sandusky county, 
was born in Nottinghamshire, 
England, December 7, 1832, a son of 
William and Marilla (Graves) Thraves, 
whose history appears elsewhere. 

Our subject came with his parents to 
America when he was eleven years of 
age, and grew up on a farm in Washing- 
ton township, Sandusky Co., Ohio. In 
the latter part of 1859 he went to Fre- 
mont to learn the trade of blacksmith, 
serving an apprenticeship under Solomon 
Lansing, who afterward removed to Mich- 
igan, and after whom it is probable the 
city of Lansing was named. In Decem- 
ber, 185 1, Mr. Thraves started for Cali- 
fornia by way of the Panama route, tak- 
ing passage on a steamer at New York 
bound for the town of Chagres, at the 
mouth of Chagres river, on the Isthmus 
of Panama. The trip was a most haz- 
ardous one, the steamer losing one of her 
side-wheels and being nearly wrecked, 
making it necessary to put in for repairs 
on the way. Upon reaching the Isthmus 
of Panama, the passengers were rowed 
and poled up the river Chagres, in small 
boats, by the natives, and were some- 
times obliged to land and walk while the 
boats were carried around the rapids. 
After leaving this river the passengers 
had to make an overland trip of twenty- 
five miles before reaching the Pacific 
coast. The men walked, while the wo- 
men rode mules furnished by the citizens. 
To the consternation of Mr. Thraves and 




^-^iiaA s^^ 



'^l^i^-iA^ 



OOMMBMORATIVK BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



IGi 



his fellow travolers, upon rcachinR the 
port on the Pacific, they learned that the 
re^;ular steamer was already so loaded 
with passengers that they could not get 
aboard, and that nothinf,' remained (or 
them but to take a sailing vessel for the 
vovape to San I'rancisco. The N'aiider- 
bilt Line, with whom they had shipped 
from New York, had no steam line on the 
Pacific, and so they took pjissage on the 
brif; " NlarRaret." They put out to sea 
with a fair wind, but when within one 
degree of the equator struck a dead calm, 
in which they were obliged to lie helpless 
(or two weeks, during which time twelve 
of the passengers took sick and died. 
They finally succeeded in pulling into the 
harbor of San Bias, Mexico, where the 
brig lay (or a week, to the no small solic- 
itude o( the 250 passengers. The re- 
mainder o{ their voyage was tedious in 
thf e.xtreme. Perhaps apprehending 
further trouble, the captain of the brig 
put it in charge of the mate, and himself 
remained behind. Provisions ran short, 
and for the last three weeks each person 
had to live upon three spoonsful of cooked 
rice and a pint of coffee per day; and up- 
on reaching San Francisco there was not 
a half bushel of rice left on board the 
brig, and no other article of food what- 
ever. They had been thirteen weeks up- 
on the sailing vessel, whereas only four- 
teen days were requisite to make the trip 
by steamer. 

Unlike most other men wht) went to 
California' at that period, N(r. Thraves 
turned his attention at once to farming, 
the raising of wheat and other grains in 
Sacramento county, a5> on account of the 
high price of flour ($50 per sack) it was 
more profitable than gold mining to one 
who knew more about farming than about 
mining. In the month of June. 1S5O, 
Mr. Thraves returned home to Ohio, and 
remained among his friends until the fol- 
lowmg .Xpril. when, with his brother 
William, he started back for California. 

On crossing the Isthmus of Panama they 
11 



met with a sad accident. The train upon 
which they were riding was wrecked, and 
William Thraves, with sixty others, was 
crushed to death; more than 360 were in- 
jured. All those who were killed were 
buried on the Isthinus. Controlling his 
grief as best he could, our subject com- 
pleted his journey to California, where he 
followed gold mining in Yuba county, on 
the American river. In 1858 he made a 
trip into British Columbia and Vancou- 
ver Island. In December, i860, he re- 
turned to Ohio, where he has since that 
time been engaged in his favorite pursuit 
of farming and stock raising, in which he 
has been remarkablv successful. 

In politics our subject is a Democrat, 
and though not an office seeker has held 
various offices in his township, where he 
is justly recognized as one of the leading 
and most enterprising citizens. He has 
for many years been a member of the I. 
O. O. F. , at Green Spring, Ohio. 

On April 3, 1862, Mark Thraves was 
married to Miss Sarah Htifford. who was 
born April 17. 1834. daughter of Cornel- 
ius and Mary Jane (Zook) HufTord. with 
whom she came to Sandusky county, 
Ohio, when two years old. and has since 
lived here. Her education was obtained 
in the district schools of Ballville town- 
ship, and, with the exception of two years 
previous to her marriage, she resided with 
her parents. Her father was born in 
1806 in Kentucky, became an early pio- 
neer of Ohio, and died in Ballville town- 
ship, Sandusky county. March 14. 1884. 
being buried in Washington Chapel Cem- 
etery. Washington township. Sandusky 
county; he was a blacksmith by trade, 
and a model farmer. His wife was born 
in 1809 in Pennsylvania, died in 1882, 
an<l was also laid to rest in the above- 
named cemetery. Their children were: 
Sarah (Mrs. Thraves). Simon. Elizabeth 
(Mrs. N. Rathbun). Catharine (Mrs. J. 
Emerson), and Martha (Mrs. Ferrenberg), 
all of whom are living. .Mrs. Thraves' 
paternal grandfutlur |.(r<ili Ifufford, was 



168 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPSICAL RECORD. 



born in Kentucky in 1770, and died in 
Ohio in 1850; his wife, Catharine Crea- 
ger, was born in Ohio about the same 
date. Her maternal grandfather, Abram 
Zook, was born in Pennsylvania in 1765. 
The children of Mark and Sarah Thraves 
were Delphin, born February 28, 1863; 
William, born May 15, 1865, and married 
to Ida, daughter of Walter F. and Emma 
(Young) Huber; Mattie M. , born October 
30, 1869, and Ida F., born August 15, 
1867. 

The Thraves Family. Samuel 
Thraves, the great ancestor from whom 
are descended the Thraves families in 
Sandusky county, Ohio, lived and died in 
Nottinghamshire, England. He married 
Miss Ann Moult, and their children were: 
John, Elizabeth, William, Thomas, Grace, 
George, Faith, Robert and Mark. About 
the year 1830 Thomas came to New York 
city, where he died, leaving one son. 
George came to America in 1833, and 
settled in Virginia, where he died in 1882, 
leaving several sons, one of whom, Joseph, 
went to California. 

William Thraves, son of Samuel, 
was born December 27, 1799, in the town 
of Tythby, Nottinghamshire, England, of 
Anglo-Saxon descent. He was live feet 
ten inches in height, with blue eyes and 
flaxen hair, and when in the vigor of man- 
hood weighed about 180 pounds. He was 
a member of the Church of England, and 
his occupation was that of butcher. In 
1827 he married Miss Marilla Graves, 
who was born December 29, 1799, in the 
village of Austin, Nottinghamshire. She 
was also a member of the Church of Eng- 
land. The names and dates of birth of 
the children born to them in England 
were: George, July 19, 1828; Ann, July 
19, 1828; Robert, May 14, 1830; Mark, 
December 7, 1832; Faith Elizabeth, March 
20, 1835; William, July 15, 1837; Thomas, 
September 6, 1839. In 1844 the entire 
family emigrated to America, and settled 
in Washington township, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, where they followed farming and 



stock-raising, and here the youngest son, 
Levi, was born March 2, 1847. I" 1854 
they settled upon a farm of eighty acres, 
in Ballville township, which they had 
bought. This was their family home for 
many years, and here William Thraves 
and his sons followed farming and dealing 
in live stock with good success. In 1882 
he retired from active life to a quiet home 
which he had bought, adjoining the farm 
of his son, Mark. William and Marilla 
Thraves celebrated their golden wedding 
in 1877. She died April 2, 1883, after 
which Mr. Thraves lived here and there 
among his children at his own pleasure 
until August 21, 1889, when he passed 
away at the home of his son, Mark. Both 
were buried in McGormley cemetery, 
Ballville township. Of their children, 
Ann M. Thraves married John Crowell, 
and subsequently moved to California, 
where they both died — she in 1867, he in 
1882 — leaving three children. Robert 
Thraves is in Camptonville, Yuba Co., 
Cal. Faith E. Thraves married Henry 
Bowman, and died in 1867. William 
Thraves (son of William, Sr. ,) was killed 
in a railroad accident on the Isthmus of 
Panama in 1856, and buried there. 
George, Mark and Thomas are all farmers 
of Ballville township, Sandusky county. 



GEORGE THRAVES, farmer and 
dealer in live stock, son of Will- 
iam Thraves, was born in Eng- 
land, July 19, 1828. Heattended 
school a few terms in Nottinghamshire, 
and at the age of sixteen came with his 
father's family to America, into the region 
of the Black Swamp, about four miles 
west of Lower Sandusky (now Fremont), 
Ohio. Here he endured some of the toils 
and privations incident to pioneer life, 
and attended a few terms of school in the 
country. After working on a farm for 
several years he served an apprenticeship 
at the blacksmith trade in Lower San- 
dusky with Mr. Lansing, afterward fol- 



COMMEilORATIVS BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



169 



lowiiifj his trade about two years in the 
shop of Samuel Moore, in Fremont. Ohio. 
On April 14. 1853, he was married to 
Miss Mary Jane Crowcll, who was born in 
Sandusky township, in 1829, a daughter 
of Samuel and Mary (Link) Crowell. She 
had received a very liberal education, and 
had tau>;ht several terms of school in the 
country districts. 

In 1.S55 Mr. Thraves and his wife went 
to California by the Panama route, and 
located in Yuba county where he bou},'ht 
a mining claim and worked at gold min- 
ing about four months. He then sold his 
claim and bought a blacksmith shop in 
which he worked about one year, doing a 
thriving business. The society of the 
miners not being congenial to his wife, he 
returned with her to Ohio in 1858, and 
purchased a farm of eighty acres in Ball- 
ville township. Sandusky county. Here 
he followed mi.xed farming and stock rais- 
ing for about thirty-tive years with good 
success. Mr. Thraves has been an active 
friend of education in his neighborhood, 
having held the t>ffice of local director for 
twelve years, and taken a deep interest in 
the literary exercises of the young people. 
He also. held the office of township trus- 
tee, and other positions of honor and 
trust in the community. He has been a 
member of Croghan Lodge, I. O. O. F. , 
at Fremont, Ohio, since 1852, and held, 
at intervals, all the offices of the subor- 
dinate lodge. In politics he was a Whig 
until the Know-nothing agitation in 1856, 
ever since when he has been a Democrat. 
Mrs. Thraves became a member of the 
Methodist Protestant Church, near her 
old home, three miles west of Fremont. 
She proved a faithful and acceptable work- 
er in Sunday-school and society work, and 
maintained a high standar<l of C'hristian 
character. She die<i at her home August 5. 
1885. and was buried in McGormley Ceme- 
tery. Mr. Thraves has continued to reside 
on the farm with his youngest daughter. 
Lillie. The children of (ieorgeatui .Mary 
Jane Thraves were; (ij Samuel, whuiiicd 



in infancy. (2) Ann Marilla. born in San- 
dusky county, Ohio. July 2. 1S55. mar- 
ried to Charles Young. September 25, 
1878. and their children arc: Justin Irv- 
ing, born July 13, 1879, and Elsie Lois, 
born December 21, 1883. (3) Mark Eu- 
gene, born April 18. 1859. now residing 
in the vicinity of Los Angeles, Cal. (4) 
Ida Hortense, born July 4. 1861, mar- 
ried to George Sommer. of Green Creek 
township, October 18, 1882, and their 
children are Wilbur, born in September. 
1883; Fred, born in October. 1885; Bar- 
bara, born in September, 1887; Robert, 
born in November 1891, and Corinne, in 
August, 1893. (5) Meade George, attor- 
ney at law, Fremont, Ohio, born F"eb- 
ruary 15, 1863, who was married April 9, 
1890, to Miss Mary M., daughter of Ever- 
ett .\. and Maria L. C. Bristol; she was 
born at Fremont. Ohio. November 2. 
1 868. (6) Lillie May. born September 
13. 1865. who was married April 9, 1895, 
to Merritt Cornell Huber, of near Green 
Spring, Ohio. 

LEWIS K. WRIGHT, the subject 
proper of this sketch, has seen the 
development of Scott township, 
Sandusky county, from the time it 
was a wilderness down to 1895. He was 
born July 13, 1812. and is the son of 
William and Polly (Stjuire) Wright, who 
were born in Vermont in 1784. and Can- 
ada in 1788. respectively. 

At the age of twenty-four years our 
subject came to Scott township, Sandusky 
county, at a time when no roads were 
made in the township, and when it took 
two days to go to I'remont and back, a 
distance of ten miles. He cleared a fine 
farm, and made :i coTnfortable home for 
himself and family, which he is now en- 
joying in his old age. On May 7, 1835, 
he was married to Miss Finette Lock- 
wood, of Madrid, N. Y.. and their union 
was blessed with three children : ( 1 ) Ellen 
r., born Sfpi.inbi-r 4, 1 836, now rcsid- 



170 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ing with her father and mother at Tinney, 
Ohio; (2) Levi L. , born September 12, 
1838, married to JuHa Green, of Fremont, 
and now residing in Lincoln county, 
Tenn., and (3) William L. , born in 
Cuyahoga county, Ohio, September 26, 
1847, and married to Almeda Tinney, 
daughter of Darwin Scott and Sarah (Wig- 
gins) Tinney, pioneers of Scott township 
(to them were born three children — Clara 
F., born September 3, 1874, was gradu- 
ated in music from the Musical School of 
Indianapolis, Ind., June, 1895; Ralph R., 
born September 29, 1880, is also a mu- 
sician and member of the Tinney Cornet 
Band, and Stella E., born September 9, 
1882, who is also developing her musical 
talent on the piano; the children inherited 
their musical talents from their father, 
who is a violinist and also a cornetist; he 
in turn inherits his ability in this line from 
his mother and her ancestry); William L. 
is a merchant, having a general store at 
Tinney, Ohio, and is also engaged with 
his father in farming. Politicall}' the 
Wright family are Democrats. Mrs. Will- 
iam Wright was born March 5, 1852, at 
Tinney, Ohio, where she has always re- 
sided. 

The father and mother of our subject 
were pioneers of Sandusky county, Ohio, 
and the fatherdied in 1856. They reared 
a family of four children, of whom our 
subject is the only one living; the other 
children were: Martin, born in 1810; 
Harriet, born in 18 14, and Solomon, born 
in 1816. Our subjects paternal grand- 
mother was born about 1756, and died in 
1820; she was born in Vermont, and 
moved to New York, where she married 
Solomon Squire. The maternal grand- 
father of our subject was born in Lower 
Canada in 1756, and was the father of 
three children. 

Levi Lockwood, the father of our sub- 
ject's wife, was born April 24, 1781, in 
Vermont, and died January 13, 1854; he 
went to New York, and thence to Ohio, 
locating near Cleveland, where he died. 



His wife was born March 20, 1788, in 
Connecticut; they were married March 30, 
1803, and were the parents of ten chil- 
dren; she died October 10, 1850, in 
Brighton, Ohio. The paternal grand- 
father of .Mrs. Wright, Nathaniel Lock- 
wood, was born in 1750, in Connecticut; 
he moved to Vermont, thence to New 
York, and died in 1830. His wife, Annie 
(Bostwick), was born about 1754 in Ver- 
mont, and moved to New York. Mrs. 
Wright's maternal grandfather, Reuben 
Stone, was born about 1756, and his wife, 
Deborah (Comstock), was born about the 
same time, and died in 1855. 



FRANK M. METCALF, as a pro- 
duce merchant of Clyde, has a 
wider acquaintanceship than most 
citizens of that city can claim. 
In the parlance of trade he is a " hustler," 
and the splendid business which he does 
is the fruit of his own unremitting efforts. 
Ever since he came from the service of 
his country as a veteran he has followed 
his present vocation, save three years 
which he spent in the mining regions of 
Arizona. 

Mr. Metcalf was born in Monroe 
county, Mich., May 11, 1843, son of 
Joseph and Sarah (White) Metcalf. 
Joseph Metcalf, who was born in Ver- 
mont in 1810, migrated when a boy with 
his father, Samuel Metcalf, from the 
Green Mountain State to New York State, 
and subsequently to Toledo, Ohio, whence, 
after engaging there for some years in the 
lumber trade, he removed to Monroe 
county, Mich., and there followed the 
same business. In 1843 he returned to 
Ohio, locating in Wyandot county, where 
his father, Samuel Metcalf, died aged 
eighty-si.x years. In 1857 Joseph came 
to Clyde, where he died two years later. 
Joseph Metcalf was a public-spirited and 
enterprising citizen. In New York State 
he had been appointed captain of militia, 
and he also served there as justice of the 



COMMEMORATIVE BlOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



171 



peace. For several terms he was justice 
of the peace in Michigan, and in W'yandot 
county he was elected to the same judicial 
office. He was a man of ripe judgment, 
possessing that rare common sen.se upon 
which all law decisions rest, and few of 
the decisions he made were ever reversed. 
He was well-read in law, and acquaint- 
ances frequently consulted him in business 
and legal matters. Sarah, his devoted 
wife, who was born in St. Lawrence 
county. N. Y. , in 1820, is at this writing 
still living at Clyde, an active lady for her 
many years. She was one of the organ- 
izers of the \N'oman's Relief Corps in 
Clyde, and has since been an active mem- 
ber of the same. Both her sons fought 
upon Southern battlefields for national 
union. Her parents died at Berlin 
Heights, l£rie count)', aged eighty-si.\ and 
eighty-seven years, respectively. The 
three children of Joseph and Sarah 
(White) Metcalf were Judge L. , Louisa 
and Frank M. 

Judge L. Metcalf was born in Monroe 
county, Mich., in 1839. He enlisted in 
Company K. One Hundreth O. V. L, and 
was taken prisoner at the battle of Lime- 
stone Station, Tenn., in 1863. He was 
imprisoned on Belle Isle and at Richmond, 
\'a., about a year. He never recovered 
from the effects of prison life, and died 
in 1874, as a result of the indescribable 
hardships, the starvation and exposure to 
which he was subjected. Louisa was born 
March 2. 1841, and married Henry Miller, 
of Clyde. She died in 186;. 

Frank M. Metcalf was fourteen when 
his parents came to Clyde, and here for 
several years he attended the village 
schools. In July, 1861, when eighteen 
years of age, he was one of a company 
of young men from Clyde, Green Spring 
and Tiffin, formed to join a regiment of 
sharpshooters in New York City, but that 
r<".,'iM)ent not being fully recruited they 
I nlisted in the First United States Chas- 
seurs, and were afterward assigned as the 
Sixty-fifth N. Y. V. I. This regiment 



saw hard service from the start. In a 
letter to the editor of the Xalionat 
Tribune, Washington, D. C, and pub- 
lished in the issue of June 21, 1894, F. 
M. .Metcalf thus recounted a few of his 
army experiences as follows: 

Editor Natiiinal Tribnnr: Well do I rcinein- 
bcr the .skirmishes during the fall of '61 in Vir- 
ffinia above the Chain Hridfre; also. McClellan's 
move toward Centerville. and our return; also, 
the trip on the Peninsula; Yorktown; the hot 
fiyht at WilliamsburK^. and the ti|ifht around 
Kichinond: how (Jen. Casey's troops were forced 
back from their breastworks by the Confeder- 
ate troops. 

The First U. S. Chasseurs were sent across 
the railroad to reinforce the Thirty-first Pcnn. 
and Brady's battery. After Casey and Couch 
had been driven back we were north and rear 
of the Confederates, picking up prisoners. At 
this time a man rode over to us from the ene- 
my's lines and told us we would all be captured. 
Tlie boys were inclined to give him the laugh. 
He said he was only doing his duty: also, that 
the woods to our right and front were full of 
Southern troops, which we soon found ti> be a 
fact. This man again rode back to the enemy's 
lines. The question has always been in my 
mind, who was he? He at least showed us 
where his sympathies lay. We then, on a dou- 
ble-quick, fell back through a strip of woods; 
Uradv's battery, near the railroad, with the 
Thirty-first Penn. and Cha.sseurs behind an old 
rail fence and woods in front. The enemy 
ma.ssed, and. amid a deadly fire of shell and 
canister and musketry, charged, and would 
have captured our battery but for the timely 
arrival of a portion of Sumner's Corps, which 
turned the tide of battle here. After the Chas- 
seurs saw the First Minn, forming behind them 
they felt safe, as these two regiments had seen 
service together before. Our infantry reserved 
their fire until the enemy were within a few 
xoAs of our line of battle. The rebel loss was 
terrible; the ground was covered with their 
dead and wounded. They made a noble fight. 
This was their first repulse and defeat that 
day. The next day our troops retook the 
ground lost the day before, but the loss on both 
sides was heavy. 

My memory will ever follow the marches 
and battles of the army of the Potomac — Mal- 
vern Hill, Manassas, South Mountain, Antie- 
tani, Fredericksburg, under Ournsidc and Hook- 
er. The Chas.seurs were the second regiment 
to cross the river below Fredericksburg. and its 
skirmishers the last to rccross after the fight 
under llurnaide. After the Pennsylvania Re- 
serves had made their fatal charge the writer 
was with the triKips who relieved this command. 
The moans of the dying and the ap|>eals of the 
wounded in front of us was enough to touch 
the hardest heart. During Hooker's Chanccl- 
lorsville fight the Sixth Corps wa« below Fred- 



172 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ericksburg. At night, about 10 or 11 o'clock, 
the Chasseurs were deployed as skirmishers, 
and advanced to drive the Confederates out of 
the city. We met with such resistance we con- 
cluded to wait for daylig-ht. The writer and 
fifteen or twenty men were with the Chasseur 
colors on the Richmond turnpike. We ran 
against their reserve pickets, who were behind 
a barricade across the road. They had us at a 
disadvantage, and we had to either be shot 
down or run to the rear or front. We gave 
them a volley, fixed bayonets, and with a gen- 
uine Yankee yell charged them from their po- 
sition. They then withdrew their forces from 
the city back into their intrenchments on the 
heights, probably thinking the balance of our 
troops were at our heels. We kept hid in the 
city until morning, between the two lines, not 
daring to show ourselves to either side, and ex- 
pecting to be captured by the Johnnies, but 
came nearer being shot the next morning by 
our own troops before we could make them be- 
lieve we belonged to the Chasseurs. 

History tells how Marye's Heights were cap- 
tured at the point of the bayonet by the troops 
under our old Col. Shaler. The general's metn- 
ory will ever be fresh in the minds of the sol- 
diers in that charge by the daring and courage 
he displayed riding along the line, and with his 
presence encouraged the boys charging the en- 
emy's works. The next morning found the 
Sixth Corps silently recrossing the Rappahan- 
nock, where we all breathed freer, as we could 
tell by the distant "boom, boom" to our right 
and rear that Gen. Hooker had run against a 
snag at Chancellorsville. The writer was with 
the Sixth Corps at Gettysburg, Wilderness, 
Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, 
against Early's raid on Washington, and Cedar 
Creek; but space will not permit making men- 
tion of incidents during these hard-fought bat- 
tles. Where are the Chasseurs now? 

After the war Mr. Metcalf returned to 
Clyde and engaged in the produce-ship- 
ping business. During the three years — 
1882-85 — he was located in the Santa 
Rita mountains, Arizona, looking after 
the interests of the Salero Mining and 
Milling Co., of New York City, and also 
operating silver mines of his own there. 
Mr. Metcalf is a man of energetic, push- 
ing habits, and he has thereby built up a 
large trade. He is a prominent member 
of the U. V. U. command at Clyde. Mr. 
Metcalf was married in February, 1 886, to 
Miss Emma J. Miller, daughter of Lyman 
Miller. Her three brothers were in the 
war of the Rebellion, and the oldest was 
shot and killed in that war. 



GEORGE J. BLOOM. Among the 
thousands of emigrants, of vari- 
ous nationalties, who, during the 
last half of the nineteenth cen- 
tury, have come to our shores from the 
overcrowded hives of population in the 
Old World, none have contributed more 
to our national prosperity and the stabil- 
ity of our American institutions, than 
those who came from the German Father- 
land. Wherever they have settled, whether 
in the busy marts of our rapidly growing 
cities, the stirring lumber and mining re- 
gions of the mountains, or the broad fer- 
tile prairies of the West, they have, as a 
class, established an enviable reputation 
for industry, frugality and thrift, and are 
to-day among our most trustworthy and 
law-abiding citizens. As a gentleman 
possessing these characteristics, in a mod- 
est way, we present the subject of this 
sketch. 

George J. Bloom, retired farmer, Fre- 
mont, Ohio, was born in Baden, Germany, 
November 25, 1836. His parents were 
Jacob Bloom and Barbara (Florien), the 
former of whom was also born in Baden, 
where he followed the trade of shoemaker, 
and after his marriage in the year 1854, 
emigrated with his family to America. 
They took passage in a sailing vessel, en- 
countered severe storms and adverse 
winds, and were fifty-four days on the 
ocean. Proceeding westward, they came 
to Sandusky county, Ohio, and settled on 
a forty-acre farm in Ballville township, 
on which they made their home. After 
a useful and exemplary life, and living to 
see his children in good circumstances, 
Jacob Bloom died, July 2, 1883. His 
wife, Barbara, was born in Alsace, France 
(now Germany), and passed away at the age 
of forty-five, after faithfully performing 
her duties as a helpmeet to her hus- 
band and mother to her children. Her 
father, Joseph Florien, a pioneer of San- 
dusky county, died here at the advanced 
age of one hundred and nine years. His 
children were: Joseph, Barbara, Mag- 



COMMBMORATIVK BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



178 



dalene. Catharine, Georpe and Julia. 
The children of Jacob and Harbara Bloom 
were: Jacob, a physician, who lived in 
Indiana and died in Ballviilc township, 
Sandusky county (he was unmarried); 
Willian). who is enRaped in the manufac- 
ture of potash, at Fostoria, Ohio; George 
J., our subject; Barbara, who married 
Lewis Mutchler, and lives on a farm near 
Green Spring; and Mary, wife of George 
Bloom, a laborer, at Fremont, Ohio. 

Our subject went to school in his na- 
tive city of Baden about eight years, also 
attending the services of the Lutheran 
Church, and learned the trade of barber. 
At the age of eighteen years he came with 
his father's family to Sandusky county, 
Ohio, where he assisted his parents in the 
purchase and clearing up of a farm, be- 
sides working several years as a farm hand 
among the neighbors, learning the meth- 
ods of well-to-do farmers. On February 
1 8, 1863, he married Miss Annie Cole- 
man, who was born February 2, 1841, in 
Hanover, Germany, of which place her 
parents, Frederick and Marie (Stratman) 
Coleman, were also natives; they emi- 
grated to America in 1845. and settled 
near Woodville, Ohio, where the father 
died in 1887, aged eighty-one years, and 
the mother at the age of thirty years. 
Their children were: Annie, wife of our 
subject; William, a farmer, living in Ot- 
tawa county, Ohio; Henrj', a farmer of 
Sandusky county; John, a soldier of the 
Civil war, now an employe of the Lake 
Shore & Michigan Southern railroad, 
living at Fremont, Ohio, and Frederick, 
living at Woodville, Ohio. 

After his marriage Mr. Bloom settled 
on a farm near Green Spring, Ohio, where 
he lived about nine years. He then sold 
his farm and bought another near Genoa, 
in Ottawa county, on which he remained 
four and a half years, when he again sold, 
next buying a farm of eighty-five acres in 
Ballville township, about three miles 
southeast of Fremont, which he greatly 
improved and made his home thereon for 



seventeen years. He was quite successful 
in the raising of grain and the rearing of 
live stock. In the year 1893 he bought 
property in and removed to Fremont, to 
give his children the advantages of the city 
schools. This property he traded, a year 
later, for a farm of seventy-three acres 
(formerly the Thraves' homestead), ad- 
joining his other farm in Ballville town- 
ship. 

Mr. Bloom has been a Democrat in 
politics, but is not a partisan. He and 
his wife were reared in the doctrines of 
the Lutheran Church, but during the last 
twenty years have been worthy members 
of the Evangelical Association. Their 
children were: Caroline, wife of Charles 
Martin, a farmer, who has four children — 
Ralph, Blanche, Vinnie and Mabel; 
Amelia, who married Oscar Lemon, and 
has two children — George Edward and 
Hazel; and Mary, Barbara, Anna, George, 
Ida and Charles, all of whom arc unmar- 
ried and living with their parents. 



FREDERICK SMITH, a resident 
of Sandusky township. Sandusky 
county, was born in Baden, Ger- 
many, June 2, 1829, a son of 
John and Catharine (Ernst) Smith. The 
parents were also born in Baden, the 
father August 24, 1783, the mother No- 
vember 5, 1787; both died in Rice town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohio, where they 
had settled in the then forest. John 
Smith served in the Napoleonic wars, be- 
ing with the staff of officers. He was on 
the famous march to Russia, where so 
many thousand soldiers were fro/en, and 
was one of the few who escaped impris- 
onment. 

Frederick Smith grew to manhood in 
Sandusky county, and attended the com- 
mon sclujols a short time. He remained 
with his parents on the farm, and by dili- 
gence and hard labor cleared ofT the 
heavy timber and drained a large tract, 
now some of the finest farming lands in 



174 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the county. In 1852 he married Miss 
EHzabeth Kaiser, born in France, Febru- 
ary 22, 1830, who is still living. 
He and his wife remained with his parents 
until their death, in 1870, soon after 
which time he removed to his present 
home in Sandusky township, but a short 
distance from Fremont. His brick resi- 
dence is one of the finest in the township. 
Mr. Smith and his family are members of 
the Lutheran Church; in politics he is a 
Democrat, and has held public offices for 
twenty-two years. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Smith were born children as follows: 
Christina, deceased; Frederick, Jr., who 
is married to Caroline Loganbach; Car- 
oline, wife of Lewis Nicholas; J. Will- 
iam, married to Maud Kinman; Eliza- 
beth, Clara, Amelia, all at home, and 
Edward F. , now at Toledo, Ohio. 



GEORGE W. KENAN. Among 
the hardy sons of toil who have 
subdued the towering forests, 
drained the malarious swamps 
and developed the vast agricultural re- 
sources of the region of northern Ohio 
known as the Black Swamp, the subject 
of this sketch deserves honorable men- 
tion. Beginning at the very foot of the 
ladder, at the age of ten, he patiently 
worked his way up the rounds, step by 
step, until he reached the height of com- 
petence. 

George W. Kenan was born July 31, 
1824, a native of Perry county, Ohio. 
His paternal grandfather, James Ivenan, 
was born about 177S, in Ireland, and died, 
in 1858, in Jackson township, Sandusky 
Co. , Ohio. The grandmother was born in 
1780. They reared a famih' of eleven 
children, three of whom are yet living. 
The father of our subject, Silas Kenan, 
was born February 3, 1807, near Wheel- 
ing, W. Va., and migrated thence to 
Perry county, Ohio, where he remained 
until 1835, the year of his removal to 
Jackson township, Sandusky county, 



where he resided till his death in 1875. 
He married Barbara, daughter of Jacob 
and Mar}' Overmyer, of Harrisburg, 
Dauphin Co., Penn., the father born in 
Pennsylvania about 1784, the mother 
about the same time. They reared a 
family of nine children, only one of 
whom survives, Peter, now aged eighty- 
five years, and a brief record of them is 
as follows: Barbara, Mrs. Kenan, was 
born February 20, 1802. Hugh, a 
farmer in Jackson township, married Miss 
Nellie Yost, and has eight children — 
Henry, Harrison, Mary, John I., Frank 
Mitchell, France, Martha and Hiram — • 
three of whom are living; he is a Demo- 
crat, and a member of the Baptist 
Church. Margaret married Hugh Mitch- 
ell, a farmer, and has four children; Mr. 
Mitchell is a Democrat and a Baptist. 
Lewis, a farmer of Jackson township, like 
his brothers, is a Democrat and a Baptist, 
is married and has five children — Susan, 
Ellen, Ben, Catharine and Hugh. Eva 
married Rev. Mr. Dahouf. Catharine 
married Emanuel Roberts, and had two 
children, both now deceased. Polly, who 
married Benjamin Hammit, a farmer of 
Iowa, has eight children; he is a Demo- 
crat and a Baptist. Peter, also a farmer 
in Iowa, married Elizabeth Hill, and had 
five children; he is also a Democrat and 
Baptist. The name of the ninth child is 
Betsy. 

The children of Silas and Barbara 
Kenan, parents of our subject, were: 
Hugh, who died in childhood; George W. ; 
Thomas J., born in 1826, who married 
Jemima Housman, and was killed in a 
runaway at Fremont, Ohio, December 
31, 1 864, being preceded to the grave by 
his wife, who died August 23, 1864; Peter, 
born November 22, 1829, who was mar- 
ried March 4, 1856, to Sarah A. Hodgson 
and has had one child; William Manville, 
who, in 1878, married Miss Sylvia A. 
Powell (he has a fine collection of Indian 
relics); Minerva, born December 6, 1830, 
who married William Jackson, of Fre- 





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CoMimMuliATlVK BIOORAPUICAL RBCORD. 



175 



inont, Ohio, and has two children — 
Thomas G. and Charles H. (Mr. Jack- 
son is a Republicanj; Mahala, born April 
24, 1832, who married Thomas J. lild- 
ridpe, a farmer of Indiana, who was a 
soldier in the Civil war (he is a Repub- 
lican and a member of the U. B. Church); 
Francis, a blacksmith of Green Sprinp, 
Ohio, who married Kli^a Strouse. and has 
four children — Ellen, Minerva, William 
O. and Birchard (he served in the Civil 
war in Company I, Seventy-second O. V. 
1); Mary Ann. who married Charles 
Robinson, a farmer of Michigan, and has 
six children — Francis. Milo. Charles, Clif- 
ford. Howard and Minnie (Mr. Robinson 
is a Republican and a member of the M. 
F. Church; he was a soldier in the Civil 
war); Oscar, who is a farmer near Gales- 
bur;,', III., married Margaret Ickes, and 
has five chiklren (he is a Republican and 
a member of the M. E. Church); and 
Caroline, born July 10, 1847, who mar- 
ried Daniel Condon, a carpenter and 
school teacher, and died July 25. 187 1 
(they had a child that died in infancy; 
Mr. Condon is a Republican). 

Our subject started out to work on a 
farm by the month when he was only ten 
years of age. saved his money and made 
prudent investments, and is now enjoying 
the fruits of his early economy and in- 
dustrj'. At the age of twenty-seven. Oc- 
tober 13, 1851, he married Miss Elizabeth 
I'osey, who was born August 30, 1832, 
and they had seven children, of whom, 
Orin married Angeline King, and has two 
children — I*"rank ami Lulu (he is a Demo- 
crat and a member of the U. B. Church); 
Charles, who is a farmer, married Mary 
Cooksf)n (he is a Democrat and a member of 
the Evangelical Association); Lodemie 
V 'lied Michael Mowery. and has three 

-Iren — Charles, Lewis and Webb; Mar- 
shall, a farmer, married Miss Carrie Smith 
(he is a Democrat); Lorema married 
Elijah Voorhies, a farmer of Seneca coun- 
ty he is a Republican and a member of 
the- r. H. Cliunh;. I'r.ink ;i farmer, of 



Jackson township, married Miss Clara 
Havens (he is a Democrat); the name of 
the seventh child is Barbara A. Mrs. 
Kenan is the daughter of Isaac and Sabra 
(Preston) Fosey. both of whom were na- 
tives of Pennsylvania, the former born in 
1804 near Philadelphia, the latter in 18 10 
in Mercer county. They had a family of 
children as follows: Sarah. Elizabeth 
(Mrs. Kenan), Sabra, Luther, Rachel and 
Hannah (twins), Harriet, Bell. Susanna, 
Martha, Mary. John, David, Esther and 
William, ten of whom are living. Mr. 
and Mrs. Posey migrated to the Black 
Swamp. Ohio, .when Mrs. Kenan was but 
two years of age, and the father died in 
1858. the mother September 20, 1888. 
Grandmother Elizabeth Preston was born 
in England, about 1777, and had six chil- 
dren, four of whom are living. Mrs. 
Kenan's paternal grandfather, Micaga 
Posey, was a major in the Revolution- 
ary war. 

The first land Mr. Kenan bought was 
180 acres in Jackson township; he next 
purchased 122 in Scott township, then 
about 200 of his neighbor's land, making 
in all 327 acres. He has retired from 
farn)ing, his .son, G. F. Kenan, operating 
the farm; but during his active life he 
cleared many acres of heavily-timbered 
land which he now owns. He has leased 
his land in Scott township to the Stand- 
ard Oil Co., receiving a snug income from 
this source. In politics he is a stanch 
Democrat, and in religious faith a member 
of the Baptist Church, to which he con- 
tributes liberally. 



z 



ACHARV TAYLOR. In the two 
worlds of Clyde. Sandusky county, 
its business and its social circles, 
the names of Zachary Taylor and 
his accomplished wife rank as lead- 
ers; and in the joyous and prosperous 
lives of these two people the two spheres 
arc most happily blended. Mrs. Taylor, 
while possessing all the womanly graces 



176 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



of her sex, has a keen business sense, a 
rare taste and judgment, exercised in the 
selection of stock which attracts to her 
husband's dry-goods store the best trade 
from a wide region of country. The mer- 
cantile career of Mr. Taylor has not been 
one succession of successes. Sunlight has 
followed shadow, but through it all runs 
the gleam of mercantile ability. As a 
child of six years Zachary Taylor sold ap- 
ples on the train and peddled molasses 
candy. At the age of thirteen years he 
went behind the counter for W. B. Clock, 
and for ten years he clerked for various 
firms before entering business for himself. 
He has become a prominent merchant of 
northern Ohio, and is distinctively a self- 
made man — one who realizes the talis- 
manic powers of industry and business 
push. 

Mr. Taylor was born at Clyde Sep- 
tember 1 6, 1849, son of George W. and 
Abigail C. (Whitcher) Taylor. George 
W. Taylor was born in Rensselaer county, 
N. Y. , in 1825, and comes from old Ver- 
mont stock of Scotch and Irish ancestry. 
He learned the saddler's trade in New 
York and followed it at Troy and at New 
York City. Coming west, he worked at 
his trade for a short time at Milan and 
Sandusky, and about 1S45 came to Clyde. 
Here he conducted a dry-goods and gro- 
cery store for a time, but later returned 
to the saddlery business. He was a Re- 
publican in politics, and his blameless life 
was dominated by a spirit of practical 
Christianity. He died of paralysis in 
1 88 1. Abigail (Whitcher), wife of George 
W. Taylor, was born at Gasport, N. Y. , 
February 3, 1828, and migrated with 
her brothers and her widowed mother to 
Milan, where she met her future husband. 
The Whitchers are of English extraction. 
Generations ago three unmarried brothers 
of the name came to America, two of 
whom returned to England, where they 
acquired wealth and died childless. The 
third married in America, and from him 
the present Whitchers in this country 



have descended. An absence of legal 
records prevents the representatives from 
obtaining the English inheritance. The 
Whitchers are hardy, frugal, honest peo- 
ple, of great industry, and it is from his 
mother that Zachary Taylor has inherited 
his push and executive business ability. 
To George W. and Abigail Taylor four 
children were born: Erastus, accident- 
ally killed at the age of fifteen years, 
while hunting; Zachary; Emma A., wife 
of L. C. Carlin, a real-estate dealer of 
Findlay, and Ida L. 

At the age of twenty-three Zachary 
Taylor, in partnership with G. S. Rich- 
ards, established at Clyde a dry-goods 
business, which they conducted seven 
years. In the latter years they did not 
prosper, and were compelled to make an 
assignment; investigation revealed that a 
confidential clerk had been a large em- 
bezzler. Left penniless at thirty by this 
betrayal of trust, Zachary Taylor went 
on the road; first traveling through Ohio 
and Indiana for E. M. McGillen & Co., 
of Cleveland, for three years, then for 
Mills & Gibb, a New York house. In 
1888 Mr. Taylor was again on his feet 
financially. He re-established a business 
at Clyde in dry goods, carpets, furnishing 
goods, etc., which has grown rapidly. 
He now employs from six to seven clerks, 
and occupies two floors, 25 x 100 feet, 
centrally located. When he opened his 
business in 1888 most of the best trade of 
Clyde was going elsewhere, but he put in 
a line of goods that could not be excelled, 
and as a result Clyde not only holds her 
own in trade, but draws upon that of 
other neighboring cities. 

Mr. Taylor was married, October 2, 
1877, to Miss Julia R. Klink, who was 
born December 24, 1861, daughter of 
Rev. Charles M. and Julia (Black) Klink. 
Rev. Klink was an English Lutheran 
minister. He was born at Newville, 
Cumberland Co., Penn., in 1824, son of 
John George and Elizabeth (Humes) 
Klink. John G. Klink was born in Eng- 



COMMEMORATIVE BTOORAPiriCAL RECORD. 



177 



land of Knglish and German parentage. 
He was a man of force and character, 
but without titled name. Elizabeth 
Humes, the girl he loved and married, 
was the daujjhter of an English lord, and 
for her plebeian marriage she was dis- 
inherited. The young couple emigrated 
to America, settling at Newville, Penn.. 
and here Mr. Klink acquired wealth. He 
was a man of temperate habits, and was 
highly honored for his integrity and many 
other virtues. Charles M. Klink attended 
a theological seminary at Cincinnati, 
Ohio, expecting to become a Presbyterian 
minister, but at the earnest solicitation 
of his father he was ordained a minister 
of the English Lutheran Church. At 
Cincinnati he met his future wife. Miss 
Julia Black. She was born at College Hill, 
a suburb of Cincinnati, and was a cousin 
of Henry Ward ISeechcr. Mr. Klink was 
introduced to her by that afterward dis- 
tinguished divine, who was a fellow stu- 
dent at the seminary. Many years of his 
pastoral work were spent by Rev. Klink at 
Middletown. Md. He was there during 
the Civil war, and had just completed a 
new church when the battle occurred in 
that vicinity. His new church was con- 
verted into a hospital, and the wounded 
and disabled soldiers were the first bene- 
ficiaries of the new upholstered seats. 
His health failing, Kev. Klink came to 
Ohio. He purchased the Uriah Lemon 
farm, south of Sandusky, and sitting in a 
chair he preached on the last Sunday of 
his life: he died in 1S62. To Kev. and 
Mrs. Klink six children were born: Mary 
Elizabeth, wife of Arthur G. Ellsworth, a 
farmer of Sandusky county; George A., 
in the oil busine.ss at Cleveland. Ohio; 
John W. , a farmer of Eaton Kapids, 

Mich. ; Jennie E., wife of \V. E. Bunker, 
of Eaton Kapids, Mich.; Julia R. ; and 
William E., an insurance agent of Rich- 
mond, \'a. To /achary and Julia Taylor 
one child, Z. Arthur, was born March 1 1, 

1881. 

Mrs. Taylor is a member of the M. E. 



Church and a leader in Church work. She 
has been a member of the choir, and as a 
Sunday-school teacher her class grew in 
a short time from eighteen to fifty-six 
members. Both Mr. and Mrs. Taylor 
are members of the Chosen Friends, and 
he is now Regent of the Koyal .Arcanum. 
In politics he is a radical Republican. In 
business Mrs. Taylor is of great assistance 
to her husband. It would be difficult to 
find anywhere a woman of superior or 
even equal business abilities. In busi- 
ness and social relations they work as one 
individual. Mr. Taylor is a great "home 
man," and perhaps carries more insur- 
ance than any other resident of Clyde. 
The city is indebted to this couple per- 
haps as to no other for the charms and 
refinements of its better life. 



DANIEL BEMIS, widely known as 
a liberal and well-to-do farmer of 
York township, Sandusky county, 
was born in Ontario county, N. 
Y. , July 3, 1825, son of James and Anna 
(Merely) Bemis, both natives of Connec- 
ticut. 

James Bemis, when a young man, 
emigrated from his native State to New 
York, and about 1832 came to Ohio. He 
located in Groton township, Erie county, 
erected a shop on his farm, and for many 
years engaged jointly in clearing and till- 
ing the soil, and in following his trade of 
blacksmithing. He was an Old-line 
Whig, and died before the war. Both he 
and his wife were buried at Bellevue. 
Their family of nine children were as fol- 
lows: James, who died in Clyde, aged 
seventy-two j-ears; Harriet Nichols, who 
died at her home in Clyde October i, 
1894; Chauncey, of Strawberry Point, 
Iowa; Shepherd, of Bowling Green; 
Daniel, subject of this sketch; Harvey, 
who died at his home in Illinois, in Sep- 
tember, 181J5; Sally Ann, wife of James 
Tuck, of Lansing, Mich. ; Emeline. wife 
of John Gardner, of York township; and 



178 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Leonard, who died at the age of fourteen 
years. 

Daniel Bemis grew to manhood on his 
father's farm in Erie county, and received 
his education in the district schools. He 
was married, March 2, 1854, to Cordelia 
Laughlin, who was born July 8, 1835, in 
Erie county, daughter of John and Harriet 
(Call) Laughlin. John Laughlin was born 
in Beaver county, Penn., March 3, 1796. 
His father was a native of Ireland. John 
Laughlin was a soldier in the war of 
1 812, and when a young man he came to 
Berlin township, Erie county, where he 
married Harriet Call. She was born in 
New York State, November 26, 1807, 
daughter of Rev. Call, who was a Baptist 
missionary among the Indians. He had 
married a Miss Cross, and settled in Ber- 
lin township, Erie count}'. After marriage 
John and Harriet Laughlin lived in Berlin 
township until 1842, and then moved to 
Beaver county, Penn. Nine years later 
they returned to Erie county, where the 
father died soon after, on September 3, 
1 851; the mother survived until Novem- 
ber 19, 1857. The children of John and 
Harriet Laughlin were as follows: Melissa, 
born April 7, 1833, married Reuben Met- 
calf, and lives in Muscatine county, Iowa; 
Cordelia, wife of Mr. Bemis; Levi, born 
September 17, 1837, lives in Wood coun- 
ty, Ohio; Cyrus, born December 24, 
1839, enlisted in the autumn of 1861 in 
Company F, Forty-ninth O. V. I., and 
died at Louisville, Ky. , in August, 1864, 
from a wound received in service; Hud- 
son, born May 9, 1842, died July li, 
1857; Clara, born August i, 1846, mar- 
ried Zeno Bush, and died August 23, 1875; 
Dana Franklin, born September 23, 1850, 
died March 12, 1852. 

After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bemis 
began housekeeping on a farm in Erie 
county, and remained there until 1856, 
when they removed to Sandusky county, 
where they have since resided. To them 
have been born children, as follows: 
Emeline, born April 11, 1855, died June 



19, 1856; Daniel H., born July 11, 1858, 
died April 18, 1865; George Laughlin, 
born May 12, 1861, married and has one 
child — Edna — born March 12, 1888 (they 
live in Sandusky county); Effie, born 
July 25, 1863, died April 5, 1864; Fred 
H., born February 16, 1865, married 
Nellie Pickering, and they are the parents 
of three children — Elsie, Zeno and Her- 
bert; Zeno, born June 14, 1870, resident 
of Iowa; Clara B., born March i, 1875, 
at home; and Burton W. , born July i, 
1877, at home. Mr. Bemis takes an active 
interest in politics, and is a stanch mem- 
ber of the Republican party. 



GEORGE B. SMITH, dental sur- 
geon, one of the leading profes- 
sional men of Fremont, Sandusky 
county, is a fair example of the 
success which may be attained, even early 
in life, by concentration of purpose and 
thoroughness of preparation in any chosen 
calling. 

Dr. Smith, who was born May 5, 1864, 
in Ballville township, Sandusky county, 
was the son of a farmer, but decided to 
forsake the pursuit of agriculture which so 
many of his ancestors had followed, and 
to prepare himself for a professional ca- 
reer. His early education was acquired 
in the district school, that ahna mater to 
which so many of the brilliant minds, not 
only of Ohio, but of numerous other 
States, owe allegiance, this being followed 
by a course in the high school at Fre- 
mont. He began the study of dentistry 
under Dr. Cregar, of the same city, and 
afterward attended the Dental College at 
Philadelphia, Penn., from which he was 
graduated in 1887. He returned to Fre- 
mont and at once entered upon his pro- 
fession, in which he has been eminently 
successful, having built up a large and 
constantly increasing practice. 

Dr. Smith is so admirably equipped 
for his work, both from natural ability and 
thorough acquaintance with its details. 



OOMMEMORATIVB BJOQRAPUWAL RECORD. 



70 



that the public place the utmost contideiice 
in his professional skill. Added to this, 
his well-known integrity and many de- 
lifihtful social qualities render him a very 
agreeable companion, and it follows as a 
matter of course that he occupies a promi- 
nent place in the community. He is 
president of the lipworth League of Fre- 
mont, and is also a member of the I. O. 
O. F. He is non-partisan in politics, but 
rather leans to the Republican party, with 
which he generally casts his vote. On 
May I, 1893, he was married to Miss Iva 
M. Fitch, who was born in Angola, Ind., 
and is a daughter of Dr. John and Kmma 
Fitch. Dr. Fitch died from the effect of 
wounds received in the army; his widow 
still resides in Fremont. The pleasant 
home of Dr. and Mrs. Smith is the resort 
of a large circle of friends. 

It may not be amiss to add here a 
short sketch of the immediate family of 
our subject. His father, John C. Smith, 
who is a farmer of Ballville township, 
was born in Warren county, N. J., July 
9, 1828. He was a son of William and 
Sarah (Trimmer) Smith, of Dutch de- 
scent. William Smith's father was Peter 
Smith, who was born in Holland, emi- 
grated to the United States, served dur- 
ing the Revolutionary war, and died in 
New Jersey. William Smith grew to 
manhood in New Jersey, where he fol- 
lowed farming and teaming. He removed 
to Ferry county, Ohio, in 1839, and to 
Ballville township, Sandusky county, in 
1847, where he cultivated a farm; he died, 
in 1865. at the age of seventy-tive years. 
In politics he was a Democrat. His wife 
died July 3, 1858, aged si.xty-four years. 
Their children were: Henry, who is a 
grocer at Newark, Ohio; Sarah, married 
to Jacob R. Cole, a farmer of Ballville 
township; William, a farmer, who mar- 
ried Sarah Sibbrel, and was for eighteen 
years treasurer of Ballville township ; 
George, a farmer, married to Fli^abeth 
Petty; John C who was married Novem- 
ber I, 1850, to FUcnora Bowland, and 



Hannah Maria, who died when eleven 
years of age. The children of John C. 
and Kllenora Smith were as follows: 
Susan, born October 4, 1 851, married 
Judge Kelley, of Port Clinton, Ohio, their 
children being Amy, Bessie and Donnell; 
Frank P., born July 27, 1855. is a farmer 
(he married Laura Spade, and has two 
children, Homer and Cleve), and George 
B., the subject of this sketch. 



AARON SMART. This well-known 
farmer and lumber-mill owner has 
been identified with the growing 
interests of Townsend township, 
Sandusky county, for a period of thirty 
years. Much of the prosperity of this 
township, as well as of the village of 
V'ickerv, is due to his profjressiveness and 
indomitable industry, and, knowing and 
appreciating this fact, his fellow-citi/ens 
hold him in high esteem and regard. 

Mr. Smart was born in Erie county, 
Ohio, December 18. 1842. and is a son of 
Pettis and Sophia (Kraemer) Smart, who 
had a family of eight children, of whom the 
following named five survive: Camellia, 
wife of Franklin Plantz, residing in Kan- 
sas; Aaron, the subject of this sketch; 
Elizabeth, wife of John Leary, residing 
in Wood county; Martha, wife of F"red- 
erick Wallie, living in Elmore; and La- 
fayette, residing near Fremont. When 
four years of age Aaron Smart came with 
his parents to Madison township, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, his boyhood days 
being spent here upon his fathers farm, 
and he received his education in the dis- 
trict schools. Here he resided until 1861, 
in which year he enlisted in Company A, 
One Hundred and Eleventh O. V. I., and 
served his country faithfully for three 
years during the war of the Rebellion, 
taking part in no less than thirty-one en- 
gagements. He was mustered out and 
finally discharged at Cleveland in the 
spring of 1865, and went to Fremnnt, 
Sandusky county, whither his parents 



180 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



had removed during his absence. He there 
again engaged in agricultural pursuits for 
about a year, removing to Townsend in 
1866, since which date he has been a con- 
tinuous resident of that township, closely 
identified with its varied interests. 

In Riley township, Sandusky county, 
January i, 1867, Aaron Smart was united 
in marriage with Abigail Lutes, who was 
born in Stark county, Ohio, March 30, 
1846, daughter of Adam and Elizabeth 
(Faber) Lutes, and they had ten children, 
eight of whom are now living, their names 
and dates of births being as follows: John 
W. , August 6, 1870; Samuel M., March 
II, 1872; Clara B., June 10, 1875 (she is 
now the wife of Ernest Werman); Wes- 
ley P., November 3, 1877; Aaron L. , 
December 27, 1879; Zella E., January 9, 
1882; Roscoe C, May 8, 1884; and 
Glennie G., March 3, 1886. Politically, 
Mr. Smart is a good, active Democrat. 
He has served his township efficiently as 
trustee for six years, and has also held 
other township ofBces. Both he and his 
family attend the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. 



HENRY SCHROEDERwasbornin 
Hanover, Germany, October 19, 
1829, and is a son of Charles 
and Julia (Glaisecik) Schroeder. 
Charles Schroeder, a shoemaker in Ger- 
many, came with his family to America 
in 1842, and located in Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohi^. Here he 
bought eighty acres of timberland, cleared 
it, and made it his home until his death, 
which occurred in February, 1882. His 
widow died in 1893. 

Henry Schroeder was reared on his 
father's farm, and obtained a good En- 
glish and German school education. In 
his eighteenth year he went to Toledo, 
Ohio, where he worked three years at the 
shoemaker's trade. He then returned to 
Woodville, Sandusky county, and became 
associated in business with Nicholas 



Smith, continuing for only three months, 
when he built a shop, and went into busi- 
ness for himself. In 1852 Henry Schroe- 
der was united in marriage with Sophia 
Dickmeyer, by whom he has had eight 
children, as follows: Lucy, who married 
Fred Sandwisch, of Woodville township; 
Richie, who married Henry Snyder, and 
lives in Michigan; Carrie, who married 
Gus Shepherds, and is living in Michigan; 
Minnie is deceased; Charles married Amy 
Kinker, of Toledo, Ohio; William lives in 
Michigan; Harry died in infancy; Sophia 
is deceased. Mrs. Henry Schroeder died 
December 18, 1874, and in October, 1876, 
Mr. Schroeder again married, taking to 
wife Angeline Shepherds, daughter of 
Harmony Shepherds, a farmer of Indiana. 
Mr. Schroeder still has forty acres of 
valuable land in Woodville township, San- 
dusky county, which he rents out. He is 
a Democrat in politics, has been superin- 
tendent of roads, is trustee, and is a mem- 
ber of the Lutheran Church. 



HG. GIBBONS is a leading real- 
estate dealer of Clyde, Sandusky 
county, and is a native of New 
York State, born July 27, 1842, 
at Lisbon, St. Lawrence county. 

On his father's side he is descended 
from old English stock, while on his 
mother's he claims Scotch descent. His 
paternal grandparents in an early day 
emigrated from their native land, Eng- 
land, to Upper Canada (now Province of 
Ontario), where, in the then village of 
Renfrew, they passed the rest of their 
lives. Their children were: James, Will- 
iam, George, Joseph, Thomas and Mary, 
of whom James was a ship captain on 
the lakes many years; William and George 
were extensive lumber and timber mer- 
chants; Thomas was the father of our sub- 
ject, and will be more fully spoken of 
presently; Mary married Philip Thomp- 
son, all of whom made their home in the 
vicinity of Renfrew, Canada. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPUICAL RECORD. 



l^l 



Thomas Gibbons was born at Renfrew, 
Canada, in 1810, whence he moved to 
New York State, making a permanent 
settlement there. For many years he was 
clerk of the court at Canton, St. I^aw- 
rence county, and enjoyed a wide popu- 
larity. He owned a larpe farm, and at 
one period of his life was a steamboat 
clerk on the river St. Lawrence, at another 
time conducting a mercantile business. 
He was married at Canton, N. Y.. to 
Isabella Thompson, who was born in 
Scotland in 18 10, and when an eight- 
year-old girl came to America with her 
parents, who settled in St. Lawrence 
county, N. Y., where they followed agri- 
cultural pursuits. To Thomas (libbons 
and his wife were born eleven children, a 
brief record of whom is as follows: (i) 
William was a veteran in the war of the 
Rebellion, and was made prisoner at the 
battle of Spottsylvania Court House, 
where he was wounded; he died recently 
in St. Lawrence county, N. Y. (2) James 
was a clerk in Ogdensburg, N. Y., for 
about fifteen years, and subsequently fol- 
lowed the trade of jeweler. (3) Jona- 
than was a wholesale merchant at Flack- 
villo. St. Lawrence Co., N. Y. (4) Isaac 
ran a mail stage for many years at 
Ogden, N. Y., and is now a wholesale 
merchant at Hermon, N. Y. (5) Mary 
Jane married Lli Vandelinder, and they 
live at DeKalb Junction, N. Y. (6) Ag- 
nes married Samuel Baxter, a farmer and 
<lairyman of DeKalb, N. Y. (7) H. G. 
is the subject proper of this sketch. (8) 
Marcelia married Joseph Lawrence, and 
they are residents of New York State. 
(9) Susannah married Thomas McConkey, 
and they moved to Toronto, Canada, 
where they died. (10) George is a whole- 
sale and retail merchant at DeKalb Junc- 
tion, N. Y., where he is a leading politician. 
(II) Helen married Albert Lawrence, a 
furniture dealer of DeKalb Junction, N. Y. 
The parents of this numerous family died, 
the father in i860, the mother in 1874. 
H. G. Gibbons received a liberal edu- 



cation at the public schools of the vi- 
cinity of his place of birth, subsequently 
attending college at Canton. N. Y., after 
which he went to Canada and there taught 
school some seven years. Returning to 
New York State, he did not long tarry 
there, having concluded to try his fortune 
in the then Far West. After a brief resi- 
dence in Chicago, however, he "drifted" 
from there to New Orleans, whence after 
a stay of some three months he returned 
north, and in 1863 took up his tenjporary 
abode in Cleveland. Ohio. brom there 
he once more proceeded to New York 
State, thence a second time to Canada, 
where he again took up the profession of 
school-teacher. At the end of about a 
year he returned to the United States, and 
in Riley township. Sandusky Co.. Ohio, 
made a more permanent settlement. Here 
for twenty years he taught school, be- 
coming a representative "dominie," a 
veritable reproduction of the school-mas- 
ter Oliver Goldsmith had in his mind's eye 
when he penned the lines: 

A man severe he was, and stern t<i view: 
I knew him well, as every truant knew; 

Well had the boding tremblers learned to 
trace 
The day's disasters in his morninp face. 

After this e.xtensive and honorable pro- 
fessional career Mr. Gibbons retired from 
the field of pedagogy to engage in other 
pursuits, among which may be mentioned 
the selling of farm machinery among the 
agricultural classes, more recently taking 
up the real-estate business, in which latter 
occupation he is at present extensively 
engaged in the city of Clyde. 

Mr. Gibbons has been twice married 
first time m 1869 to Miss Sarah Van Bus- 
kirk, who was born in Riley township, 
Sandusky Co.. Ohio, and who passed 
away two years after marriage, leaving 
one child, Justin R., born February 11, 
1868, died April 16, 1888. For his sec- 
ond wife Mr. Gibbons was married in 1871 
to Miss Sarah Hawk, who was born in 
Green Creek township, Sandusky Co , 



182 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Ohio, November i, 1848, and the record 
of the children born to this union is as 
follows: (i) Maude M., born March 14, 
1874, is one of the most estimable young 
ladies of Clyde, and is at present assisting 
her father in his real-estate business; (2) 
Mabel L. , born December 28, 1882; (3) 
Harry G., born October 21, 1886; (4) 
Clyde, born April 13, 1890, died Decem- 
ber 8, 1890. Mr. Gibbons is a man of 
impulsive yet sympathetic temperament, 
scourging all that is wrong with unrelent- 
ing lash, and cleaving to what is right 
with fierce tenacity. To his enemies he 
is generous, though antagonistic; to his 
friends he is faithful and sincere. In his 
political preferences he is an ardent Dem- 
ocrat, and he enjoys the esteem and re- 
spect of a wide circle of friends. 



GEORGE A. ZIMMERMAN, one 
of the well-to-do farmers of Green 
Creek township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, and a citizen of high type, 
who is interested in all affairs of public 
moment, is by birth a Marylander. He 
was born in Frederick county, that State, 
October 29, 1830, and is the son of 
George and Rosanna (Barrack) Zimmer- 
man. 

His father was of the old Pennsylvania- 
German stock, and was born in the 
" Keystone " State. He was by trade a 
shoemaker, and also engaged extensively 
in farming. He was a man of thrifty 
habits, and by industry accumulated a 
competence. He died in Frederick county 
at the age of sixty-four years. In relig- 
ious belief he was a Lutheran; while his 
wife was a member of the German Re- 
formed Church. The family of George 
and Rosanna Zimmerman consisted of 
eight children, as follows: William; Mary, 
now Mrs. Shank; Wesley (deceased); 
Minerva, wife of Oliver Lease; Barbara, 
wife of C. Myer; Theodore Jacob (de- 
ceased), all of the State of Maryland, 
and George A., subject of this sketch. 



George A. Zimmerman was reared in 
Maryland, attending the district schools 
and assisting on his father's farm. In the 
spring of 1857, at the age of twenty-sev- 
en years, he came to Tiffin, Ohio, and in 
the autumn of the same year he moved to 
Sandusky county. On the 13th of Sep- 
tember, i860, he was married to Miss 
Mary Ira, a native of Germany. The 
union of George and Mary Zimmerman 
has been blessed by the birth of four 
children, as follows: Francis (deceased) 
and Franklin (twins), born December 5, 
1 861; Rosanna, born January 2, 1864 
(died March 2, 1893), and George Wes- 
ley, born June 14, 1875. The son Frank- 
lin is a prominent minister of the Ohio 
Conference Methodist Episcopal Church, 
receiving his collegiate and theological 
education at Delaware, Ohio, and Bos- 
ton Theological Seminary. Rev. Zim- 
merman began his ministr)' in i 889, and 
was married to Miss Mary Grove, of Find- 
lay, Ohio. Four children have been born 
to them, namely: Ruth, Paul, Helen and 
Kenneth. The younger son, George, is 
now engaged in tilling his father's farm, 
and promises to soon be one of the suc- 
cessful agriculturists of Sandusky county. 

Mr. Zimmerman is a prominent and 
consistent member of the Green Spring 
M. E. Church, being a liberal contributor 
to all the Christian charities, and prac- 
ticing in his daily walk all he professes. 
Mrs. Zimmerman is no less known for 
her many virtues, being a life member of 
of the Women's Foreign Missionary So- 
ciety of the M. E. Church, and a cheer- 
ful laborer in all Church work. 



AMBROSE KERNAHAN, deceas- 
ed. If character counts for aught, 
the subject of this sketch was a 
wealthy man. His neighbors 
learned by experience, if they did not ac- 
quire the knowledge by intuition, that the 
word of Mr. Kernahan was worth its face 
value any time, that he never made a 




AMIlRoSK KF.RNAHAN. 



M> 



COMMJCMOaATIVB DIOORAPUICAL liECOliD. 



188 



[iromise without fiiltilling it, unless cir- 
cumstances, impossible to control, arose 
to prevent. This regard for his word, 
however, was not a hobby with Mr. Ker- 
nahan, nor was it the absorbing quality of 
his mind; it was only an index to the 
moral and mental soundness of the man. 

He came of Scotch-Irish stock, and 
was born in Livinjjston county, N. Y., 
July 19, 1S36, son of Alexander and Han- 
nah (Clapp) Kernahan. Alexander Ker- 
nahan was born in Ireland about i8cx5, 
ami when a young man emigrated to 
.\morica, settling first in Onondaga county, 
N. v.. where he worked for eight dollars 
per month, and subsequently moving to 
Livingston county, N. Y., whence, in 1S54. 
he came to Sandusky county, Ohio, where 
he bought land and spent the remainder of 
his years, dying in 1876. In politics he 
was a Republican, and in religious belief 
a Presbyterian. Strict in his habits, he 
was universally esteemed. Hannah 
(Clapp) was a native of England, and 
died in Sandusky county. The children 
of Alexander and H-annah Kernahan were 
five in number, three of whom — Ambrose, 
James and Eliza —grew to maturity. 

Ambrose Kernahan was reared to 
fariTiing on his father's land in Green 
Creek township. He was a strong Union 
man during^ the Civil war, and was a 
member of the One Hundred and Sixty- 
ninth O. V. I., which in 1864 was called 
out in the one-hundred-days' service, and 
liid guard duty at I'ort Ethan Allen and 
Washington when Gen. Jubal A. Early 
was making a demonstration against the 
capital city of the nation. After the war 
he settled on the farm, and in 1870 he 
married Miss Elizabeth McKinney, who 
was born in New York, July 29. 1840. 
Mr. and Mrs. Kernahan had no chil- 
ilrcn. Mr. Kernahan was a prominent 
member of Eaton Post No. 55, G. A. R., 
of Clyde. He was engaged in general 
farming, and was progressive and thor- 
ough in his methods, being recognized as 
one of the best farmers in Green Creek 



township. He was a keen observer, not- 
ing with intelligent care the magnitude of 
the changes which occurred in doing 
business since his boyhood days, a half 
century ago. He was popular in the 
conmiunity wherein he had so long had 
1 his home, and when he was called from 
earth, on January 15, 1895, his fellow 
citizens mourned the departure of a 
much beloved and deservedly esteemed 
man. 



HOMER BRUBAKER, a success- 
ful farmer and a jirominent and 
popular citizen of Madison town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born 
February 9, 183S, and is a son of John 
and Esther Brubaker. 

John Brubaker was born in Bedford 
county, Penn., in the year 1801, and 
married Esther Miilur, who was born 
in Pennsylvania in 181 1. Her father's 
name was John Miller. Mr. Brubaker 
came to Ohio in 1830, and located on an 
eighty-acre tract of timber land, where 
he afterward lived. He died there in 
1848, and his wife, surviving him, died in 
1889. They had ten children, namely: 
Jacob, married Susan Mills, a farmer in 
Indiana, and they have hail nine chil- 
dren; Elida died at the age of twenty- 
one; Elizabeth married John Kelly, a 
farmer in Illinois; Susan married William 
Scott, they had nine chiKircn, and both 
parents are now dead; Mary was twice 
married, first time to Lee Mills, and they 
had four children; after the death of 
Mr. Mills she married Daniel Smith, and 
they live in Waterloo. Ind. ; Michael mar- 
ried Susan Miller, and they had six chil- 
dren; he died in 1864. Henry was twice 
married; first time to Elizabeth Kline, 
by whom he had two children, both of 
whom died young ; his second wife 
was Mary Sturtevant, and they had 
three children, one of whom died 
young; Henry died in 1870, and the 
widow and her two children went west, 



184 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



where she married again. Mahelia died 
young. John, now a farmer, married 
Delia Garn; they have had seven chil- 
dren, and they now live in Jackson town- 
ship, Sandusky county; and Homer is 
the subject of this sketch. 

During his earlier years Homer Bru- 
baker lived at home, and worked out at 
times until he married. On October 23, 
1858, he was united in marriage with 
Margaret Ickes, who was born February 
9, 1840, and they have had the follow- 
ing named children: Alfred, now an oil 
speculator and farmer, born March i, 
1862; Ida, born February 22, 1864, mar- 
ried Albert Klotz, and they have had two 
children, and live in Washington town- 
ship, Sandusky county; Gary, born March 
II, 1869, died December 25, 1879; 
Laura, born July 20, 1875, married John 
Allison, of Oil City, Penn. ; Stella was 
born September 24, 1877; Lester and 
Lesta (twins) were born January 4, 1S81, 
and Lesta died February 16, 1881. 

Mrs. Brubaker's father, George Ickes, 
was born August 7, 1800, and died in 
1890. Her mother, whose maiden name 
was Margaret Croyle, was born February 
20, 1803, and died April 18, 1867. They 
had thirteen children, two of whom died 
young. The others are: Henry married 
Susan Stainer, and they had eight chil- 
dren. Adam married Mary Campbell, 
and they live in Indiana. Catherine mar- 
ried Ed Burkett, of Washington town- 
ship, and they have had twelve children. 
Thomas married Margaret Long, and 
they have had four children; they live in 
Scott township, Sandusky county. Bar- 
bara married John Valentine, and they 
have had two children; they live in Madi- 
son township. Susan died young. Sarah 
married David Miller, a farmer in Wash- 
ington township, and they have had six 
children. Michael married Ellen Russell, 
and they have had two children; they 
live in Nebraska. Margaret is Mrs. 
Homer Brubaker. Sophia married John 
Rosenburg, who died, and she afterward 



married Jacob Clapper, and they have 
had four children; they live in Madison 
township. George married Mary Garn, 
and they have had one child; they live in 
Grand Rapids, Mich. George Ickes (Sr.) 
came to Ohio in the fall of 1832 and en- 
tered eighty acres of land in Madison 
township, on which he built a log cabin, 
wherein he lived. He was one of fifteen 
who attended the first election in Madison 
township, which was held in an old 
blacksmith shop owned by Jacob Garn. 
He did a great deal in making roads and 
settling up Madison township, and was 
well known far and near. At that time 
the nearest gristmill was at Fremont, 
Sandusky county, and it took them sev- 
eral days to make the trip. 

About the time of his marriage Homer 
Brubaker rented 120 acres of land, on 
which he lived one year, then bought 
thirty-seven acres where Gibsonburg now 
stands, which cost him six hundred dol- 
lars. He lived on this land seven years, 
then sold it and bought ninety-five acres, 
and later twenty-five, after which he 
moved upon this property and has lived 
here ever since. He also has 120 acres 
in Madison township, Sandusky county, 
known as the George Ickes property. He 
deals in horses and cattle. His land is 
situated in the oil belt, and has been 
leased to the Standard Oil Company. Mr. 
Brubaker, as is also his wife, is a mem- 
ber of the Evangelical Church at Gibson- 
burg. He is a Democrat, has several 
times held different offices such as those 
of school director and supervisor, and is 
well liked in the community. 



JOHN SNYDER, who is successfully 
engaged in agricultural pursuits in 
Sandusky county, his home being in 
Washington township, is numbered 
among the native sons of that county, 
where he was born May 25,1 846. His par- 
ents were James and Elizabeth (Fought) 
Snyder. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



185 



His father was born in Berkeley 
county. Nirginia. December 15, 1800. He 
was in his early life one of the hardy and 
exemplary young men who sought early a 
a home in the wilds of the Western coun- 
try, which was then principally inhabited 
by will! animals, savage beasts and veno- 
mous reptiles. His father was a mill- 
wright; also the owner of a large grist- 
mill, and his vigorous and reliable son 
Jamts was the miller. This was his prin- 
cipal occupation until he arrived at the 
age of twenty-three years. Having never 
attended school, except about two months, 
in all his life, he had at that time a very 
limited knowledge of books, and nearly 
everything else save what his father as a 
millwright had taught him. The thrilling 
stories of Western hunters and adventur- 
ers, which he had frequcntl)' heard, had in- 
spired within him adesire to emigrate west- 
ward, and to obtain for himself a satisfac- 
tor)' knowledge as to the truth of these 
statements. The necessary arrangements 
were soon made, and in the spring of 
1825 he bade adieu to the home of his 
childhood with all its endearments, and 
came, in company with his brother-in- 
law, Andrew Miller, in a two-horse wagon 
to the central part of Ohio, where he 
spent about two years in different parts 
of the State working at times for a shill- 
ing a day. He then concluded to return 
home and visit his father's family and 
friends. With but a few dollars jingling 
in his pockets, and with no friend to ac- 
company him save his rifle, he set out on 
foot f(jr his fathers home in \'irginia. 
There was a long and dreary road stretch- 
ed out before him; but his determination, 
supported by his physical strength, was 
more than equal to the task. He accom- 
plished his journey in safety, subsisting 
principally upon what game he killed 
along the way. 

He remained at home a few months, 
and again set out on foot, and came to 
Ferry county. Ohio, where he soon after 
married Elizabeth, a daughter of Michael 



Fought, with whom he lived peaceably 
and happily from that time until his death, 
which occurred July 20, 1876. He came 
to this county in 1 830. and in Washington 
township entered eighty acres of govern- 
ment land, upon which he built what he 
called a snug little log cabin. He was 
now surrounded on all sides by large for- 
ests, extending for many miles in every 
direction. The tall and stately trees pre- 
vented even the sun from shining down 
upon the little log cabin which he had 
built. The hungry wolves and other wild 
animals would come at night and howl 
and bark around his door, as though they 
craved him for their prey. It was not 
long, however, until he had cleared away 
a spot of ground upon which to raise 
some corn, which was the only grain that 
he could raise for a number of years. 
Thus he obtained for himself and family 
a scant living, for a few years subsisting 
chiefly upon cornbread and wild game. 
His neighbors were few and far away, and, 
being as poor as he, could therefore give 
him but little or no assistance. He 
would frequently carry a bushel of corn 
to mill all the way to Lower Sandusky 
(now Fremont), eight miles through the 
mud and water, and return the same day, 
and then take mush and milk for his 
supper. He was firm and determined in 
everything he undertook. Patience, per- 
severance and hard labor procured for 
him and his companion a comfortable and 
pleasant home which has been their en- 
joyment for a number of years. His 
companion died September 17, 1881, aged 
seventy-two years, six months, and six- 
teen days, a grand and heroic woman, no 
work being too laborious for her to do for 
the comfort of her family. There were 
eleven children in the family: Eii^a Ann, 
wife of Philip Kluts, a Jackson township 
farmer; she was the eldest of the family 
of children, was born in Perry county, 
and died in Sandusky county May 12. 
1890. aged sixty years, three months, 
five days; she was a faithful member of the 



186 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



United Brethren Church; her hope was 
very bright, and she requested her friends 
to meet her in heaven. Sarah, wife of 
Joel Dershem, a farmer, was born January 
5, 1832, and died January 25, 1895; she 
was a faithful member of the Methodist 
Church, and her prayer was turned to 
praise before her spirit took its flight. 
Jacob Snyder, the oldest of the boys, a 
a highly respected citizen, in religious be- 
lief belongs to the Reformed Church. 
William Snyder died when about a year 
old. James Snyder died in January, 1 862. 
Levi Snyder, a farmer in Sandusky coun- 
ty, is in Church belief a Methodist. Sam- 
uel Snyder is living in Fremont, a respected 
citizen. Noah Snyder, by occupation a 
restaurant man, lives in Fremont. John 
Snyder, the seventh son, is the subject 
proper of these lines, and will be more 
fully referred to presently. Elizabeth be- 
came the wife of Jackson King, a Sandusky 
county farmer, who died, and afterward 
she was the wife of Samuel Lay, living in 
Fremont. Ertima, the youngest, is the 
wife of James Seagraves, a farmer living 
in Michigan. The children are worthy 
representatives of that class which consti- 
tutes America's best citizens, and they 
owe it all to the training they received 
under the parental roof. 

John Snyder can distinctly remember 
when he could sit in his father's half- 
bushel measure, twelve inches in diameter, 
very comfortabl) , and as soon as he was 
able to carry a hoe he went into the corn- 
field, and has ever since been accustomed 
to hard work. On October 2, 1873, he 
was joined in wedlock with Miss Mahala 
Cookson, a daughter of one of the lead- 
ing farmers of Sandusky county, and they 
have one child, Mabel, born September 
25, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder are 
widely known throughout the communit}', 
and have a wide circle of friends and ac- 
quaintances who esteem them highly for 
their sterling worth. Mr. Snyder is a 
warm advocate of temperance principles, 
while in religious belief he is a Methodist. 



THEODORE BROWN, one of the 
progressive and highly-respected 
citizens of Clyde, Sandusky coun- 
ty, is a native of Ohio, born near 
Republic, Seneca county, December 8, 
1844, a son of Elijah and Catherine 
(Sherrick) Brown. 

The birth of the father occurred near 
Frederick City, Md. , May 31, 1806, and 
his father, who was a native of England, 
and in this country kept a hotel, died 
when his son was quite young. In 1828 
the latter emigrated to Perry county, 
Ohio, where he married Miss Sherrick, 
and to them were born seven children: 
Henry, born in 1837, was a telegraph 
operator of Baton Rouge, La., where he 
died of yellow fever in 1856; William, 
born in 1838, is a telegraph operator of 
Brainerd, Minn. ; Eliza Jane, born in 
1840, married Edward Crockett, and 
lives near Green Springs, Seneca Co., 
Ohio; Mary, born in 1842, died at the 
age of two years; Theodore is the next in 
order of birth; Ann, born in 1848, mar- 
ried Wesley Miller, and resides on the old 
homestead in Seneca county; and Sam- 
uel, born in 1851, is married and lives at 
Ottawa, Kans. In 1841 the father located 
in Scipio township, Seneca Co., Ohio, 
three miles northwest of Republic, where 
he entered a tract of land from the gov- 
ernment, which he cleared and developed, 
and on that place made his home until his 
death January 9, 1885. He identified 
himself with the cause of Christ in early 
life, uniting with the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. Politically, he first supported 
the Whig party, but later became a Dem- 
ocrat. His wife, who was born in Perry 
count}', Ohio, in 181 1, is still living, mak- 
ing her home with her children, and she 
also is a consistent member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church. 

On the old farm near Republic, Theo- 
dore Brown was reared to manhood, at- 
tending the district schools, and assisted 
in the management of the home place 
until reaching the age of twenty-four 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPUICAL RECORD. 



187 



years, with the exception of one year, 
which was spent as fireman on a railroad. 
He now began operating his father's farm 
on his own account, and there remained 
until 1885, when he located on a farm at 
Lakeside. Ottawa Co., Ohio, which he 
carried on for three years, when he again 
removed to Republic, thence to Lakeside 
whore he lived nine months, thence to 
Green Creek township. Sandusky county, 
arriving here in 1 886. Here he purchased 
1 18 acres of fine land. 

On September 2. 1S68, Mr. Brown 
and Miss Nellie Hogg were married, the 
ceremony being performed by Kev. Ed- 
ward Jewett, of Sandusky, Ohio, one of 
the oldest ministers of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. He has also baptized 
the two children of Mr. and Mrs. lirown 
— Robert H.. who was born August 5, 
1872, and Thomas W., who was born May 
22, 1874, and on February 14, 1894, was 
married to Ida Smith; they now make 
their home with our subject. Mrs. Brown 
was born in Paterson, N. J., October 25, 
1837; but her childhood was passed in 
Sandusky county, where she received an 
excellent education in the public and high 
schools, and at the age of fifteen years 
she began teaching, which occupation she 
followed in this locality and at Put-in- 
Bay Island until she was married. 

Mrs. Brown is a daughter of Thomas 
and Jeannette (Lachlison) Hogg. Her 
mother was born in Preston, England, 
November 11, 181 i, and in her maiden- 
hood came to America. In 1836. at Pat- 
erson. N. J., she wedded Mr. Hogg, and 
by her marriage became the mother of 
three children — Nellie, now Mrs. Brown; 
Robert, an engineer on the Lakeside & 
Marblehead Short Line railroad, and Isa- 
bel, living near Lakeside, Ottawa Co., 
Ohio. The mother died at Sandusky, 
Ohio, in 1844. The father was also a na- 
tive of Preston, England, born March 16, 
1808. He learned the trade of a ma- 
chinist, and, after coming to America, 
worked for a number of years in the Rogers 



Locomotive Works at Paterson, N. J. 
When the Mad River & Lake Erie rail- 
road was built, Mr. Hogg was sent west 
in charge of a locomotive for that com- 
pany, the first one purchased by it, and 
the pioneer railroad locomotive west of 
the Alleghany mountains. This was in 
1837, and he made the trip over the Hud- 
son river, Erie canal and Lake Erie, land- 
ing at Sandusky. Ohio. After getting this 
engine, "Sandusky" by name, up and in 
operation, he was induced to remain as 
its engineer; and later he was made mas- 
ter mechanic on that road. After the 
death of his first wife, Mr. Hogg wedded 
Mary Driver, a native of Montreal. Can- 
ada, and by this union four children were 
born — Stella, Alice and Nettie (twins), 
and Thomas. The mother is still living 
and resides near Lakeside, Ohio. For 
many years Mr. Hogg followed railroad- 
ing, but in 1867 he retired to his farm in 
Danbury, Ottawa Co., Ohio, where his 
death occurred April 21. 1881. He was 
a man of unusual physical and mental 
vigor; of strong will and honest purpose, 
and made his mark wherever he went. 

Theodore Brown, the subject proper 
of this sketch, attended the lectures given 
by Miss Frances E. Willard at Lakeside, 
Ohio, and by her was converted, becom- 
ing a strong Prohibitionist. He voted that 
ticket when only two others were cast in 
Green Creek township. Sandusky county. 
He and his wife are earnest members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. They 
enjoy the friendship of a large circle of ac- 
quaintances, and are numbered among 
the prominent and influential citizens of 
Sandusky county. 



ORSON HIGLEV, a successful 
farmer and one of the oldest 
residents of Townsend township, 
Sandusky county, is a son of 
Hezckiah and Jerusha (Clock) Higley, and 
was born in Cayuga county, N. Y., June 
24, 1827. 



188 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



Hezekiah Higley was born of English- 
Scotch ancestry in New York State in 
1794. Heenhsted in the American army, 
served during the war of 1812, and was 
honorably discharged. In 1824 he was 
united in marriage with Jerusha Heath, 
who was born in New York State in 1797, 
and they had the following children: 
Anson, who died at Hudson, Mich. ; Orson, 
the subject of this sketch; William, of 
Seneca county; George, who was a mem- 
ber of the Seventy-second O. V. I., and 
died in hospital; Laura, Mrs. Cyrus Dan- 
iels, who died in Riley township, Septem- 
ber, 1894; Sophia, Mrs. David Fuller 
(deceased); and Sophronis, who died at 
home in June, 1861. In 1829 Mr. Hig- 
ley moved to Erie county, Ohio, and five 
years later to the then unbroken wilder- 
ness of Riley township, in this county. 
The only means for finding one's way was 
to follow trails or "blazed" trees, as no 
roads had been marked out in the entire 
township. Mr. Higley bought and cleared 
forty acres which a few years after he 
traded for eighty acres of land in Town- 
send township, where he made his home 
during the remainder of his life. Shortly 
before his death the government began to 
substantially reward him for his services 
in the war of 1812, by granting him a 
pension. He died January 19, 1886; Mrs. 
Higley preceding him, having passed away 
in 1880. 

When Orson Higley was but two years 
old his parents came to Ohio, where the 
meager education which was granted him 
was obtained. He remained at home 
helping his father until 185 i, and on June 
15, of that year, was united in marriage 
with Miss Permelia A. Twiss, who was 
born December 21, 1831, in Wayne 
county, N. Y., and they had one child, 
a daughter, Lydia L. , born June 24, i860. 
Mrs. Higley's parents, Clark and Polly 
(Tyler) Twiss, came to Huron county, 
Ohio, in 1844. After a few years they 
went to Riley township, from there com- 
ing to Townsend township, where Mrs. 



Twiss died. Mr. Twiss died in Michigan 
while visiting his daughter Lovina, wife of 
Sullivan Davenport; she died March 16, 
1883. Shortly after his marriage Mr. 
Higley bought forty acres of land from 
his father, and, when his brother went to 
the army, purchased the remainder of the 
farm. He cared for his father nineteen 
years prior to his death. Mr. Higley has 
had the privilege of seeing the virgin for- 
est give way to well-tilled fields and pretty 
meadows, which are monuments to the 
industry and energy of the pioneers. In 
politics Mr. Higley has been a Republican 
since the organization of the party. 

Lydia L. Higley, who was an only 
child, was married December 25, 1878, 
to Jerome Bixby, of Castalia, Erie Co., 
Ohio, and they have had one child. Pearl 
J., born March 25, 1885. Mr. Bixby 
was formerly a general merchant at Cas- 
talia, but is now an insurance agent. For 
nine years Mr. Higley was interested with 
Mr. Bixby in the store; but city life was 
not congenial to a man of Mr. Higley's 
temperament, and he returned to the 
farm. 



SAMUEL F. JONES, a prosperous 
and inliuential farmer of Green 
Creek township, Sandusky county, 
was born in Wayne county, Ohio, 
October 9, 1825, son of Nicholas and 
Elizabeth (Pierce) Jones. 

Nicholas Jones was a native of West 
Liberty, Penn., and his father, Samuel 
Jones, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. 
Nicholas was reared in Pennsylvania, and 
when a young man migrated to Wayne 
county, Ohio, where he married Elizabeth 
Pierce (a first cousin to President Pierce), 
and lived for some years. About 1835 he 
moved to Thompson township, Seneca 
county, and had his home there for many 
years. He died near South Bend, Ind., 
about 1868, at the age of seventy-five 
years, and was buried there; his wife 
lived to the age of eighty-two years. 



COMMKMORATH'E DIOORAPIIICAL RECORD. 



180 



Nicholas Jones was a man of about 
niccliuni weight — 135 pounds. In relgi- 
ious belief he was a Universalist, and in 
politics a Whig and a Republican. His 
ten children were as follows: Erneline, 
who married Joseph Highland, and died 
in Indiana, aged fifty years; Uriah, who 
died near South Hend, I nd., aged seventy- 
one years; John, who now lives near 
South Bend, Ind. ; Elizabeth, who died 
aged thirty-two years, wife of David Clay; 
Samuel F., subject of this sketch; Lu- 
cretia, widow of Sylvanus Wright, of 
Fremont; Johanna, wife of C. Rector, of 
Norwalk; Mary, wife of James Shoup, of 
Clyde; Margaret, wife of Daniel White- 
man, living in Indiana; Silas, a resident 
of Illinois. 

At about the age of sixteen years 
Samuel F. Jones left the home farm in 
Seneca county and came to Sandusky, 
where for ten years he engaged in farm- 
ing. He then began railroading at San- 
dusky City, and for ten years ran an ex- 
press train engine on the Baltimore & 
Ohio road (then the old Sandusky, Mans- 
field & Newark railroad). From the loco- 
motive Mr. Jones stepped down to the 
farm in Green Creek township, which he 
has ever since operated. On October 30, 
1S34, he was married to Miss Ellen M. 
Almond, who was born in New Jersey 
.August 3, 1832, daughter of Thomas and 
Mary (Lachlison) Almond. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Jones four children have come, as 
follows: Alice, born in May, i860, wife 
of W. B. Lay; Lawrence, senior member 
of the Cutlery Works Co., who married 
Miss Jessie Russell, a cousin of Gen. Mc- 
Pherson. and has three children — Lamar, 
Margaret and Maurine; Nellie, at home; 
and Robert, engaged in the cutlery busi- 
ness at Clyde, who on October iS, 1894. 
wedded Miss lone Smith, and has one 
child — Dorothy. Mr. Jones has ninety- 
eight and one-half acres of fertile, well- 
improved and very productive land, well 
tilled and laid out in fine fruits, and is 
engaged in general farming and fruit- 



growing, raising wheat, oats, potatoes, 
etc. ; and all the buildings and improve- 
ments that now are upon the place were 
put there by his own hands. In politics 
Mr. Jones is a Republican, and while not 
a church member he inclines toward the 
Universalist belief; Mrs. Jones is a mem- 
ber of the Episcopal Church. He has by 
his g(jod judgment and business ability, 
aided by natural industry, accumulated a 
comfortable competence, and is one of 
the most prosperous citizens of his town- 
ship. 



SAMUEL SPROUT is numbered 
among the native sons of Sandusky 
county, and has not only witnessed 
the growth and development of 
this region, but has also borne an active 
part in the work of progress and upbuild- 
ing, and well deserves mention among the 
honored pioneers. 

Mr. Sprout was born in Scott town- 
ship, October 1, 1840, on the farm 
which he now owns, and which has al- 
ways been his place of residence. His 
parents, Samuel and Nancy (Long) 
Sprout, cast in their lot among the early 
settlers of Sandusky county when it was 
largely an unbroken wilderness. The 
father was born in Pennsylvania, June 
15, 1807, removed to Guernsey county, 
Ohio, in 1S25, and ten years later came 
to Sandusky county, where from the gov- 
ernment he entered a claim that has 
never passed from the possession of the 
family. His wife was born April 27, 
1S12, and died January 10, 1887, her 
husband surviving until April 21, 1890. 
Ten children graced their union: Mrs. 
Margaret Doll, John, Sarah Elizabeth, 
Samuel, Michael (born September 27, 
1842;, Marion, Casaline, James (de- 
ceased), Mrs. Mary Jane Hayes, and Mrs. 
Nancy Hippie The paternal grandfather 
of our subject was born in Ireland about 
1766. and died in Seneca county, Ohio, 
about 1 856,surviving his wife several years. 



190 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



In her maidenhood she was Mary Hilter- 
brand, and was a native of Germany. 
The maternal grandfather, Daniel Long, 
was born in Sweden, and married Miss 
Brill, a native of Germany. In the war 
of 1812 he served as a soldier, and he 
was numbered among the pioneers of 
Ohio. 

In a manner not unlike that of other 
farmer boys, our subject spent his \'outh 
and bore his part in the development of 
the old home farm, working hard through 
summer months, while the winter afforded 
him an opportunity for education in the 
district schools, which he eagerly utihzed. 
Thus he was employed until August, 
1862, when, at the age of twenty-two 
years, he joined his country's troops in 
defense of the Union, and was a member 
of Company K, One Hundred and First O. 
V. I. until the close of the war. He 
participated in a number of hotly-con- 
tested engagements, and at the battle of 
Stone River his clothing was pierced by 
no less than nine bullets, and his canteen 
completely shattered. He also partici- 
pated in the battles of Perryville, Liberty 
Gap and those of the Atlanta campaign, 
and followed Hood from Columbus to 
Franklin. He was also in the two-days' 
battle at Nashville, which resulted in vic- 
tory for the Union soldiers, and altogether 
was a very faithful, loyal citizen, one who 
gallantly followed the old flag until it was 
planted in the capital of the Southern 
Confederacy. At the close of the war 
Mr. Sprout returned to the farm where he 
now lives, and began operating 120 acres, 
which he purchased in 1883. His landed 
possessions now aggregate 170 acres, and 
all that he has has been acquired entirely 
through his own efforts. He certainly 
deserves great credit for his success in 
life, and his example should serve as a 
source of encouragement to others. 

On February 13, 1889, Mr. Sprout 
married Miriam Kuhn, of Fremont, Ohio, 
who was born in Allen county, Ohio, 
March 11, 1854. Her parents, John and 



Mary (Miller) Kuhn, were pioneers of 
Sandusky county, as was also her grand- 
father, Adam Kuhn, who was born about 
1800, and died at the advanced age of 
eighty-two. Of his family of nine chil- 
dren, six are yet living. The maternal 
grandmother, Maria Myers, was born 
about 1796, and departed this life in 1866, 
having for many years survived her hus- 
band. The parents of Mrs. Sprout were 
both born in 1823, and are still living. 
Their family circle numbered ten children: 
Maria, wife of John Myers, of Wood 
county, Ohio; Harriet, who became the 
wife of George Gephart, and died about 
1882; Charlotte, at home; Mrs. Sprout; 
Paul Luther and Isaac N. , who are resi- 
dents of Wood county; Philip M. ; John 
}V. ; Charles M. ; and Theodore Allen. 

Mr. and Mrs. Sprout are highly- 
esteemed people of Scott township, and 
their pleasant home is noted for its hospi- 
tality and good cheer. The farm is well 
developed, the fields being under a high 
state of cultivation, and the improve- 
ments in keeping with the accessories of 
a model farm of the nineteenth century. 



NB. MASON, who has been act- 
ively identified with both the busi- 
ness and agricultural interests of 
Sandusky county, is a native of 
New York State, born in Canandaigua 
April 9, 1839. 

Our subject's parents, John B. and 
Laura (Shaw) Mason, were natives of 
Massachusetts and Canandaigua, N. Y. , 
respectively. In 1856 they came to San- 
dusky county, Ohio, but after a residence 
of two years here migrated still farther 
west, to Wisconsin, where they made a 
permanent home. The father died there 
in July, 1888; the mother, while on a 
visit to her son in Clyde, in 1885, was 
suddenly taken ill and died. This worthy 
couple lived to celebrate their golden wed- 
ding. Theirfamily were as follows; Van- 



COMMEMORATIVK BIOORAPHICAL IIKCURD. 



101 



Rensselaer, who was lost when only eight- 
een years of ape while on a whaling voy- 
age to the South Pacific Ocean; Joseph, 
who died in 1885 from disease contracted 
while in the service of his country (he 
was in the Thirtieth Wisconsin In- 
fantry); lili/a, wife of Martin Booth, of 
Plainfield, Wis. (he served in the Six- 
teenth Wisconsin Infantry); N. B., our 
subject; John Colby, who resides at Fre- 
inf)nt, Ohio (he was in the liighth O. \'. 
I.); Mary, who wedded Bemis Culbert- 
son, who was a soldier in the Thirty-sec- 
ond Wisconsin Infantry, and who died 
shortly after the war from disease con- 
tracted while in the service, and Brooks H. 
Mason (they now reside at Lake Mills, 
Wis); and Fred E., who died at Ashland, 
Wis., when a young man. The father of 
this family was a soldier in the Mexican 
war. He was first a Methodist clergy- 
man, later becoming a minister of the 
Baptist Church. 

The school privileges enjoyed by N. 
B. Mason were those of the common 
schools, and he also attended Madison 
Academy for one and a half years. At the 
age of fourteen he engaged to carry the 
mails and passengers on the old stage 
coach between Ontario and Rochester, 
sometimes driving four horses, and some- 
times three abreast, conveying mail, ex- 
press and passengers. In 1856, at the age 
of seventeen years, he came west "with his 
parents to Sandusky county, locating near 
Clyde. On February 22, 1859, he was 
united in marriage with Elizabeth L. 
Carlton, daughter of Rev. Thomas J. 
Carlton, and to this union came children 
as follows: Nellie, wife of R. G. Tyler, 
of Greene, Iowa, who has one son and 
one daughter — Carl and N'ira; Elizabeth, 
who died when six years of age; Nate H., 
a postal clerk between Cleveland and 
Chicago on the I^ake Shore railroad (he 
wedded .\llie While, and they have two 
sons — Hi>ward and James); George A., 
who wedded Annie \\hitc, and has one 
daughter — Nellie; Maude, wife of O. C. 



Perrin, of Greene, Iowa; and May, at 
home. 

On October 12, 1861, Mr Mason en- 
listed in Company A, Seventy-second O. 
V. I., and served until July 21, 1865, 
participating in all engagements in which 
his command took part until the time of 
his capture by the enemy, June 1 1, 1864; 
he was taken near Davis Mills, Miss., and 
conveyed to Andersonville, where he was 
kept until the following September, when 
he was transferred to Florence, S. C, 
and paroled at Wilmington, N. C, March 
I, 1865. During his service he was cap- 
tured three times, escaping twice, and he 
was in every southern State but Texas. 
After the war he returned to Clyde. Since 
residing here he has followed various pur- 
suits, having been engaged in merchan- 
dising, publishing and farming. Mr. 
Mason is a member of the U. V. U. and 
G. A. R. , was first post commander of 
McPherson Post, G. A. R., in 1867, and 
was first captain of McPherson Guards, 
organized August 15, 1878. On March 
17. '873, he organized the first hook and 
ladder company, of which he was made 
foreman. Socially he has been an active 
Odd Fellow for twenty-seven years, pass- 
ing all the Chairs in the Subordinate 
Lodge and all save one in the Encamp- 
ment. In politics, he is a radical Repub- 
lican; he is now serving as justice of the 
peace, and also as trustee of his township. 

While a prisoner of war at Florence, 
S. C. , Mr. Mason was chosen by his com- 
rades chief of the Federal Police, a force 
of 270 men organized fimong the prisoners 
to keep good order in the prison, the ap- 
pointment being confirmed by Col. Iver- 
son, the prison commandant. He de- 
clares the sufferings of the prisoners there 
were even greater than at .Andersonville. 
Most of them had been prisoners for 
many months, and were very destitute of 
clothing, many being almost naked and 
barefooted. .\bout fourteen thousand 
persons were taken to Florence; about 
three thousand were paroled in October 



192 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and November; the balance (except those 
who died) remained until the first of 
March, 1865. Their only shelter was 
holes dug in the ground, some of them 
roofed over with limbs and pine boughs 
covered with earth. Their food was one 
pint of corn-meal per day, and for ninety- 
three days no other was issued except two 
rations of salt, a table-spoonful to five 
men; two rations of sorghum molasses, 
one barrel to 11,000 men; two rations of 
rice, one pint to five men. Many ate 
their corn-meal raw, and what was cooked 
was mostly mush cooked in tin cups and 
tin cans. Mr. Mason says the most of 
his regiment (the Seventy-second Ohio In- 
fantry) were from Sandusky county. Of 
the 1,400 on the muster rolls about 380 
are yet living. His regiment lost heavily 
at Shiloh and at Vicksburg, and at Gun 
Town, or Brice's Cross Roads, the regi- 
ment lost eleven officers and 238 men. 
About 1 70 landed in Andersonville; seven- 
ty-eight (or over 45 per cent) died while 
prisoners of war; six were shot after being 
captured, and nine perished on the steam- 
er "Sultana," above Memphis, on April 
27, 1865. 

Mr. Mason asks: " Do the people of 
this country appreciate the sacrifice made 
by the Union prisoners of war .-' Do they 
realize that 34, 000 men died in the prison 
pens of the South, as men were never 
called upon to die before .''" Men have 
died for home and countr)', and for prin- 
ciple upon the scaffold, the wheel and the 
rack, in the dungeon and upon the bat- 
tlefield; but never before did thousands 
of men refuse liberty with a dishonored 
name, and suffer on from hunger and ex- 
posure until they died gibbering idiots. 
And now even before one generation has 
passed these same men are almost for- 
gotten! They are remembered only in 
the homes made sad and desolate by their 
tragic death! Millions upon millions of 
money have been paid for ' ' Piles of 
Granite" and "Heaps of Bronze" to 
commemorate the heroism of a few, while 



the graves of these martyrs are marked by 
gray marble tablets that cost two dollars 
and forty cents each; and more — thous- 
ands of these same markers are inscribed 
" Unknown." 



HENRY MOOK, farmer of York 
township, Sandusky county, was 
born in Union county, Penn., 
January 10, 1814, son of John 
and Rosina (Sorrel) Mook, both of whom 
were natives of Pennsjdvania. His grand- 
father was from Germany. 

John Mook, the father of our subject, 
died in the State of New York, whither 
he had removed from Pennsylvania, and 
he subsequently took up his home in 
Ohio. After living some years with his 
children in that State, he was taken back 
to New York State at the request of his 
son Samuel, a minister of the Evangel- 
ical Association, so that in his old age he 
might be cared for in his former home, 
and he died there in the eighty-fifth year 
of his age. He was the father of twenty- 
three children, and our subject is the 
youngest by the first wife, and the four- 
teenth child. The children of John Mook 
by his first wife were: Jacob, three that 
died in infancy, Samuel, Polly, Betsey, 
Anthony, Conrad, John, Catharine, Su- 
san, Daniel and Henry. Of this family, 
Henry Mook is at this writing (1894) the 
only surviving member. After the death 
of his first wife, John Mook married Polly 
Polkie, by whom he had nine children: 
Mary, Benjamin, Ambrose, Elias, Effie, 
Solomon, Sampson, Barbara, and one 
that died in childhood. 

The subject of our sketch went with 
his parents to the State of New York 
when he was about eleven 3ears old, and 
lived with them at various places until the 
age of twenty-three. He then came to 
Ohio, spent one winter in Thompson 
township, Seneca county, and the next 
spring located in York township, San- 
dusky county, on land where he has since 



COMMEMORATIVE B/OGItAPmCAL HBOORD. 



198 



resided. Here he erected a log house and 
kept bachelors hall for several jears while 
enRaged in clearing up a farm. In addi- 
tion to agricultural pursuits Mr. Mook 
spent the fall of eight seasons threshing 
grain for his neighbors with an old-fash- 
ioned eight-horse-power, open-cylinder 
machine, without separator, going as far 
south as Lodi, in Seneca county. He 
threshed in this way as many as 400 bush- 
els per day. He has been an active, ener- 
getic, hardworking, economical farmer, 
and has accumulated a handsome prop- 
erty for his children; a substantial brick 
house and a convenient bank barn adorn 
his farm. In religious connection he and 
his family are members of the Evangelical 
Association. He contributed liberally for 
the erection of a church building not far 
from his residence. He has reached the 
age of four score years with a vigor of body 
and mind which enables him to see and 
appreciate the wonderful changes going 
on in the world about him, and especially 
the great improvements in the method of 
farming. 

In 1837 Henry Mook married Miss 
Catharine Hoyer, who was born in Penn- 
sylvania, June 26, 1 8 14, and died in York 
township, August 17, 1890. Their chil- 
dren were: Sarah, born October 4. 1S41; 
Christina, born August 7, 1844, died June 
23, 1866; James Milton, born July 20, 
1847, and Lovina, born April 30, 1852. 
Christina Mook married Michael Filsinger 
December 2 2. 1864, and they have one 
son. John, who is married and has two 
children — Pearl and Morris; after the 
death of his first wife, Christina, Mr. 
Filsinger married her sister Sarah, by 
whom he had four children — Emma. \'cr- 
nie, Martin and Charles. Emma married 
Daniel Swartz, and they have one child — 
Lulu. James M. Mook married, in 1870. 
Miss Mary Gahn. who was born in the 
Black Swamp, west of Fremont. Ohio, a 
daughter of Kev. Conrad Gahn. and was 
educated in the Cincinnati schools; their 
children are — Charles, Granville, Myrtle 



and Lovina; James M. Mook is at present 
manager of his father's farm, and is taking 
care of his father in his declining years. 
He is a Republican in politics, a member 
of the Evangelical Association, and of the 
l-'armers" Alliance. Lovina Mook, daugh- 
ter of Henry Mook, married Martin Rich- 
ards, and they live on one of Mr. Mook's 
farms, east of the homestead; they had 
one child that died; she is a member of 
the Evangelical Association. 



LEONHARD SCHNEIDER was 
born August 31, 1842, in Austria, 
Europe. His father, Martin Schnei- 
der, was born November 1 1 . 1 806, 
in Austria, and married Anna Maria Flatz. 
They came to America in 1859, landing 
in New York, where they remained for a 
short time, after which they continued 
their journey to Ohio, locating in Jackson 
township. Sandusky county. The mother 
died shortly after their arrival. In that 
family were seven children: Frank, who 
was born in 1831, and died September i, 
1887; John G. , born in 1836, and mar- 
ried Mary Reineck; Regina, born in 1834, 
and became the wife of Casper Haltmeier; 
Martin, born in 1844, and now living in 
California; Johanna became the wife of 
Ferdinand Fischer, by whom she has one 
son, named Frank, born in 1874; Mary 
became the wife of Peter Spieldenner, 
and they have two children: Fredolina, 
now the wife of John Reineck, and a son 
named Adolph. 

Leonhard Schneider, our subject, spent 
the days of his boyhood and youth in the 
land of his birth, was reared in his par- 
ents' home and obtained his education in 
the public schools of the neighborhood. 
When the family sailed for America he 
bade adieu to friends and native land, and 
came with them on the long voyage across 
the Atlantic, which took them thirty days. 
He has since been a resident of Ohio, and 
to-day is numbered among the leading and 
influential farmers of Rice township, San- 



194 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



dusky county. Having arrived at years 
of maturity he chose, as a companion and 
helpmate on life's journey, Miss Rosa Bin- 
sack, and their home has been blessed 
by the presence of five children: Anna, 
the eldest, is now the wife of Albert Darr, 
a resident farmer of Rice township, San- 
dusky county, and they have three chil- 
dren; the other members of the family — 
Ida, Rudolph, Edward and Arnold — are 
still under the parental roof. 

In 1 86 1 the father of our subject pur- 
chased seventy-three acres of land in Rice 
township — the place upon which Leon- 
hard now resides — paying for the same at 
the rate of seven dollars per acre. Eight 
years later, in 1879, he sold the place to 
his second youngest son, Leonhard, for 
$2,000. It is a good property, highly 
cultivated and improved, and the neat 
and thrifty appearance of the place indi- 
cates the careful supervision of the owner. 
In 1887 he built a new barn, and in 1892 
he erected the new house, at a cost of 
$3,000. In connection with general farm- 
ing he successfully engaged in stock deal- 
ing, raising cattle, horses and hogs. He 
■ successfully manages his business inter- 
ests, and his energy and industry have 
brought to him a comfortable competence, 
which numbers him among the representa- 
tive farmers of the neighborhood. In 
politics he is a Democrat, and in religious 
belief he is a Catholic. 



GEORGE W. KING, a well-to-do 
farmer of Ballville township, San- 
dusky county, was born in Pick- 
away county, Ohio, March 20, 
1849. 

His father, John King, was born 
March 2, 1819, in Fairfield county, Ohio, 
and married Miss Mary Mowry. Their 
children were: (i) Catharine, wife of Val- 
entine Moshier; she died at the age of 
twenty-one years, leaving one son, John, 
living in Allen county, Ohio. (2) Mary 
is the wife of Valentine Moshier, a farm- 



er, residing in Allen county, Ohio. (3) 
Elizabeth is the wife of David Roberts, 
of Scott township; she died at the age of 
forty-four years, and is buried in Oak- 
wood Cemetery. (4) Lydia is the wife 
of William Reichelderfer, by whom she 
had four children — Hattie, George, Frank 
and Lettie — and after his death she mar- 
ried, in 1890, William Slates, a farmer 
of Tipton county, Ind. (5) George W. 
is our subject. (6) Sarah, born in 1851, 
in Pickaway county, is the wife of Jacob 
Mowery, a farmer of Michigan. (7) John, 
born 1854, married Miss Carrie Hunlock, 
and has one son, John Clarence. (8) 
Jacob, born November 20, 1856, is a 
farmer in Ballville township, married to 
Miss Fredie Crites, and has two chil- 
dren — Omer and De Witt. (9) Elmira, 
born in 1859, is the wife of John Searfoss, 
a farmer of Scott township, and has two 
children — Bessie and Stella. (10) Perry, 
a farmer of Scott township, born in 1861, 
married Sadie Hunlock, and has four 
children — Pearl, Iva, Hazel and Carrie. 

Our subject started out in life for him- 
self at the age of twenty-two with the 
health, pluck and perseverance which en- 
sures success. He worked three years 
in the oil fields of Warren county, 
Penn., then returned and worked at his 
trade as a carpenter until December 9, 
1875, when he married Miss Mary J. 
Ludwig, daughter of Jacob and Louisa 
(DeLong) Ludwig, farmers of Allen 
county, Ohio. He next farmed in Jack- 
son township one year, then five years in 
Allen county, and on his return to San- 
dusky county, bought eighty acres of 
Jacob Ludwig for $4,500. On January 
30, 1882, he moved upon the farm where 
he now lives, remained nine years, then 
located near Fremont, where he remained 
three years, finally moving back on the 
farm of 133 acres, which cost him $10,000. 
Here he follows mixed farming, raising 
grain, grass, fruit and live stock, with 
good success. He is a man of enterprise 
and public spirit, and has held various 



COMMEMOHATIVS BIOORAPBWAL RECORD. 



195 



public offices. The children of George 
W. and Mary Kinp are: M. Louisa, born 
April 7. iSSo; Ada M.. September 19, 
18S3: Charles L.. July 9. 188 5; and Mvan 
M. , September n , 1 889. The brothers 
and sisters of Mrs. King are Isaac, John, 
Charles, Obed and Jacob. 



M 



j. KEINBOLT, a farmer and 
stockman of Jackson township, 
Sandusky county, was born Oc- 
tober 15, 1828, in Seneca coun- 
ty, Ohio. His father, Michael Kcinbolt, 
was born in Germany, whence he emi- 
grated to .America, where he married Miss 
Louisa Kechner. whom he first met on 
the steamer which brought them to the 
New World. 

He worked about two years as a com- 
mon day laborer, then five years for an 
Indian chief near Tiffin, Ohio, by the 
name of Spicer. During these years he 
saved enough to buy forty acres of gov- 
ernment land at $1.25 per acre, in Seneca 
county, Ohio. One year later he bought 
eighty acres more at the same rate. After 
a life of toil and self denial, he and his 
wife passed away, among the early pio- 
neers, and are buried in the cemetery at 
Tiffin, Ohio. Their children were: Joseph, 
born 1838, died June 4, 1862; George, 
who married Amelia Haldrom, and had a 
family of seven children; Catharine, who 
died at the age of thirty years; Charles, 
who married and has eight children, and 
lives on the old homestead; Daniel, who 
married Catharine Riser, and has seven 
children; and Mary, wife of Nicholas 
Workman (both are deceased and are 
buried at Tiffin, Ohio). 

On leaving home our subject worked 
about four years among farmers as a day 
laborer, then rented a farm and remained 
on it twenty-three years. He then bought 
tracts at different times, amounting in all 
to 336 acres, valued at $100 per acre. He 
is a model farmer, and keeps pure Jersey 
cattle and fine-bred horses. Mr. Rein- 



bolt is a Republican, and he has held vari- 
ous offices of trust in his township. He 
is a consistent member of the Roman 
Catholic Church. On October 16, 1862, 
he married Miss Annie Fanning, born in 
New York City, and they have three chil- 
dren: James F., born July 30, 1864, 
and married to Libbie Chariot, their 
children being: Michael J., Julia, and 
Irene; James A., who married Rosine 
Bower, and their children are: Carl M., 
Annie and Pauline; and Mary E., born 
September 11, 1872, was the wife of 
Peter Nape. 



JOHN G.\BEL, a successful farmer 
and substantial citizen of Rice town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born 
May 28, 1853, and is a son of John 
M. and Mary (Wyce) Gabel, who were 
born in Germany in 1812 and in 1822, 
respectively. 

John M. Gabel, father of the subject 
of this sketch, before his marriage worked 
for his father, Jacob Gabel, on the farm 
in Germanj', and at the age of eighteen 
came with him to this country, settling in 
Buffalo, N. Y. He lived there about four 
years, then moved to Jackson township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, where he bought 
forty acres of land; later purchased 190 
acres more, and there lived until about 
1873. He then moved to F"remont, San- 
dusky county, and resided there with his 
daughter until his death. He worked 
hard for all his money. When he first 
came to this country he was a good Dem- 
ocrat and a Catholic. John M. Gabel 
died in 1874, his wife preceding him to 
the grave in 1870. They were the par- 
ents of seven children, six of whom were 
as follows: (i) Jacob died at the age of 
six; (2) Katie at the age of five, and (3) 
Laney at the age of one year; (4) Magda- 
lena married Henry Hodcs, who died in 
1887 (they lived in Fremont, and had 
three children — Celia, Henry and Joseph); 
(5) John M. married Mary Richards, who 



196 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



died in 1880, after which he married Anna 
Miller, and they live in Fremont; (6) 
Elizabeth married Mr. Dolnick, by whom 
she had ten children — Michael, born 
April 28, 1870; Mary, born in 1871; 
Rosie; Elizabeth, who died at the age of 
three years; Allie, Celia, Edith, Urbin, 
Clara and Teresa; (7) John Gabel was 
united in marriage on June 29, 1873, in 
Jackson township, Sandusky county, with 
Celia Dorr (who was born January 6, 
1855), and lived there until 1880, when 
he sold out and moved to Rice township, 
in the same county, and bought fifty- 
three acres, paying one hundred dollars 
an acre for it. Their children were as 
follows: Edward, born August 10, 1876, 
and died January 9, 1879; Ida M. was 
born November 13, 1877; Allie C, March 
4, 1879; Sylvester P., June 5, 1880; 
Horbert M., June 19. 1881; Charles D., 
October 9, 1883; Julie L., May 20, 1884; 
Urbin, March 31, 1887; Cornelia C, 
born June 22, 1890, and died September 
28, 1893; and Corlette G., born Novem- 
ber 6, 1894. In 1874. when John Ga- 
bel's father died, he left him eighty acres 
of land in Jackson township, Sandusky 
county. Mr. Gabel is engaged in general 
farming. He is much respected, is well 
and favorably known in the community 
in which he lives, has been constable of 
Rice township for five years, school di- 
rector four years and supervisor seven 
years. 



JACOB G. METZGER, one of the 
intelligent, liberal-minded farmers 
of Green Creek township, Sandusky 
county, enjoys the possession of a 
competency, and he believes the state- 
ment made by Gen. Washington, that 
agriculture is the noblest vocation cf man. 
He lives in ease and comfort upon his 
well-tilled and well-cared-for farm of 127 
acres, made profitable by his good busi- 
ness ability and his inherited aptitude for 
a farming life. 



Mr. Metzger was born in Adams town- 
ship, Seneca county, November 2, 1842, 
son of Samuel and Rebecca (Heltzel) 
Metzger. The great-great-grandfather of 
Mr. Metzger, who was a Revolutionary 
soldier under Gen. Washington, was the 
son of Archibald Metzger, twin brother 
of Gen. Theodore Metzger, an able of- 
ficer in the German army. The Rev- 
olutionary soldier was lost in the woods 
of Pennsylvania and probably starved to 
death. His remains were afterward found 
and identified by means of gun and cloth- 
ing. He had emigrated from Germany 
to America in Colonial times, and his son, 
the great-grandfather of Jacob, was the 
only child aboard the ship that escaped 
the fatal ravages of smallpox. The son 
of this fortunate child, Jacob Metzger by 
name, grandfather of the subject of this 
sketch, was born in Pennsylvania and ac- 
quired the trade of a shoemaker. He was 
a member of the United Brethren Church, 
and in the autumn of 181 3 migrated with 
his family from Union county, Penn., to 
Pickaway county, Ohio, settling on a farm 
near Circleville. 

Samuel Metzger, his son, was born in 
Union county, Penn., in April, 181 3, and 
was but si.x months old when he came to 
Pickaway county, Ohio. He grew up on 
the farm, and before he was of age he 
came to Adams township, Seneca county, 
where he entered a farm in the wilder- 
ness. Returning to Pickaway county, he 
married, in April, 1834, on his twenty-first 
birthday, Rebecca Heltzel, who was born 
in Shenandoah county, Va., in 18 12, the 
daughter of Henry Heltzel, an old-time 
schoolteacher, of German ancestry, and 
an early pioneer of Pickaway county, 
Ohio, who afterward removed to Noble 
county, Ind., where he was elected county 
recorder and served as such for many 
years. After marriage Samuel and Re- 
becca Metzger moved to the new pioneer 
home in Adams township, Seneca county, 
where he proved in subsequent years to be 
one of its best farmers, and where he 



COMAtEMOIiATH'E DIOGIiAPmCAL RECORD. 



197 



lived until 1 88 1 . Ho then moved to Green 
Creek township, Sandusky county, and 
lived near his son Jacob, until his wife's 
death, in 1S90. He died April 11. 1893, 
at the home of his son. Samuel Metzger 
at the time of his death owned 205 acres 
of choice land, and owed not a dollar. 
He wuscareful in his business transactions 
and scrupulously honest. In politics he 
was a Democrat, and in reliRious faith a 
prominent member of the United Breth- 
ren Church. He was an ordained ex- 
horter in the Church, possessed a remark- 
able memory, and had almost the whole 
Bible at his tonfjue's end. He was de- 
votedly attached to the work of his 
Church, and was perhaps its chief sup- 
porter in Adams township. 

Five children were born to Samuel 
and Rebecca Met/per, as follows: (i) H. 
H., born in 1836, a farmer of Adams 
township, Seneca county, who married 
Rebecca Urinkwater and had five chil- 
dren — Alton (who died aged two and a 
half years); Ida J.; James; Hulda F. , and 
Olive. (2) John C of Adams township, 
Seneca county, who first married Sarah 
A. Miller, by whom he had three children, 
now living — .Mvvilda E., Gertrude and 
Samuel H. ; after his first wife's death he 
wedded Mrs. L. Berrj', by whom he has 
one child — Julia C. (3) Sarah .\. , mar- 
ried to C. W. King, of Noble county, 
Ind., and d'ed leaving two children — 
Maud M. and MiKlrcd (j.. who now make 
their home with Jacob Metzger, our sub- 
ject. (4) Jacob is the subject of this 
sketch. (5) Lavina married Alfred F"ront/, 
and has three children — Rebecca, Roy 
and Dora F. ; she lives on the old home 
farm in Adams township, Seneca county. 

Jacob Metzger grew to manhood on 
his father's farm in Seneca county, and in 
1S64, as a member of Company B, he 
served in the Washington campaign of the 
One Hundred and Sixty-fourth O. \ . I. 
When mustered out in the fall of 1864 he 
joined a construction corps, which oper- 
ated through Kentucky, Tennessee, Ala- 



bama, Georgia and \\'est Virginia. Six 
months later he returned home and was 
married, April 27, 1865, to Sarah Jane 
Shellhammer, who was born in Adams 
township, Seneca county, January 30, 
1845. Mr. and Mrs. Metzger have one 
child, Alva E., a well-educated and suc- 
cessful veterinary surgeon at Clyde. In 
politics Jacob Metzger is a Democrat. In 
manners he is genial and affable. He is 
remarkably well versed in public matters, 
and, while engaged in general farming, he 
takes a deep interest in all the affairs and 
conilitions of mankind. No man stands 
higher in the esteem of his fellow men. 



WILLIAM WOODFORD, a suc- 
cessful farmer, and one of the 
prominent citizens of Riley 
township, Sandusky county, was 
born May 28, iS^i. He is a son of Syl- 
vester and Sarah (Lowrie) Woodford, 
both born in America, the former on Jan- 
uary I, t786, the latter on January 17, 
1788. 

They had a family of nine children, as 
follows: Zerah, born April 6, 181 2, mar- 
ried Sarah Karshner; they were engaged 
in farming in Riley township, and had a 
family of five children; Zerah died June 
27. 1872; Aurilla, born December 28. 
1814, married Elijah Higbee, a farmer in 
Riley township, and they had one child; 
the wife and mother died January 30, 1886; 
Lois, born April 24, 181 7, became the 
wife of William Laird, and they had three 
children; the wife and mother died Jan- 
uary 30, 1846; Sylvester, born June 16, 
1819, died October 28, 1836, at Shippens- 
burg, Penn. ; Martin, born August 24, 
1821, married Mary Homer, who lives in 
Kansas, and he died February 5, 1884; 
Lorinda, born September 23, 1823, died 
in 1839; Luther, born December 27, 
1825, lives in Kansas; William is the sub- 
ject of this sketch, and Sidney, born July 
20, 1S33, died January 2 1, 1839. Syl- 
vester Woodford (Sr. ) came to Ohio, 



198 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



settled in Trumbull county, and bought 
eighty acres of land, on which he lived 
until 1834, when he moved to Riley town- 
ship and here bought 160 acres of land, 
upon which he lived until his death, 
which occurred September 2, 1834, about 
three months after they had settled at 
their new home, and his wife, Sarah, 
passed away four days before him, viz. : 
August 29, 1834. He voted the Old-time 
Whig ticket, and was a member of the 
Presbyterian Church. 

After the death of his parents, William 
Woodford, being only a little more than 
three years old, was taken to Vienna 
township, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and was 
placed in the family of a relative, where 
he was reared and educated, working a 
part of each year on a farm to the age of 
eighteen, when he commenced teaching 
school. He followed this vocation one 
year in Ohio, taught one year more in 
Mercer county, Penn., then went to Ken- 
tucky, where he continued teaching school 
for eleven years. He is now engaged in 
general farming. In 1861 he came to 
Riley township, where he married Rachel 
Gibbs, who was born October 15, 1832, 
and they have a family of five children, 
namely: William C, born April 28, 1862, 
and died August 27, 1862; Clara J., born 
September 13, 1863; Alva, born Septem- 
ber 9, 1866; Ada, born May 16, 1869; 
and Louis, born March 8, 1854, and mar- 
ried to Dora Lindsay, who died February 
12, 1888. 

Isaac Woodford, grandfather of Will- 
iam Woodford, marriec^ Sarah Fuller, of 
Burlington, and they had ten children — 
seven sons and three daughters, namely: 
Isaac, married Statira Cowles, by whom 
he had twelve children, ten of whom — 
four sons and six daughters — lived to 
marry, and two died in childhood; Darius 
married Bethiah Bass, and they had six 
children; Asaph married Alma Potter, and 
they had fourteen children; Sylvester, 
father of our subject, comes next; 
Romanty married Betsy Hart, and they 



had twelve children; Sidney married 
Betsy Wheeler (no children); Zerah mar- 
ried Minerva Potter, and they had six 
children; Huldah married Nathaniel 
Clarke, and they had eight children; Cyn- 
thia married Theodore Humphreys, and 
was left a widow with five or six children 
(she afterward married Ely Alderman); 
Sarah married Chauncey Wheeler, and 
they had six children — two sons and four 
daughters. Of this large family of chil- 
dren, all, save one, were professing Chris- 
tians. 

Our subject votes the Democrat ticket, 
and has been honored with public office, 
having been justice of the peace for 
twelve years, township clerk for six years, 
and school director and supervisor. 



RICHARD E. BETTS, a substantial 
farmer of Green Creek township, 
Sandusky county, is more than a 
tiller of the soil or the owner of a 
productive and finely located farm; he is 
a student of the world's history, and by 
means of the leading newspapers from va- 
rious cities he is thoroughly informed upon 
the varying phases of current national af- 
fairs. He is distinctively a man of ideas. 
He wants first the facts of history.- His 
clear and well-trained intellect can then 
make proper deduction from these facts, 
and the opinions thus formed are modern, 
considerably in advance of those held by 
the average citizen. His deep convic- 
tions are inherited, and have received an 
additional impetus from associations. 
His ancestors, of Quaker faith, came from 
England in Cromwell's time. His father- 
in-law, "Uncle" George Donaldson, was 
one of the most noted Abolitionists in 
northwestern Ohio, at a time when Abo- 
lition sentiment was a reproach and 
stigma, often a menace to personal safety. 
Mr. Betts was born in Cayuga county, 
N. Y., December 30, 1829, son of Zach- 
ariah and Mariah (Mitchell) Betts. Zach- 



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COMMEMORATIVE BJOGBAPUICAL RECORD. 



100 



ariah Betts was born in Bucks county. 
Penn.. December 24, 1793. In Crom- 
well's time three brothers named Betts 
came to America, settlinj,' near Philadel- 
phia. The eldest, who had an entailed 
inheritance in lingland, at one time placed 
in jeopardy, returned to that country when 
political turmoil subsided. The younger 
two remained in America and founded a 
numerous family of their name, Zachariah 
being one of the descendants. His wife, 
Mariah Mitchell, was born March 4, 1798. 
After marriage Zachariah Betts moved to 
Aurora, Cayuga Co., N. Y. , where he 
farmed for many years, and in 1834 he 
moved to Honey Creek, Seneca Co., 
Ohio, where he purchased a large farm. 
Many years later he removed to La Grange 
county, Ind., where he died February 3, 
1868, his wife surviving until July 23, 
1874. In politics he was a Whig. In 
early life he held allegiance to the Quaker 
faith, but later became a member of the 
Protestant Methodist Church. In physique 
he was a man of powerful frame. The 
nine children of Zachariah and Mariah 
Betts were as follows: Edward L. , born 
December 18, 1.S21, serveil in an Indiana 
regiment in the army of the Potomac dur- 
ing the Civil war. and died in La Grange 
county, Ind., March 2, 1894: Howard 
M., born August 25, 1823, for thirty 
years a druggist at La Grange, Ind. ; 
Louis C. , born October i, 1825, moved 
to Iowa in 1856, and died at Mt. Pleasant, 
that State, November 19, 18O7; Albert 
P., born .August 27, 1827. a tanner and cur- 
rier at Republic; Richard E. , subject of this 
sketch; Elizabeth A., wife of Van Norris 
Taylor, of Wolcottville, Ind. ; Thomas 
C. , born August 20, 1833, an e.\-soldier 
of the Civil war, ex-sheriff of La Grange 
county, Ind., now living at La Grange; 
Martha M., born April 30. 1836, lives, 
unmarried, at La Grange, Ind. ; Emiline, 
born January 14, 1838. wife of Nelson 
Sclby. of La Grange, Indiana. 

Richard E Betts was five years old 
when he migrated with his parents from 

13 



New York to Seneca county. Ohio. He 
was reared on his father's farm, and Oc- 
tober 28, 1852, he married Miss Lavinia 
Donaldson, who was born in Pickaway 
county, Ohio, in 1823, daughter of "Uncle " 
George and .\nn (Patterson) Donaldson, 
the former of whom was born in Center 
county, Penn., July 7, 1793, the latter on 
January 15, 1796. He learned the black- 
smith's trade, and lived for a time in 
Lycoming county, Penn. ; then migrated 
with his family in a one-horse wagon to 
Pickaway county, Ohio, arriving with a 
capital of five dollars. Seven years later 
he moved to Tiflin, and in 1833 to Green 
Creek township, Sandusky county, where 
he followed his trade and farmed. Him- 
self and wife were Methodists, and in 
political convictions he was a radical Abo- 
litionist. He was connected with the 
"underground railroad," and once sent 
his team with five runaway negroes, 
concealed beneath straw and carpets, to 
Sandusky City, whence they escaped to 
Canada. "Uncle" George Donaldson 
was the most noted character of his time 
in this part of the country. On account 
of his Abolitionism an attempt was made 
to expel him from the M. E. Church. He 
gave James G. Birney, Abolition candi- 
date for President in 1840, the only vote 
cast for him in Green Creek township, 
and for its numerical insignificance the 
judges, who were in sentiment stronganti- 
Abolitionists, refused to count it. Mr. 
Donaldson died September 14, 1873, his 
wife November 30. 1863. Their nine chil- 
dren were as follows: James, born Febru- 
ary 13, 1820, died November 15. 1843; 
W'illian). born February 25, 1821, died 
April 21, 1846; Rol)ert, born November 
21, 1822, died December 30, 1846; La- 
vinia, wife of Mr. Betts; Susannah, born 
August ri, 1827, wife of W. Dixon, of 
Rome City. Ind.; Saul, born December 
20, 1829, residing in La Grange county, 
Ind.; David, born April 10, 1831, died 
December 13, 1881; Elizabeth, born Au- 
gust 14, 1834, died October 11, 1858; 



200 



Commemorative biographical record. 



Nanc}' Ann, born June 29, 1839, died 
January 7, 1850. 

After his marriage Mr. Betts lived for 
several years in Seneca county. He then 
came to Sandusky county, bought a farm, 
and for two years lived with his father-in- 
law. In 1856 he purchased his present 
farm, and has occupied it ever since. He 
owns 114 well-cultivated acres, and en- 
gages in general farming. Mr. Betts cast 
his first Presidential vote for J. P. Hale, 
anti-slavery candidate for 1852, and in 
1 876 voted for Peter Cooper on the Green- 
back ticket. He has been a prominent 
member of Monticello Lodge No. 244, F. 
& A. M., for many years. He is a firm 
believer in Spiritualism, as was also his 
wife, who passed from earth in February, 
1895. She was a lady of high mental and 
moral attainments. In political affairs 
Mr. Betts thinks the election of million- 
aires to Congress and the various State 
Legislatures is highly detrimental to the 
best interests of the people. 

Mr. Betts has a number of relatives on 
his mother's side residing near Rochester, 
N. Y. , among them an aunt, Sarah Co.x 
(sister to his mother), who is now at the 
advanced age of ninety years, with her 
faculties unimpaired. Mr. Betts' weight 
at the present time is 260 pounds. 



GEORGE A. BURMAN, of Wood- 
ville, Sandusky county, was born 
January 17, 1844, son of Ernest 
H. and Elizabeth (Maenert) Bur- 
man, the former of whom was born De- 
cember 4, 181 1, in the Kingdom of Han- 
over, Germany. 

Ernest H. Burnian was married in his 
native countr\-, came to America in 1843, 
settling in \^'oodville township, Sandusky 
Co. , Ohio, where he bought eighty acres 
of land on which he made improvements. 
He died September 9, 1891, a member of 
the Lutheran Church. Our subject's mo- 
ther was born in 181 5, and died in 1875. 
Their children were Carrie, who died in 



Germany; Carrie, who married G. Otten; 
George A. ; Henry, who died when seven 
years old; Louis, a blacksmith, now living 
in Toledo; Harman, who works in the 
car shops at Toledo; Fred, who died in 
infancy; and Elizabeth, who married K. 
Kuhlman, of Ottawa county, Ohio. 

Mrs. George A. Burman is a daughter 
of H. H. and Clara (Fochthous) Kuhlman, 
the former of whom was born in Hanover, 
in 1 812, and died September 4, 1887; the 
mother was born in 1 8 1 7, and is still living. 
They had six children: Henry Kuhlman, 
living at Woodville; Carrie, who married 
FredTaulker; Eliza, who died when three 
years old; one that died in infancy; Will- 
iam, who is living on the old homestead; 
and the wife of our subject. George A. 
Burman and his wife were both born in 
the same house in Woodville township, 
she on July 2 T, 1851. Her parents came 
to America the year before his, and when 
his parents came they moved into the 
same house, and our subject was born 
while they were living there. They were 
both reared in Woodville township, and 
attended the primitive district schools. 
They were married November 16, 1871, 
and the children born to them were Car- 
rie, born March 10, 1873, who died when 
one year old; George, born May 27, 1875, 
who is now a grocer of Tiffin, Ohio; 
Henry, born September 4, 1878, now 
studying for the ministry of the Lutheran 
Church, in Capitol University, Columbus, 
Ohio; Clara, born July i, 1880, died Au- 
gust 19, 1882; and August, born October 
18, 1883. 

Our subject as he grew to manhood 
found himself possessed of strong mechan- 
ical powers and of natural skill as a work- 
man, and so without serving an appren- 
ticeship he became a good carpenter and an 
all-around wood workman; he also became 
an engineer, and ran a stationary engine 
in the mills at Woodville for seventeen 
years, and he has worked in the Lake 
Shore yard in Toledo. He has never de- 
voted his time to farming, but some years 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



201 



since .purchased the old homestead in 
Woodville township, which he now owns, 
and which contains eight good oil wells 
at present. Mr. Burman was one of the 
first men in this section to invest in the 
developing oil business here, and as the 
result of his investment he recently sold 
out his interest in his lease wells for $r 5,- 
000. As a result of his ample means 
from this source he is now in good finan- 
cial circumstances, but he still does some 
work himself to pass the time away. He 
is a member of the Lutheran Church, and 
in politics is a Democrat. 



SAMUEL J. YETTER, junior 
member of the livery firm of 
Harvey & Yetter, and one of the 
popular and reliable business men 
of Clyde, was born in Townsend town- 
ship, Sandusky county, February 6, 1866, 
a son of Charles and Mary (Speaker) Yet- 
ter, both of German descent. 

His father was born near Harrisburg, 
Penn., in 1840, and at the age of fifteen 
years came with his parents to Ohio, first 
locating at Chicago Junction, Huron 
county. Later he came to Sandusky 
county where he engaged in farming in 
Townsend township, and there the mother 
of our subject died at the age of thirty- 
two years. They were married near Cas- 
talia, Ohio, and by their union five chil- 
dren were born: (i) George, drowned 
in Lake Erie, off Kelly's Island, at the 
age of twenty-one years. He was cap- 
tain of a fishing smack, could swim well, 
but was struck with a boom while turn- 
ing the boat. (2) Henry is a farmer of 
Riley township, Sandusky county. (3) 
Samuel J. is ne.xt in order of birth. (4) 
Ella is the wife of G. W. Reddock, of 
Riley township. (5) Nettie is the wife of 
Ward Strohl, a hay dealer and presser, 
of Clyde. After the death of his first 
wife Mr. Yetter wedded Miss Lois Baker, 
and they have three children — Bert, John- 



nie and Mabel. In political sentiment 
the father is a Republican. 

In the schools of Townsend township, 
Sandusky county, the early education of 
Samuel J. Yetter was received, after 
which he entered the public schools of 
Clyde, and for one term was a student at 
the Normal in Ada, Ohio. On the com- 
pletion of his education he taught for one 
term, but at the end of that time re- 
turned home, where for a year he worked 
on the farm. He then entered a grocery 
store in Clyde, where he clerked some 
three years, and for the same length of 
time resided in Michigan. He then re- 
turned to Clyde, where for one year he 
served as hotel clerk, and in 1892 be- 
came interested in his present business, 
which he has since conducted with e.\- 
cellent success. The firm have the only 
first-class livery in the city, and they re- 
ceive a liberal patronage. 

Though young in years Mr. Yetter is 
one of the most energetic and enterprising 
business men of Clyde, and is highly es- 
teemed and respected by all who know 
him. He has a wide circle of friends and 
acquaintances, among whom he is famil- 
iarly known by the name of "Sammie." 
Socially, he is identified with the Royal 
Arcanum, while his political affiliations 
are with the Republican party. 



PETER J. BEIER, one of the wor- 
thy citizens that the Fatherland 
has furnished to Ohio, was born in 
Laembach, Kurferstanthum Hes- 
san, Germany, a son of Joseph and Cath- 
erine (Geable) Beier, natives of the same 
countr)-. They had a family of eight 
children, as follows: (i) Fronie, the eld- 
est, was born in Germany, in 1831, and, 
is the wife of Michael Siferd, a farmer 
now living in Minnesota, by whom she 
has ten children. (2) Agnes is the wife 
of Miran Hoffman, and they have five 
children — Joseph, Annie, Frank, Clara, 
and Willie. (3) Maggie, born in 1833, 



202 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPBICAL RECORD. 



died and was buried in Germany in 1871. 
(4) John Joseph married Catherine Kirch- 
gar, and they have eight children. (5) 
Annie is the wife of Conrad Busolt, a resi- 
dent of Fremont, Ohio, and their family 
numbers eight children. (6) Peter J. is 
the next younger. (7) Budenz married 
Nicholas Goodbellat, and resides in Ger- 
many; they have three children. (8) 
Westena is the wife of Albert Konney, 
and they have one child, Nellie, born in 

1883. 

In the land of his birth our subject 
was reared to manhood, and the days of 
his boyhood and youth were quietly 
passed. He came to the United States 
and to Sandusky county, Ohio, in 1866, 
has been a resident of Rice township since 
1874, when he purchased forty acres of 
land, which was still in its primitive con- 
dition, being covered with a thick growth 
of trees. He cleared all this himself, 
plowed and planted it, and in course of 
time the once wild tract was transformed 
into rich and fertile fields. As his finan- 
cial resources increased he e.xtended the 
boundaries of his farm until it now com- 
prises eighty acres. In 1890 he built a 
house at a cost of $1,550, and, in 1892, a 
barn at a cost of $1,000, and is now en- 
gaged in general farming and stock rais- 
ing. He has a well-improved place, and 
is meeting with good success in his under- 
takings. His possessions have been ac- 
quired entirely through his own efforts, 
and he may well be termed a self-made 
man, for he started out in life for himself 
empty-handed, and his success is the re- 
ward of labor and perseverance. 

On June 14, 1870, Mr. Beier was 
united in marriage with Catherine Bean- 
sack, a native of Fremont, Ohio, and 
twelve children were born to them, their 
names and dates of birth being as fol- 
lows: Clara, May 28, 1871; Mary L. , 
May 9, 1873; Lewis H., June i, 1875; 
Frank J., March 12, 1877; Matilda C, 
February 26, 1879; Charles M., Decem- 
ber 21, 1881; William A., February 15, 



1883; Leo J., March 13, 1885; Rudolph 
C. , July 25, 1887; Rosa K., September 
19, 1890; John A., June 8, 1892; Roman 
P., May 16, 1895. Of these, Clara be- 
came the wife of George Widman, and 
they have one son, Joseph, who was born 
in Sandusky township; Roman P. died 
May 21, 1895, and the rest are still under 
the parental roof. In his political views 
Mr Beier is a Democrat; in religious be- 
lief he is a Catholic. 



AMOS BLANK, a prosperous and 
representative farmer of Wood- 
ville township, Sandusky county, 
was born April 20, 1841, and is a 
son of William and Anna (Hess) Blank. 
William Blank was born in north 
Cumberland county, Penn., in 1790, came 
west and settled near Rollersville, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, in the spring of 1836. 
He married Anna Hess, and they became 
the parents of eleven children, namely: 
George, David, Abraham, Peter, Amos, 
Mary, Elizabeth, Matilda, Melinda, Will- 
iam and Emeline, all now living but three. 
When Mr. Blank came to Ohio he rented 
a piece of land of J. M. King for two 
years, then moved to Madison township, 
Sandusky count)', where he bought eighty 
acres of timber land, commenced clearing, 
and put up a cabin with a stone chimney. 
The country was very wild, and bears and 
wolves were plentiful and troublesome. 
The nearest mill was at Fremont, and it 
took several days to make the trip. Mr. 
Blank helped lay out and make most of 
the roads in the vicinity, and cleared up 
over 100 acres of land. He held several 
township offices, and always voted the 
Democratic ticket. At the time of his 
death he left 440 acres of valuable land. 
He died June 8, 1 87 1 , at the age of eighty- 
one years, five months and thirteen days; 
his wife died in 1844, and was laid to rest 
in Sugar Creek cemetery. 

On August 30, 1868. Amos Blank was 
united in marriage with Emma J. Clifford, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



203 



who was born at Wellington, Lorain Co. , 
Ohio, August 20, 1848, and they have had 
eight children, namely: Florence A., 
born January i 5, 1870, died July 11, 1871 ; 
Amos B., born October 24, 1871, unmar- 
ried and living at home, and has been in 
the oil business since 1889, having several 
hundred acres of oil land leased, also 
owner of 960 acres of land in Henry 
county, Ohio; Myrtie M., born May 17, 
1873, married S. F. Osborne, a telegraph 
operator, July i , 1 893 ; John P. , born Janu- 
ary 12, 1875; Iva B., born April 28, 1877, 
married Charles F. Haggerty, and they 
have one child — Charles Amos, born Sep- 
tember 4, 1894; Willie H., born Decem- 
ber 5i 1880; Bertha L. , born March 15, 
1882, and Effie J., born March 12, 1886. 
After his marriage Amos Blank oper- 
ated a sawmill in Woodville township 
from 1866 to 1872, then sold out to Tille 
Brothers, and bought 1 20 acres of partly- 
cleared land. Recently he purchased a 
farm of 180 acres near Napoleon, Henry 
Co., Ohio, and removed on said farm, 
but still owns the 120-acre farm in San- 
dusky county. He raises bees very ex- 
tensively, also cattle and horses, and car- 
ries on general farming. Mr. Blank do- 
nates liberally to the cause of religion and 
prohibition of the liquor traffic. In poli- 
tics he was always a Democrat until 1886, 
when he joined the Prohibitionists, and 
has since worked hard for that part}'. 
Socially he is a Mason, is very popular, 
and much esteemed for his many good 
qualities. His grandparents were Hol- 
landers, and his grandfather served in the 
war of 18 1 2. 



CHARLES CLINK, a practical and 
progressive agriculturist of Wood- 
ville township, Sandusky county, 
was born December 23, 1843, in 
the township which is still his home, and 
is the second son of Caleb Clink. The 
family is well-known throughout this lo- 
cality and his brothers — Jacob, Reuben 



and A. J. — are prominent farmers and 
stock dealers. In the district schools he 
acquired a fair education, while his father's 
farm afforded him physical training, and he 
was there employed from an early age until 
he had reached his twenty-fifth year. He 
then entered a dry-goods store at Wood- 
ville, where he spent three years in the ca- 
pacity of clerk, after which he was for 
several years a salesman in a similar house 
in Elmore. He was employed in the same 
capacity for four years in Pemberville, 
and during all that period gave general 
satisfaction, winning for himself the 
good will of his employers, and the con- 
fidence of his customers. 

On leaving Pemberville, Mr. Clink re- 
turned to Woodville township, locating on 
an eighty-acre tract of timber land, on 
which he built a small frame house and 
installed his family therein. His next 
task was to remove the trees and stumps 
upon the place, and transform it into 
fields of rich fertility. Some of the 
timber was sold for manufacturing pur- 
poses, and tree after tree fell beneath 
his sturdy strokes until sixty acres had 
been cleared and highly cultivated, while 
a fine orchard of five acres yields to him 
its fruits in season. Good fences divide 
the place into fields of convenient size, 
the latest improved machinery is there 
seen, and the accessories and conveniences 
of a model farm may there be found. 
Mr. Clink has worked early and late to 
accomplish this desired result, and now 
has the satisfaction of being the owner of 
one of the finest farms in his section. 
The small frame house into which he first 
moved his family has been replaced by a 
large, substantial and ornamental dwell- 
ing which was erected at a cost of 
$1,800. The surrounding grounds pre- 
sent a picturesque appearance, and the 
neatness and taste there displayed indicate 
the progressive spirit of the owner. 

Mr. Clink was married February 28, 
1869, in Pemberville, Ohio, to Miss Caro- 
line Pember, daughter of Hiram Pember, 



20-4 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHWAL RECORD. 



in whose honor the town of Pemberville 
was named. He was born in New York, 
and there learned the trade of black- 
smithing and iron working. In the 
Empire State he married Matilda Heath, 
and in 1832 removed to Ohio with his 
family, locating in Wood county, where, 
with others, he founded the town of 
Pemberville. Eight children were born 
of that marriage, three of whom are liv- 
ing: Adeline, the first white child born 
in that section of Wood county, and now 
the wife of Charles Stabler, a farmer of 
Pemberville; Still well, a retired farmer of 
Kansas; and Caroline, wife of our subject. 
The father died in 1878, the mother on 
September 2, 1874. Three children bless 
the union of Mr. and Mrs. Clink, viz. : 
Maud, born in Pemberville, Wood county. 
May 12, 1874, educated in Woodville 
township, Sandusky county, and mar- 
ried October 16, 1890, to B. I. Ross, a 
resident of Mansfield, Ohio, employed as 
a railroad engineer (he has been em- 
ployed by the Pennsylvania Company- 
twelve years); Claude, born September 5, 
1876, in Woodville township, attended 
the district schools and the Normal of 
Ada, Ohio, and is now engaged in opera- 
ting in the oil fields; the third child died 
in infancy. In 1884 Mr. and Mrs. Clink 
adopted a nine-weeks-old baby boy by 
the name of Frank C. Foster, who has 
since been one of the family. 

For six terms, Mr. Clink has been 
elected and served as supervisor, and has 
also been school director four years, dis- 
charging his duties with a fidelity worthy 
of all commendation. He is a member 
of the Foresters Association, and of the 
Masonic Lodge of Pemberville, while the 
family attend the Peoples Church of 
Woodville. Mrs. Clink is a member of 
the Lady Maccabees, Harmon Hive No. 
36, and the son Claude, is a member of 
the Knights of the Maccabees, DeMolay 
Tent No. 211. In their pleasant home 
Mr. and Mrs. Clink are enjoying the 
fruits of their former toil, and throughout 



the community are held in the highest 
regard by a wide circle of friends and 
acquaintances. 



CHARLES B. HUTCHINSON, one 
of the leading and most progress- 
ive farmers of Green Creek town- 
ship, Sandusky county, is a na- 
tive of same, born in Green Creek town- 
ship March 21, 1848. In all matters of 
public interest Mr. Hutchinson is wide- 
awake, and by his progressive ideas is 
doing much for the people of his native 
and neighboring townships. 

Nathaniel Hutchinson, great-grand- 
father of our subject, was a native and 
resident of Cambridge, whose three sons — 
John, Thomas and Joseph — in 181 8 mi- 
grated to Clark county, Ohio. John 
after a short period, removed to Wabash, 
Ind. , where he and his family fell victims 
to an epidemic . of fever. Thomas re- 
mained in Ohio some twenty years, and 
then removed to La Grange county, Ind., 
where he died. Joseph, grandfather of 
Charles B., was born April 21, 1782, and 
was married in his native State, in Octo- 
ber, 1805, to Mary A. Hodgman, who 
was born in Cambridge, Mass. , October 
10, 1783. After coming to Ohio they re- 
sided in Clark county until April, 1827, 
when they moved to Green Creek town- 
ship, Sandusky county. Joseph Hutchin- 
son was a mechanic, and followed his 
trade through life. After locating on a 
farm in Green Creek township he went 
to Monroeville, Ohio, and there worked 
for about six years, then returning to his 
farm and remaining until his death, in 
January, 1S55; his wife died in 1851. 
This couple had eight children, as follows: 
Mary A., born September 9, 1807, mar- 
ried Ashel Franklin in Clark county, June 
14, 1829, and died in May, 1848; Joseph 
H., born April 17, 1809, died November 
24, 1823; Charlotte, born February 7, 
181 1, married S. S. Kellogg, of Huron 
county, February 10, 1831, died in Feb- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



205 



ruary, 1854; Louisa, born September 12, 
1 8 14, who married Elisha Lake, and, 
after his death, Charles Petty, died in 
Woodbury county, Iowa; Josiah B., born 
November 30, 1817, died May 28, 
1836; Alfred, father of Charles B., born 
September 17, 1820; Phcebe M., born 
May 29, 1825, married Noble Perin, who 
died in Andersonville prison during the 
war (she lives in Green Creek town- 
ship); Joseph, born May 29, 1830, fatally 
crushed by a loaded wagon, from which 
he fell. 

Alfred Hutchinson was seven years old 
when his parents settled in Green Creek 
township. The schools at that period 
were very primitive; but he received the 
best education the locality afforded. At 
the age of eighteen years he began an ap- 
prenticeship to the brick-layer's and plas- 
terer's trade, which he followed for about 
thirty years. He was married April 6, 
1843, to Mary M. Dirlam, born in Massa- 
chusetts August 18, 1823, daughter of 
Orrin and Annis (Gibbs) Dirlam, both 
born in Blandford, Mass., the former on 
February 22, 1792, the latter on August 
18, 1797. Annis Dirlam died in Massa- 
chusetts November 6, 1830, and three 
years later Orrin Dirlam migrated with 
his seven children to Green Creek town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohio, where he en- 
tered a large tract of land. These seven 
children were as follows: Sarah, born 
September 28, 18 18, married Samuel 
Chapin, and died in Clyde September 10, 
1873; Orrin M., born February 7, 1820, 
died in 1889 in Sullivan, Ashland county; 
Dolly Almira, born October 27, 1821, 
married Merlin Babcock, and died March 
26, 1848; Mary M. ; Franklin, born De- 
cember 12, 1824, resident of Townsend 
township, Sandusky county; James M., 
born February 21, 1826, a resident of 
Wood county; and Spencer, who died in 
infancy. For his second wife Orrin Dir- 
lam married Elvira Smith, who was born 
in Massachusetts April 18, 1807. By this 
marriage he had nine children: Henry S., 



born February 9, 1843, who enlisted in 
the army at Cleveland, and while acting 
captain of his company was seriously 
wounded at the battle of Chickamauga, 
dying from the effects of the wound De- 
cember 18, 1865; Zadoc, born September 
16, 1836, resident of Clyde; Verrazano, 
born July 25, 1839, served in the army 
and died August 3, 1882; Theodore, born 
January 22, 1842, participated in the one- 
hundred-days' service, now living in Lo- 
rain county; Sidney, born September 8, 
1844, a resident of New London; Minerva, 
born January 2, 1847, died November 8, 
1879; Walter S., born January 28, 1853, 
a resident of Lorain county; and two chil- 
dren who died young. Orrin Dirlam was 
the father of sixteen children, fourteen of 
whom grew to maturity. He died at 
Huntington, Lorain county. May 20, 1882. 

The children born to Alfred and Mary 
M. (Dirlam) Hutchinson were as follows: 
Zemira, born December 2, 1844, enlisted in 
Company A, Seventy-second O.V. L, and 
died in prison at Florence, S. C, October 
30, 1864; Charles B., subject of this sketch; 
Fred, born January 28, 1861, married 
Mabel Lay, daughter of William E. Lay, 
and has five sons — Clare, Ernest, Karl, 
Frank and Ralph; Fred lives on a farm in 
Green Creek township. Alfred Hutchin- 
son died on the old homestead in Green 
Creek township in 1 889, and his widow 
at this writing still resides there. Neither 
had been identified with any Church or- 
ganization, but both believed in and fol- 
lowed practical Christianity. Their lives 
have been illustrations of their belief that 
to do good is the highest function of man. 
Alfred Hutchinson during his lifetime was 
recognized as one of the leading citizens 
of his community, and he was elected to 
many of the township offices. 

Charles B. Hutchinson, his son, is 
likewise one of the most prominent men 
of the township to-day. He possesses 
business ability of an advanced order, and 
his capacity is demonstrated by his visible 
works. He was thoroughly educated in 



206 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPniCAL RECORD. 



the common branches, and in addition 
attended the Clyde High School. On 
November i6, 1864, when only sixteen 
years old, he enlisted in Company B, 
Second U. S. A. Regulars, and was in 
service four months when his parents, on 
account of his youth, succeeded in getting 
him back on the farm. When a few 
days under twenty years of age, March 
17, 1868, he married Miss Emma Strick- 
land, who was born in Clyde in April, 
1850. They started young in life, but 
during the happy and successful career 
that followed they have never had cause 
to regret their early marriage. Seven 
children have been born to them, five of 
whom survive, as follows: Dr. A. F., who 
is a graduate of Clyde High School and of 
the class of 1893 in the Medical Depart- 
ment of the University of Michigan (he 
married Miss Mildred Ward, and is now 
practicing medicine at Banfield, Barry 
Co., Mich.); Chella, a Clyde High School 
graduate of 1892, at home; Lotta, Lou 
and Delmer. Claude died at the age of 
eight years and Floyd at the age of four 
years. Since his marriage Mr. Hutchin- 
son has been engaged in farming. He 
owns 1 1 5 acres of choice land, and in his 
methods no farmer of the township is 
more progressive or successful. In poli- 
tics he is a Republican. He is taking 
pains to carefully educate his children, 
and in all things he is public-spirited and 
enterprising. 



HENRY MILLER was born in To- 
ledo, Lucas Co., Ohio, Septem- 
ber 23, 1835, son of Fred and 
Sophia (Mintkink) Miller, natives 
of Hanover, Germany, who came to 
America in 1835, and settled in Toledo, 
Ohio. 

Fred Miller secured a position in a 
sawmill in Toledo, and worked there 
about two months; then removed to Wood- 
ville, Sandusky county, where he bought 



twenty-five acres of timberland as an in- 
vestment. This he sold a short time 
afterward, and then bought eighty acres, 
later eighty more, and lived on this land 
till 1865, when he moved to the village 
of Woodville, where he passed the re- 
mainder of his life, dying in 1873; his 
widow passed away in 1 890. Seven chil- 
dren were born to Fred and Sophia Mil- 
ler, as follows: Frederick, who lives in 
the village of Woodville; Henry, the sub- 
ject of this sketch; Sophia, who married 
John Horseman; William, who lives in 
the village of Woodville; Detrick, Mary 
and Harmon. 

At the tender age of three years Henry 
Miller was taken sick with an affection 
known as the rickets, and from that time 
until his sixteenth year he was confined 
to his bed. After that he improved some- 
what, and endeavored to secure an edu- 
cation, of which he felt the need, all the 
more as the disease had left him unfit for 
manual labor. In 1859 he went to work 
for Jacob Nagle, as an apprentice to learn 
the harness-maker's trade. Afterward he 
entered into the service of Daniel Coe. in 
the harness business in Elmore, Harris 
township, Ottawa county, and remained 
there four years. In 1864 Mr. Miller 
bought out his employer. Shortly after- 
ward his place of business was burned, 
and he then came back to Woodville, 
Sandusky county, and entered into the 
harness business. Here he has conducted 
business ever since. He is a Republi- 
can in politics, and in religious connec- 
tion is a member of the German Methodist 
Church. 



HUFFORD FAMILY. The great 
ancestor from whom have de- 
scended the Huffords now living 
in Sandusky county, Ohio, was 
Jacob Hufford. He was born in Mary- 
land in 1772, where he learned the trade 
of blacksmith. It was in his native State 




^ ^ /^ 




i^4 




c/ay^u^ ^-^^/^^'^' 



^/'^t?C^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



207 



that he met and married Miss Catharine 
Creager, and shortly after their marriage 
they came to Kentucky, where for a few 
years Mr. Hufford worked at his trade. 
About 1811 they emigrated to Greene 
county, Ohio, where they hved until 1836, 
during which time Mr. Hufford continued 
at his trade, and it was here that his chil- 
dren — Cornelius, Jacob, Elizabeth, James, 
Levi, William, Isaac and Catharine — 
were born and brought up. In 1836 this 
ancestor came to Sandusky township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, where he purchased, 
in Section 31, 200 acres of land, which 
was held in the family until about 1881. 
After his death, in 1851, the land was 
owned by his sons, Jacob and William. 
None of the children of this old pioneer 
are now living, the last one, James, hav- 
ing died in the spring of 1895. The de- 
scendants of the children of Jacob, the 
pioneer, are now, many of them, living in 
Sandusky county, and it is of one of them, 
William T. Hufford, and of his father, 
James, whose portraits are here given, 
that we now write. 

James Hufford, the third son of 
Jacob Hufford, was born November 23, 
18 1 2, in Greene county, Ohio, and came 
with his parents to Sandusky county, in 
1836. Here hestarted in life forhimself, his 
only endowments being good health and 
a determination to accomplish something 
in the world. In June, 1837, he was mar- 
ried to Miss Susan Arnold, of Greene 
county, and to them were born three 
children: George W., born in 1838, and 
died at Memphis, Tenn., during the Re- 
bellion, a member of the Seventy-second 
Regiment, O. V. I. ; Harriet A., who mar- 
ried William Slates; and Joseph M., born 
in 1845, and died in 1868. Mrs. Hufford 
was called from earth June 23, 1846, and 
was buried in Muskalonge Cemetery. 
On December 24, 1847, Mr. Hufford was 
married to Elizabeth Fisher, of Sandusky 
county. She was born in Perry count}', 
Ohio, January 9, 1829, and came with 
her parents to Sandusky county when 



eight years of age, where she has since 
lived. Mrs. Hufford is a daughter of 
William and Jane (Anderson) Fisher, the 
former of whom was born and married in 
Virginia, and to them were born five chil- 
dren, three of whom are now living: Mrs. 
Hufford, George Fisher and Mrs. Margaret 
Hummell; the father died in 1872, the 
mother in 183 1. To Mr. Hufford by his 
second wife was born one child, William 
T. Hufford, whose sketch follows. 

James Hufford was a highly esteemed 
citizen, and an affectionate husband and 
father. He was a very intimate friend of 
Dr. Wilson, president of the First National 
Bank, of Fremont, Ohio. By hard work 
and strict integrity he accumulated a hand- 
some property, west of Fremont. At his 
death, which occurred March 31, 1895, he 
owned 277 acres of as fine land as can be 
found in Sandusky county. Mr. Hufford 
had all of his business settled, his will exe- 
cuted and his son, William, appointed 
executor of his estate. The property is 
to remain intact during the life of Mrs. 
Hufford, then descend to the children- — 
William T. , and his half sister. 

William T. Hufford was born Sep- 
tember 26, 185 1, in Sandusky township. 
He was educated in the high school at 
Fremont, Ohio, and was for seven years 
a teacher in the Sandusky county public 
schools. On December 25, 1873, Mr. 
Hufford was married to Miss Sarah J. 
Rideout, of Sandusky county. Since their 
marriage they have resided on the old 
homestead, on which, in 1894, Mr. Huf- 
ford erected one of the finest dwellings to 
be found in Sandusky county, either in the 
city or country, the plan of the house be- 
ing designed by Mr. Hufford, himself. It 
is finished inside in oak, which Mr. Huf- 
ford took from his own timber lot. The 
style of the house, both inside and out- 
side, is modern in every way; the sitting- 
room and parlor are provided with hand- 
some grates and mantels. The house is 
heated from cellar to garret by a furnace, 
thus freeing the rooms from all dust and 



208 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPniCAL RECORD. 



litter attending tiie use of stoves. On en- 
tering the sitting-room from the porch 
one is brought in front of a fine piano, 
which instrument is played by Mrs. Huf- 
ford herself, while at either end of the 
piano stands a base viol, and on top of the 
piano lies a violin, which instruments are 
played by the two boys at home. The 
musical development of those who inhabit 
the house serves to make the modern ar- 
chitecture of the building more highly ap- 
preciated. Mr. Hufford, like his father, 
is a thorough business man, and highly 
respected by all who know him. His 
ability to give facts and dates connected 
with the lives of his ancestry is remarka- 
ble, thus showing that any subject that in 
any way engrosses his attention is thor- 
oughly mastered. 

To William T. Hufford and his wife 
have come three children: (i) Eugene 
L. , born September 26, 1S74, whose edu- 
cation was completed in Adrian College, 
Michigan; he was married April 3, 1894, 
to Estella Smith, of Sandusky county. (2) 
James F., born April 13, 1877, and (3) 
Ray v., born May 4, 1884. Mrs. Huf- 
ford, the estimable wife of our subject, 
was born December 25, 1853, in San- 
dusky county, where she received her edu- 
cation in the country schools. She has 
paid considerable attention to music, and 
it is from their mother that the children 
inherit their musical taste. Mrs. Hufford 
is the daughter of William and Mary Ann 
(Huggins) Kideout, the former of whom 
was born February 10, 18 19, a carpenter 
by trade, though he followed farming as 
his principal occupation; he died April 6, 
1892. His wife was born March 4, 1822. 
To them were born si.\ children, Mrs. Huf- 
ford being next to the youngest, and the 
only daughter in the family; her brother, 
Lafayette, died at F"ort Ethan Allen, Va., 
July 3, 1864 (he belonged to the One 
Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment, O. 
V. I.); another brother, Frank, lives in 
Ottawa, 111., and two other brothers, Ar- 
thur and John, live in Tuscola, Illinois. 



HIRAM P. DEYO. one of the pros- 
perous and influential farmers of 
York township, Sandusky county, 
was born in Erie county, Ohio, 
December 31, 1845, son of John P. and 
Sarah A. (Foster) Deyo. 

John P. Deyo, better known as " Dr. 
Deyo," for in his younger years he was an 
active practitioner of medicine, still sur- 
vives at the ripe old age of ninety years, 
and is now a member of his son Hiram's 
household. He was born December 14, 
1804, in Ulster county, N. Y. , and when 
about nineteen years of age migrated to 
Ontario county in the same State. At 
Geneva he studied medicine under a pre- 
ceptor, and began to practice. In the 
spring of 1833 he migrated to Ohio, mak- 
ing the journey on horseback. His par- 
ents, William and Elizabeth (Ketcham) 
Deyo, both of whom were born in New 
York, east of the Hudson river, also mi- 
grated to Ohio. William Deyo, the son 
of Henry Deyo, of Holland birth, was a 
carpenter and joiner by trade, and died 
in his pioneer home in Erie county, Ohio, 
at the age of sixty-five years. He had 
served his country as a soldier in the war 
of 1812. His wife, Elizabeth Ketcham, 
was of New England parentage. She 
lived to the age of eighty-six years. Dr. 
John P. Deyo settled in Huron county, 
four and one-half miles north of Belle- 
vue, and was the pioneer phj'sician in 
that locality, making his visits on horse- 
back and carrying his medicines about 
with him in saddlebags. After his father's 
death he quit the active practice of his 
profession and settled on the old home- 
stead in Erie county, which was part of 
the " P'irelands," and which had been 
purchased before he moved to Ohio. He 
was married, April 4, 1836, to Sarah 
Foster, who was born in Erie countv, 
N. Y., March 24, 1819. To Dr. and 
Mrs. Deyo were born the following chil- 
dren: Maria L. , born in Erie county 
November 9, 1 840, married to Henry 
Miller and living in Clyde; Allen H., 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



209 



born June i, 1S43, now a farmer near 
Sedalia, Mo.; Hirain P., subject of this 
sketch; Frank F., born December 2, 
1847, living at Pekin, 111.; B. W., born 
November 11, 1850, a resident of Clio, 
Mich.; Delavan J., born November 18, 
1852, implement dealer at Sandusky 
city; William J., born April 29, 1855, 
died March 5, 1858; Fred W. , born Sep- 
tember 10, 1858, a salesman at Sandusky 
city; and two children, who died in in- 
fancy. 

Hiram P. Deyo grew to manhood on 
the home farm in Erie county, attending 
the district schools and also taking a term 
or two at Milan. He was married, Jan- 
uary 6, 1870, to Francis P. Thompson, 
who was born in Thompson township, 
Seneca Co., Ohio, November 5, 1845, 
daughter of William and Hannah (Hol- 
man) Thompson. William Thompson 
when a boy came from Pennsylvania with 
his parents, who settled in Thompson 
township, Seneca county. He died at 
the age of seventy-five years, in Erie 
county. Children as follows were born 
to William and Hannah Thompson: 
Sarah Ann, who married Theophilus 
Gardner, and is now deceased; Delia, 
wife of Charles Russell, of York town- 
ship; Josiah, who lives on the old home- 
stead; William H., of Thompson town- 
ship, Seneca county, and Celesta M. 
wife of S. E. Bardwell, of Erie county. 

Mr. Deyo has been a lifelong farmer, 
except for about eight months, when he 
was on the road as a Baltimore & Ohio 
express messenger. He came from Erie 
county to York township, Sandusky 
county, purchasing the excellent farm 
of eighty-seven acres which he now culti- 
vates. Mr. Deyo affiliates with the Peo- 
ple's party, and himself and wife are con- 
sistent members of the M. E. Church. 
They have one child. Miss Stella Deyo, a 
handsome and highly-accomplished young 
lady. She taught her first school at the 
age of fourteen years, and has since taken 
a thorough course of instruction in the 



Musical Conservatory at Oberlin. She is 
now a teacher of vocal and instrumental 
music, and is one of the most popular 
belles in the social life of Sandusky 
county. 



CHARLES HURLBUT. This 
young and enterprising agricul- 
turist and oil speculator of Madi- 
son township, Sandusky county, 
was born February 28, 1867, son of E. A. 
and Christina (Blank) Hurlbut. He is a 
representative of prominent families of 
the community, being a nephew of Amos 
and Abraham Blank, leading farmers of 
Sandusky county. 

When Charles was quite a young man 
his father went west, and he then lived 
with his uncle, Abraham Blank, who cared 
for him and his mother. His elementary 
education was obtained in the schools of 
Woodville township, Sandusky county, 
and for a short period he pursued his 
studies in Gibsonburg, afterward working 
on his uncle's farm until he had arrived 
at years of maturity. Having a desire to 
to see the W^estern States, he started in 
188S for California, traveling through 
Colorado, Arizona, Texas and New Mex- 
ico, and at last reaching the Golden State. 
He visited many portions of California, 
spending some time in Los Angeles, San 
Diego, San Francisco and other points of 
interest, and upon the return trip he vis- 
ited Kansas, remaining some months in 
that State. 

On reaching Ohio again, he took up his 
residence upon his uncle's farm, which 
has been his home continuously since. 
Three years ago he entered into partner- 
ship with his uncles and other enterpris- 
ing business men of the township in the 
formation of a company for oil specula- 
tion, of which he was made secretary and 
treasurer. This concern, which is a purely 
local one, is meeting with good success. 
Besides aiding in the operation of the 
large farm belonging to his uncle, Mr. 



210 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Hurlbut himself owns 140 acres of rich 
and arable land in another part of the 
township, which is now highly cultivated 
and on which he is making some exten- 
sive improvements. 

On September 25, 1890, Mr. Hurlbut 
led to the marriage altar Miss Elsie R. 
Krotzer, a daughter of Ira W. Krotzer, a 
farmer of Madison township, Sandusky 
county. Two children bless this happ}- 
marriage — Ira W., born August 2, 1891, 
and Walter H., born July 15, 1893. Mr. 
Hurlbut is a very intelligent and enter- 
prising young man, and, possessing good 
business tact and ability, has met with 
success in his undertakings. Within the 
past year he has erected a beautiful home, 
the finest in the neighborhood, which 
stands as a monument to his industry. 
He possesses a genial, affable disposition, 
is widely and favorably known through- 
out the county, and is popular with all. 
His business integrity is above question, 
and commands universal confidence and 
respect. Socially he is connected with 
Gibsonburg Lodge No. 687, I. O. O. F., 
and in politics he supports principles rather 
than party, and is a stalwart Silverman. 



GEORGE BOWE, son of George 
Bowe, Sr. , and Catherine (Weg- 
stein) Bowe, was born August i. 
1835, on the old homestead in 
Section 7, Scott township, Sandusky 
county, and where his brothers first saw 
the light. 

In May, 1861, Mr. Bowe was united 
in marriage with Miss Mary Bordner, of 
Freeport, Ohio, and shortly after their 
marriage they settled in Section 18, Scott 
township, where they remained three 
years; about 1863 he built a house on his 
own farm and removed there. Sixty 
acres of his farm were heavily timbered at 
that time, which he has cleared and made 
of it one of the model farms of the town- 
ship; later Mr. Bowe added to his first 
piece of land until he now has 210 acres. 



In addition to his arduous work as a 
farmer he followed threshing for twenty- 
eight years, wearing out several machines 
and making money at the business. Like 
his brothers, Mr. Bowe entered into the 
oil business, and like them made several 
leases of his farm before one was made 
that resulted in any practical benefit. Fi- 
nally, February 17, 1895, he leased his 
farm to the Sun Oil Company, for one- 
sixth of the oil produced. Four wells are 
now being operated, and a well is to be 
put in each sixty days until twelve wells 
are down. The wells now in operation 
produce about twelve barrels of oil per 
day, or six barrels each. The oil is 
pumped to Toledo through an oil pipe. 
While a well was being put down on his 
neighbor's land Mr. Bowe's barn acciden- 
tally took fire and was completely de- 
stroyed. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Bowe have come 
children as follows: W. M., born Feb- 
ruary 25, 1862, resides on the old farm; 
he was married October i, 1885, to Ro- 
sette Day, of Rising Sun, Ohio, and they 
have one child, Shurley, born October 
20, 1889. Ellen Catherine, born June 19, 
1864, is the wife of Wilbert Phillips. 
Charles Henry, born October 30, 1866, 
married Ellen Roush, of Rising Sun, Ohio. 
Fanny is Mrs. W. Day, of Rising Sun. 
Mary Elizabeth, born July 8, i86i, was a 
teacher in Sandusky county a few years 
before her marriage; she married J. H. 
Burnette, of Rising Sun. R. G., born 
May I, 1873, was also a teacher for two 
years. Roscoe F. was born December 1 9, 
1877. Verna L. was born February 
II, 1880. Mrs. Bowe was born October 
II, 1 838, a daughter of Michael and Leah 
(Buchtel) Bordner. When she was only 
a young girl her mother died, and she 
was obliged to assist in the household du- 
ties for her father. 

Michael Bordner was born February 
28, 18 12, in Pennsylvania, where he lived 
until he was fifteen years old. He then 
came to Stark county, Ohio, where, on 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



211 



December ii, 1S34, he married Miss 
Leah Buchtel, of that county. For eight 
j'ears he worked at shoemaking, but dur- 
ing the latter part of his active life he fol- 
lowed agricultural pursuits. He is now 
living in Bradner, Wood county, at the 
age of eighty-three years, a pleasant and 
genial old gentleman. His wife died in 
1859, and was buried in the Bradner 
Cemetery. To them were born children, 
the names and dates of birth being as fol- 
lows: Henry, September 9, 1S36, died 
in the Civil war; Mary, Mrs. Bowe; Lucy, 
January 25, 1841, died September 24, 
1894; Calvin, April 30, 1S43, who died 
July 28, 1862, in the army; Rachel, Au- 
gust 9, 1846; Ellen, September 14, 1848; 
Alfred, January 28, 1851; and Sarah, 
March 24, 1855. After the death of his 
first wife Mr. Bordner married Miss Polly 
Yohe, who is also deceased. 

Peter Bordner, the paternal grand- 
father of Mrs. Bowe, was born about the 
year 1766 in Pennsylvania, and died in 
1816; his wife, Catherine (Cotherman), 
was born in 1770 and died in 1866. Mrs. 
Bowe's maternal grandfather, Henry 
Buchtel, was born about 1790 and died 
in 1875; his wife, Elizabeth Avers, was 
born about 1791, and died in 1850. They 
had fifteen children — two sons and thir- 
teen daughters. 

George Bowe, Sr. , father of the sub- 
ject of this sketch, was born in France in 
1802, came to America in 1832, settling 
in New York State, near Buffalo, where he 
remamed three years, thence moving to 
Ohio, where in Scott township he entered 
210 acres of land, one-half for his sister, 
and the balance for himself. In the 
winter of 1834-35 he married Catherine 
Wegstein, a daughter of Michael Weg- 
stein, and born in Baden, Germany, 181 3. 
To them were born ten children, three of 
whom died in infancy, the others being: 
George (our subject), Jacob, Frederick, 
Henry, Michael, Jr., David and Mary C. ; 
Frederick and Mary C. , died some time 
ago; the others are yet living. Mr. Bowe's 



father was an old pioneer of Scott town- 
ship. He owned at one time 600 acres 
of land, which he divided among his chil- 
dren, thus giving each a start in life, from 
which they have progressed and become 
well-to-do, highly esteemed by all who 
know them. His wife, the mother of our 
subject, died July 9, i89i,and was buried 
in the Bradner Cemetery. 

Our subject's maternal grandfather, 
Michael Wegstein, was born about the 
year 1779 in Baden, Germany, where he 
was married. In 1832 he started for 
America, and during the voyage his wife 
died and was buried in mid-ocean. In his 
family there were six children, of whom 
only two are living; one son, Capt. 
Michael Wegstein, of Company H, Sev- 
enty-second Ohio Regiment, was killed at 
the battle of Shiloh. 



JM. YEAGLE is of that type of citi- 
zenship most valuable to any com- 
munity. That people is perhaps 
best governed that is least governed; 
but the withholding of governmental re- 
straint is only possible when the people are 
in themselves sufficiently self-restrained. 
Mr. Yeagle has learned the value of at- 
tending strictly to his own business, and 
also of attending to it well. Denied the 
advantage of a higher education himself, 
he has made it a duty to give to his chil- 
dren that which he lacked. 

Our subject was born in Sandusky 
county February 26, 1846, son of Michael 
and Sarah (Kreilick) Yeagle, the former 
of whom was born in Pennsylvania in 
1 8 10, and died in December, 1893, a re- 
spected farmer of Sandusky county. In 
politics he was a Democrat, and in re- 
ligious faith a Lutheran. His wife, also 
a native of Pennsylvania, was born in 
181 3, and died at the age of sixty-five 
years. They had seven children, as fol- 
lows: Mary, wife of John Faden, of Ot- 
tawa county; Jeremiah; Henry; Catherine, 
who married John Henrick; J. M., sub- 



212 



COMMEMORATIVE HIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ject of this sketch; Sarah, who married 
Joseph Leiser, and Lavina, who married 
Israel Burkett. J. M. Yeagle grew up in 
the county of his birth, attending the 
schools of Rice township. In 1871 he 
married Miss Mary Flatz, who was born 
in Germany, May 30, 1848, and after his 
marriage he purchased and settled on a 
farm in Salem township, Ottawa county, 
where he remained about ten years. He 
then farmed for two years near Fremont, 
and in 1890 purchased his present farm 
of seventy acres in Green Creek township. 
Mr. and Mrs. Yeagle have six children: 
Cyrus, born October 15, 1871, who was 
married May i, 1894, to Pheama Tuttle, 
and lives at Toledo; John, born December 
28, 1872, a graduate of Green Spring 
Academy, and a student at Adelbert Col- 
lege, Cleveland; Irene, born April 7, 1875, 
a student at the Fremont schools; Charles, 
born April 20, 1876, also a student of 
Green Spring Academy; Michael, born 
July I, 1878. attending the Clyde High 
School, and William, born January 26, 
1 88 1. Mr. Yeagle is a fruit and grain 
fanner. He has highl\' improved his pro- 
ductive acres, and last year he erected one 
of the best frame residences in Green 
Creek township. He is progressive in his 
views and well-to-do. His easy financial 
situation is due to his own industry and to 
the care and management which he has 
bestowed upon his property. 



SAMUEL BOOR has pushed his 
way through the ranks of the 
many, and stands among the suc- 
cessful few, being numbered 
among the prosperous agriculturists of 
Scott township, Sandusky county. He 
is also one of the honored veterans of the 
Civil war, and a valued and progressive 
citizen. 

Mr. Boor was born in Bedford county, 
Penn., August 27, 1835, and when a 
child came with his parents to Sandusky 
county, the father purchasing 160 acres 



of land in Jackson township for $500. 
This he cleared, making for himself and 
family a comfortable home in which he 
spent his remaining days. He, too, was 
a native of Bedford county, born in 1799, 
and was descended from Holland ances- 
try, while his wife, who was born in 1 804, 
was of French-Irish lineage. They had 
a family of ten children, namely: Josiah, 
May E., Margaret, Jane C, W. C. , 
Samuel, Annie, James, S. E., and F. 
M., eight of whom are now living. James 
entered the naval service during the 
Civil war, and died while defending his 
country. The maternal grandmother of 
our subject was born about 1766, and 
made the journey from the Keystone 
State to Ohio in a carriage, returning by 
the same convej'ance. 

Mr. Boor, whose name opens this re- 
\\q\\\ remained on the home farm until 
twenty-two years of age, when he made 
a trip to Kansas, at the time of the 
great slavery agitation there; but there 
was too much danger and excitment con- 
nected with life in that State, and he re- 
moved elsewhere, spending a year in the 
West. He then returned to his old home 
in Sandusky county, and after the open- 
ing of hostilities joined the boys in blue 
of Company I, Seventy-second O. V. I. 
When his three-years' term expired he 
re-enlisted, continuing at the front until 
the close of the war. He was actively 
engaged in many battles, including Shiloh, 
Corinth, Jackson, Vicksburg, Nashville 
and Mobile, and at the first named re- 
ceived a bullet wound in the right leg, 
though he fought the remainder of the 
daj-. The succeeding day, however, 
he was unable to walk. He was 
a loyal, faithful soldier, in whom the 
Union cause found an able defender. 

On the close of hostilities Mr. Boor 
returned to his home. On September 11, 
1869, he married Miss Ellen Snyder, 
who was born in 1847, daughter of 
George N. and Mary (Harmon) Snyder, 
of Scott township, Sandusky county. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPBWAL RECORD. 



213 



Her father is still livini; in Scott town- 
ship, at the advanced age of eighty-seven. 
He was born March 6, i8oS, in Pennsyl- 
vania, son of Philip and Elizabeth (New- 
man) Snyder, the former of whom was 
born in 1770. In an earl}' tlay George 
N. Snyder came to Sandusky county, 
and he voted at the first election held in 
Scott township, more than fifty years 
ago, ranking among the honored pioneers. 
On April 14, 1S34, he wedded Mary Har- 
mon, and they had six children — one 
who died in infancy; Elizabeth; M. L. ; 
Harvey; Mary Ellen, and Sarah. The 
mother of this family died, and on June 
20, 1872, Mr. Snyder married Mrs. 
Alexander Houston, who was born De- 
cember 14, 1825. 

Upon their marriage Air. 



Boor located upon the farm 



and Mrs. 
which has 



since been their home — originally a part 
of the farm owned by John Scott, in 
honor of whom the township was named. 
Our subject has seen the forest give way 
before the woodman's axe, the log cabin 
supplanted by the commodious dwelling 
and the ox-sled replaced by modern 
vehicles. He has aided in the general 
work of improvement and development, 
having his own farm under a high state 
of cultivation, good fences enclosing 
well-tilled fields, ample barns and out- 
buildings providing shelter for grain and 
stock, while a substantial residence, built 
in modern style of architecture and roofed 
with slate, is the pleasant home of the 
family. In addition to his extensive 
farming interests, Mr. Boor is largely 
engaged in buying and selling stock, 
frequently purchasing cattle in Chicago, 
which he fattens and ships to Buffalo. 
He has found this a profitable branch 
of his business. His career is that of 
a self-made man who has worked his 
way upward from a humble position to 
one of affluence, and he deserves great 
credit for his success in life. 

Mr. and Mrs. Boor had five chidren, 
two of whom died in infancy: Mary 



was born July 28, 1873; Jes.;ie, born 
October 6. 1876, is successfully engaged 
in teaching in Sandusky county; J. C, 
born January 12, 1S80, is at home. 
The family occupies an enviable posi- 
tion in social circles, and the Boor house- 
hold is noted for its hospitality. Mr. 
Boor has served for several years as 
trustee of his township, and for two 
j'ears was county commissioner of San- 
dusky county, discharging his duties 
w'ith the same fidelity and conscientious- 
ness which characterized his military 
career. , 



JACOB CRAMER, a farmer of Jack- 
son township, Sandusky county, was 
born April i, 1857, in the township 
where he now resides. His father, 
Conrad Cramer, was born November 10, 
181 1, and in 1841 married Catharine 
Miller, who was born April i, 1818, 
daughter of Isaac Miller, of Alsace, Ger- 
many, a market gardener by occupation, 
whose other children were Barbara and 
Margaret. Our subject's grandparents 
lived and died in Hessen Cassel, Ger- 
many. His grandfather was a brewer by 
trade, and also owned and operated 100 
acres of land in Germany. 

Jacob Cramer was one of a family of 
five children: Conrad, born in 1844, 
who is a wholesale grocer of Toledo, 
Ohio, married Miss Hulda Swigart, and 
has two children — Frances and Roy; po- 
litically he is a Republican. Anna, born 
in 1846, married Henry Lance, a farmer 
of Riley township, and has two children — 
Frank and Myrtie; he is a member of the 
U. B. Church. Catharine, born in 1848, 
became the wife of John Hollinger, a 
dealer in agricultural implements, and a 
member of the firm of Hollinger & Pal- 
mer, of Fremont, Ohio; in politics he is a 
Democrat. Jacob is our subject. William, 
born in 1865, a farmer by occupation, 
married Miss .'\manda Smith, of Jackson 
township, arid their children are Walter, 



214 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPBWAL RECORD. 



Frank and Esther; he affiliates with the 
Democratic party, and is a member of the 
U. B. Church. 

Jacob Cramer remained at home with 
his parents until his twenty-first year, 
working on the farm, and saving enough 
money to buy fifty-two acres of land in 
the spring of 1882. This he sold three 
years later and bought the forty-acre lot 
where he now resides for $3,200; he has 
since that time bought forty acres more 
in Seneca county. His home farm is sit- 
uated eleven miles west of Fremont, and 
two miles north of Kansas, Ohio. Mr. 
Cramer is a strong Prohibitionist, and in 
religious connection is a member of the 
U. B. Church, of which he is a liberal 
supporter. On December i, 1881, he 
married Mary J. Humphrey, who was 
born December 24, i860, a daughter of 
Isaac and Rebecca Humphrey (deceased). 
They have two children— Cora May, born 
August 21, 1883, and Clarence J., born 
November 14, 1886. 



NELSON R. TUCKER, a prosper- 
ous farmer and extensive land- 
owner of Sandusky township, 
Sandusky county, was born April 
16, 1823, in Jefferson county, N. Y. The 
great ancestor of this Tucker family came 
from England to America before the Revo- 
lutionary war, and settled in Massachu- 
setts. He was a farmer. One of his 
sons, Caleb Tucker, married Miss Kate 
Billins, at Shrewsbury, Mass, where he 
afterward carried on farming. Here, ac- 
cording to the custom of the times, he 
bought a colored man-servant to assist 
him in farming, and a colored female- 
servant to help his wife about the house- 
work. They treated these slaves kindly, 
finally giving them their liberty. Caleb 
Tucker afterward bought a farm near 
Johnstown, N. Y. , where he reared a 
family of eleven children, namely: Na- 
thaniel B., Melinda, Hiram, Caleb, Katie, 



Parmelia, Henry, Harriet, Thomas, Jane 
and Ezekiel. 

Nathaniel B. Tucker was born Octo- 
ber 29, 1797, and on June 16, 1821, mar- 
ried Miss Mary Ann Ballard, daughter of 
Rufus and Martha (Swartwout) Ballard. 
Rufus Ballard was a son of Thomas Bal- 
lard, a soldier of the Revolutionary war, 
who lived in the Mohawk Valley, Mont- 
gomery county, N. Y. , and was the own- 
er of several slaves, who worked as farm 
hands. The children of Nathaniel B. 
and Mary Ann Tucker were: Nelson R., 
Mary, Henry and Phoeba. In 1825 the 
family moved from Jefferson county, N. 
Y. , to St. Lawrence county, N. Y. , which 
was then a wilderness, and they at first 
had only one neighbor within a radius of 
eight miles. About the year 1835 they 
moved to Jefferson county, and in 1836 
again located in St. Lawrence county. 
About the year 1838 Nathaniel Tucker 
took a prospective trip west, and traded 
his fifty acres in New York for eighty acres 
in Sandusky county, Ohio, whither the 
family moved in June, 1839, proceedingto 
Sackett's Harbor, where they took boat 
for Buffalo, thence to Cleveland, thence 
to Portland (now Sandusky City), and 
thence across the country to their destina- 
tion near the mouth of ^iuskalonge creek, 
about five miles north of Lower Sandusky, 
now Fremont. They made the trip of 
600 miles in seven days. Their money 
had dwindled down to $27 in specie, which 
Mr. Tucker now paid out for a cow and a 
barrel of flour. He found work among 
some neighbors at fifty cents per day, and 
he once took an eight-days' job of " grub- 
bing" for Mr. Thomas Holcomb for a pig 
that weighed si.xty pounds. Being a 
shoemaker by trade, he soon found work 
among neighbors at cobbling, or "whip- 
ping the cat," as it was called. After 
working for Jeremiah Everett on a farm 
during the hot weather of July, Mr. Tuck- 
er and his son Nelson were taken ill with 
bilious fever, and the rest of the family 
also took sick, one after the other, with 







X 




D 



Z 

< 



2i 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



215 



the same malady, until there was not one 
left well enough to hand the rest a drink 
of water. Kind neighbors, however, came 
to look after them until those who were 
first sick began to recover. Their first 
family doctors were L. O. Rawson and P. 
Beaugrand. By patient endurance of pri- 
vations, self-denying sacrifices, untiring 
industry, and prudent management this 
pioneer family gradually improved their 
condition and rose to competence. 

Nathaniel Tucker was a lithe, active 
man, of medium height, with blue eyes 
and a light complexion. He was of a 
social disposition, and in his younger days 
was an expert dancer. He and his wife 
became members of the M. E. Church in 
New York State, and after settling in 
Sandusky county united with the Church 
of the United Brethren in Christ at a re- 
vival meeting held by Rev. M. Long, in 
their neighborhood, in 1840. Religious 
services were held for many years in the 
Tucker schoolhouse, which was built on 
the Tucker farm. Mr. Tucker died at 
the home of his son. Nelson R. Tucker, 
July 15, 1884, at the age of eighty-seven 
years, eight months, seventeen days, and 
was buried in Brier Hill Cemetery, near 
his old farm. His venerable wife survives 
him to cheer their grandchildren by her 
acts of kindness and her stories of pioneer 
experiences. She was a member of the 
Pioneer and Historical Society of San- 
dusky County, and at the last picnic pre- 
vious to her death took the annual "bou- 
quet" given to the oldest lady pioneer 
present. She passed away September 19, 
1892, at the age of ninety-one years, three 
months, nineteen days. She was buried 
beside her husband. 

Nelson R. Tucker came to Sandusky 
county at the age of sixteen, and remained 
in his father's family until after he was 
married. Among his recollections of child- 
hood days is a trip he once made, at the 
age of eight, to mill on horseback, five 
miles, with a sack of wheat, returning 
with the flour. On leaving home he 

14 



bought eighty acres of land in Washington 
township, but finding it too stony he sold 
it and bought in Sandusky township the 
site of his present home, where he now 
owns 240 acres of fertile land, which has 
been extensively tiled. He follows gen- 
eral farming and takes pride in raising the 
best crops of grain and grass, and the 
most profitable breeds of live stock. 
During the war of the Rebellion Mr. 
Tucker was a decided Union man. In 
his earlier years he was a Democrat until 
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, 
when he joined the Republican party; 
subsequently he became a Greenbacker, 
and more recently has cast his influence 
with the Peoples party. He was the first 
organizer of the Farmers Alliance in San- 
dusky county, where he organized thir- 
teen lodges, and he served as their lec- 
turer. He is now one of the leading 
members of the Patrons of Industry of 
Sandusky county, and in all things that 
pertain to the advancement and progress 
of his neighborhood Mr. Tucker has ever 
been in the front rank. He has been in 
advance of his time, but on account of 
his enterprise and push he has succeeded 
in bringing the community to his stand- 
ard. Through his efforts was brought 
about the construction of the Oak Harbor 
and Fremont pike, which was opposed at 
first and is now admired. 

On March 16, 1843, Nelson R. 
Tucker married Miranda Burgoon, daugh- 
ter of Peter Burgoon, one of the pio- 
neers of Sandusky county. Their chil- 
dren were: Adelia M., born July 9, 
1844, and died in infancy; Barrette, born 
October 26, 1845, and died when eleven 
months old; Martha Ann, born January 
17,1 848, is unmarried, and lives on the old 
farm; Mary E., born November 26, 1851, 
married John C. Parish, now deceased, 
and had four children — Perry, Fos- 
ter C, Boswell E., and Gouldie L. ; 
Rachel T., born November 20, 1853, 
who married Peter Klinhaunce, and had 
children as follows — Nelson, Sadie, Rod- 



21G 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ney and Bessie; Hattie, born January 14, 
1855, who married Charles Baker, and 
has one child — Glenn; Nellie Ida, born 
November 24, 1857, who married R. R. 
Strubble, and has one child — Carl; Julia, 
born December 24, 1859, who married 
D. B. Hartmann, and their children are 
— Ralph, Rollo, Roswell, Roscoe and 
Mabel; Charles C, born March 7, 1861, 
who married Minnie E. Nowlan, Decem- 
ber 6, 1883, and has had four children — 
Harry Lee, Elmer R. , Mae E. , and Ada; 
Lillie v., born January 14, 1865, who 
was married April 18, 1889, to G. W. 
Strang, and has two children — Ray and 
Paul; John P., born January 16, 1867, 
who married Fannie Hartman, and lives 
on the farm. Mr. Tucker was educated 
in the district school; he is a man of fine 
appearance and large physique, and an 
ardent member of the Peoples party. 
The mother of this large family passed 
to the home beyond F"ebruary 3, 1895. 
Both Mr. and Mrs. Tucker were noted 
for their generosity, kindness and charity. 
They took great pleasure in lending a 
helping hand to everybody, and especially 
to people in times of need. They suc- 
ceeded in instilling good principles in 
their children. And as they pass from 
this life the community where they have 
lived realizes that they have been bet- 
tered by their having lived in it. 



SAMUEL FOSTER, one of the 
progressive and prosperous agri- 
culturists of Washington township, 
Sandusky county, is a native of 
same, born in the village of Hessville, 
February 16, 1838, a son of John and 
Susan (Runkle) Foster. 

The parents of our subject, well-to-do 
farming people, were both born in Perry 
county, Ohio, to which State the paternal 
ancestry came from Pennsylvania, and 
the maternal from the State of Virginia. 
In Washington township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, John Foster, father of Samuel, pur- 



chased of the government 160 acres of 
timber land, and removed thither in 1832. 
This property he set to work to clear and 
improve, in course of time developing a 
fine farm. Here our subject's mother died 
in January, 1S55, the father subsequently 
marrying Mrs. Catherine (Overmeyer) 
Foster, widow of his brother. John Fos- 
ter was called from earth January 30, 
1889, at the advanced age of eighty-one 
years, a Democrat in politics, and a mem- 
ber of the Lutheran Church. He was 
one of seven children, all of whom are 
now deceased. His second wife died 
September 30, 1888. 

Samuel Foster, whose name intro- 
duces this sketch, is one of si.\ children: 
Christian, a farmer of Wood county, 
Ohio; Samuel; Noah, a farmer of Wash- 
ington township, Sandusky county; Em- 
anuel, now a resident of East Toledo, 
Ohio; Lucinda (Mrs. Charles Dodd), de- 
ceased; and Sophia (deceased). Our 
subject remained at home up to the age 
of twenty-one years, being the mainstay 
of his father, and as a consequence his 
education was somewhat limited. On 
leaving home he first found employment 
for eight months on the farm of J. B. 
Mugg, in Townsend township, Sandusky 
county, then returning to the parental 
roof remained there during the winter 
months. In the following spring he moved 
to Van Wert county, this State, where he 
was employed some ten months, after 
which he again returned to Sandusky 
county and worked for his wife's parents 
(for he had in the meantime married) on 
their farm. For two years he farmed 320 
acres of land on shares, and then bought 
eighty acres in Freedom township, Wood 
county, on which he resided some six 
months, at the end of that time purchas- 
ing the eighty-four acres in Washington 
township whereon he now has his home, 
having built a comfortable residence, be- 
sides commodious barns and outhouses. 

On August 8, 1 86 1, Mr. Foster was 
married to Miss Mary Humberger, daugh- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



217 



ter of Benjamin and Mary (Zartman) 
Humberger, and nine children were the 
result of this union, a brief record of them 
being as follows: Franklin A., born July 
5, 1862, is now a farmer of Jackson town- 
ship, Sandusky count}'; William H., born 
December 2, 1863, is a farmer near Four- 
Mile house, Sandusky county; Calista, 
born January 28, 1866, married Edward 
Snavley, of Jackson township, Sandusky 
county; Orpha A., born Februarj' 8, 1868, 
married H. D. Jenning, a farmer in 
Michigan; Elmer, born March 20, 1870, 
is a farmer in Scott township, Sandusky 
county; Wilmer, born March 20, 1870, 
is now in the oil business in Madison 
township, Sandusky count}'; Adelbert, 
born November 16, 1874, is in Madison 
township, in the oil business; Grace, born 
March i, 1877, died July 27, 1887; 
Allen |., born Decembers, 1881, lives at 
home. Mr. F"oster in politics is a Demo- 
crat, is a member of the school board, 
and also serves as road superintendent; 
he is identified with the Reformed Church, 
and is a good, substantial, well-known 
and honored citizen of the township in 
which he lives. 



HENRY HUGHES. Among the 
\oung men of Fremont who have 
worked their own way in the 
world, and by manliness, honesty 
and pluck achieved success, our subject 
takes an honorable place. He was born 
in Scott township, Sandusky county, De- 
cember 16, 1866, son of Michael and 
Catharine (Conolly) Hughes. 

Michael Hughes was a native of Coun- 
ty Tyrone, Ireland, and came to America 
when eighteen years of age. He stopped 
in Philadelphia one summer, and then 
coming west located on a farm in Scott 
township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, in which 
township he still resides; he is now fifty 
years of age. His wife died April 2, 1892. 
They had ten children, two of whom died 
in childhood; the living are: Henry (our 



subject), Mary, Ellen, Sarah, Lillie May, 
Michael, William and George. Mr. 
Hughes is a member of the Roman Cath- 
olic Church, and in politics he is a Demo- 
crat. 

Henry Hughes grew to manhood on a 
farm in Scott township, in the region of 
the Black Swamp, where he attended 
country schools until such time as he suc- 
ceeded in perfecting himself so as to be 
able to secure a certificate for teaching. 
This he obtained in 1883, and at the age 
of seventeen taught the summer term 
of the Millersville school, and for six con- 
secutive winter terms thereafter he was 
engaged for the same school. In the 
spring of 1888, at the age of twenty-one, 
he was elected assessor of Scott town- 
ship, and was re-elected the following 
spring. In the fall of 1888 he began the 
study of a special course of surveying and 
civil engineering, at the Ohio Normal 
University, Ada, Ohio, graduating with 
honor. He located in Fremont in 1890, 
and has since remained here, engaging in 
surveying and civil engineering in San- 
dusky and adjoining counties. 

On January 2, 1894, Mr. Hughes was 
married to jNIiss Mamie Ouilter, an esti- 
mable and accomplished lady, who was 
born in Fremont, Ohio, daughter of Tim- 
othy M. and Mary (Reardon) Ouilter, na- 
tives of Ireland. Her father is a retired 
grocer of Fremont, Ohio. A son, Henry 
Melvin Hughes, has blessed the union of 
Mr. and Mrs. Hughes, born January 25, 
1895. ^ff"- Hughes was elected surveyor 
of Sandusky county in the fall of 1894, 
and in the spring of 1895 was chosen city 
civil engineer of the city of Fremont. 



SOLOMON HUMBERGER has 
spent his entire life in the locality 
which is still his home, Washing- 
ton township, Sandusky county, 
having been born there October 19, 1840. 
He is a son of Benjamin and Mary 
(Zartman) Humberger, who were reared 



218 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in Perry count}', Ohio. The paternal 
grandparents were residents of Lancaster 
county, Penn., and the maternal grand- 
parents also lived in the Keystone State. 
The respective families came to Ohio 
when the Indians were more numerous 
than the white settlers, and were honored 
pioneers, actively identified with the up- 
building and development of the com- 
munity in which they located. The father 
of our subject was born April 22, 1809, 
son of Peter and Mary (Snyder) Humber- 
ger, and the mother was born February 
19, 1 81 3, daughter of Jonathan and Bar- 
bara (Anspaugh) Zartman. Their mar- 
riage was celebrated in Perry county, 
Ohio, and in 1834 they took up their res- 
idence in Washington township, Sandusky 
county, where the father entered 160 
acres of wild government land, the deed 
for which, signed by Andrew Jackson, then 
President of the United States, is still in 
the possession of our subject. This is 
the old homestead which is still owned by 
Solomon Humberger, and which the fa- 
ther made his place of residence until his 
death, February 25, 1864. His wife sur- 
vived him a little over one year, passing 
away July 26, 1865. The family of this 
worthy couple numbered ten children, as 
follows: Melinda, widow of David Hen- 
dricks, resides in Missouri, and has ten 
children; Margaret died at the age of four- 
teen years; Levina is the wife of Barn- 
hart Faust, of Michigan, and has ten chil- 
dren; Mary is the wife of Samuel Foster, 
a resident farmer of Washingon township 
(Mrs. Foster having part of the old home- 
stead), and has nine children; Lucinda 
became the wife of E. F. Whitney, and 
died leaving four children: Samuel, Isa- 
bella, Elizabeth and Barbara, all of whom 
died in childhood; Solomon is the subject 
proper of these lines. 

Solomon Humberger has passed all 
his life on the homestead, with the ex- 
ception of about eight weeks, when away 
on a visit. He early became familiar 
with farm work in its various departments. 



and is now a thorough-going agriculturist, 
successfully managing his business inter- 
ests and having thereby secured a com- 
fortable competence. Upon his father's 
death he bought out the interests of the 
other heirs in the old home place, and is 
now sole owner; in 1890 he erected his 
present commodious and substantial resi- 
dence. In the same year he leased his 
land to the Standard Oil Company, and 
they have sunk six wells, each of which 
produces at present twelve barrels of oil 
daily. 

On March 22, 1866, Mr. Humberger 
wedded Miss Hetty A. Burkett, daughter 
of Leonard and Fannie (Cotzmeyer) Bur- 
kett. Nine children blessed this union: 
David, born January 6, 1867, who resides 
in Lindsey; Cora Ellen, born February 
8, 1868, wife of Samuel Kretzer, who is 
in the oil business in Washington town- 
ship, Sandusky count}'; Ira, born June 14, 
1870; Orva Allen, born October 17, 
1873; William F. , born October 26, 1874; 
Rosa, born July 31, 1876, wife of Charles 
Waggner; Benjamin L. , born July 18, 
1879; George W. , born September 13, 
1880, and Cornelia L. , born July 26, 
1884. Since attaining his majority Mr. 
Humberger has been identified with the 
Democratic party, and has been honored 
with several local offices, having served 
as school director and road supervisor, 
and for nine years filled the position of 
trustee, his long-continued service well 
indicating his fidelity to duty and the 
confidence reposed in him — a confidence 
that has never been betrayed. 



DOMINICK SMITH is a worthy 
representative agriculturist of San- 
dusky county, and at the same 
time a representative of its early 
pioneers. He was born in Wittenberg, 
Germany, July 10, 1830, son of Bern- 
hardt and Theresa (Krimm) Smith, and 
there received a liberal education in the 
German language. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



219 



In 1854 Mr. Smith came to America, 
and wending his way to what is now Fre- 
mont, Sandusky Co. , Ohio, arrived there 
about the time of the construction of the 
Lake Erie & Western railroad. It was 
in the construction of this railway that 
Mr. Smith did his first day's work in Ohio, 
arranging with the contractor for perma- 
nent employment. At the end of the first 
month of Mr. Smith's hard labor in this 
capacity the contractorhad left the county, 
and our subject, as well as the other la- 
borers, received no remuneration. Pen- 
niless and in debt for his board, Mr. 
Smith made his way to the neighborhood 
in which he now resides, and engaged to 
work for a Mr. John Rearick during the 
winter for his board. In the spring work 
opened on the old jail at Fremont and also 
in the stone quarry, and here our subject 
found employment and learned the trade 
of stone-cutting, which he followed for 
about ten years. 

During this time Mr. Smith had be- 
come a warm friend of the Rearick fam- 
ily, especially the daughter, Barbara, with 
whom he was united in marriage June 10, 
1857. Mr. Smith and his estimable wife, 
by hard labor and economy, secured a 
fine home in Sandusky township, four 
miles west of Fremont, where Mrs. Smith 
departed this life on December 20, 1891, 
aged sixty-six years, five months and ten 
days. She was an affectionate wife, a 
kind and loving mother, and a lady highly 
esteemed in the community. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Smith came two sons, of whom 
Charles L., born November 22, 1859, 
was married December 25, 1888, to Miss 
Emma Hiett, and is now on the old home- 
stead, caring for his father in his declin- 
ing years. He is a highly respected citi- 
zen and one of the progressive agricultur- 
ists of his time. He has one child, a 
son, Ralph W. John Smith, born April 
3, 1 86 1, received his early literary train- 
ing in the Fremont High School under 
Prof. W. W. Ross, and completed his 
education at Kenyon College, of which 



institution he is a graduate. Since fin- 
ishing his college course Mr. Smith has 
been engaged in the teacher's profession, 
in which he is eminently successful. For 
nearly three years he was principal of the 
high school of Napoleon, Ohio, and for 
the past six or seven years has held a 
similar position at Findlay, Ohio. Prof. 
Smith is also clerk of the board of exam- 
iners at Findlay, in which capacity he is 
making his natural adaptability to his 
profession felt in the furtherance of mod- 
ern educational ideas. On September 2, 
1886, he was married to Miss Addie 
Miller, and to their union has been born 
one son, Walter. 

Bernhardt Smith, the father of our 
subject, was born in Germany in 1801, 
was a farmer by occupation and for four 
years an officer in the German army. He 
married Theresa Krimm, also a native of 
Germany, and to them were born the fol- 
lowing named children: Dominick, Amos, 
John, Bernhardt, Philip, Francis, Sardis, 
Theresa, Amelia, and Edith. Dominick 
Smith is a Republican in politics, is an 
active member of the M. E. Church, as 
was also his wife, and the entire family are 
noted in the neighborhood in which they 
.live for intellectuality and respectability. 
Mr. Smith came to America penniless, 
but by honest industry and strict integrity 
he has accumulated a nice property and 
gained the confidence of all who know 
him. His success is meritorious, and in 
language stronger than pen can express 
shows the true make-up of the man. 



JOHN DYMOND, who, as a soldier 
on the Union side in the war of the 
Rebellion, was one of the "boys of 
'61," is well and favorably known in 
Green Creek and other neighboring town- 
ships, as well as in York township, San- 
dusky count}', which is at present his 
home. He is a son of William Dymond, 
and was born in Devonshire, England, 
December 25, 1842. 



220 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



William Dymond was born in Devon- 
shire, England, in 1807. He worked at 
his trade, which was that of a mason, 
both before and after coming to America. 
In 185 1 he crossed the stormy Atlantic 
and cast his fortunes in this "land of the 
free," which his son John showed by his 
courageous deeds a few years later is the 
"home of the brave." He first located 
at Bellevue, Huron county, his family 
coming one year later. Being of a roving 
disposition, he went to Illinois in 1854, 
locating in Rockford, where he remained 
but one year, returning to Bellevue, pre- 
ferring to live among the peaceful settlers 
of Ohio rather than in the crude Western 
society of nearly forty years ago. 

In his boyhood John Dymond received 
a common-school education, and he was 
but little past nineteen when, on August 
16, 1 86 1 , he enlisted in Company F, Forty- 
ninth O. v. I. After serving for thirteen 
months, during which time he was in the 
battles of Munfordville, December 17, 
1 861, and Shiloh, April 7, 1862, at which 
latter place half of his knife was shot out 
of his pocket. He was discharged for dis- 
abilit}-, and on recovering his health he 
re-enlisted, August 17, 1863, in Company 
B, First Ohio Volunteer Heavy Artillery. 
He served until the close of the war, and 
was mustered out July 25, 1865. In the 
fall of 1867 John Dymond was united in 
marriage with Miss Sarah Cupp, who was 
born in York township January 31, 1849, 
and they had six children, four of whom 
are now living, namely: William E., an 
employe of the Nickel Plate road at Colby, 
Sandusky county; John V., who is at 
home; Ada M., wife of Frank Tea, of 
York township; and Essy M., at present 
living with her grandparents in Kansas. 
After his marriage Mr. Dymond farmed 
in York township for severel years, and 
then in February, 1878, moved to Kansas, 
where the death of Mrs. Dymond occurred 
in September of that year. Later the be- 
reaved family returned to Ohio. 

On May 4, 1880, John Dymond was 



again married, this time to Mrs. Sophia 
Douglas, and they have had four children, 
as follows: Edward C, born April 26, 
i88[; Louis H., August 30, 1882; Ezra 
E., June 27, 1884, and Mary E., Feb- 
ruary 23, 1888. Mrs. Dymond is a 
daughter of Daniel and Ruth Jones, and 
was born August 16, 1847, her maiden 
name being Sophia Jones. Mr. Jones is 
now eighty-two years old, and is living 
with his daughter, Mrs. Jones being dead. 
Sophia Jones was united in marriage with 
^^'illiam Douglas on March 28, 1867, and 
their children were: EmmaT., wife of 
William Lawrey, of Green Creek town- 
ship; Lottie R. , wife of William Spitler, 
of Tiffin, Seneca county; and Alvin and 
Celia at home. Mr. Douglas died Jan- 
uary 2, 1877, and in 1880 his widow mar- 
ried Mr. Dymond. 

Mr. Dymond cast his first vote for 
Lincoln, then he embraced Democratic 
principles, and for years cast his ballot 
for the candidates he preferred, and ex- 
pounded Jeffersonian doctrines; but within 
the past few years he, like many others, 
has lost faith in the old parties, and joined 
the party of radical reform, the People's 
party. Mr. and Mrs. Dymond are both 
members of the conservative wing of the 
United Brethren Church. 



SILAS M. TEACHOUT. a well- 
known resident of Benton town- 
ship, Ottawa county, where since 
1 891 he has been engaged in the 
insurance business, was born in Lorain 
county, Ohio, June 23, 1831, son of James 
and Eliza (Haywood) Teachout. 

The grandfather of our subject was a 
native of Scotland. His father, James 
Teachout, a minister of the Gospel, was 
born about 1780, and the mother in 1800, 
both in New York State. The father had, 
by long illness, become somewhat unbal- 
anced mentally, and on hearing that his 
son was very sick he left the house and 
was afterward found on the beach of Lake 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



221 



Erie; it is supposed the news of his son's 
severe ilhiess so overcame him that pro- 
bably he accidentally tell into the lake. 
The mother died in 1836. The father's 
health being poor at the time of the 
mother's death, it became necessary for 
him to break up housekeeping, and put 
the children out. Mr. Teachout, our 
subject, being ne.xt to the youngest child, 
was thus at the age of five years put 
out among strangers to find a home. His 
advantages for an education were very 
limited, it being necessary for him to 
work early in life. However, he was de- 
termined to secure a liberal education, to 
acquire which he worked by the month 
on farms during the summer to clothe 
himself, and in winter worked for his 
board in order that he might attend the 
district school. "Where there's a will 
there's a way." 

At the age of eighteen he went into 
the " Weedle Hotel," in Cleveland, re- 
maining there one year, and then for six 
months worked in the "Forest City 
House," also in Cleveland, going thence to 
Buffalo, where he was employed in a res- 
taurant a few months. He then shipped 
on a steamer running between Chicago 
and Buffalo, on which he spent the sea- 
son, and, later, was porter in the " Lake 
House," at Sandusky about a year. 
Thence removing to Columbus, he con- 
tinued the same line of business some 
three years, or until 1856, in the " Xeal 
House," when he again commenced farm- 
ing. After working by the month for 
two summers, he rented a farm which he 
worked t\vo years. 

In 1863 Mr. Teachout enlisted in Com- 
pany G, One Hundred and Twent\'-third 
O. V. I., and served until the end of the 
war, participating in the battles of New- 
market, Mount Crawford, Lynchburg and 
Cedar Creek, and in other engagements. 
He was also in hospital five months. On 
the retreat from the battle at Lynchburg, 
two hundred miles, he with the remainder 
of his company was without rations for 



four days, the only nourishment being 
coffee; when the provision wagon came 
the soldiers did not stop to cook their 
meat, but eat it raw along with their 
hard-tack. After his honorable discharge, 
May 13, 1865, Mr. Teachout returned to 
Ohio, and in Sandusky opened a restau- 
rant, which at the end of one year he sold 
out, moving to Oak Harbor, Ottawa 
count}', where for some time he was em- 
ployed in getting out axe-helve timber. 
In the spring of 1867 the whole family 
were taken sick with fever and ague, which 
made it impossible for them to do any- 
thing for nearly a year, and when able to 
renew work Mr. Teachout found employ- 
ment in the sawmill of Doolittle & Co., 
with whom he remained until 1868, when 
he engaged in the manufacture of flat 
barrel hoops. This business he carried 
on some fifteen years, in 1883 building a 
shop of his own; but in 1891, the timber 
having become very scarce, he abandoned 
the business and commenced handling in- 
surance (fire and tornado), in which line 
he has since continued with gratif3'ing 
success. 

On May 15, 1853, Mr. Teachout was 
married to Miss Julia McAul, of Sandusky, 
Ohio, and to their union came two chil- 
dren: Mary Ann, born March 18, 1854, 
died May 10, 1854, and Albert, born July 
8, 1858. On May 14, 1S60, the mother 
of these died, her malady being consump- 
tion of the bowels, and is buried in San- 
dusky city. After her death Mr. Teach- 
out continued to work on farms for two 
years, and in the meantime, on June 22, 
1 861, he was wedded to Miss Sarah Mc- 
Namara, of Cleveland, Ohio. By this 
marriage there were nine children, six of 
whom are living, their names and dates 
of birth being as follows: Cornelius 
Walter, October i 8, 1 862 ; Delia May, Feb- 
ruary 16, 1866; Silas William, June 4, 
1868; Lillie Maud, May 3, 1873; Myron 
W. , April 2, 1876, and Harvey S., Feb- 
ruary 14, 1878. On July 17, 1 88 1, Mr. 
Teachout's second wife died, and Sep- 



222 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



tember 30, same year, her eldest daugh- 
ter passed away; they were buried in 
Benton township cemetery. On October 
28, 1884, Mr. Teachout wedded, for his 
third spouse. Miss Elizabeth Gilbert, of 
England. This union has been blessed 
by one child. Mr. Teachout is therefore 
the father of twelve children, eight of 
whom are living. His eldest son, Albert, 
has, during the past ten years, been en- 
gaged in the barrel stave business in Lucas 
county, Ohio. Another son, Myron W., 
now nineteen years of age, is one of the 
promising teachers of Ottawa county. 
He is full of perseverance and determin- 
ation to make a success of anything he 
undertakes. He has the pleasant faculty 
of winning friends wherever he goes, and 
has the good-will and love of all his pupils, 
without which no teacher can e.xpect suc- 
cess. 

On February 25. 1877, Silas M. Teach- 
out became a member of the First Presby- 
terian Church of Graj'town, Ottawa Co., 
Ohio; on September 11, 1877, he was 
chosen and ordained ruling elder of that 
Church, since which time he has been a 
consistent Christian, and a large share of 
the time he has been a faithful worker for 
Christ in the Sabbath-school and other 
Christian work. 



J 



MARION HAWK. Most soldiers of 
the great Civil war look back upon 
their army e.xperiences with fond 
memories. There were thrilling ad- 
ventures, imminent dangers, deeds of 
heroism, hair-breadth escapes, that rise 
in their recollections like living pictures, 
and too often, to look on the other side, 
scenes of sadness and distressing death. 
It is doubtful if there is in Sandusky coun- 
ty a surviving soldier of the war whose 
career during the momentous struggle was 
more thrilling than that of J. Marion 
Hawk, now a leading farmer and citizen 
of Green Creek, his native township. 

He was born March 31, 1845, and is 



the son of Joseph and Sarah (Tillotson) 
Hawk, the former of whom was born in 
Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1814. His 
father, Conrad Hawk, a native of Penn- 
sylvania, was an early pioneer of Pick- 
awa}' county, later, about 1824, settling 
with his family in Green Creek township, 
Sandusky county. Joseph was about ten 
years old when he came to Green Creek 
township, and he was a lifelong citizen 
there, dying in 1889. He was twice mar- 
ried, first time to Sarah Jane Tillotson, by 
whom he had four children: William, who 
died in Michigan; Maria, who married 
Joseph King, and died in Green Creek 
township; Elizabeth, wife of Henry 
Baker, of Green Creek township; and J. 
Marion, subject of this sketch. The 
second wife of Joseph Hawk was Martha 
Harris, by whom he had the following 
eight children: Sarah, wife of H. G. Gib- 
bons, of Clyde; Alva; Mary, wife of B. 
Snyder, of Fremont; Charles and Ida 
(twins), the former a resident of Oregon, 
the latter the wife of S. Sherwood, of 
Fremont; Byron; Anna, wife of Cyrus 
Harnden, of Clyde; and Etta, wife of 
Cyrus Kessler, of Cleveland. The mother 
of this family is still living. 

J. Marion Hawk, usually known as 
Marion, was reared on the farm, and dur- 
ing his boyhood attended the district 
schools. He was barely si.xteen when 
Fort Sumter was fired upon, and between 
impetuous patriotism for his country's 
flag, and the love of excitement, he was 
eager to enlist, but his father frowned 
upon his wishes. Yielding to his impulses, 
in the fall of 1861, Marion ran away from 
home and enlisted in Company D, of the 
gallant Third Cavalry Volunteers. He 
remained with the regiment for three 
years and nine months, during which long 
period the history of the regiment was his 
historv. It was in constant and perilous ser- 
vice throughout Tennessee, Alabama and 
Georgia. While on his way home in the 
fall of 1864 he and a number of comrades 
were taken prisoners at Columbia, Tenn. 





Jk/. /V^. 



r 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



223 



They were escorted to a prison atCahaba, 
Ala. , and thence were transferred to the 
stockade at Macon, Ga., where they re- 
mained two months. While here he, with 
a few companions, attempted an escape. 
They had tunneled over loo feet, and 
were almost read}' to escape, when a Con- 
federate officer noticed the string attached 
to a small pan used in drawing out the 
dirt, and pulled. The prisoner in the 
tunnel, thinking it was a companion, cried 
out: "No, wait; it is not full yet." "You 
had better come out," drawled the officer, 
and the countenance of the grimy tunneler 
fell when he emerged and beheld the grey 
coat. All the work had been in vain. 

When removed from the Macon 
stockade to a train, Mr. Hawk and sev- 
eral others felt that the dreaded Ander- 
sonville was their destination, so eight of 
them resolved to escape. They were in 
a stock car, near the front end of the 
train, and surrounded by three guards, 
but knocking down the guards they 
jumped from the swiftly moving train. A 
Rebel guard on a following car aimed his 
musket at Mr. Hawk, but, noticing the 
gray jacket which he wore, and which he 
had traded for as a protection in a pos- 
sible emergency like this, the guard re- 
frained from shooting. The train passed 
by and the eight prisoners made the best 
of their newly-found liberty. They 
tramped through tangled swamp and mire 
until nearly sunset, when the ominous 
blast of a horn told them that the South- 
erners were in pursuit. They separated, 
five starting one way, three another. 
Mr. Hawk and his two companions 
reached the edge of a swamp. Beyond, 
the water was deep, and the baying of 
the bloodhounds grew louder. Recap- 
ture was certain, and to climb trees was 
the onl\' means of safety against the dogs. 
The two companions climbed trees upon 
the dry land, but Mr. Hawk, to give the 
"Johnnies" all the trouble possible, 
waded a long distance into the swamp, 
till it was waist deep, then climbed a tree 



himself. This was February 2, 1865, 
and the weather was raw and chilly. He 
heard the " Rebs " arrive, and take away 
the two companions. After dark he de- 
scended, waded ashore and tramped on 
alone quite a distance, when a light ap- 
peared. Approaching, for he was hungry 
and tired, and ready to meet any human 
being, he found on investigation that the 
light was in a negro shanty. Gaining ad- 
mission, he was asked if he was one of 
the escaped Yankees whom the Confed- 
erates were pursuing with bloodhounds, 
and he admitted that he was. The col- 
ored man fed him, and assured him that 
if he would take dirt from a grave and rub 
it on his feet and clothes the scent of the 
bloodhounds would be destroyed. They 
urged him to take the precaution, and 
two darkeys procured some of the magic 
mold. Though skeptical, he tried the 
charm, and somewhat refreshed con- 
tinued on his weary journey north- 
ward ail that night, and until three 
o'clock the next day, when the bay- 
ing of hounds and the blast of horns in- 
formed him that relentless pursuers were 
on his track. He was then in an open, 
rolling country, and knew that further 
flight was useless. Selecting a scrub oak, 
large enough to bear his weight and keep 
him beyond the fangs of the hounds, he 
climbed the tree and awaited the inev- 
itable. Soon the bloodhounds were leap- 
ing, and howling, and gnawing at the 
base of the tree. Their howls were hid- 
eous and deafening. Three elderly men 
appeared on horseback and requested 
him to descend. He complied, where- 
upon the dogs became uncontrollable and 
Air. Hawk quickly regained his lofty 
perch. The old gentlemen finally si- 
lenced the hounds, and the escaped pris- 
oner frankly admitted his identity. Upon 
the return journey he was permitted to 
ride each of two horses alternately, but 
not the third, which was a superior ani- 
mal, and Mr. Hawk thus lost an oppor- 
tunity to make another break for liberty, 



224 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



for he had resolved to risk the shotguns 
of the old men if once mounted on the 
fast horse. But thoujjh each of the three 
old gentlemen walked alternately they 
kept the best horse to themselves. Stop- 
ping at night at a farmhouse, Mr. Hawk 
was left without a guard; but the blood- 
hounds, let loose outside, deterred him 
from attempting to escape. 

Mr. Hawk was forthwith sent to An- 
dersonville, and there met his seven late 
companions, all of whom had preceded 
him. He saw the notorious Capt. Wirz, 
and was imprisoned there about two 
months. Luckily Mr. Hawk did not fare so 
badly as many of his compatriots. He 
and four other prisoners had a tent and kept 
a peanut stand; also bought corn meal 
from the Rebel guards and sold it to the 
prisoners. At the end of two months he 
had $6 in greenbacks and about $600 in 
Confederate money. Prisoners were 
being exchanged every few days, and the 
Rebel officials were compelling the prison- 
ers to pay for the privilege of being placed 
on the e.xchange list. By giving up all 
their money and other effects Mr. Hawk 
and his companions finally got out. They 
were placed on a cattle car and sent to 
Vicksburg, where thej' were exchanged. 
Here, with about twenty-two hundred other 
passengers, mostly Union soldiers, but in- 
cluding a few Confederates and a few 
women, he boarded the ill-fated "Sul- 
tana." The history of tiiat steamer is 
well known. It blew upabout eight miles 
above Memphis, April 27, 1865, and over 
seventeen hundred passengers were lost. 
Mr. Hawk was on top of the boat near 
the pilot house when the e.xplosion oc- 
curred. Putting on his clothes he rolled 
up his blankets, and looking around for 
some means of escape he saw a stateroom 
door lying loose, and took possession. 
The scene was horrible beyond descrip- 
tion. There were mangled dead and 
dying lying about, and hundreds were 
wailing, who must choose between a death 
by fire or water. Watching his oppor- 



tunity' Mr. Hawk shoved off with his door. 
He swam bravely for a while, but was 
seized with cramps in his legs, and got 
badl}' tangled in the vines and debris of 
the river drift. Finally reaching shore he 
made his way northward, and was hon- 
orably discharged from service May 15, 
1865. 

He returned to his father's farm, and 
was married, in 1870, to Miss Mary A. 
Bower, who was born in Sandusky City 
March 21, 1850. Her parents were na- 
tives of Baden, Germany. Mr. and Nfrs. 
Hawk have three children: Pranklin M., 
born August 6, 1873; Irma G., born Au- 
gust 10, 1876; and Ruth E., born June 
7, 1885. Mr. Hawk owns 104 acres of 
good land, and is decidedly one of the 
best farmers in his township. He is tall 
of stature, well informed, and socially, a 
leader. In politics he is a Democrat. He 
is a prominent member and now chancellor 
commander of the K. of P., and is also 
past colonel of the U. V. U. 



A J. CASTLE, one of the substan- 
tial farmers of York township, 
Sandusky county, has won ad- 
miration by his sure and steady 
rise to comfort, possesses unquestioned 
integrity, and has acquired a modest 
competency by his own unaided efforts. 
He was born in Erie county December 
26, 1 84 1, a son of John and Rhoda (Mc- 
Gill) Castle. 

John Castle, the father, was born in 
Lycoming county, Penn., in 1800, son of 
David Castle, of Scotch-Irish extraction. 
When a young man John Castle migrated 
to Groton township, Erie county. Here 
he married Rhoda McGill, who was born 
in Groton township in 181 3, of New Eng- 
land parentage. John Castle in 1852 re- 
moved to Thompson township, Seneca 
county, and four years later he came to 
York township, Sandusky county, where 
he lived until his death in 1867. He was 
a man of tall stature and hard)- constitu- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



225 



tioii, and had been sick less than two 
days when he died. He threshed the day 
he became ill and died diirin<( the follow- 
ing night. In politics John Castle was a 
Republican. In early life he was a mem- 
ber of the M. E. Church, but later he be- 
came connected with the U. B. Society 
near his home. His wife survived until 
1881. 

A. J. Castle, the subject of this sketch, 
remained with his father, attending the 
common schools, until he was eighteen. 
He then began farm work by the month 
until August 22, 1862, when he enlisted 
in Company B, One Hundred andTwentj'- 
third O. V. I. The regiment was as- 
signed to the Eighth Corps in West Vir- 
ginia, and served three years. Mr. Castle 
participated in the battles of Winchester 
(Va.), Newmarket, Piedmont, Lynch- 
burg, Snicker's Ford, Berry ville, Fisher's 
Hill, Cedar Creek, High Bridge and 
others. He saw Gen. Sheridan on his 
famous ride to Winchester, Va. ; was 
mustered out in June, 1865, returned 
home and resumed farming, working also 
in a sawmill. Including his military serv- 
ice, Mr. Castle worked for si.xteen years 
for monthl)' wages. 

In 1880 he was married to Miss Alice 
Moyer, who was born in Sandusky county 
October 14, 1856, daughter of Samuel 
and Eve (Kline) Moyer, both natives of 
Union county, Penn. The father, who 
was of German ancestry, was born in 
1804, the mother in 18 10. They married 
in Pennsylvania, and about 1S53 migrated 
to York township, Sandusky county. 
Later Samuel Moyer removed to Michi- 
gan, where he died in 1876; his wife after 
lived in Kansas, whence she returned in 
May, 1895; a few weeks later she was 
stricken with paralysis, and died at the 
home of Albert Streeter August 2, 1895. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Castle four children 
have been born: Mabel, Carmi, John 
and Rhoda. After his marriage Mr. Cas- 
tle rented a farm and continued to till the 
land of others until three years ago, when 



he purchased a fertile farm of forty-three 
acres. He is engaged in general farming 
and in raising vegetables, especially cab- 
bages. In politics he is a Republican. 
His wife is a member of the U. B. Church. 
Mr. Castle was in 1894 elected trustee 
of the township. He has many friends, 
and bears the reputation of being an un- 
usually successful farmer. 



GEORGE WALTERS, a promi- 
nent and substantial farmer of 
Woodville township, Sandusky 
countv, is a native of that 
county, born February 3, 1855, and is a 
son of Louis and Anne (Hinnes) Walters. 
Louis Walters was born in \\'itten- 
berg, Germany, in 1809, received his 
education in his native town, and en- 
gaged in farming. When but a young 
man he came to the United States, lo- 
cating first in Virginia, where he drove 
teams for a livelihood. In Wheeling, \'a., 
on February 12, 1834, Louis Walters 
married Anne Hinnes, who was born in 
Hanover, Germany, and they had the 
following children: Rosina, born in Febru- 
ar3% 1836, wife of Edward Swit^keble, 
a farmer of Michigan; John, born in 
1838, and died in Libby prison during 
the Civil war; Louis, born in 1840, now 
a farmer in Michigan; Peter, born in 
1842, who also resides in Michigan; 
Rebecca, born in 1844, wife of Henry 
Clockems, of Michigan; Wesley, born 
February 14, 1853, and burned to death 
in the fire on the homestead, in 1894; 
David, a farmer; George, the subject of 
this sketch; and Mary, born August 11, 
1858, now the wife of Albert Windier, a 
farmer of Ohio. 

Louis Walters remained in Virginia 
three years, and after his marriage came 
to Sandusky county, Ohio, where he 
bought eighty acres of land, all in tim- 
ber, and inhabited by wolves, deer, and 
other denizens of the forest. Having 



226 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



built a log cabin for himself and family, 
when there were only two other settlers 
in the neighborhood, he went to work 
with a stout and willing heart to make a 
farm from the wilderness. The trees 
soon gave way before the axe in the 
the hands of the hardy woodman, and 
the stumps and gnarled and interlacing 
roots of the forest monarchs were sup- 
planted in a short time by stalks of 
corn and waving fields of wheat. While 
the summer sun was still high in the 
heavens he garnered the golden grain, 
and when the leaves took on the brilliant 
hues of the declining year he threshed 
out, with swinging ilail, the myriads of 
kernels, the bounty of the harvest. And 
this he bore for many miles, on bended 
back, with toiling feet, to the mill that 
ground for those who brought, and then 
returned, while autumn winds sighed 
through the woodland, sometimes when 
wintry blasts blew keen and chill. And 
thus bread was provided for himself and 
family. Many were the hardships he 
endured while laboring to make a 
farm and home for his family. There 
were no roads or ditches, and he 
often had to wade through the water 
that stood in places on his land. But 
from year to year the good work was 
continued, with ever-increasing facilities, 
until the eighty acres were cleared, and 
most of the superfluous water drained 
off with suitable ditching. He erected a 
good dwelling house, built a barn and 
outhouses, planted a fine orchard and 
made various other improvements, event- 
ually finding himself the possessor of one 
of the finest and best cultivated farms in 
the township of Woodville. Mr. Walters 
was a stanch Republican, and always 
took a deep interest in the political affairs 
and school matters of the township. He 
died on the homestead in July, 1893, at 
the ripe age of eighty-four years, 
lamented by a large circle of friends, 
and by his sorrowing wife and family. 
His widow, who is still living, resides 



with her son David, who is caring for her 
in her old age. 

George Walters attended school in 
Woodville township, worked with his 
brothers on his father's farm, helped to 
clear the homestead, ditch the land, 
plant the orchard, and in the general 
routine of daily toil. His father divided 
the farm between him and one of his 
brothers, and he attended to its culti- 
vation and built a very fine dwelling 
house. In 1894 this was destroyed by a 
fire, in which he lost all his household 
effects, and, saddest of all, his brother 
was burned to death. The property 
lost was valued at over $3,000, but 
there was an insurance of $2,000. Mr. 
\\'alters is now constructing a fine dwell- 
ing house on the ruins of his old home, 
at a cost of $2,400, and when completed 
it will be one of the finest in the town- 
ship. 

On December 29, 1882, George Wal- 
ters was united in marriage with Helen 
Nuhfer, daughter of Anthony Nuhfer, 
and they ha\e had two children: Frank, 
born September 29, 1883; and Carroll, 
born February 27, 1891. Mr. Walters 
has two oil wells on his farm, which is 
one of the best cultivated in the neigh- 
borhood. He is an industrious, hard- 
working man, an enterprising citizen, 
is much respe.cted, and has many friends. 



JOSEPH JORDAN is highly respected 
as one of the most industrious and 
prosperous citizens of York town- 
ship, Sandusky county. It is the 
theory of Mr. Jordan that if each mem- 
ber of society will carefully attend to his 
own affairs, the great body politic will 
fare well. He thinks that human char- 
acter in the main is sound and honest, 
and therefore does not need officious in- 
spection. Acting on this opinion and be- 
lief he has assiduously applied himself to 
the work that lay before him, and the re- 
sults have been gratifying to himself and 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



227 



a source of commendation for his many 
friends. 

Mr. Jordan was born in Thompson 
township, Seneca county, in September, 
1835, son of Adam and Sophia Jordan. 
Adam Jordan was born in Union county, 
Penn., in 1S07, and his father, who was 
of French ancestry, was a native of the 
same county. The grandfather lived to 
the age of only forty, but the grand- 
mother attained the ripe old age of ninety- 
seven years. About 1836 Adam Jordan 
migrated with his family from Pennsyl- 
vania to Thompson township, Seneca 
county, and later he came to York town- 
ship, Sandusky county; he was a member 
of the Lutheran Church, and died in 1862. 
His wdfe, who was born in 181 7, lived 
until 1869. Their children were as fol- 
lows: Sarah, wife of U. Weaver, of 
Lucas county; Martin, also of Lucas 
county; Lucy (now the widow of John 
McCauley), of Bellevue; Joseph, subject 
of this sketch; Mary Ann, unmarried, liv- 
ing on the old homestead; George W. , 
who also lives on the old homestead; 
Hannah, a maiden lady; James, of Belle- 
vue; and John, who died aged twenty-six 
years. 

Joseph Jordan grew up in York town- 
ship, and in his youth worked on the 
home farm. He also thoroughly learned 
the trade of brick burning, and followed 
that occupation some eighteen or twenty 
years in Sandusky county, part of the 
time at Fremont. Mr. Jordan is in a 
great measure self-educated. In 1858 he 
was married at the age of twenty-three 
years to Miss Hannah Gamby, who was 
born in Huron county in 1836, and six 
children have been born to them: Adam, 
Samuel, Alice, Clara, Minerva and Irvin. 
Of these, Adam married Susan Spriggs, 
and lives on an adjoining farm (he has one 
child — Carmi); Samuel died at the age of 
twenty-seven years; Alice is also deceased; 
Clara is the wife of George Parker; Mi- 
nerva is at home; Irvin is married to Miss 
Gertrude Diment. Mr. Jordan after his 



marriage lived for a time in Green Creek 
township, then purchased his present 
farm of 104 acres in York township, and 
has lived there twenty-one years. He is 
a member of the Patrons of Husbandry, 
and in local politics he votes rather for 
the man than for the part}'. 



ANDREW PFEIFER, a prominent 
farmer of Green Creek township, 
Sandusky county, was born in 
Hesse, Germany, December 11, 
1856, a grandson of Andrew Pfeifer, and 
son of Conrad Pfeifer and Elizabeth 
(Simon) Pfeifer. Conrad Pfeifer was 
born in Hesse, and was by occupation a 
railroad man. He was killed by acci- 
dent, at his employment, at about the 
age of fifty. Mrs. Elizabeth (Simon) 
Pfeifer was born in the same locality, 
and died in Germany at the age of sixty. 
She was the mother of six children: 
Adam, who now lives in Germany, and 
is a railroad man ; Henrj-, a farmer in 
Fulton county, Ohio; Catharine, who 
married Fred Schaffer, and now resides in 
Huron county, near Norwalk; Andrew, 
the subject proper of this sketch; and 
Elizabeth and Conrad (twins), the latter 
of whom was drowned when thirteen 
years of age. 

Andrew Pfeifer came to America at 
about fifteen years of age, landing at 
New York City, whence he proceeded di- 
rectly to Sandusky City, Ohio, where he 
found employment as a laborer on a 
farm, at which he continued six years. 
Having judiciously saved his earnings, he 
rented a farm, purchased the necessary 
equipments, and commenced doing bus- 
iness for himself. He farmed in Erie 
county about nine 3'ears. In 1881 he 
married Miss Katie Strack, who was born 
in Germany January 6, 1853, a daughter 
of Philip Jacob and Marguerite (Gross) 
Strack, the former of whom was a laborer 
in Germany, and died at the age of sixty- 
eight; the latter, now eighty years of 



228 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



age, resides at Sandusky City. Six of 
their children grew to maturitj': PhiHp, 
who Hves at Sandusky City; a daughter 
who married WilHam Gross, of Bellevue; 
W'iHiam, Hving in Sandusky City; Chris- 
tian, of the same place; Margaret, who 
married a Mr. Wise, and lives in Belle- 
vue; and Katie, wife of our subject. 

The names and dates of birth of the 
children born to Andrew and Katie 
Pfeifer are as follows: Katie M., Oc- 
tober 21, 1883; Henry E., May 9, 1885; 
Frederick A., April 6, 1887, George A., 
December 15, 1888; Charles A., April 
14, 1891; and William J., March 29, 
1894. The two eldest were born in Ox- 
ford township, Erie Co., Ohio, the others 
in Green Creek township, Sandusky 
county. 

In 1887 Mr. Pfeifer purchased 160 
acres of land in Green Creek township, 
near Green Spring, which he has worked 
to good advantage up to the present 
time. With a farm of more than the 
average in size and fertility, rendered 
still more productive by careful cultiva- 
tion, Mr. Pfeifer bids fair to become one 
of the most substantial men in his com- 
munity. Mr. and Mrs. Pfeifer are mem- 
bers of the Lutheran Church, and for peo- 
ple of their years, having the greatest 
portion of life still before them, they have 
been unusually successful. 



EDWARD JESCHKE was born in 
Pomerania, Germany, May 25, 
1858, and is a son of August and 
Augusta (Runje) Jeschke, both of 
whom were born in Germanj', and came 
to America in August, 1874. 

August Jeschke, although quite old, 
still follows his trade of blacksmith, and 
does an amount of work every day that 
many a younger man might emulate. 
Charles, born January 24, 1846, and Ed- 
ward, the subject of this sketch, are the 
only ones remaining of the five children 



of Mr. and Mrs. August Jeschke, who 
are at present living with their son Charles. 
Edward Jeschke received a common- 
school education in his native land, which 
he left for the United States in the spring 
of 1873. Coming at once to Townsend 
township, Sandusky county, which is still 
his home, he worked at the blacksmith's 
trade for several years. He then opened 
a store and saloon in Vickery, Townsend 
township, which he continued until ' ' local 
option " was carried in the township, pro- 
hibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors. 
In November, 1879, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Bena Mapus, who was 
born March 28, 1861. Of their nine 
children, seven are still living, their names 
and dates of birth being as follows: Mary, 
July 6, 1881; Hannah, October 23, 1883; 
Fred, April 17, 1885; Pearl, June i, 1887; 
August, December 14, 1888; Charles, 
November 12, 1890; and John. January 
30, 1894, all living at home. Mr. Jeschke 
now represents the Stang Brewing Co. , 
of Sandusky county, at Gibsonburg. In 
politics he is an ardent believer in and 
defender of the Democratic doctrine. 



DANIEL I. GARN, a citizen of Fre- 
mont, Sandusky county, was born 
in Union township, Bedford Co., 
Penn., March 31, 1844. His 
father. Christian Garn, was born Februarj' 
13. '799> in the same locality, and, in the 
fall of 1826, married Catherine, daughter 
of Henry Ickes, a native of the Keystone 
State. 

Our subject was one of a family of ten 
children: (i) Catherine, born April 6, 

1828, who married Solomon Mauk, and 
their children were — George, Louisa, 
Christian, Joseph, Hannah, Jane, Will- 
iam, Frank and Annie; politically the sons 
were Democrats, and in religious affiliation 
the family were members of the Reformed 
Church. (2) Susan, born in October, 

1829, married to Edward Conrad, a 
mason by trade, who was a member of 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHIVAL RECORD. 



229 



the Reformed Church, and in pohtics a 
Democrat; they had children as follows — 
Elizabeth, John, George, Joseph, Daniel, 
Abner, Edward, Mary and Levi. (3) Mar- 
garet, born October i, 1831, married 
Adam Briggle, a farmer, member of the 
Reformed Church; the result of their 
unipn was children as follows — Hannah 
and Daniel. (4) John I. was born October 
27i 1833, probate judge of Sandusky coun- 
ty, Ohio, in politics a Republican, and a 
member of the Evangelical Association; 
the names of his children are: Jane, 
Hannah, Delilah, Mary, Catherine, Minnie 
and John C. (5) Jacob died in childhood. 
(6) George, born 1838, a farmer in Jack- 
son township, married Elizabeth Walters, 
and they had two children — William and 
Emma; he was a member of the Evangel- 
ical Association, and in politics was a 
Democrat. (7) Hannah, born February 
27, 1 84 1, married John Kisaberts, a farmer 
of Seneca county, Ohio; he was a mem- 
ber of the Evangelical Association, polit- 
ically a Republican. (8) Daniel!., sub- 
ject of this sketch; and two that died in 
infancy. 

Daniel I. Garn grew to manhood in 
the State of Pennsylvania, and at the age 
of twenty years was drafted into the mili- 
tary service of the United States, in the 
war of the Rebellion, serving in Company 
G, Ninety-first Pennsylvania Infantry, 
Army of the Potomac. He went to Cham- 
bersburg, then on to Richmond, Va. He 
was in the Weldon Railroad raid, and 
helped destroy the track, so as to cut off 
connection with Nashville, Tenn. Being 
taken sick there with fever, he was sent 
to City Point Hospital, and later to Wash- 
ington, D. C, where he lay from Febru- 
ary 28 until May 10, when he returned 
home. He was in Washington City at 
the time President Lincoln was shot, April 
14, 1865. After his return from the war, 
Mr. Garn worked at the cooper trade 
twelve years, carried on farming for his 
father seven years, then came to Ohio 
and settled in Scott township, where he 



remained five years, thence moving to 
Jackson township, where he resided five 
years. He is now a resident of Fremont, 
Ohio. He is a Republican in politics, 
and is identified with the Reformed 
Church. In 1892 he was elected justice 
of the peace, and has held other offices in 
his township. 

On July 29, 1866, Mr. Garn married 
Miss Virginia Griffith, who was born April 
23, 1842, a daughter of William and Sarah 
Griffith, natives of Pennsylvania, and 
their children are: (i) Lilian Grace, born 
Mayg, 1 867, married Henry Ickes, ablack- 
smith in Cambria county, Penn. ; he is a 
Republican in politics, and is a member 
of the Lutheran Church; they have three 
children — Charles, Bruce and Ralph. (2) 
Charles H., born August 27, 1869, living 
at home; in politics he is a Republican. 
(3) Harry E., born March 9, is a law 
student, and affiliates with the Republican 
party. (4) Lizzie, born November 20, 
1874, is a graduate of Heidelberg Acad- 
emy, at Tiffin, Ohio, and a teacher in 
Jackson township. (5) Susan, born 
March 27, 1877, is a student at the Fre- 
mont High School. (6) William Arthur, 
born September 13, 1879. 



JASON GIBBS, one of the most sub- 
stantial and well-to-do citizen of 
Riley township, Sandusky county, 
was born August 31, 1825, and is a 
son of Jonas and Rachel (Daniel) Gibbs. 
Jonas Gibbs was born in 1762; he was 
married, in Vermont, to Rachel Daniels, 
who was born in 1794, and in 1808 they 
located at the mouth of Pipe creek, in 
Huron county, Ohio, bought 300 acres of 
land, and lived there twelve years. They 
then removed to Riley township, San- 
dusky county, here purchasing a thousand 
acres of land, and two years later five 
hundred acres more. Here they passed 
the remainder of their lives, Mr. Gibbs 
dying in 1834, Mrs. Gibbs in 1848. They 
had seven children, a brief record of 



230 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



whom is as follows : Isaac died at the 
early age of eighteen, unmarried. Cynthia 
married Joseph H. Curtis, by whom she 
had three children, and they lived in 
Riley township; subsequent!}' she married 
William Pierson, by whom she had eight 
children. Boa married Mr. Dean, and 
they had eight children; they live in Riley 
township. Jonas married Rosina Linsey, 
and they had two children; he died in 
1852, she in 1876. Jeremiah married 
Jane Conrad, and they live in Riley town- 
ship. Jason is the subject of these lines. 
Luther married Emma Buskirk, and they 
had four children; they live in Riley town- 
ship. Rachel married Lewis Barkheimer, 
and to their union has come one child; 
they are also residents of Riley township. 
After his father's death, Jason Gibbs 
remained with his mother on the farm 
until his twenty-first year. On March 
28, 1846, he was united in marriage with 
Elizabeth Conrad, who was born in San- 
dusky county, where she has alwaj's lived, 
daughter of John and Sarah (Tuttle) Con- 
rad, who were the parents of eleven chil- 
dren. John Conrad was born in Ohio in 
1795, and died in Sandusky county, 
February 3, 1869; his wife died June 11, 
1883, aged eighty-four jears, nine months, 
sixteen days. Mrs. Gibbs' paternal 
grandmother was born in 1784; her ma- 
ternal grandfather. Van Rensselaer Tut- 
tle, was born in 1772. After this mar- 
riage Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs moved to Riley 
township, where he bought a thousand 
acres of land. They became the parents 
of four children, as follows: Albert mar- 
ried Amelia Wright, and they have two 
children — Charles and Burton P. — one 
of whom, Charles, died young. Luther 
married Almira Beebe, and they have had 
ten children; they live in Riley township. 
Burton married Jane Beebe, and they 
also live in Riley township; they have had 
two children — Charles A. and William J. 
John married Laura Botsford, and they 
have had six children; they make their 
home in Riley township. 



Mr. Gibbs has been very successful in 
his dealings, and is well liked. He cleared 
300 acres of his land himself, which took 
him nearly five years, and has been engaged 
in general farming, the raising of fine 
hogs, and for several years has also oper- 
ated two sawmills. Besides his property 
here he has 847 acres of valuable land in 
Tennessee, on which his oldest son re- 
sides. In 1893 Mr. Gibbs retired. He 
attends the Lutheran Church, is a Repub- 
lican in politics, and has been honored 
with public office, having been supervisor 
for twenty years. One of Mr. Gibbs' 
uncles, Luther, was killed at Huron, Ohio, 
by the falling of a block from a ship's 
mast; another, Jerry, was killed by In- 
dians at Sandusky (the night before his 
rjiurder he dreamed that the Indians came 
to his home and killed him). 



H I NTZ FAMILY. Instances of fam- 
ilies who rise to afifluence and in- 
fluence under the most untoward 
circumstances are sufficiently rare 
to excite comment, and lead the uninitiated 
to inquire what the faculty, or combina- 
tion of faculties, might be that would pro- 
duce a result so fortunate to the people 
most closely interested. It can be said of 
the Hintz family that they came of good 
stock, but it so happened that misfortune 
swept away father and provider and left 
mother and two helpless young sons ab- 
solutely penniless in a strange land. They 
did not remain in that condition, thanks to 
the irrepressible qualities that lay dor- 
mant in their young natures. But the 
ascent was for a time painfully slow. The 
story of their rise is most interesting, and 
the lesson of their lives instructive. 

John J. Hintz, the grandfather of 
Christian and William Hintz, was a pros- 
perous stock raiser of Mecklenburg, Ger- 
many. No one in the neighboring dis- 
tricts bore a more excellent reputation 
than he. In wordly affairs he was pros- 
perous, in character above reproach, in 







^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



231 



religion a sturdy defender of the Lutheran 
faith, and in intfuence powerful. He died 
at the age of sixty-four years. He had 
married a Miss Hintz, and to them were 
born seven children. But by the inequal- 
ities of the feudal system which then held 
undisputed sway in Germany the goodly 
heritage fell solely to the eldest son, John, 
while the younger children where left to 
scramble for their bread as best they could. 
John, thus left independent, subsequently 
emigrated to America and settled in Wis- 
consin. The other children were as fol- 
lows: Christopher, who remained a farmer 
in Germany; Joseph J., who died in Ger- 
many; Fred, who remained a laborer in 
Germany; Christian, the father of Chris- 
tian and William Hintz, subjects of this 
sketch; William, who worked in a distill- 
ery in Germany, and died in that country; 
and Mary, who died young. 

Christian, the only son except John 
who emigrated to America, was born in 
Mecklenburg in 1812. He was educated 
in the parochial schools of the Lutheran 
Church, and confirmed in the Church. 
Thus started aright, he had to look out 
for himself. He herded cattle and worked 
on a farm for about $20 a year until his 
twenty-sixth year, when he married. He 
afterward entered the royal service as a 
sawyer, having charge of an upright saw, 
and followed that vocation until 1848, 
when he went to the ' ' free cities " and 
became a laborer on the public works at 
better wages. Four years later, at the 
age of forty years, he determined to emi- 
grate to America. He had been twice 
married in Germany. By his first wife 
he had one child, Dora. His second 
wife was Dora Harbra, by whom he had 
four children living when he came to 
America — Christian, William, John and 
Sophia. Leaving his native land March 
31, 1852, he crossed the ocean with his 
family in a little two-masted sailing ves- 
sel, landing at Sandusky City May 10. 
Locating here, he first worked in a brick- 
yard, and soon after went on the railroad 

15 



I 



then under construction between Sandus- 
ky and Cleveland, and was so engaged 
when he fell a victim to cholera, tfien 
raging. He died at Sandusky City Au- 
gust 7, 1852, before he had been there 
three months. Two of his children, John 
and Sophia, were carried away by the 
same plague. William was seized with 
the same dread disease, but withstood the 
attack. The father had owed for a por- 
tion of the passage money, and the pay- 
ment of that debt had consumed all his 
earnings when he died. The mother and 
her two children. Christian and William, 
and her step-daughter, Dora, were left 
utterly destitute. The two boys, aged 
twelve and ten years, were put out among 
strangers to work for their board and 
clothes. Christian, ten months later, be- 
gan to earn $3 per month for a year, then 
$4 per month. William worked two 
years for only his board and clothes, but 
in several years the scant earnings of the 
boys, together with the savings of the 
mother, enabled her to buy a horse. She 
rented a few acres of land, and began the 
struggle of life at gardening near Sandus- 
ky City. Soon by magical thrift she was 
able to buy another horse and rent a few 
more acres. Then the home-wrecked 
family was reunited, and the mother had 
her sons once more under the same roof 
with herself. Among the enlarging circle 
of their acquaintances the Hintzes were 
noted for their industr}', honest}- and in- 
telligence, though the two young repre- 
sentatives of the family were yet in their 
' ' teens, " wifli characters that should have 
been considered unformed. Gradually 
renting more of the rich land around San- 
dusky City they began to accumulate 
money and to think of owning a home of 
their own. Dora, the step-daughter, had 
married Godfrey Gockstetter, and now 
lives near Huron, Erie county; her hus- 
band died December 25, 1894, leaving 
a large family, consisting of Simeon, 
George, Henry, William, John, Freder- 
ick, Louie, Adam, Mary, Anna, Louisa, 



232 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Emma and Lena; one child died young. 
The family is one of remarkably robust 
strength, the members averaging about 
200 pounds. 

In 1864 Mrs. Hintz and her two sons, 
Christian and William, came to Sandusky 
county and purchased i 14 acres of land 
for $4,500. They had saved $1,500, 
which was their cash payment, and went 
into debt for the remaining $3,000. Only 
fourteen acres of the land were broken, 
and wiseacres said they could never pay 
for it; but they reckoned without their 
host. They knew not the stern stuff, the 
unflagging zeal, the intelligence, and the 
thrift which entered into the composition 
of this rising family. The boys had a 
good team, a couple of colts and a few 
hogs, and manfully they faced the problem 
before them. Their opportunities were 
now broader, their actions freer, and they 
never doubted or questioned their ability 
to win. There was but one thing to do — 
clear off the indebtedness, and clear it 
they did, despite the nods and winks of 
the wiseacres. In a few years prosperity 
was assured, and the mother and her sons, 
to the astonishment of their neighbors, 
were alread}- buying more land. The 
$3,000 indebtedness on the old farm was 
completely lifted in two years, and it was 
not long before the brothers ranked in 
wealth and position among the foremost 
men of Green Creek township. 

Christian Hintz is now one of the 
leading breeders of Short-horn cattle and 
Chester-white swine in Sandusky countj'. 
He was born November 23, 1839. His mar- 
riage to Anna Powells, a native of Meck- 
lenburg, Germany, born April 19, 1844, 
was the signal for a division of the prop- 
erty. The brothers were attached to each 
other, and the partition was made in peace 
and brotherly love. The mother was 
generously provided for, and each brother 
began farming for himself. Christian for 
a time engaged in mi.xed or general farm- 
ing, but for fifteen years he has been rais- 
ing thoroughbred stock — cattle, hogs and 



sheep — selling chiefly for breeding pur- 
poses. He has exhibited at the fairs at 
Fremont, Sandusky, Bellevue, Norwalk, 
Clyde, Fostoria, Toledo, Attica and 
Findlay, besides many other localities too 
numerous to mention, and in 1895 he had 
a large show. Each year he has taken 
many premiums, and at Fremont he has 
taken more than any other man in the 
county; one season his premiums aggre- 
gated about $600. He sells blooded stock 
all over the United States. He had one 
cow in the dairy department of the 
World's Columbian Exposition at Chi- 
cago, in 1893, which made 135 pounds 
and some ounces of butter in ninety days. 
Both he and his brother paid two long 
visits to the World's Fair. Mr. Hintz 
now owns 246 acres of land. To Chris- 
tian and Anna Hintz have been born eight 
children, as follows: Christian, Jr., Will- 
iam, Anna, Dora, Henry, August, Jacob 
and Martin. In politics he is somewhat 
independent, but usually votes the Dem- 
ocratic ticket. He has been for many 
years a prominent member of the Lu- 
theran Church, and for fourteen years he 
was elder of the old St. John's Church, at 
Fremont. In no sense is he an ofhce- 
seeker, but in the interest of education he 
has served as a school director of his dis- 
trict. 

W'lLLiAM Hintz was born September 
18, 1S41. He was married in 1871, to 
Miss Anna K. Bauer, who was born in 
Green Creek township, September 27, 
1854. Prior to his marriage his mother 
kept house for him, and through the pro- 
vision made for her by the two grateful 
sons the noble mother enjoyed a compe- 
tence, and lived in an establishment of 
her own in the parlor of William's home, 
remaining there as long as she lived; she 
passed away in January, 1876. The chil- 
dren of William and Anna Hintz were as 
follows: John (who was accidentally 
drowned in a well at the age of three and 
a half years), Joseph W., Sophia L., 
Louisa D., Peter W., Esther A., Hannah 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



233 



H., Sarah R. (who died at the age of one 
year, eleven months and twenty-eight 
days), and Mary M. In the division of 
the property Wilham surrendered all the 
thorough-bred stock to Christian, but he 
raises and ships cattle, hogs and sheep 
for meat. William Hintz believes that 
money is more easily handled than land. 
Much of his property now consists of in- 
vestments, and he is placing all his spare 
means on interest. He still owns 155 
acres of land. He is a leading member 
of the Lutheran Church, was for ten 
years deacon of St. John's Church at 
Fremont, and is an elder in Grace 
Lutheran Church at Fremont; he has also 
acted as a delegate to the Lutheran 
Church Synod. For four 3'ears he has 
served as a member of the board of direct- 
ors of the Sandusky County Agricultural 
Society. — "Thanks be to God for His 
merciful blessings." 



JOSEPH NOGGLE, one of the most 
reliable and industrious farmers of 
Green Creek township, Sandusky 
county, is a man of unassuming man- 
ners, without ostentation, or craving for 
place and preferment. He is content to 
fill his mission in life as a worthy repre- 
sentative of the first and most important 
vocation — that of farming — leaving to 
others the strife and turmoil and the un- 
certainities of a more problematic career. 
It is to such types as he, hard-working and 
thrifty, yet restful and contented, that the 
nation must look for its great reserve force 
to act as a balance-wheel against the en- 
croachments and vagaries of the flightier 
element in society. 

Mr. Noggle was born in Franklin 
county, Penn., June 4, 18 1 1, son of Will- 
iam and I"vatie (Hurtinan) Noggle, both 
natives of Pennsylvania, who reared a 
large family of children, and passed peace- 
fully away on the home farm at a good 
old age. Only two of the children — 
Jacob and Joseph — now survive. Jacob 



lives on a farm in Fulton county, Penn., 
at the age of eighty-one years. Joseph 
was reared in the Keystone State, and 
there married Elizabeth Marshall, who 
was born in Huntingdon county, Penn., 
February 11, 181 1, daughter of Robert 
and Elizabeth (Simmons) Marshall; they 
were the parents of seven children, named 
as follows: James, Nancy, Lydia, Jane, 
Sarah, Rachel and Elizabeth. The father 
died on his farm in Pennsylvania when 
Elizabeth was a child; the mother sur- 
vived until 1855. Soon after his mar- 
riage Mr. Noggle migrated to Sandusky 
county, locating in Jackson township, and 
there engaged in pioneer farming. Twen- 
ty-two years later he moved to Green 
Creek township, and has lived here some 
thirty-seven years. He now owns a well- 
cultivated farm of eighty-four acres. Mr. 
Noggle cast his first vote for Andrew 
Jackson in 1832; in religious faith he is a 
member of the Universalist Church. The 
children of Mr. and Mrs. Noggle are as 
follows: Sarah, born November 4, 1841, 
married December 10, 1875, to Charles 
Clapp, and is the mother of two children 
— Jessie (deceased) and Delia; William, 
born October 19, 1843, died November 
24, 1874; Madison, born August 5, 1846, 
died September 6, 1872; Joseph, born 
November 10, 1857, died June 28, 1858. 
William H. Noggle, a nephew of Joseph 
Noggle, now lives with him. He was 
born in Pennsylvania March 21, 1850, 
and is the son of Jacob Noggle; he was 
married in November, 1893, to Hattie E. 
Mummert, who was born in Franklin 
county, Penn., January 26, i860. 



WILLIAM A. MUGG, the leading 
landowner and farmer of York 
township, Sandusky county, and 
vice-president of the First Na- 
tional Bank of Clyde, is of the third gen- 
eration from the earliest settlement and 
development of northwestern Ohio. And 
as he stands to-day, a leader of the men 



2S4 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



about him,so,too, in the two preceding gen- 
erations, were his father and grandfather 
men of renown and note in their respective 
spheres, though perhaps in a somewhat 
different way. William A. Mugg has in- 
herited the pioneer strength of character. 
His mind is keen and he appreciates a 
witticism. His good-natured retort is 
sharp, and stranger or friend is welcomed 
at his home and treated with that old- 
time jovial hospitality that is becoming 
rare in these so-called degenerate days. 

Mr. Mugg was born in Milo, Yates Co., 
N. Y. , December 13, 1827, son of John 
B. and Susan (Wheeler) Mugg, and grand- 
son of Elder John Mugg. But years be- 
fore his birth his father and his grand- 
father had already become identified with 
the interests of York township, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio. It was in 1822 that Elder 
John Mugg, a native of Maryland, came 
with his family from New York State to 
the vast solitudes of northwestern Ohio. 
His parents had died when he was a child, 
and he was bound out and reared among 
strangers. However, he obtained the 
rudiments of an education, and became a 
preacher of the Baptist Church. When 
he came to Ohio he purchased 400 acres 
of government land; but as soon as the 
cabins for himself and family were built, 
and the rude houses made comfortable, 
he began his labors as a pioneer preacher, 
a task then quite different from the minis- 
terial duties of to-day. Elder Mugg was 
a man of small stature, and his weight 
was less than one hundred pounds, but he 
was filled with nervous force, and with a 
love for his fellow men. He was an en- 
thusiastic churchman. On horseback, 
with saddlebags supplied with medicines, 
he wended his way along Indian trails 
through the forested swamps from settle- 
ment to settlement, bringing to the lonely 
pioneer the refreshing and cheering words 
of the Gospel. His value to the mental, 
moral and physical welfare of the early 
settler, immersed in solitude, can scarcely 
be appreciated at the present day. He 



brought words of cheer and comfort wher- 
ever he went, and the pleasant memories 
of his visits lingered long after he had de- 
parted. He carried the current news of 
the day from cabin to cabin, and to the 
sufferers from the malignant fevers that 
were then so common he brought both 
medicinal and spiritual good. Once to a 
neighbor who had stolen corn from him 
he remarked: " I feel sorry for you, neigh- 
bor. I don't care for the corn. If you 
had asked me for it, the corn would have 
been yours." His gentle, forgi\ing, 
Christian spirit made Elder Mugg a man 
who was widely beloved. He organized 
the Freewill Baptist Church, the pioneer 
religious organization of York township, 
and lived to the good old age of ninety- 
six years, amidst the people to whom he 
had ministered for many years. His re- 
mains were interred in Wales Corners 
Cemetery, in York township, where many 
of his fellow pioneers also rest. He was 
the father of seven children, as follows: 
Thomas, who moved to Indiana; JohnB., 
father of William A. ; Marcus, who became 
a minister and moved to Michigan, where 
he died; Jesse, who died in Indiana; 
William, who died in early manhood; 
Mary (afterward Mrs. Bennett), of Indi- 
ana; and Harriet (Mrs. Colvin), who died 
in York township. 

John B. Mugg was born in 1801. He 
came with his father to York township in 
1822, and here, in 1823, he married for his 
second wife, Susan Wheeler, having been 
previously married to Susan Wheeler, of 
Penn Yan, Yates Co., N. Y. A year 
later, after the birth of his eldest child, 
Charles, he returned with his family to 
Yates county, N. Y. , and remained there 
twelve years. In 1836 he again came 
west, and lived in York township until his 
death, which occurred December 31,1 880, 
when he was aged seventy-nine years, 
four months and twenty-seven days. His 
wife, who was born in 1807, died March 
3, 1880. Nine children were born to John 
B. and Susan Mugg: Charles, who died 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



235 



in Missouri; Wheeler, who died in York 
township; W'iiliam A., subject of this 
sketch; John, who died in New York; a 
child who died in infancy; Elizabeth, who 
died in \-oung womanhood; Marietta, who 
died in girlhood; George, a resident of 
Dundee, Mich. ; Alice, who died in child- 
hood. 

\\'illiam A. Mugg was a child when 
his father returned from New York to the 
pioneer Ohio home. He remembers well 
the trip on the lakes, and the journey over- 
land to the old farmstead near Wales 
Corners, which still forms a part of the 
extensive estate of Mr. Mugg. In those 
daj's the driftwood had not yet been 
cleared from the swamps. The pools 
were full of water and fish were abundant 
on every hand. Mr. Mugg remembers 
that many times in his boyhood he has 
skated in winter all the way from the old 
homestead to Sandusky Bay. The young 
men of fifty years ago propelled skiffs 
over lands that are now some of the most 
fertile fields in Ohio. Indians were nu- 
merous in those days, and game abounded. 
But educational facilities were few. While 
Mr. Mugg did not receive a finished liter- 
ary education, he learned what was better 
still — the value of thrift and economy. 
After he was of age he worked five years 
for his father, at $200 per 3'ear. Then 
in 1854 he married Miss Phebe S. Russell, 
who was born April 2, 1833. Her father, 
Norton Russell, was born in Hopewell, 
Ontario Co. , N. Y., June 15, 1801, of 
parents who had shortly before moved to 
the New York wilderness from Massachu- 
setts. Young Russell was bound out, and 
was diligently engaged during his youth 
in clearing the pioneer land of western 
New York. In October, 1821, he came 
to Ohio with three other young men, 
William McPherson, James Birdseye and 
Lyman Habcock, all of whom became 
prominent pioneers of Sandusky county. 
They walked almost the entire distance 
from New York — 400 miles. Mr. Russell 
was the eldest of five children, and his 



sisters and brother were as follows: 
Rowena, who married George Swarthout, 
and settled near Penn Yan, N. Y. ; Cyn- 
thia, who married William McPherson, 
and became the mother of the martyred 
Gen. James B. McPherson; William, who 
married Elizabeth Beach; and Lydia, wife 
of Lester Beach. Norton Russell entered 
the S. E. Quarter of Section 7, York 
township, and was married April 13, 1825, 
to Sibyl S. McMillen, daughter of Samuel 
and Polly McMillen, who migrated from 
their old home near the White Mountains, 
N. H., to Ohio, and became early pio- 
neers of Green Creek township, Sandusky 
county. Samuel and Polly McMillen had 
the following seven children: Sibyl (Mrs. 
Russell); Samuel; Henry; Rachel, who 
married Isaac May; Sally, who married 
Joseph George; Nancy, who married Isaac 
May, and Luther. Norton and Sibyl 
Russell were the parents of seven chil- 
dren, as follows: John N. and William 
M., of Clyde; Charles P., of York; Phebe 
S. ; Sarah R. (Mrs. Bell), of Clyde; Mary 
M. (Mrs. J. W. Taylor), of Sabine Parish, 
La., and Belle R. (Mrs. Collver), of Cleve- 
land. Norton Russell is still, at this 
writing, living with his daughter, Mrs. 
Mugg, the oldest living pioneer of this 
section. His wife, who shared with him 
the toil and privation of a long and event- 
ful life, died December 18, 1887, aged 
eighty years. 

Nine children have blessed the mar- 
riage of William A. and Phebe S. Mugg. 
a brief record of whom is as follows: 
Nina, born December 31, 1857, is the 
wife of James Ungerman; they reside in 
New Richland, Minn., and have four 
children — Carl, Nellie H., Hazel and 
Vera. Clarence M., born January 14, 
1859, married Laura Carr, and is the 
father of two children — Ethel and Wayne. 
N. Russell, born March 31, 1861, mar- 
ried Maggie Matthews, and they have two 
children — Madeline and Maurice. Mabel, 
born April 26, 1863, died in 1883. Alice, 
born September 10, 1865, is the wife of 



236 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



A. R. Pickett, of Clyde, and has two 
children — Harold and Gladden. Moina, 
born March 12, 1868, is the wife of N. 
Greenslade, of Bellevue, and they ha\-e 
one child — Russell M. Amy B. , born 
February 19, 1870, is one of the popular 
young ladies of this section, devoted to 
her parents and the home. James G., 
born October 14, 1872, was married Jan- 
uary I, 1895, to Anna Needham, of York 
township. Florence, born May 25, 1877, 
is attending school. 

Mr. and Mrs. Mugg started in life 
with only about such means as the aver- 
age young couple of that day possessed, 
but their success has been marked. If 
the accumulation of a large estate and 
the rearing of a numerous and honorable 
family is aught of satisfaction, while still 
in the meridian of life, then Mr. and Mrs. 
Mugg should be among the happiest of 
mortals. The landed property of William 
A. Mugg exceeds in quantity that of any 
other individual in Sandusky county. The 
finger of Time has touched them lightly. 
If Mrs. Mugg is as young as she looks she 
is yet in the high noonday of life. She is 
an active member of the Grange, and de- 
servedly prominent in the social affairs of 
the township. Mr. Mugg possesses a 
hardy constitution, which he has never 
abused, but which, through proper physi- 
cal exercise, he has maintained in its 
maximum degree of health. In politics 
he is a pronounced and uncompromising 
Republican. In the commercial and 
financial spheres he takes high rank. He 
is a master of the science of finance, and 
was one of the organizers and is now vice- 
president of the First National Bank of 
Clvde. 



JOH-X VICKERY. From absolute 
poverty the subject of this sketch 
has risen to a position of affluence 
and honor. The condition of a pen- 
niless English farm laborer he has ex- 
changed for the proprietorship of large 



landed interests in York township, San- 
dusky county. And in this happy trans- 
formation of his material situation he 
gives due credit to the opportunities of 
the American citizen. Mr. N'ickery often 
goes over the past in retrospect, and com- 
pares the possibilities of the poor man in 
England with his opportunities in Amer- 
ica. From his own experiences and ob- 
servation he concludes that American 
citizenship is a priceless boon. 

Mr. Vickery was born in Devonshire, 
England, in May, 1829, son of Robert 
and Rachel (Randall) \'ickery. His 
father, who was a laborer, died before his 
recollection, leaving six children: Eliza- 
beth, whose husband, Mr. Lowrey, was 
killed by a railroad accident at Clyde; 
William, who died in York township; 
Robert, of Fremont; John, subject of this 
sketch; Richard, of York township; and 
Ann, who died in England. At an early 
age John was bound out, receiving, until 
he attained his majority, onlj' his board 
and clothes for his services, and, Mr. 
\'ickery says, they were poor clothes 
at that. After he became of age he 
worked for a farmer for four years at 
wages amounting to only 1 1 cents a day 
and his board; and this, too, was the 
highest wages paid for that class of labor 
in the locality where he lived. At the age 
of twenty-five years he resolved to seek 
his fortunes in the New World; so in 
1854 he bade good-bye to his friends and 
to his sweetheart and crossed the ocean. 
He came via Quebec, and was $17 in 
debt for his passage when he reached 
Sandusky City. He began work for a 
farmer near Bellevue, and remained in 
his employment fifteen months. But his 
purpose now was to get himself estab- 
lished in life. Renting a place, he began 
farming on his own account, and at Belle- 
vue he soon after married Miss Jane 
Parker, whom he had wooed and won in 
England. The household prospered, but 
the mother was called away after she had 
given him three sons: Thomas, now a 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPBICAL RECORD. 



237 



prosperous farmer of York township, 
married; John, who assists him on the 
farm, and James P., a schoolteacher and 
farmer of York township. In 1866 Mr. 
Vickery purchased the farm of 120 acres 
which he now owns, and continued to 
farm it until in 1889, when he bought 
twenty acres near Colby, and retired on 
ample means. In 1881 he had purchased 
another tract of 120 acres in York town- 
ship, and gave it to his sons in 1887, after 
having paid $8,000 on the same. The 
twenty-acre tract at Colby he has given 
to his second and present wife, who was 
Miss Mary Bichler. Mr. Vickery has 
served his township three years as trus- 
tee, and is now road sufiervisor of his dis- 
trict. In politics he is a stanch Republi- 
can, and in religious faith a member of 
the United Brethren Church. He is a 
man of sterling integrity and principles, 
and one of the most highly respected cit- 
izens of the community in which he lives. 



M 



R. STIEFF. In three distinct 
fields of industry the subject of 
this sketch takes high rank. 
He is a farmer of acknowledged 
ability; he is a mechanic whose superior 
it would be difficult to find anywhere; he 
is a salesman whose value has been ap- 
preciated by more than one large manu- 
facturer. Mr. Stieff has with rare felicity 
bunched all these available attributes into 
one occupation, that of a salesman for 
agricultural machines. He is at home 
among the farmers, and thoroughly un- 
derstands their needs. His mechanical 
skill has enabled him to meet any diffi- 
culties in setting up the complicated farm 
machines of to-day. His persuasive ar- 
guments cap the climax of the two, and 
enable him to make satisfactory sales. 
By trade Mr. Stieff is a blacksmith. 

He was born in Lancaster county, 
Penn., May 19, 1855, son of Michael and 
Sarah (Rinchold) Stieff. Michael Stieff 
was also a blacksmith. He was a native 



of Berks county, his wife of Lancaster 
county. Both died at their home in the 
latter county within a )-ear, at the ages 
of fifty-six and fifty-two years respectively. 
Their children were as follows: Eli, of 
Lancaster county; Sarah, wife of Moses 
Goshert, also of Lancaster county; Annie, 
wife of Abraham Krall, of Lebanon coun- 
ty, Penn. ; George, who died at the age 
of twenty-two years in Lancaster county; 
M. R. , subject of this sketch; and Martha 
and Lizzy, who both died in Lancaster 
county, in infancy. 

Our subject was early in life thrown 
upon his own resources. He entered the 
car shops in Reading, Penn., but labor 
troubles soon after disorganized the force, 
and he was obliged to seek employment 
elsewhere. With 200 others he was dis- 
charged in 1873 at the time of the great 
failure of Jay Cooke & Co. He came to 
Ohio, and found work on a farm in Seneca 
county. Subsequently he secured em- 
ployment in a carriage shop at West Lodi, 
then at Fireside, and later still at Belle- 
vue. While at Fireside, he began sell- 
ing reapers, mowers, etc., for the Excel- 
sior Co., and he was with that company 
four years. Then, in 1889, he accepted 
a position with the Champion people to 
travel for them. His territory embraced 
Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Min- 
nesota, and South Dakota. From March 
to September he was on the road; then 
during the winter months each year he 
worked in the shops, in all capacities 
proving a most valuable employe. His 
skill in setting up machines was unsur- 
passed, and as a salesman he was highly 
gifted. In 1894 he voluntarily quit their 
employ on account of a slight deafness, 
though solicited to remain, preferring to 
return to his farm and family, and handle 
machinery in a local way. 

Mr. Stieff married Miss Kate Miller, and 
to them seven children have been born: 
Cloyd, George, Edna, Elva (deceased), 
Delrie (deceased), Orlin (deceased), and 
Ray. Mr. Stieff is distmctively the archi- 



288 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPSICAL RECORD. 



tect of his own fortune. He owns a pjood 
farm property, and is one of tlie most 
skillful mechanics in the State. 



JACOB BOWE is one of the five 
Bowe brothers now living in Scott 
township, Sandusky county, where 
he was born June 6, 1837, and where 
he has spent the greater part of his life. 

At the age of twenty-four years, our 
subject commenced life for himself, his 
father giving him as a start, ninety-two 
and one-half acres of land situated in 
Section 7. Mr. Bowe is by trade a black- 
smith, and for fifteen years of his earlj' 
life he spent much of his time in his shop; 
but he finally sold and purchased eighty 
acres of land in Section 16, which, with 
160 acres previoush' bought, made an 
excellent farm of 240 acres. Later he 
sold eighty acres, the remainder being 
the 160 acres where he now lives. He 
then purchased 160 acres in Section 17, 
one-half of which he sold to J. C. Fisher, 
the other half to J. C. Foriter. In 1890 
Mr. Bowe purchased lots in Gibsonburg, 
on which he built a pleasant home, living 
there for three years and then returning 
to his farm. 

On December 23, 1861, Mr. Bowe 
was married to Miss Mary A. Bowers, 
who was born September 8, 1S36, in 
Scott township, daughter of Hartman and 
Annie Bowers; she obtained her educa- 
tion in her native township, where she 
lived most of the time until her marriage. 
To this union have been born seven chil- 
dren, as follows: Emma C, September 
23, 1862; Mary C, January 4, 1864; 
Anna C, April 23, 1865; Henry H., Jan- 
uaryi5, 1867; Amelia E., April 25, 1869, 
Wallace \V., June 7, 1872; and Jacob F., 
December 7, 1873; of whom, Emma died 
June 6, 1878; Henry H. died January 12, 
1870, and Anna died March 8, 1891. 
Mary is now Mrs. George Richard, of 
Madison township; Wallace and Jacob 
are working the home farm, though at 



present (fall of 1895) Wallace is suffering 
from the effects of a bicycle accident, 
having broken his collar-bone in two 
places; strange to say he rode his wheel 
over two miles after receiving the injury. 
Wallace and Jacob attended the Gibson- 
burg High School for a time, after which 
Wallace was a student at the Normal at 
Ada. While at Gibsonburg Jacob made 
a thorough study of telegraph)-. Polit- 
ically Mr. Bowe and his sons are Demo- 
crats; they are also members of the 
Lutheran Church. 

In February, 1890, Mr. Bowe made a 
new departure in his business by leasing 
several acres of land to the Sun Oil Com- 
pany of Pittsburg, the lease providing 
that at the end of the year the company 
was to have four wells down, which was 
practically accomplished. On March 20, 
1 890, he also leased the other eighty acres, 
and he now has on the 160 acres of land 
thirteen wells. He received $3,000 bonus 
when the ground was leased, and now has 
one-eighth of all oil produced, his share 
of the oil netting him $10 der day, with- 
out one cent of expense. The oil pro- 
duced on this farm is pumped through 
pipes to the city of Toledo, some thirty 
miles awaj-. 

George Bowe, Sr. , the father of our 
subject, was born in 1802 in Alsace, 
France, and came to America in 1832, 
settling in New York State, near Buffalo, 
where he remained three years. Thence 
he came to Ohio, where, in Scott town- 
ship, Sandusky county, he entered 210 
acres of land, one-half for his sister and 
the balance for himself. In the winter of 
1834-35 he married Catherine Wegstein, 
who was born in Baden, Germany, in 
1813, daughter of Michael Wegstein, and 
to them were born ten children, three of 
whom died in infancy. The others are: 
George, Jacob (our subject), Frederick, 
Henry, Michael J., David and Mary C. , 
of whom Frederick and Mary C. have 
been dead some years; the others are still 
living. Mr. Bowe was an old pioneer of 





ac^{^ 




c^-U^l^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



239 



Scott township. He owned at one time 
600 acres of land, which he divided among 
his children, thus giving each a start in 
life which the}' have appreciated and made 
the most of, becoming well-to-do men, 
highly esteemed by all who know them. 
His wife died July 9, 1891, and was buried 
in the Bradner cemetery. Her father, 
Michael \^'egstein, was born about 1779 
in Baden, Germany, where he was mar- 
ried. In 1832 he started with his family 
for America, but while on the sea his wife 
took sick and died, and was buried in 
mid-ocean. In his family were si.\ chil- 
dren, only two of whom are living. One 
son, Michael, was killed at the battle of 
Shiloh; he was captain of Company H, 
Seventy-second O. V. I. 

Mr. Bowe's paternal grandparents, 
Mr. and Mrs. George Bowe, set out for 
America at the same time as his parents; 
the grandmother, like the maternal grand- 
mother, died on the sea and was buried in 
mid-ocean. The grandfather settled near 
Buffalo, where he died. In their family 
were four children — Margaret, George 
(father of our subject). Magdalena and 
Jacob, all now deceased. Margaret and 
Jacob remained near Buffalo, the others 
coming to Ohio. Magdalena was married 
near Buffalo to Jacob Zimmerman, who 
died in Scott township about 1885. 



JOHN HENRY KUHLMAN, one of 
the pioneer and prosperous farmers 
of \\'oodville township, Sandusky 
county, was born OctolDcr 27, 1S38, 
in Hanover, Germany. His parents, Har- 
mon and Clara (Foughthouse) Kuhlman, 
followed the vocation of milling in their 
native land, and in 1842, when John 
Henry was but four years old, sold their 
business and came to America. Remain- 
ing a single day in New York, they set 
out for Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, Ohio, and bought and settled 
upon a forty-acre tract of wild land. 

The father, Harmon Kuhlman, was a 



man of rugged frame, well fitted by na- 
ture to bear the hardships and privations 
of pioneer life, and never until shortly be- 
fore his death did he experience any ill- 
ness. Partially losing his eyesight, he 
went to Ann Arbor, Mich., for treatment, 
and died while there. His widow still 
lives in Woodville township, at a ripe old 
age. Five children were born to Harmon 
and Clara Kuhlman: John Henry; Car- 
rie, wife of Fred Taulker, a farmer in 
Madison township; Amelia, wife of Charles 
Burman, a retired farmer of Woodville; 
Annie, who died young, and William, who 
lives on the old homestead. Our subject 
owns 236 acres of land, situated in the 
oil belt, and leased for drilling purposes. 
Until in quite recent years John Henry 
Kuhlman, subject of this sketch, remained 
at the home of his parents. He was edu- 
cuted in the public school at Woodville; 
but in the days of his youth the town 
school was inferior to the district school 
of to-day. He was married February 22, 
1862, to Mary Klein, daughter of John J. 
Klein, a farmer of Woodville township. 
Nine children have been born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Kuhlman, as follows: Carrie, born 
March 23, 1864; John, a minister; Henry, 
deceased; George, Minnie, Charles, Will- 
iam, Eliza and Edward. In 1893 Mr. 
Kuhlman moved to Woodville village, 
and there erected a magnificent home, 
sparing neither cost nor pains in its con- 
struction. In politics he is a Democrat, 
and has been honored by election to vari- 
ous township offices. He is one of the 
founders of the German Lutheran Church. 



FRANK WELKER, the genial and 
popular proprietor of the ' ' Empire 
House," Clyde, Sandusky county, 
one of the most excellent country 
hotels in the State, was born in Hancock 
count}', Ohio, July 20, 1849, and is a son 
of George \V. and Rebecca (Burger) 
Welker. 

The father of our subject was a na- 



240 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPBICAL RECORD. 



tive of Pennsylvania, born in 1808, and 
in his earlier years he learned the stone- 
mason's trade. On coming to Ohio he 
settled in Stark county, and after his mar- 
riage took up his residence in Hancock 
county. In 1864 he moved to Clyde, 
where his death occurred the following 
3'ear. His wife, who was born in 1812, 
still survives him, and is now living with 
her son Frank. In the famil}- of this 
worth}' couple were seven children who 
grew to mature years, to wit: (i) N. B., 
who joined the army soon after the break- 
ing out of the Civil war, becoming a mem- 
ber of Company A, Twenty-first O. V. 
I., in which he did service under Gen. 
Sherman; at the battle of Atlanta, in 
1864, he was wounded, and died a few 
days later, his remains being interred in 
the National Cemetery at Chattanooga, 
Tenn. (2) G. W. , a plasterer by trade, 
resides in Findlay, Ohio. (3) W. W. 
died at Mount Clemens, Mich., and his 
remains were brought back to Clyde for 
interment. (4) E. E. is engaged in ci- 
gar-making in San Diego, Cal. (5) Maria 
j. is the wife of John Mungen, a resident 
of Fort Wayne, Ind. (6) Frank, our 
subject, conies next in order of birth. 
(7) R. R. makes his home in Columbia 
county, Ind., where he is engaged in the 
restaurant business. 

Frank Welker has spent his entire 
life in the State of his nativity, and since 
the age of fifteen has made his home in 
Clyde. After pursuing his studies in the 
public schools of this place for two years, 
he became connected with railroading. 
He first went upon the road as a news 
agent, and then became a brakeman on 
the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern 
railroad. His next undertaking was as 
proprietor of the "Empire House," at 
Clyde. In 1886 he purchased the hotel, 
which for ten years previous had been 
vacant, entirelj- remodeled it and built a 
new addition. Soon it was ready for oc- 
cupancy, and to-day it is one of the most 
popular hotels in the smaller cities of 



Ohio. In his work here Mr. Welker is 
ably assisted bj' his wife, who bore the 
maiden name of Julia Gosslin. The hotel 
is neat and well kept, has the reputation 
for setting the best table of any country 
hotel in the State, and the earnest efforts 
of the proprietor and his wife to please 
their patrons has made it very popular 
with the public. 

Mr. Welker is one of the ten stock- 
holders who own the Clyde Driving Park, 
and has two fine trotting horses, " Katie 
C." and " Silver Leaf, " superb specimens 
of the noble steed. In his political views 
he is a stalwart Republican, and he is a 
popular, genial gentleman, one who wins 
friends wherever he goes, and well merits 
the high regard in which he is held. 



NORMAN E. ELLSWORTH, com- 
monly known as "Col." Ells- 
worth, one of the most popular 
citizens of Sandusky county, now 
makes his home in Clyde. He was born 
in Mishawaka, St. Joseph Co., Ind., on 
March 20, 1845, and is a son of James 
and Jemima (Wortley) Ellsworth. 

In l82t James Ellsworth, father of 
our subject, was born in Penn Yan, N. 
Y., one of a family of three children, the 
others being Aaron and Phoebe, both of 
whom are now deceased. The former on 
coming west located at Castalia, Ohio, 
but his death occurred at South Bend, 
Ind., where he was serving as county 
auditor of St. Joseph county; he was 
one of the prominent Republicans of that 
community. From New York the father 
of our subject first emigrated to Ohio, 
but later became a resident of Mishawaka, 
St. Joseph Co., Ind., and at the time of 
his death, in 1853, was serving as swamp 
land commissioner for that State. He 
was a stalwart Democrat. His wife, who 
was born near Bellevue, Ohio, in 1819, 
died in i860. They were the parents of 
five children, namely: George, deceased 
in infancj'; Florence, who died in child- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



241 



hood; Norman E., oursubject; Fred D., 
a merchant of South Bend, Ind. ; and 
James, who died in boNhood in Mish- 
awaka, Indiana. 

Until reaching the age of sixteen, 
Norman E. Ellsworth remained in In- 
diana, a part of his time being passed at 
Mishawaka, the remainder at South 
Bend, at which time he entered the 
Union army. On August 17, 1861, he 
became a member of Company I, Ninth 
Ind. \. I., and was assigned to a division 
in \\'est Virginia under Gen. Rosecrans, 
but later was sent to Nashville, Tenn., 
where he became a member of the arm}' 
of the Cumberland under Buell. He 
participated in the battles of Greenbrier, 
Buffalo Mountain and Pittsburg Landing, 
where he was taken ill and sent to St. 
Louis, Mo. At that place he was dis- 
charged on account of disability, after 
which he came to Clyde, where for ten 
months he lived with his maternal grand- 
mother, Abigail Stone. Mr. Ellsworth 
then enlisted in Companj' F, Tenth Ohio 
Cavalry, and was detailed as hospital 
steward of Kilpatrick's division of cavalry, 
which was a part of Sherman's arm}'. 
He went with the command on the march 
to the sea, and was all through the Car- 
olina campaigns. With the cavalry he 
remained until he was mustered out in 
August, 1865. 

Mr. Ellsworth was married in Jan- 
uary, 1866, to Miss Jemima Baker, who 
was born in Sandusky county, in 1844, 
and by her marriage has become the 
mother of eight children: Elizabeth, 
Florence, Nellie M., Fred, Norman, Jr., 
George M.,Seth P. and James B., all but 
one of whom are still at home. Since 
the close of the war Mr. Ellsworth has 
been engaged in farming and fruit grow- 
ing, and for four years was connected 
with the lumber business. His farm is 
located on one of the rich sand ridges 
near Clyde, where it may be truthfully 
said there can be more vegetation grown 
to the acre, and at the same time a 



greater variety of cereals and fruits, than 
in any other part of the United States. 
Mr. Ellsworth is a man of good business 
ability, intelligent and enterprising, and 
is widely known for his genial disposition 
and greatness of heart. As before men- 
tioned, he usually goes by the name of 
" Colonel," and is popular with all classes 
of people. He has ever been actively 
interested in the growth and prosperity 
of the community in which he resides, 
and does all in his power for its advance- 
ment. Politically, he gives his support 
to the Republican party, while, socially, 
he holds membership with Eaton Post 
No. 55, G. A. R. , and Harnden Com- 
mand No. 37, U. V. U. 



PHILIP DORR was born March 17, 
I 8 1 1 , in Leinsweiler, in that part 
of Bavaria, Germany, known as 
the Rhine Palatinate, and died 
June 18, 1886, at Fremont, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio. 

He received a good education in the 
schools of his native place, and learned 
the trade of shoemaker. In 1837 he took 
passage for America on a sailing vessel at 
Havre de Grace. The voyage was a long 
and most perilous one; fierce storms drove 
the vessel from its course; some of the 
passengers and crew were washed over- 
board, the salt water ruined most of the 
ship's provisions, and it was eighty days 
after starting that the nearly famished 
crew and passengers landed in New York. 
From that city Mr. Dorr proceeded at 
once to Erie, Penn., and after a short 
sojourn there moved to Sandusky City, 
Ohio, where he lived two or three years. 
In August, 1 841, he came to Lower San- 
dusky (now Fremont), opening a shoe- 
shop on State street, east of the river, 
afterward removing to the Deal corner, 
northeast corner of Front and Garrison 
streets, where his property was destroyed 
by fire. He next removed to a room 
nearly opposite, on Front street, and, later 



242 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



increasing his business, he and Edward 
Leppelman purchased land adjoining the 
present building of the First National 
Bank, and built frame stores. These were 
burned down, and in 1856 the}' erected 
the brick block which now occupies the 
ground. Here Philip Dorr carried on a 
successful trade in boots and shoes for 
man}' years, and after his death was suc- 
ceeded by his sons under the firm name 
of Dorr Bros., they still continuing the 
business. 

In June. 1843, Philip Dorr was mar- 
ried to Miss Anna Meyer, who was born 
in Unter Endingen, Canton Argau, Switz- 
erland, March 18, 181 5, the youngest 
daughter of Jacob and Fanny Meyer. 
She came with her parents and family to 
America in 1829, stopping a short time 
at Philadelphia, and thence removing 
to Franklin. Penn., where the parents 
died. She afterward came to Sandusky 
City, Ohio, living there until her mar- 
riage, when she removed to Lower Sun- 
dusky (now Fremont). Mr. Dorr died May 
28, 1873. Three sons survive their par- 
ents: Fred H., J. Louis and Henry S. 



D 



R. D. P. CAMPBELL. Green 
Spring is the most celebrated 
place in Sandusky county. Here 
a great volume of green-hued wa- 
ter strongly saturated with valuable medi- 
cinal qualities gushes forth from the rock- 
bed below the surface. From prehistoric 
times the spot has been noted for its heal- 
ing virtues, and here was the favorite 
haunt of the Seneca tribes; here its chiefs 
met in councils of war or peace, and here 
the sportive Red men gamboled amidst 
the gorgeous coloring of the lavish and 
unceasing waters. The springs have bene- 
fited many thousands of invalids, and to 
no one man perhaps is the public more 
deeply indebted for the privilege of en- 
joying this medicinal boon than to Dr. D. 
P. Campbell, a leading physician and 



surgeon at Green Spring, and one of the 
proprietors of Oak Ridge Sanitarium. 

Dr. Campbell is a native of New 
Hampshire. His early literary education 
was obtained at Pittsfield Academy, near 
his native home. At its completion he 
received special instruction in the classics 
and in mathematics, under Profs. F'oster 
and Goss, the latter being his cousin, who 
were among the ablest instructors in the 
New England States. Dr. Campbell be- 
came a teacher, and for three years was 
superintendent of the public schools in 
Bedford, N. H. He then became inter- 
ested in the sanitarium work, and was 
successively associated with sanitariums 
at Dansville, Livingston Co., N. Y. ; then 
with Dr. Dio Lewis in his select school at 
East Lexington, Mass. ; with Dr. Hero, 
at Westboro, Mass. ; with Dr. W. T. 
Vail, at Hill, N. H. ; with Dr. Martin, at 
Waverly Place, N. Y., with Dr. R. T. 
Trail, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Dr. Campbell then went west, and 
with a partner opened a sanitarium at 
Dubuque, Iowa. Later he sold out. and, 
returning to New York City for a year at- 
tended lectures at the Medical Depart- 
ment of the University of New York, 
then went to Cincinnati and graduated in 
medicine with the class of 1S77. He 
practiced medicine at Bedford, N. H., 
where he soon gained a large and lucra- 
tive practice. Dr. Campbell then came 
to Green Spring, where he located per- 
manently, and soon commanded a larger 
practice than any physician in this part of 
the State. His phenomenal success in- 
duced the proprietors of the Oak Ridge 
Sanitarium at Green Spring to solicit his 
professional services in that institution. 
In a few months he increased the attend- 
ance from two to 137, and when he sev- 
ered his connection the attendance fell 
off in a short time to one. The Doctor 
has again become interested in the sani- 
tarium, as a proprietor, and by his skill 
and indefatigable labors is again building 
up the institution to its former glory. The 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



243 



hotel building is an imposing four-story 
structure, elegantly furnished and finished 
througliout. It contains sevent)- large 
airy sleeping rooms, admirably ventilated, 
lighted by electricity and heated by steam. 
It has recently been completely renovated 
and refitted. For beauty and diversity 
of scenery the place is unexcelled. The 
"medicine water" for curative proper- 
ties is one of the most noted and valuable 
in the United States. Dr. David C. Bryan, 
of New York, in writing a work on ' ' What 
Shall We Drink, or the Mineral Waters 
of America," requested a specimen of the 
water, and in a subsequent letter thus ex- 
pressed the result of a most careful analy- 
sis: " It is one of the richest waters (medi- 
cinally) that I have ever examined. It is 
exceptionally bright and clear, and there 
are no foul smells or gases held in solution. 
It is remarkable in being at once a sul- 
phur, salt, carbonate, alkaline and slightly 
ferruginous water. The digestive and 
urinary organs are benefited by alkaline 
water, the liver and alimentary canal by 
saline waters, the mucous, respiratory 
membranes and skin by sulphur waters, 
and iron waters have a special action on 
the blood. " The color of the water is a 
beautiful emerald, and it is almost as 
transparent as air. Elegant bath rooms 
are provided, and hosts of visitors testify 
to permanent benefits received. 

On June 22, 1878, Dr. Campbell mar- 
ried Miss Alice E. Waterous, and has one 
daughter — Grace T. 



BENEDICT EMCH, now retired, 
Woodville, Sandusky county, was 
born in the canton of Solothurn, 
Switzerland, June 8, 1829. It is 
probable that the Emch family had lived 
there for ages — this much, at least, is 
known, that his grandfather lived and died 
in the house in which Mr. Benedict Emch 
was born. 

Our subject is the son of Jacob and 
Elizabeth (Kuntz) Emch, the former of 



whom was also born in Switzerland, came 
to America in 1834, and settled in Wood 
county, Ohio, when that region was a 
pioneer wilderness. He died on June i, 
1859; Elizabeth Kuntz, his wife, was born 
in 1797, and died in 1862, both being 
faithful members of the German Reformed 
Church. They were the parents of four 
children: Jacob, who died in Berne, 
Switzerland, at the age of sixty-seven 
years; Benedict, subject proper of this 
sketch; John, who joined the Union army 
in W'ood county, Ohio, and died in a hos- 
pital during the Civil war; Mary, who came 
to America and lived here about nine 
years, married one Benedict Emch, who 
by the way was not related to her family; 
he died, and she returned to Switzerland, 
where she now resides. By his second 
marriage, Jacob Emch had the following 
children: Stephen, Sanmel, Elizabeth, 
Ann, Margaret, Rosa, Susan, Sophia, be- 
sides two that died in infancy. 

Benedict Emch came to America in 
1845. He remained in Wood county a 
year with his father, and then went to 
Perrysburg, Ohio, to learn the trade of 
harness-maker. This completed, he was 
prepared to face the world and battle for 
himself. He worked at his trade until 
1852, when the great excitement in Cali- 
fornia attracted his attention, and he de- 
termined to cast his fate among those 
hardy adventurers who pushed their way 
across the great American desert, in cara- 
vans, in search of the }'ellow metal of the 
Pacific Slope. It took him and his party 
six months, lacking five days, to make 
their overland trip from Maumee City, 
Ohio, to Hankstown fnow Placerville), 
the county seat of El Dorado county, Cal. 
Mr. Emch proceeded at once to prospect- 
ing, and a short time after his arrival 
found him located on a claim, and dig- 
ging for gold in El Dorado county. For 
the first year or so he made something 
over a living, but made quite a success of 
gold digging afterward. He remained in 
the gold fields until 1856, when he re- 



244 



COMMEMORATIVE BlOGRAPlilUAL RECORD. 



turned home by the Nicaragua route. In 
Ohio he remained for a few months to 
visit, and, in July of 1856, returned to his 
native Switzerland. He made the voyage 
on a sailing vessel, and after landing, 
traveled through England, studying its 
interesting features, the great cities of 
Liverpool and London, thence by way of 
Rotterdam. Holland, up the River Ivhine 
to Maiiheim, and to his home in Switzer- 
land. In May, 1857, he returned to 
America, bringing with him his mother 
and about twenty other friends. On his 
return to Woodville he engaged in busi- 
ness, keeping a grocery store until the 
spring of 1859, and then, during the Pike's 
Peak gold excitement, started for that 
land of promise across the Plains again, 
and remained there during the summer, 
digging for gold with good success. Hav- 
ing considerable gold on hand in the fall, 
he purchased a team and accoutrements, 
and started back for the States. When 
he reached the vicinity of St. Joseph City, 
Mo., he left his team for keeping, with a 
farmer, and found more convenient trans- 
portation to Ohid. He soon afterward 
proceeded on his way to New Orleans, 
that city having the most convenient 
United States mint, and there he had the 
gold dust coined. Returning from New 
Orleans about the commencement of the 
year, he remained in Ohio, with his 
mother, until spring. In the spring of 
1S60 he induced some friends to join him, 
and they went to St. Joseph, Mo., and 
rigged out his team, left there the fall be- 
fore, and again put forth across the west- 
ern sands to rob the rocks of the valuables 
hidden in their dusky caverns. They pros- 
pected in mining that summer in the vi- 
cinity of Denver City. The following fall 
Mr. Emch again returned to St. Joseph, 
Mo., and on his trip across the Plains he 
met the famous "Pony Express," that 
made the fastest time ever made over 
the Plains by a team. Thej^ were carry- 
ing to the Territories the news of Presi- 
dent Lincoln's election. Mr. Emch pro- 



ceeded from St. Joseph, Mo. , to New 
Orleans again, to get more gold coined. 
The impending war was at this time grow- 
ing to a fever heat. He had difficulty in 
getting a place to deposit his gold in New 
Orleans, but finally succeeded. From 
there he went to Galveston, Texas, with 
the intention of spending the winter, but 
the Civil war was about to break forth, 
and the excitement was too intense to be 
pleasant. He immediately took his de- 
parture for New Orleans, drew his coined 
gold from the place of deposit, and started 
for Ohio. Remaining there until spring, 
and the war having broken out, he went 
to Pennsylvania to inspect the oil fields, 
soon returning to Ohio, however, and im- 
mediately left for the West, locating in 
the mountains around Denver City. The 
following spring he sold his claim there, 
and started for Oregon, locating on Pow- 
der river, where he built a cabin and 
stayed until December. It was at this 
period that gold was discovered in Idaho, 
and he and his companions started for 
Idaho City with a team of oxen. There 
was from three to four feet of snow on 
the ground when they reached that place. 
The first thing they did was to butcher 
the ox-team in order to secure meat 
enough to live on during the winter. Mr. 
Emch states that the oxen were not over 
fat, but that their team, being old, was 
not the worst beef people had to eat 
there. A crowd of their companions 
butchered their ox-team and borrowed 
Mr. Emch's frying kettle to render the 
tallow. They placed the ingredients in 
the kettle, mixed with water, and, after 
having fried and cooked it and permitted 
it to cool, there was not a sign of tallow 
on the surface of the water. Mr. Emch 
says there was just enough on his own to 
grease one pair of boots. Besides the 
beef, Mr. Emch and his companions had 
with them a keg of molasses and a small 
amount of flour. They remained in camp 
during winter, doing but little prospect- 
ing, and when the pack trains came in 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



245 



the spring, Mr. Emch paid $80 for lOO 
pounds of flour. During the following 
summer they all made some money, and 
remained until the fall of 1868. Mr. 
Emch paid $100 in gold for a stage ticket 
to Sacramento City, going thence to San 
Francisco, where he took a series of baths 
for rheumatism, which he had contracted 
in the mines. He remained about four 
weeks in the city of the Golden Gate, 
when he bid a final adieu to the West, 
and returned to Ohio by the Panama 
route. He had been here, however, only 
about two months, when his roving spirit 
again got the better of him, and he de- 
termined to see more of his Fatherland 
than he had ever seen before. He started 
for Europe, going from New York City to 
Hamburg, and traveled all through north- 
ern Germany, studying its features and 
the habits of the people. On the trip he 
visited relatives of many of his old friends 
at Woodville, and was thoroughly grati- 
fied with the general information that he 
thus acquired. It was a pleasant recom- 
pense for the dreadful sea voyage, during 
which they had been almost wrecked, and 
which consumed twentj-eight days. On 
his return trip he remained in Switzerland 
from July until the following December, 
and then came back to his home in Amer- 
ica. Before going to Europe he had pur- 
chased the farm he now lives on in Wood- 
ville township; but farming was not to his 
taste, so on his return he located in Wood- 
ville, buying out Charles Powers' general 
store, which he conducted until 1874, and 
then sold out. He had also carried on an 
ashery for some time; but having accumu- 
lated wealth he did not enter heavily into 
business; he attributes his success in life 
greatly to the promptness with which he 
has always met his obligations. With the 
aid of his industrious wife he has cleared 
up the land that he purchased, and their 
excellent brick mansion, erected a few 
years since, is one of the finest in San- 
dusky county. At the present time, Mr. 
Emch is living retired, surrounded by an 



intelligent family, with all the conven- 
iences of life at hand, and ample means 
to sustain him. After the varied career 
of his early days, he is a well contented 
man. 

In 1870 Mr. Emch married Miss 
Louisa Sandwisch, who was born in 
Woodville township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
March 17, 1844, and five children have 
blessed their union: Edward, born De- 
cember 1 1, 1873, who is now working on 
his father's farm; Williarn, born May 29, 
1875, now a student at Capitol University, 
Columbus, Ohio, studying for the min- 
istry of the Lutheran Church; Carrie, born 
December 2, 1876, at home with her par- 
ents, and George and Gusta (twins), born 
December 25, 1879, now attending school 
at Woodville. Mrs. Emch is the daugh- 
ter of Harmon and Catherine (Mergal) 
Sandwisch, both of whom were born in 
Hanover, Germany, the father in tSii, 
the mother in 1809. Harmon Sandwisch 
died in Woodville township August 6, 
1854, of cholera; he was a blacksmith by 
trade. Mrs. Sandwisch is still living, in 
Toledo. Their family consists of five 
children: Mary, widow of Jacob Bischoff, 
of Toledo, who has five children; Louisa, 
Mrs. Emch; W^illiam R., living in Fre- 
mont, who married Clorinda Swartzman, 
and has three children; John, of Wood 
county, Ohio, who married Almira Gal- 
lop, and has four children living, and 
Emma, Mrs. Charles Bradt, of Atlanta, 
Ga. , who has one child. 



WILLIAM PRIOR, a prominent 
agriculturist of Rice township, 
Sandusky county, and superin- 
tendent of the De Mars Club 
House, on Mud creek, was born in Ball- 
ville township, Sandusky county, July 17, 
1834, and is a son of John and Mary 
(Arh) Prior. The father was a native of 
Kentucky, and in his early life fought in 
the battle of Fremont under Col. Crogan; 
the mother was a native of Pennsylvania. 



246 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



In 1 8 1 3, the parents of our subject came to 
Ohio, taking up their residence in San- 
dusky county, where they spent their re- 
maining days, the father dying in 1856, 
at the age of seventy-six years, the mother 
departing this life in 1881, when seventy 
years of age. 

In the usual manner of farm lads of 
the locality, William Prior spent the days 
of his boyhood and \'outh, obtaining his 
education in the district schools of his 
native town, and assisting in the labors 
of the home farm. He has carried on 
agricultural pursuits since attaining his 
majority, and to-day is recognized as one 
of the practical and progressive farmers 
of Sandusky county. He manages his 
business affairs with care, and is straight- 
forward and honorable in all his dealings, 
so that he has won the confidence and 
good will of everyone with whom he has 
been brought in contact. On June 19, 
1859, in the county of his birth, he was 
married to Miss Ellen Tegar, a native of 
Pickaway county, Ohio, and three chil- 
dren came to bless their union, namely: 
Hattie, born June 13, i860, died in 1865; 
Lottie, born January 13, 1862, died De- 
cember 16, 1879; and Elisha A., born 
May 16, 1S64. Of these, Lottie was 
married February 26, 1879, to Oscar Pat- 
terson, and one child, Charlotte, was born 
to them December 14, 1879, who is now 
living with her grandparents, Mr. and 
Mrs. William Prior at De Mars Club 
House; she attends the P'remont public 
school, and is a very bright scholar. E. 
A. Prior is one of Fremont's bright, up- 
right young men; for the past seven years 
he has been a member of the Fremont 
Fire Department, and he holds a position 
in the Christain Knife Works. 

In his political views, Mr. Prior is a 
Democrat, aYid has cast his vote in sup- 
port of the men and measures of the 
Democracy since attaining his majority, 
but has never sought or desired office. 
His entire life has been passed in this 
county, and the fact that those who have 



know him from boyhood are numbered 
among his stanchest friends indicates an 
honorable and upright career, worthy 
the esteem in which he is held. 



HENRY JERVIS POTTER (de- 
ceased), who nobly gave his life 
for his country's cause in the war 
of the Rebellion, was born near 
the city of Oswego, Oswego Co., N. Y. , 
October 27, 1836. His parents, Merritt 
D. and Maria Potter, lived on a farm near 
Oswego until Henry was about eighteen 
3'ears of age and had received a common- 
school education. 

In the spring of 18 54 the whole family 
started in large moving wagons for Steu- 
ben county, Ind., and got as far as the 
house of Mr. Daniel Dawley, in Green 
Creek township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
when Mrs. Potter was taken sick. Mr. 
Dawley offered them the use of an unoc- 
cupied house, into which they moved, and 
they raised such summer crops as the)' 
could until fall when they completed their 
journey. Mr. Potter bought a farm in Steu- 
ben county, Ind., and for several j'ears his 
son Henry assisted him in farm work dur- 
ing the summer months, and taught coun- 
try schools in the winter time. In 1857 
Mrs. Potter died, and our subject soon 
after returned to Ohio to work as a farm 
hand for Daniel Dawley, whose daughter, 
Zeruiah Ann, he married September 15, 
1857. Not long after his marriage Mr. 
Potter bought a farm of eight acres of 
heavily-timbered land adjoining that of 
Mr. Dawley on the west, and began mak- 
ing improvements on it. During the 
winter seasons he taught school at the 
Powers schoolhouse, about two miles 
west. Wishing to secure the ready serv- 
ices of a farm hand, he gave permission 
to Daniel McNutt to build a log cabin at 
the rear end of his farm. This cabin was 
destroyed bj' fire in the absence of the 
family; but out of its ashes Mr. Potter 
picked up some lumps of clay which had 




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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



247 



been burned to a bright red color, and 
gave him the first hint that the subsoil 
was excellent material for the brick and 
tile making. 

In the summer of 1863 a volunteer 
company of Home Guards for the mili- 
tary defence of the State of Ohio during 
the Civil war was organized in Baltville 
township, in which Mr. Potter took an 
active part. This organization was known 
as Company K, under command of Capt. 
Jeremiah C. Mudge, later becoming a part 
of the Fiftieth Regiment O. V. I., which 
was organized at Fremont, Ohio, under 
Col. Nathaniel E. Haynes, and in Sep- 
tember of that year attended a grand mili- 
tary review at Toledo, Ohio, in presence 
of Gov. Brough and some military officers 
who feared an invasion of Ohio from 
Canada. A few weeks later Mr. Potter 
went with his company to aid in guarding 
Johnson's Island, in Sandusky Bay, where 
some Rebel officers were confined as pris- 
oners of war. 

The ''scare" was soon over and the 
company was recalled, but Mr. Potter 
had become so aroused in regard to his 
duty to his country in its hour of peril 
that he decided to enlist in the Seventy- 
second Regiment, O. \'. I., for three 
years or during the war. All the men of 
that regiment who had agreed to re-en- 
list for three years were granted a vet- 
eran furlough, and were then on their 
way home from Memphis, Tenn. Mr. 
Potter and his friend, Henry Innis, were 
assured that if they enlisted they would 
get the benefits of this furlough, and 
thus have plenty of time to settle their 
home matters before going to the front. 
They enlisted at Fremont, Ohio, Febru- 
ary 27, 1864, in Company F, Capt. 
Le Roy Moore, Seventy-second Regi- 
ment, under Col. R. P. Buckland, whose 
headquarters were at Memphis, Tenn., 
and on March i following went to San- 
drsky City, there to be mustered in and 
receive their township bounty money. 
They next proceeded to Columbus, Ohio, 

16 



to get their State bounty, supposing they 
could return to go with the veterans. In 
this they were disappointed. They were 
sent to Tod Barracks, refused leave of 
absence to visit their friends, and were 
hurried on to the front in company with 
thirteen other raw recruits. Their squad 
proceeded down through Cincinnati, 
Louisville, Nashville, and Chattanooga to 
Stevenson, Ala., then back to Cairo, 111., 
and thence down the Mississippi, to Mem- 
phis, Tenn. Mr. Potter wrote many 
letters to his wife descriptive of the scenes 
he passed through. At Memphis he did 
guard duty at the Navy Yard; saw 
.wounded men from Fort Pillow; refused 
a roll of greenbacks as a bribe from a 
Rebel spy, and kept a full diary of every 
day's happenings. He went out on sev- 
eral raids into the enemy's country, tak- 
ing part in the Sturgis raid, but did not 
like the business. The last letter his 
wife ever received trom him, he wrote 
when he was near Ripley, Miss., in which 
he told her not to be uneasy about him. 
In the unfortunate battle at Guntown, 
Mr. Potter and Mr. Innis were captured 
by Rebel cavalry in a thicket of scrub 
oaks while trying to make their escape. 
Mr. Innis advised Mr. Potter, who was 
fleet of foot, to make his escape, and he 
tried to do so, but soon returned saying: 
"Hank, I hate to leave you in this way!" 
They were taken to Andersonville prison, 
which they entered June 17, 1864, and 
were there stripped of all their valuables 
as well as some of their clothing. It 
rained, almost constantly during the first 
two weeks, and they had neither shelter 
from the alternate drenching down-pour 
and hot sun, nor comfortable covering 
during the chilly nights, and Mr. Potter 
had only pants, blouse and cap to wear. 
There were then 38,000 men in the en- 
closure, which had recently been enlarged. 
Rations of food were very scant, and 
most of what there was had to be eaten 
raw. After a month's confinement Mr. 
Potter was taken sick with scurvy and 



248 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



diarrhoea, and had no medical treatment 
except what his comrades could give him. 
On the 2 1 St of August gangrene set in, 
and, at his request, his faithful comrades, 
J. P. Elderkin and Henry Innis, carried 
him outside the stockade where he hoped 
for better air and treatment; but he died 
two days later, in charge, of an Illinois 
comrade, to whom he entrusted the pic- 
tures of his wife and children, with a re- 
quest that they be forwarded to the dear 
ones at home, with his own hand direct- 
ing the package. On the day of his death 
1 08 Union soldiers were carried out and 
buried in one long trench, he among the 
rest. Their graves were marked with 
slabs giving their name, company and 
regiment. When the news of Mr. Pot- 
ter's death reached his home, a funeral 
service was held in his memory at the 
Dawley schoolhouse, November 1st, by 
Kev. James Long, who seven }cars pre- 
vious had solemnized the deceased's mar- 
riage. 

Mr. Potter's high sense of honor, his 
pure, home life, his attachment to his 
famil}', his true friendship in time of trial, 
and his unflinching patriotism, led his 
former comrades, in forming a Grand 
Army Post at Green Spring, Ohio, July 
9, 1 88 1, to name their Post after him. 
He was a man of good natural and ac- 
quired abilities, and had a mind well 
stored with general information on many 
practical subjects. He had been a care- 
ful reader of the New York Tribune, the 
Fremont founial and the Religious Tel- 
escope. He had been a close observer of 
the events and causes which led to the 
Rebellion, as viewed from a Northern 
standpoint, and was intensely loyal to the 
flag of his country, and opposed to se- 
cession. In religious matters he was 
conscientious, but quiet and unassuming. 
He was an acti\e member of the United 
Brethren Church, and one of the trustees 
of Mt. Lebanon Chapel. Reared a strict 
Methodist, he adhered to that denomina- 
tion until coming into the Dawley neigh- 



borhood. To the last he maintained his 
Christian character, and conscientiously 
sacrificed home comforts, and even life, on 
the altar of his country. 



DANIEL M. POTTER, brick and 
tile manufacturer, located in Ball- 
ville township, Sandusky county, 
was born near his present resi- 
dence, April 19, i860. His parents were 
Henry Jervis and Zeruiah Ann (Dawley) 
Potter, who formerly owned and resided 
on a farm adjoining the one he now occu- 
pies and forming a part of it. Here Dan- 
iel spent his childhood and youth, and at- 
tended a common school on the southeast 
corner of their farm, and also at Green 
Spring, Fremont and Clyde. His father 
having perished at Andersonville prison in 
1864, Daniel earl}' learned those lessons 
of industry, economy and thrift from his 
widowed mother, in the management and 
care of the farm, and in the raising of 
live stock, which were of great service to 
him in after life. 

On December 25, 1881, he married 
Miss Ettie O., daughter of Chaplain R. 
and Ellen (Morrison) Huss, of Green 
Creek township, and entered upon life for 
himself on the farm he now occupies. 
After farming two years he decided to 
embark in the brick and tile business. 
He began in a small way, and, as the de- 
mands for his tile increased, enlarged his 
facilities from year to 3ear, until in 1S93 
he gave constant employment to nineteen 
hands, several teams, and turned off 
about five hundred thousand tile, of all 
sorts and sizes, adapted to the needs of 
the farmers in his vicinity. He also did 
some shipping of tile abroad. He was 
led to engage in the brick and tile busi- 
ness from having heard in his childhood a 
remark made by his father to the effect 
that if he ever built a new house on that 
farm it should be of brick burned by him- 
self, as he had noticed that the clay mor- 
tar used in the construction of a log cabin 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



249 



on a corner of his farm by a renter had 
turned to a bright red color when the 
cabin was burned to the ground by acci- 
dent. Mr. Potter is a member of Green 
Spring Lodge, I. O. O. F., at Green 
Spring, Ohio, and in poHtics is a Repub- 
lican. The children of Daniel and Ettie 
Potter are: Mabel Ellen, born August 30, 
1884; Henry J., born May 30, i886; and 
James C., born August 31, 1891. 

Mrs. Potter, the mother of our sub- 
ject, was born September 8, 1838, in 
Sandusky county, in which county she 
was for some time a teacher in the public 
schools. To Mr. and Mrs. Henry Potter 
were born three children: Jervis, born in 
1858, and died in infancy; Daniel, our 
subject, and Clara M. (Mrs. C. M. Wolf), 
born August 2, 1861. 

Mrs. Daniel Potter, the wife of our 
subject, was born July 24, i860, in Green 
Creek township. Sandusky Co., Ohio. 
She was educated in high school at Green 
Spring, and was a teacher in Sandusky 
county for nine terms. Her father was born 
February 11, 1838, in Sandusky county; 
his wife was born March 18, 1838, in 
Sandusky county; they were of Scotch 
and Irish descent. To them were born 
three children, as follows: Mrs. Potter; 
Eva Huss (Mrs. Chas. Ruth), born April 
21, 1863; and Burton W. Huss, born 
April 23, 1869. The mother died Sep- 
tember 19, 1894. Mrs. Potter's paternal 
grandparents, Christian and Catharine 
(Rathburn) Huss, were born February 21, 
181 5, and March 3, 1818, respectively; 
he died August 3, 1864; she died August 
20, 1893. Her maternal grandparents 
were born in Ireland, and came to Amer- 
ica in 1830. 



GEORGE HIETT, a well-to-do 
farmer and manufacturer of Jack- 
son township, Sandusky county, 
was born March 7, 1 834, in Seneca 
county, Ohio, and has resided in Sandusky 
county from the age of ten years. 



Our subject is a son of George Hiett, 
Sr. , who was born October 12, 1792, in 
Jefferson county, Va. , and moving thence 
to Seneca county, Ohio, lived there twen- 
ty years. Pleasant township, Seneca 
county, was named by him. Returning 
to Virginia, he remained three years, and 
then came to Ballville township, San- 
dusky county, where he bought 300 acres 
of land on the west bend of the Sandusky 
river, at $25 per acre. George Hiett, 
Sr. , was in religious connection a mem- 
ber of the M. E. Church, in politics a 
Republican, and held the office of justice 
of the peace one term in Seneca county. 
He died March i, 1875, in his eighty- 
third year. He wedded Miss Lydia Mul- 
nix, who was born October 19, 1798, and 
died in February, 1891, and their chil- 
dren were Mary, born April 3, 18 19, who 
was married to Thomas Johnson in San- 
dusky county, where they resided some 
time, moving thence to Kansas, where he 
died in 1884, leaving two children — 
George and Lydia J. ; William, born 
December 28, 1820, who married Celia 
Chineoweth, by whom he had ten chil- 
dren; Elizabeth, born December 22, 
1822, who married Martin Edwards, a 
farmer, and had three children — William, 
John and Mary; John W., born Novem- 
ber I I, 1824, who married MaryBeecham, 
by whom he had four children — Irving, 
Ella, Oliver and Russell (John W^ Hiett 
was a graduate of Oberlin College, and 
was a teacher and superintendent in the 
Fremont schools in 1853-54-55, and in 
the Maumee schools in 1859-60-61-62; 
during recent years he lived in Toledo, 
Ohio, where he dealt in real estate. He 
was among the organizers of the Anti- 
slavery Society in Virginia. He was a 
zealous member of the M. E. Church. 
He died August 16, 1894); Catharine, 
born March 4, 1827, married to Henry 
Kenyon, and had four children — Edward, 
Lillie, Emma and John; Henry, born 
August 13, 1829, married Jane Hall, and 
moved to Riverside, Cal., where they have 



250 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



a large fruit farm (their children are — 
Robert, Phcebe and Mary); Rebecca, born 
October 24, 1831; James, born March 7, 
1834, a farmer, who married Martha 
Louisa Bowlus, and has three children — 
Edward, Effie and Martha; George, twin 
brother of James; Jacob, born in 1836; 
and Asa S., born in 1839. 

At the age of ten years our subject, 
George Hiett, came with his father to 
Ballville township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
and assisted in farming on the banks of 
Sandusky river. At the age of twenty- 
one he left his father's home, and com- 
mencing life for himself followed farming 
for some time. Being a natural me- 
chanic he erected a sawmill on the farm 
where he now lives, at Bruner Station, 
five miles southwest of Fremont, on the 
line of the L. E. & W. railroad, where he 
and his sons, under the firm name of 
George Hiett & Sons, manufacture lumber, 
sorghum, ground feed, and a combination 
fence. The mill is valued at $3,000. Mr. 
Hiett is also a patentee of a cane stripper 
and binder, which is a great labor-saver, 
and has a capacity of sixty bundles per 
hour; the patent is estimated to be worth 
$70,000. Mr. Hiett's farm is in the oil 
district, and is very valuable property. 

On December 21, 1856, George 
Hiett married Miss Elizabeth Mosier, 
who was born March 6, 1834, daughter 
of Jacob and Elizabeth Mosier, na- 
tives of Pennsylvania, who had a family 
of ten children. To this union were born 
children as follows: Emma Alice, born 
September 27, 1857, married December 
25, 1888, to Lewis C. Smith, a farmer, 
and has one child — Ralph, born Septem- 
ber 4, 1 891; Lydia Jeannette, born March 
15, 1859, married October 19, 1892, to 
George Barnt, a farmer and carpenter; 
Charles Elliott, born March 22, 1861, 
who, in May, 1888, married Hattie Bink- 
ley, and has four children — Hazel (born 
February 17, 1889), Howard (who died 
in childhood), Eva E. (born June 17, 
1890, died June 20, 1890), and Paul 



C. (born July 31, 1893); George A., born 
July 24, IS63, who married Nettie Beck, 
October 25, 1893; Orven L. , born De- 
cember 19, 1865, a farmer; King Henry, 
born Januar}' 15, 1867, a farmer, who 
was married March 14, 1894, to Minnie 
Baumgardner, of Ballville township; Lil- 
lie Vilota, born May 6, 1870, married 
February 20, 1894, to Albert C. Ward, a 
prosperous business man of Toledo, Ohio; 
Dora Elizabeth, was born February 3, 
1873, married December 25, 1894, to 
Charles L. Flora, a natural mechanic and 
the patentee of several new and useful 
inventions. 



HENRY BRINKMAN. Among the 
worthy citizens of German birth 
who have found homes in San- 
dusky county, and rank among 
her leading agriculturists, is the gentle- 
man whose name opens this sketch. He 
was born in Germany October 6, 1820, 
and is the eldest son of John Henry and 
Mary (Ornick) Brinkman, both of whom 
were also natives of Germany. They 
were farming people, and resided in that 
country throughout their lives. 

Our subject was reared and educated 
in the land of his birth, and in 1858 
sailed for America, for he hoped to better 
his financial condition in this country, of 
whose privileges and advantages he had 
heard much. He landed at Castle Gar- 
den, New York, without money, but with 
a plentiful supply of energy and resolu- 
tion. He came at once to Sandusky 
county, Ohio, and, in order to earn a liv- 
ing, began work as a day laborer, being 
thus employed for three years. He 
worked early and late, and lived frugally, 
and at the e.xpiration of that period had 
saved enough money with which to pur- 
chase forty acres of timber land. With 
characteristic energy he began to improve 
it, and acre by acre was cleared and 
placed under the plow, until to-day he 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



251 



has a well-developed tract and a pleasant 
home, all the result of his own labor. 

Mr. Brinkman was united in marriage 
with Miss Mary E. Alt, a daughter of John 
Alt, of Germany, where their wedding 
was celebrated in 1845. They became 
the parents of three children, all sons, to 
wit: Henry, now deceased; Frank, a far- 
mer residing in Washington township, 
who married Allie Lenz, and has one 
child; and John, who was born November 
14, 1866, in Sandusky county. His edu- 
cational privileges were very meager, but 
he has made the most of his opportuni- 
ties, and in the school of experience has 
gained a good, practical business knowl- 
edge. He is now at home with his father, 
and carries on the farm. He is a pro- 
gressive, enterprising young agriculturist, 
and in the management of the home place 
displays good business ability. The father 
and son are both supporters of the De- 
mocracy, and members of the Lutheran 
Church, and in the community where 
they reside are highly respected people. 



J 



OHN FANGBONER, auditor of San- 
dusky county, Ohio, was born in 
Union county, Penn., June 3, 1845, 
son of James and Catharine (Hick) 
Fangboner. 

James Fangboner was born in 1812 
in New Jersey, from which State he re- 
moved, when a young man, to Union 
county, Penn., where he married, and 
followed the trade of \\'agon-maker, in 
connection with farming. His death oc- 
curred in 1892. Mrs. Fangboner was 
born in Easton, Penn., in 181 1, and is 
now residing at Lewisburg, that State. 
They were the parents of si.\ children, 
who became heads of families. John 
Fangboner was reared in Union county, 
Penn., and at the age of sixteen enlisted 
in the Union army, but was rejected on 
account of his youth. He afterward en- 
listed, February 24, 1864, in Company 



K, Fifty-first P. V. I., was assigned to 
the Army of the Potomac, and saw active 
service, participating in several important 
battles, and being wounded in the second 
battle of the Wilderness. He was honor- 
ably discharged at Trenton, N. J., July 
25, 1865. After the war he located at 
Lewisburg, Penn., and within a short 
time came to Lindsey, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, where he engaged in the business 
of buying, preparing for market, and 
shipping live-stock. in 1887 he removed 
to Fremont in order to prosecute his busi- 
ness on a larger scale, and recently he has 
devoted most of his time to the buying, 
feeding and shipping of sheep, in which 
he excels, both in the magnitude and 
management of his undertakings. His 
sheep barns are models of convenience 
and comfort for the handling of sheep. 
One of them is 120x68 in dimensions, 
two are 20x100 feet; there is another 
100x28 feet, and one shed 100x36 feet. 
He has granaries and sheds in close prox- 
imity to each other, and he fed more than 
6,000 sheep within the year 1894. He 
makes his purchases in Chicago and else- 
where. Mr. Fangboner also does an ex- 
tensive business in the buying, packing and 
shipping of hay and straw, having a num- 
ber of presses of his own in almost con- 
stant operation. He ships annually not 
less than 800 car-loads of farm products, 
for which he pays the farmers many hun- 
dreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Fang- 
boner is a Republican in politics, and 
takes a laudable interest in public affairs. 
He has held many offices of honor and 
trust, having served on the school board 
at Lindsey for six years, and was a mem- 
ber of the village council two years. On 
his removal to Fremont he was elected a 
member of the city council. In Novem- 
ber, 1893, he was elected auditor of San- 
dusky county, on the Republican ticket, 
and is the present incumbent, assisted by 
his son, Irvin T. , as deputy. He is well 
and favorably known in society circles. 
Socially, he is a member of the K. of H., 



252 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the Royal Arcanum and the National 
Union. 

In 1 87 1 Jolin Fangboner married Miss 
Hensel, daughter of Adam and Mary 
(Banner) Hensel. She died at Lindsey, 
Ohio, in 1874, the mother of two chil- 
dren, Irvin T. and Myrtella. Mr. Fang- 
boner married, for his second wile. Miss 
Emma, daughter of Jacob Faller, of 
Fremont, Ohio, and they have one child, 
Raymond. Irvin T. Fangboner, the 
well-known, competent, and highly es- 
teemed deputy auditor of Sandusky 
county, was for five years assistant teller 
in the First National Bank of Fremont, 
Ohio. He is a member of several social 
clubs and societies in the city, belongs to 
the B. P. O. Elks, the Masonic Frater- 
nity, the National Union and the Sons of 
Veterans. In religious connection he is a 
member of the Reformed Church of Fre- 
mont, in which he has served in various 
official positions. 



GEORGE RICHARDS. This well- 
known citizens of Gibsonburg, 
Sandusky county, is a veterinary 
surgeon, and has been practicing 
his profession since early in life. He was 
born in the County of Kent, England, 
February 15, 18 19. 

The parents of our subject were 
Thomas and Mary (Court) Richards, the 
former of whom died in the county of 
Kent, England, when seventy-eight years 
old. He was a farmer by occupation, 
and was a strong, rugged man. He was 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. The mother was also born in 
the County of Kent, England, and lived 
to be one hundred and one years old. 
She was never sick until the time of her 
death. Her father was Clement Court, 
a farmer by occupation, and her mother, 
who was born in Worcester, England, was 
the daughter of a veterinary surgeon. 

George Richards gained a fair educa- 
tion in the schools of East Kent, and 



assisted his father upon the farm until 
fourteen years of age, when he was ap- 
prenticed to his uncle until he was twenty- 
one, learning the profession of a veterin- 
ary surgeon. He then went to London 
and studied at Greenwich Hospital for a 
year, when he took his diploma and began 
practice with his uncle in Kent. There 
he remained two years, and was then ap- 
pointed as veterinary and bailiff under 
Lord Sands. This position he filled for 
over five years, and then took the man- 
agement of a tavern in West Kent called 
the "Bull Inn," which he conducted for 
two and a half years, when he sold out 
and became the proprietor of the " Drum 
Inn," East Kent, remaining there some 
three years. This property he disposed 
of in 1859, and then emigrated to America. 
Mr. Richards at first located in Rich- 
field, Ohio, and engaged in the butcher- 
ing business until 1861, when, the Civil 
war breaking out, he enlisted in the 
Second Battalion, Ohio Cavalry, serving 
two and a half years. He was sent from 
Camp Dennison to St. Louis and Kansas 
City, Mo., and was in the expedition in 
search of Ouantrell's band of bush- 
whackers. They had an exciting chase, 
in which they captured si.x of Ouantrell's 
men. About this time Mr. Richards' wife 
was taken sick, and died, so he returned 
home. He then located in Lorain coun- 
ty, Ohio, on Butternut Ridge, where he 
lived until 1864, in which year he went 
to Wood county and bought land. This 
he traded for land beyond Summit. He 
made a business of buying and selling 
land, in the meantime practicing his pro- 
fession as a veterinary surgeon, having as 
much as he could do in that line. He is 
now the owner of a good property, and 
although he has practically retired from 
business, he still does some work in his 
profession. Mr. Richards was married in 
1850, in England, to Mary Bramble, who 
died during the Civil war, in 1863, in Lake 
township, Wood Co., Ohio. Of this 
union there were born the following chil- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



253 



dren: Margery: George, who married 
Clara Hedricks, and has three children — 
Esther, Harry and Daisy; Mary, the wife 
of David Ively, has four children — Harry, 
Charley, George and Fred; Margaret died 
when twenty-three years old; Sarah mar- 
ried W. Fought, and has one child — 
Arthur; Margaret died when one year old. 
For his second wife Mr. Richards mar- 
ried Miss Sarah Weaver, who was born 
in Franklin, Penn., in 1849. The chil- 
dren of this marriage are: Lottie, the wife 
of John Mull (they have three children — 
Melvin, Ira and Ethel); Fred, married to 
Miss Mame Foster; Clara, deceased; 
\\'illiam, Effie, Emma, Henry, Jemima, 
Eddie and Bessie. 

Mr. Richards is a Republican in poli- 
tics. In religion he is a member of the 
United Brethren Church, and has been 
very active in all good works, helping to 
build three or four churches. He is a 
man of intelligence and a good conversa- 
tionalist. 



HFA'RY A. WINTER. This gen- 
tleman, who is one of the most 
jirominent farmers and stock rais- 
ers of Townsend township, San- 
dusky county, has, by his sterling integ- 
rity, honest and straightforward dealing, 
earned for himself an enviable reputation 
and a good name. He is a son of Daniel 
and Mar}- (Dale) Winter, and was born 
January 8, 1838, upon the homestead 
farm, on which he still resides. 

Daniel Winter, who was of German 
ancestry, was born in Hagerstown, Md., 
March 30, 1797, and was a son of Chris- 
tian and Palmer Winter, who removed to 
Canada about 1800, locating near Fort 
Erie, where they resided until 181 2. On 
the breaking out of the war of 181 2 
Christian Winter entered the ranks of the 
American army; but, as he had pre- 
viously taken the oath of allegiance to 
the British Crown, the Canadian author- 
ities endeavored to enroll him into their 



army, and during the war he had many 
narrow escapes from capture by the Brit- 
ish. After the close of the struggle he 
settled in Erie county, Ohio, where he 
resided until his death. He was an up- 
right, honored citizen, and his memory will 
long be cherished. Daniel Winter was 
three years old when he was taken by his 
parents to Canada, and he was there 
reared to manhood. He also was drafted 
into the British army, but escaped and 
settled in Erie county, Ohio, where he 
engaged in agricultural pursuits until 182 1, 
when he removed to what was then called 
the Prairies (now Townsend township), 
where he spent the remainder of his days. 
In Erie county, Ohio, April 6, 1831, he 
was united in marriage with Mary Dale, a 
lady of German ancestry, born in Dan- 
ville, Penn., February i i, 1800, and they 
had four children, as follows: J. Nelson, 
born April 26, 1834, and residing in Clyde, 
Sandusky county; Henry A., the subject 
of this sketch; Ralph J., born November 
20, 1842, died April 18, 1885; and Mary 
E. , born September 11, i S45, died at Madi- 
son, Ga., March 27, 1889. On June 24, 
1869. Daniel Winter was called from 
earth, beloved of all who knew him. 

Henry A. Winter has passed his whole 
life in Townsend township, was educated 
in the district school, and since early 
youth has been engaged in farming and 
stock raising. In Erie county, Ohio, May 
28, 1874, Mr. Winter was united in mar- 
riage with Bella Neill, who was born in 
Delaware, Delaware Co., Ohio, April 17, 
1857, and they have hao children, their 
names and dates of birth being as follows: 
Ralph, February 27, 1875; Allan, July 4, 
1876; Louis, February 18, 1878; Daniel, 
July 7, 1879; Charles, June 21, 1880; 
Edith, August 4, 1882; and Neil, Feb- 
ruary 27, 1884. The parents of Mrs. 
Winter, Louis and Jeannette S. (Gaw) 
Neill, were both born in Sandusky City, 
Erie county, and both are still living. 
Mr. Winter is a Republican in politics, 
and the family attend the United Brethren 



2&4 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Church. Mrs. Winter is a school director 
for Sandusky county, being the first lady 
director ever elected in the countv. 



NB. ERVIN, M. D., one of the 
most successful medical practi- 
tioners of Sandusky county, as 
well as one of the most enterpris- 
ing and deserving business men, is a resi- 
dent of Gibsonburg. He was born near 
Mansfield, Ohio, January 15, 1853, son of 
Ezekiel and Sarah (Kerr) Ervin. 

Ezekial Ervin was born in October, 
1799, in Westmoreland county, Penn., 
and about 1830 migrated to Richland 
county, Ohio, where, with his brother-in- 
law, Jesse Swann, he opened up a wilder- 
ness farm. The rails of this pioneer farm 
were made from walnut lumber, which in 
after years became almost priceless in 
value. Sarah (Kerr), the mother of our 
subject, was also a native of Westmore- 
land county. They remained lifelong 
citizens of Richland county, the mother 
dying in 1865, the father surviving till 
1880. He had only one brother — who 
remained in Pennsylvania and left two 
sons — but several sisters, one of whom 
had married Jesse Swann. The children 
of Ezekiel and Sarah Ervin, were as fol- 
lows: James, a soldier of the Civil svar, 
who, in the spring of 1865, when on his 
way home on parole from a Rebel prison, 
was killed in the steamer "Sultana" 
horror near Vicksburg; William, who died 
in childhood; John M., a harness-maker 
of Mansfield; Mary, who died in child- 
hood; Dr. N. B., subject of this sketch; 
Ruth, wife of James McCulley. of Toledo; 
Ira, who died at Clyde, aged twenty-six 
years; and Sadie, deceased wife of Howard 
Rummel. 

Our subject grew up on his father's 
farm, and in addition to his common- 
school education, took an academic course 
at Perrysville, Ohio. He then attended 
medical lectures at the Cleveland Medical 
School, the Medical Department of 



Wooster Universit\-, graduating with the 
class of 1881. The young physician at 
once opened an office at Gibsonburg, and 
he has remained here ever since. He 
quickly won the confidence of the com- 
munity by his professional skill, and has 
from the first enjoyed a large practice. 
In 1893 Dr. Ervin opened a drug store, 
which he still owns; but he devotes his 
time chiefly to his practice. He is also 
interested in various enterprises which 
are materially helping the village and 
county: He is a charter member, a stock- 
holder and a director of the Gibsonburg 
Banking Compan}-; he was president of 
the first gas company ever organized at 
Gibsonburg, the Gibsonburg National Gas 
and Oil Company, and now has interests 
in that and in the Ervin Oil Company, 
who control considerable land and own 
about thirty wells, being largely engaged 
in the oil industry. He is also financially 
interested with Williams Bros, in the oil 
fields, and is a member of the Buckeye 
Torpedo Co., who are engaged in the 
manufacture of nitro-glycerine for shoot- 
ing oil wells. In politics the Doctor is a 
Republican. Socially, he is a prominent 
member of the I.O.O. F., the K. of P., 
the Knights of the Maccabees, and the 
Masonic F"raternity. Professionally he is 
a member of the State Medical Society, 
and also of the Sandusky County Medical 
Society. The town of Gibsonburg is in- 
debted for its prosperity to men of the 
courage and conviction of Dr. Ervin. 
He is a leader in financial operations, and 
has displayed a rare good judgment in the 
undertakings with which he has been as- 
sociated. 

On September 9, 1880, Dr. Ervin 
was married, near Mansfield, to Miss 
Josephine Smith, a native of Wayne 
county, and they have a family of four 
children: Mabel, born January 2, 1882; 
James Sidney, born January 20, 1886; 
Norman, born September 9, 1889; and 
Dale, born November 12, 1893. Mrs. 
Ervin was born July 23, 1859, daughter 




'r" 



%, 



■k y^> 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



255 



of John and Rebecca (Gillani) Smith, and 
received her education in Richland and 
Wayne counties, Ohio. Her father was 
born July 24, 1820, her mother June 3, 
1 82 1, and they were the parents of seven 
children, of whom four are now living, 
as follows: Josephine (Mrs. Ervin); Mrs. 
^fary Robinson, of Lucas, Ohio; Mrs. 
Ellen Irvin, of Mansfield, Ohio; and Mrs. 
Lizzie Wallace, of Lucas, Ohio. Mr. 
Smith came to his death. May 25, i8go, 
by the explosion of a quantity of dyna- 
mite; his wife survived him until 1893. 
Mrs. Ervin's paternal grandfather, Daniel 
Smith, was born about 1798, and mar- 
ried Anna Hartford, who died at an early 
age, leaving a family of five children. 
Her maternal grandfather, William Gil- 
lam, wedded Mary I^ennedy, who was 
born about 1800, and died in 1874; to 
this union were born seven children, of 
whom one is living. 



LOUIS LINKE, one of the substan- 
tial farmers of northern Ohio, was 
born May 12, 1837, in Hanover, 
Germany, and is a son of Herman 
H. and Anna (Thorman) Linke, who were 
born in Hanover, Germany, in Novem- 
ber, 1795, and in September, 1798, re- 
spectively. 

Herman H. Linke and his wife Anna 
were the parents of four children, name- 
ly: Anna M., born in 1820, who married 
Clarence Ulgerslinger, a tailor, and they 
live in Germany; Annie Mary, born in 
1825, married Christopher Rolf us, a 
maker of wooden shoes, and they live in 
Germany; Aberhart, born in 1825, now a 
farmer in Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, married to Sophia Hilker, and 
they have six children — Annie, Sophia, 
Herman, and three who died young; and 
Ludwig Henry, or Louis, the subject of 
this sketch. 

Louis Linke came to America with his 
parents in the fall of 1852. In eighteen 
weeks from the time they left the Father- 



land they located in Ohio, visiting first at 
his uncle's, in Troy township, Wood coun- 
ty. He then went to his brother, who 
owned a farm, and stayed there for a 
time, working out at different places un- 
til his marriage. On March 7, i860, 
Louis Linke married Maria Hurdelbrink, 
who was born October 8, 1839, in Han- 
over, Germany, and nine children have 
been born to them, as follows: Herman 
Henry, March 18, 1861, now a farmer in 
Woodville township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
married to Ganna Sandwisch, and has two 
children — Ida and Lizzie; Elizabeth, born 
April 6, 1862, died young; Eberhart 
Henry, born August 28, 1863, now a 
farmer in Clay township, Ottawa county, 
who married Louisa Obermeyer, and they 
have had two children, Minnie and Ed; 
Annie Louisa, born August 11, 1866, mar- 
ried to Herman Sander, a farmer of Ot- 
tawa county, and they have three chil- 
dren — Louis, Carrie and Dora; Eberhard 
Henry, born June 24, 1868, died August 
22, 1869, aged one year and twenty-eight 
days, and was buried at Woodville; Sophia 
Eliza, born May 11, 1871, married Fred 
Shulte, a farmer of Sandusky county, and 
has one child — Louis; Anna Maria Car- 
rie, born August 26, 1874, unmarried and 
living at home; John Ludwig, born March 
30, 1879, living at home; and Maria Eliza, 
born December 18, 1883, deceased when 
young. 

Mrs. Louis Linke's parents came to 
America in 1837, and only remained in 
the East a short time. They were very 
poor, and her father worked by the day 
among the farmers. Coming to Ohio, 
they lived for a short time with a friend 
named Hartman. Her father worked out, 
and saved his money, bought forty acres 
of land, put up a log cabin, and began 
clearing. This land he kept for several 
years, and then sold it. Later he bought 
eighty acres, all but two of which were in 
timber, and cleared about half of this. 
Before he died this farm was divided 
among the children. He was born in 



256 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



1803, and died in 1877; his wife was born 
in 1800, and died in 1867. Mrs. Linke's 
brothers and sisters were as follows: 
Henry, born in 1834, married Angeline 
Starke, by whom he has had eight chil- 
dren (he has a farm of eighty acres in 
Woodville township which he rents, and 
lives retired with his children in Toledo, 
Ohio); William, a farmer of Woodville 
township, married Louisa Coleman, and 
they have seven children; and Eliza and 
Angeline, who died young. 

In 1 86 1 Mr. Linke bought 126 acres 
of timberland, all in the woods, put up a 
log cabin, and began clearing. In 1864 
he sold twenty-five acres to his brother, 
since when he has owned, in all, 238 
acres. He now has 149 acres, and car- 
ries on general farming. He is one of 
the oldest members of the Lutheran 
Church in Troy township. Wood Co., 
Ohio. In politics a Democrat, he was 
trustee for eleven jears, and supervisor 
several years. He is an upright, honest 
man, does not show the marks of his 
years of hard work, and has not yet a 
gray hair in his head. 



REV. NOAH HENRICKS, a retired 
farmer and minister, now residing 
in the village of Lindsey, San- 
dusky county, has witnessed, as 
few others have, the marvelous transfor- 
mation of a tangled and almost impass- 
able jungle into a pastoral region of sur- 
passing fertility and beauty. 

He was a lad of tender years, with 
mind keenly susceptible to impressions, 
when his father, a prominent pioneer and 
farmer, moved from the rugged hills and 
valleys of Perry county to the noted 
"Black Swamp" of northwestern Ohio. 
Gifted with a prescience of their future 
value, he bought extensively from the 
government the rich swamp-covered lands 
of Washington township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, trusting to the coming years to vindi- 
cate the soundness of his judgment in 



thus investing in lands which most pio- 
neers avoided. The scene was truly un- 
inviting. Log-choked streams lazilj' 
flooded the entire region, and rank veget- 
able growth contended with the slimy 
waters for supremacy over the soil. Vine- 
clad monarchs of the forest with tops in- 
terlaced, and with trunks inclined at every 
conceivable angle, conspired to keep the 
rays of the sun from the oozy surface. 

Hither in 1830 came Jacob and Eliza- 
beth (Hufford) Henricks and their eight 
children, the ninth and youngest being a 
native of the new home. Jacob Hen- 
ricks, who was born in Pennsylvania, 
moved with his parents, in 1807, to Perry 
county, Ohio, was there married to Eliza- 
beth Hufford January 15, 181 1, and there 
remained until his migration to Sandusky 
county in 1830. His children were as 
follows: Katie, born December 8, 181 1, 
married George Hetrick, and died in 
1894, leaving ten children; Sarah, born 
July 29, 1814, married John Overmyer, 
and is now deceased; John, born Novem- 
ber 8, 1 8 16; Noah, subject of this sketch, 
born Nouember 13, 1818; Susan, born 
January 14, 1821, now living in Indiana, 
widow of Samuel Rerrick; Rebecca, born 
December 6, 1822, wife of Jacob Wagg- 
ner, of Indiana; Jonah, born December 
9, 1824; Elizabeth, born May 20, 1827, 
now the wife of Jonas Engler, and resid- 
ing near Flat Rock; Jacob, born August 
16, 1 83 1, a farmer of Wood count v, 
Ohio. 

After his removal to Sandusky count)' 
Noah Henricks, the subject of this sketch, 
attended the district schools until his 
seventeenth jear, when he began a course 
of study, preparatory to entering the 
ministry in the German Baptist Church. 
When thus equipped, Rev. Henricks 
filled the pulpit for four years, preaching 
in Ohio and throughout Illinois. He 
tilled the station of a bishop, which per- 
mitted him to preach without restriction, 
and not requiring him to follow the cir- 
cuit and stay but one year in each place. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



iOi 



III January. 1831, his father purchased 
160 acres of land in Washington town- 
ship, and this, from 185010 1890, was the 
home of our subject. He married Miss 
Katie Reed, daughter of Joseph and Sarah 
(Swinehart) Reed, who in an early day 
migrated from Pennsylvania, their native 
State, to Perry county, Ohio, and in 
1833 came to Washington township, San- 
dusky county, where they died. In relig- 
ious belief they were Lutherans. They 
had a famil}' of eleven children, as fol- 
lows: Elizabeth, Samuel, Katie, Polly, 
Peter, John, Jonathan, Rebecca, Eliza, 
Caroline, and an infant unnamed. To 
Rev. Noah and Katie Henricks have been 
born four children: John, who married 
Catharine Yagle, and had four children — 
Alice (married to William Engler), and 
Arda, Clara and Esta (all three single); 
Sarah, widow of Jess Hetrick; Elizabeth, 
wife of Charles Buck, a farmer in San- 
dusky county, who has three children — 
Ida, Noah and Jennie; and Emily, who 
married John Ansbach, a lumberman of 
Oak Harbor, and has two children — 
Willie and Roily. In 1890 Rev. Mr. Hen- 
ricks moved to the village of Lindsey, 
where he expects to pass his remaining 
days in comfort, and amidst the scenes 
which bring back many pleasant memories 
of the long ago. 



JBAUMANN & SON. Among the 
enterprising business men of Fre- 
mont, perhaps no firm is more widely 
and favorably known throughout 
Sandusky county than the firmof J. Bau- 
mann & Son, proprietors of the " Central 
Meat Market," corner of Croghan and 
Arch streets, opposite the City Hall. 

jAcoii Baum.wn, Sk., the senior pro- 
prietor, was born in Villigen, Switzerland, 
December 6, 1827, a son of Henry and 
Verena (Hartman) Baumann, who lived 
on a farm near the borders of Baden. 
He attended school in his native place 
until fifteen years of age, when he learned 



the trade of butcher. On May 10, 1850, 
he married Miss Elizabeth Vogt, daughter 
of John Vogt, a farmer, who afterward 
emigrated to America and settled in San- 
dusky county, Ohio. In the fall of the 
year 1854 Mr. Baumann came to America 
with his family, crossing the Atlantic 
Ocean in the sailing vessel "Canvas 
Back" from Havre to New York City in 
forty-three days. Coming thence to Fre- 
mont, Ohio, he located on the east side 
of the Sandusky river, and worked at his 
trade as a butcher. The following year 
he kept a meat market at Clyde, Ohio. 
Returning to Fremont in 1856, heopened 
a grocery store and meat market on State 
street, in the Third ward, on the corner 
now occupied by Kline's block. In 1857 
he sold out this business and removed to 
the West side, where he established an 
exclusively meat market. His "Central 
Market" was established by him in 1875. 
In the year 1877 his son, Jacob Baumann, 
Jr., became an equal partner with him, 
and they have continued together until the 
present time. Their patronage is such 
that for a number of years it has required 
the annual purchase of more than ten 
thousand dollars' worth of live stock, 
chiefly from the farmers of the surround- 
ing countrj'. They are quiet and unas- 
suming in their manners, but possessed of 
a genial, friendly nature, and an obliging 
disposition. They are masters of their 
business, and their reputation for sound 
judgment and strict integrity is such that 
among farmers and city patrons their 
word is as good as their bond. In the 
year 1882 J. Baumann, Sr., built a fine 
brick mansion on Croghan street, oppo- 
site the Court House yard, which has 
since that time been occupied as a family 
residence, and is an ornament to the city. 
The children of Jacob Baumann, Sr. , and 
his wife Elizabeth, nee Vogt, were: Jacob 
Baumann, Jr. ; Anna Baumann, who died 
at the age of forty-two years; Eliza Bau- 
mann, at home; Albert V., whose sketch 
appears elsewhere; and Hattie, at home. 



258 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Jacob Baumann, Jr., junior member 
of the firm of J. Baumann & Son, was 
born in Switzerland July 23, 1850, and 
came with his parents to Fremont, where 
he received alimited school education, and 
learned to follow the occupation of his fa- 
ther. He married November i, 1877, 
Miss Minna Richards, daughter of Prof. 
Frederick Richards. She died July 15, 
1892, the mother of children as follows: 
Gertrude Leone, born August 9, 1879; 
Albert Otto, born October 24, 1880; 
Frederick Jacob, who died in infancy; 
and Frieda, born July 30, 1886. On Oc- 
tober 30, 1894, Mr. Baumann married 
Miss Ida Stapf, who was born March 30, 
1861, daughter of William Stapf. of New- 
port, Ky. Their residence is on Garrison 
street, Fremont, Ohio. 



GEORGE RIMMELSPACHER, a 
retired farmer, Fremont, San- 
dusky county, is a native of 
Baden, Germany, born March 
28, 18 12. His parents were Joseph and 
Christena ( Mowery ) Rimmelspacher, 
farmers and natives of Baden, the former 
of whom died at the age of seventy-seven, 
and the latter at the age of seventy-four 
years. They had eight children, f^ve of 
whom came to America: Chrisence, 
Mary, Elizabeth, Sebastian, and George 
(our subject). Of those who remained in 
the Fatherland, Bernhardt only is still 
living. 

Our subject grew to manhood in Baden, 
where he received a limited education in 
German, and learned the trade of black- 
smith. Hoping to better his condition, 
he emigrated to America, landing at New 
York City, May 27, 1836, and here worked 
at his trade one and a half years. He 
then went to St. Augustine, Florida, and 
drove stage coach two years, subsequently 
doing some blacksmithing for the United 
States Government, under direction of 
Gen. Zachary Taylor, who was in charge 
of soldiers there. He returned thence to 



New York City, and in 1 840 came to Ohio, 
locating on the Sandusky river, in Ball- 
ville township, Sandusky county, upon a 
farm of forty acres, to which more were 
added later, and where he lived about 
forty years. Here, by hard work and good 
management, for which Germans are noted, 
he accumulated a fortune which enabled 
him in his old age to retire from business. 
He has erected a fine brick residence on 
Garrison street, Fremont, which he makes 
his family home. He at one time owned 
Goo acres of valuable land in Sandusky 
county, which he disposed of by giving to 
each of his children a farm. 

On September 14, 1840, George Rim- 
melspacher married Miss Elizabeth Gable, 
who was born April 4, 181 8, in Alsace, 
Germany, and came to America in 1831. 
They had thirteen children, nine of whom 
are living: (i) Joseph A., who died at 
twelve years of age; (2) Jacob, a soldier 
of the Civil war, who married Anna Gar- 
ber, and whose children are — Florence, 
Henry, Ida, Ferris and Pearl. (3) Mag- 
dalena, wife of Henry Ochs, of Buffalo, 
N. Y. , who has si.x children — Albert (who 
married Miss Bertha Shoedler, and has 
one child, Harold); Rosa (who married 
Casper Hodes, and has three children — 
Rosa, Carl and Henry), Edward, Harry, 
Stany and Ralph. (4) Andrew, farmer, 
living in Ballville township, who married 
Miss Louisa Myers, and whose children 
are — Harry. Estella, Philber, Edward, 
Sylvester, Hedwig, Lovina, Sevilla, Law- 
rence, Marie, Clements and Rcgine. (5) 
Catharine, wife of Anthony Swint, whose 
children are — George, Frank, Lena, Liz- 
zie, Seraphine. Robert. Charles, Laura, 
Peter, Jacob, and Gertrude. (6) Rosa, 
wife of L. Engleman; she died August i, 
1893, aged thirty-four, leaving two chil- 
dren — Amedius and Estella. (7) Mary, 
wife of Andrew Ochs, of Buffalo, N. Y. ; 
they have one child — -Frank. (8) George, 
a farmer of Sandusky county, who mar- 
ried Helen Kofifler, and whose children 
are — Isabella, Eleanora and Henrietta. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



259 



(9) John, who rrarried Theresa Kochman, 
and whose children are — Seraphine, Jose- 
phine, Carl and Wilbur. (10) William, 
who married Christena Engler, and whose 
children are — Isadore and Wilbur. (11) 
Amelia, living at home. Two children — 
Peter and Frank — died in childhood. 
Mrs. Rimmelspacher died June 7, 1892, 
at the age of seventy-four years. The 
Rimmelspacher family are all members of 
the Roman Catholic Church. 



JC. SMITH. This gentleman, one 
of the most prominent and influen- 
tial citizens of Gibsonburg, Sandusky 
county, is the surviving member of 
the firm of Smith & Dohn, who for some 
years have e.xtensively engaged in the 
manufacture of lime. Mr. F. W. Dohn 
died about three years ago, and since that 
time Mr. Smith has had entire charge of 
the large interests of the business, and 
has conducted it very successfully, being 
assisted by Mr. Dohn's son. He is a man 
of strict integrity, and carries the princi- 
ples of religion into his business relations, 
gaining thereby the confidence and es- 
teem of all with whom he comes in con- 
tact. He is also enterprising and pro- 
gressive, and always busy in promoting 
the welfare of others as well as his own. 
Mr. Smith was born in Sandusky 
county, west of Fremont, August 15, 
1854, son of Nelson and Mary (Cookson) 
Smith, both of whom are still living. The 
father was born in 1824 in Franklin coun- 
ty, Ohio, near Columbus, and now resides 
in Washington township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, where he carries on farming, and where 
he has lived ever since his marriage. By 
trade he was a carpenter, and followed 
that occupation for some years. In poli- 
tics he is a Republican, and in religion a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. His ancestors were prominent 
people in New England, and Israel Smith, 
of Fremont, this State, was his uncle. 
The mother of our subject was born in 



Perry county, Ohio, in 1823, her family 
coming there from Pennsylvania. Our 
subject is one of a family of five children, 
of whom the following record is given: 
Josiah lives in Ballville township; Isabel 
died at the age of fifteen years; F. E. 
lives in Washington township; J. C. re- 
sides at Gibsonburg; and John lives on 
the old homestead in Washington town- 
ship. 

J. C. Smith grew to manhood in 
Washington township, and acquired an 
e.\cellent education in Delaware and Ober- 
lin Colleges, in the meantime interspers- 
ing his studies with teaching, thus putting 
to practical use the knowledge he ob- 
tained. He taught two terms at Ballville 
after leaving Delaware College, and be- 
fore entering Obertin, and after attending 
the spring and fall terms at the latter, 
again engaged in teaching for four terms 
at Bettsville, in Seneca county. He also 
taught three terms near his home in San- 
dusky county. In 1880 he was married 
to Miss Annie C. Bowlus, who was born 
in Sandusky township, Sandusky county, 
August 22, 1852, and to them have been 
born si.x children: Eula, May, Webb, 
Carl, Florence and Ina. 

l\Irs. Smith is the only daughter of 
Henry and Rebecca Williamson Bowlus. 
She was educated in Adrian (Mich.) Col- 
lege, where, in addition to her literary 
pursuits, she also made a study of music, 
which, for a time, she afterward taught. 
Mrs. Smith's father was born September 
27, 1 8 10, near Middletown, Md., and 
when fourteen years of age came with his 
parents to Sandusky county, Ohio, where 
he still lives. His vvife was born in Mid- 
dletown, Md., July 4, 1824, and died 
January 28, 1891, aged sixty-six years, 
six months and twenty-four days. She 
was married to Lewis L. Bowlus in her 
native town at the tender age of seven- 
teen years and six months, and immedi- 
ately afterward migrated with her hus- 
band to the West, settling in Sandusky 
county, Ohio, three miles west of where the 



260 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



city of Fremont now stands. The county 
was new, and largely covered with dense 
forests and impenetrable swamps; but here 
the young couple settled on a tract of 
land in the woods, built a small cabin and 
commenced clearing away the forest tim- 
ber. In the summer of 1848, however, 
the husband was smitten down with fever, 
and at the age of twent\--four she was left 
a widow with two children — Silas and 
Amos. Silas, the elder, died while in the 
army in 1864, and Amos three years later, 
while a student at Oberlin College. In 
September, 1849, she was married, to 
Henry Bowlus, who survives her, and 
they lived happily together for over forty- 
one years. She was an active member 
of the Muskalonge Methodist Protestant 
Church some forty-seven 3'ears; she was 
in attendance at one of the meetings 
there, in which she had expressed her 
thankfulness to God, her Saviour, for the 
revival influence that was being enjoyed 
in the Church, when she was taken ill and 
at six o'clock in the evening death finish- 
ed its work, and that faithful Christian, 
that pure and loving. wife and mother, in 
every respect worthj- of imitation, and her 
name that will ever be held in loving re- 
membrance by all who knew her. She 
was buried in the little cemetery, just 
north of the church, together with kin- 
dred clay. To Mr. and Mrs. Bowlus were 
born four children, all of whom are living: 
Warren, Henry, Robert and Annie (Mrs. 
Smith). Mrs. Smith's paternal grand- 
parents were from Germany, and her ma- 
ternal grandmother from Scotland. 

At the time of his marriage Mr. Smith 
engaged in the hardware business in Gib- 
sonburg, with M. W. Hobart, whose in- 
terest he purchased two years later, 
carrying on the business alone until in 
November, 1 890, when he sold out to the 
Buckeye Oil Well and Supply Company. 
During this time (in 1883) he formed a 
partnership with Sanders, Dohn & Co., 
for the manufacture of lime, and they 
built one lime kiln, and opened a quarry 



at Gibsonburg, Ohio. This partnership 
continued until 1888, when Mr. Sanders 
sold his interest to the two men, who 
then established themselves under the 
firm name of Smith & Dohn. They pur- 
chased ten acres of quarry land near 
a railroad, and during the fall of that 
year built an additional kiln. In the fol- 
lowing summer they added two more 
kilns, with an entire capacity of 450 bar- 
rels daily. The first year they shipped 
80,000 barrels of lime; in 1890 and 1891 
their output was 70,000 barrels; in 1892, 
60,000 barrels, and in 1893, 54,000 bar- 
rels, the production for i 894 being about 
the same as in 1893. In 1892 they pur- 
chased a tract of land south of Gibson- 
burg, which furnished them part of their 
supply of gas for their business. They 
have one oil well and five gas wells, 
which supply them with fuel. The firm 
employ from twenty to thirty men 
throughout the year, and make all their 
own barrels. 

Judging by the manner in which Mr. 
Smith has managed his own business, it 
is conclusive that he is a supremely active 
man, and one who looks ahead and an- 
ticipates. On account of the low prices 
of lime — the result of overproduction and 
close competition — Mr. Smith took action 
in the matter and was among the first to 
organize a compan}'. In 1892 a consol- 
idation of nearly all the white lime inter- 
ests was effected, and the company was 
called "The Northwestern Ohio Lime 
Co., " our subject being one of the di- 
rectors of same. It continued in existence 
but one year; but even that comparatively 
brief existence settled the point that where 
so much lime could be manufactured, 
some control must be had. In the early 
part of the year 1895, Mr. Smith and 
Mr. Sutliff undertook to organize a new 
company, with the assistance of a few 
other lime manufacturers; and after a 
couple of months or more hard labor they 
succeeded in organizing "The Ohio Lime 
Co.," upon such a basis, too, as to make 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



261 



of it a comparatively permanent organi- 
zation (for five years), taking in all the 
white-lime interests in the State of Ohio. 
Mr. Smith is a director of this company, 
and its organization is so perfect, and it 
is working with such unqualified success 
that he justly feels proud of his energies 
so well directed. Good planning, judi- 
cious economy, and well-timed energy, 
properly applied, he claims, must lead to 
the success of any business. 

Mr. Smith owns i6o acres, three and 
a half miles from Fremont, in Washington 
township, 105 acres of which is the estate 
of Rebecca C. Bowlus, and in addition 
to his other business, he is engaged in 
farming. In the fall of 1894, in connec- 
tion with Peter A. Rust, he purchased 
fifteen acres from Fred Yeasting, and they 
were the means of having the school- 
house built on the west side of the railroad, 
having laid out the tract as an addition of 
the town. In 1883 Mr. Smith built the 
commodious home in which he lives, and 
here he enjoys life in the consciousness of 
duty well done, and energies well direc- 
ted. In politics he is a Republican, but 
votes the Prohibition ticket, as he is fully 
convinced that that policy is for the best 
interests of the county. He is a devout 
metjiber of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and has always been an earnest 
and active worker, being chorister and 
teacher in the Sabbath-school almost con- 
tinuously. He is foremost in every work 
in Church and community, and is highly 
esteemed and respected. 



CHRISTIAN RISER, a well-to-do 
farmer and land-owner of San- 
dusky township, Sandusky county, 
was born in Alsace, France (now 
Germany), March i, 1842, a son of Chris- 
tian and Salome (Young) Riser. 

The father of our subject was born in 
the same place in the year 1800, and was 
a carpenter and farmer in Alsace. He 
came to America in about 185 1, and lo- 



cated on a farm in Sandusky township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, where he died in 
1863. He was a member of the Lu- 
theran Church. The mother was born in 
Alsace, and came to America, where she 
died at the age of eighty-three years. 
They had three children: William, Chris- 
tian and Caroline, all of whom live in 
Sandusky township. Of these Caroline 
married John Bender. Christian Riser, 
Sr. , had three children by a former mar- 
riage, of whom are named Fred, who died 
in Fremont, Ohio; Charles; and Eliza-, 
beth, wife of Frederick Smith. The 
grandfather was about ten years old when 
he came to this country, and he attended 
school but a short time, as he was needed 
to help clear up the farm. 

He worked at wood chopping and 
farming till he enlisted, October 17, 1861, 
in Company C, Seventy- second Regiment 
O. V. I., under Capt. Samuel J. Snyder. 
He served in the army of the Tennessee, 
and participated in the following battles, 
sieges, &c. : Crump's Landing, Tenn., 
April 4, 1S62; Shiloh, Tenn., April 6-7, 
1862; Corinth, Miss., siege of, April 30 to 
May 31, 1862; Russell House, Miss., May 
17, 1862; Jackson, Miss., May 14, 1863; 
Vicksburg, Miss., siege of. May 18 to July 
4, 1863; Vicksburg, Miss., assault of. May 
19-20, 1863; Big Black River, Miss., 
July 6, 1863; Jackson, Miss., July 9-16, 
1863; Branton, Miss., July 19, 1863; 
Hickahala Creek, Miss., February 10, 
1864; Brice's Cross Roads (also known as 
Guntown), Miss., June 10, 1864; Harris- 
burg, Miss., July 13, 1864; Tupelo, Miss., 
July 14, T864; Old Town Creek, Miss., 
July 15, 1864; Little Harpcth, Tenn., 
December 6, 1864. This ends Mr. Riser's 
army service, and he was mustered out 
after the battle of Nashville, Tenn. (De- 
cember 15-16, 1864), and arrived home 
on New Year's Day, 1865. He had been 
promoted to corporal. He was never 
seriously wounded, and at Guntown, or 
Brice's Cross Roads, he made good his 
escape when about half of his comrades 



202 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQBAPHICAL RECORD. 



were taken prisoners, and was obliged to 
travel two nights and a day and a half 
without food or ammunition, and yet he 
says he was not at all sick of army life. 
After his return from the army he located 
in Washington township, where he en- 
gaged in farming about four years, after- 
ward locating in Elkhart county, Ind. In 
1872 he returned to Sandusky township, 
where he bought the eighty acres he now 
lives on, and later eighty acres more. He 
also purchased 123 acres in Jackson town- 
ship. In 1884 he built his present brick 
residence. 

On January 14, 1862, Mr. Riser mar- 
ried Miss Rachel Rule, who was born Oc- 
tober 4, 1842, in Washington township, 
Sandusky county, where she lived until 
her marriage. Her parents, George and 
Sarah (Fessler) Rule, were natives of 
Cumberland county, Penn., the father 
born in 1788, the mother in 1798. They 
both died in 1865, Mrs. Rule's death oc- 
curring just three days after that of her 
husband, and they were buried side by 
side in Elkhart county, Ind. Their fam- 
ily consisted ■of fourteen children, thirteen 
of whom married and reared families. 
The children of Christian and Rachel 
Riser, born in Sandusky county, are: 
Charles W., born September 8, 1863, liv- 
ing in Jackson township, married to Miss 
EHza Auxter, a native of Rice township, 
by whom he had one child — Floyd; Will- 
iam, born February 18, 1S66, died Oc- 
tober II, 1868; Noah F., born July 28, 
1869, living at home, married to Miss 
Clara Hetrick March 26, 1S95; Salome, 
born February 8, 1871, widow of William 
Wagner, by whom she had two children — 
Grace and Martha; Joshua, born Novem- 
ber 4, 1872, married to Miss Martha Hed- 
rick, of Ballville township, and they have 
a daughter — Edna; Martha, born August 
24, 1874, died December 10, 1880; 
Henry, born December 24, 1876, living 
at home; Christian, born January 12, 
1879; John, born August 12, 1880; and 
George, born April 21, 1883. 



Mr. Riser is a Republican in politics, 
and a member of Eugene Rawson Post, 
G. A. R., and of the U. V. U. He was 
elected township trustee in the spring of 
1893, and in the fall of 1894 was elected 
county commissioner of Sandusky county. 
He is one of the successful men of San- 
dusky township. 



FREDERICR W. DOHN. The 
story oi a good man's life can not 
be told too often. In this bus- 
tling age, when principle too often 
gives place to policy, and the greed of 
money-getting so easily obscures the sharp 
line which should be drawn between right 
and wrong, the example of a man, who, 
during his life, carried out the teachings 
of the religion in which he believed, is 
one worthy of preservation as an encour- 
agement to both old and young. 

The subject of this sketch was a na- 
tive of Bavaria; his birth taking place 
August 31, 1839, and his death occurring 
at his home in Gibsonburg, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio, October 7, 1893. When a 
boy of fourteen he left his native country, 
in 1853, for the United States, having 
heard of this great Republic as the Eldo- 
rado in which wonderful fortunes were to 
be made almost for the asking. He was 
accompanied by his mother, brother and 
sister, the father having died about a year 
previous. They were very poor, having 
to borrow money for their trip across the 
ocean, and when they reached New York 
were without a dollar. Their first per- 
manent location was at Waukesha, Wis., 
and here Mr. Dohn secured a clerkship, 
and undertook the support of the little 
family. It was a heavy responsibility for 
a youth; but he was stout of heart and 
firm of purpose. For eight years he held 
this position, and became invaluable to 
his employer, with whom he remained 
until the failure of the latter in business. 
An incident is related of this period of 
his life which reveals the character of the 



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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



263 



boy, and was an index to his future suc- 
cess. He was called into the office of his 
employer one day and informed that, if he 
did not quit attending a revival meeting 
which was then in progress, he would be 
discharged. He debated the matter with 
his conscience, and decided that if he at- 
tended the meetings only after his duties 
at the store were finished, he would be 
doing nothing wrong. He* was, however, 
reported by a fellow clerk, who, perhaps, 
thought in this way to curry favor with 
his employer, and was summarily dis- 
charged. It was not long, however, be- 
fore his employer discovered that he had 
made a serious mistake in discharging an 
employe who would sacrifice his position 
to his sense of duty, and he accordingly 
sent for him, acknowledged his error, and 
asked Mr. Dohn to resume his former re- 
lations. This he did. and remained, as 
has been stated, until the failure of the 
business. At that time his employer said 
to him : " You have been a faithful clerk, 
and m}' mistake was in not taking you in 
as a partner, and discharging the man 
who reported you, and who has been in- 
strumental in bringing about my mis- 
fortunes." 

Mr. Dohn soon afterward went into 
business for himself, and remained in 
Waukesha two years longer, when he re- 
moved to Depere, in the same State, and 
there carried on a successful business some 
eight years. In 1873 he sold out his es- 
tablishment in Depere, and removed to 
Gibsonburg, forming a partnership with 
Mr. Farmer, under the firm name of 
Farmer & Dohn. This parttiership con- 
tinued five years, when a third partner 
was admitted to the firm. This change 
proved disastrous to the business, and re- 
sulted in the withdrawal of Mr. Dohn, he 
then devoting his time to the duties of 
postmaster, which office he was holding 
at the time. In 1883 the firm of Sanders, 
Dohn & Co. was formed, for the purpose 
of manufacturing lime. This partnership 
continued until August 7, 1888, when Mr. 

17 



Sanders sold out to J. C. Smith, who was 
the company part of the concern. The firm 
now became known as Smith & Dohn. 
They carried on the manufacture of lime 
with great success for over five years, mean- 
while engaging in various projects for the 
development of the city, and the good of 
the community, such as laying out ad- 
ditions to the city, and sinking gas and oil 
wells. They always employed a large 
number of men, who were promptly paid, 
and in this way encouraged industrj- and 
thrift. 

Mr. Dohn was married, in 1875, to 
Mary E. Crouse, who was a native of 
Seneca county, Ohio, born August 14, 
1845. Her parents were Jacob and Eliza 
(Eaton) Crouse, the former of whom was 
born in Lancaster, Penn., in 1821, and 
came west when a young man, locating 
first in Seneca county, and afterward liv- 
ing for a time at New Haven, Huron 
county. He finally returned to Seneca 
county, where he now resides with one of 
his sons. Mrs. Dohn's mother was born 
in Pennsylvania, in 1822, and died in 
Melmore, Seneca county, in 1893; she 
was a Presbyterian, as was also her hus- 
band. This worth}' couple were the par- 
ents of five children: Carrie, who married 
Charles Benham, and now resides in Fort 
Scott, Kans. ; Ella, who married Jacob 
Gannon, and lives at Tiffin, Ohio; 
Frances, wife of E. Z. Bartlett, residing 
at Toledo, Ohio; Clan, who lives in Mel- 
more, Seneca county, and Mary E. (Mrs. 
Dohn). 

To Mr. and Mrs. Dohn were born 
four children: Frederick, who is men- 
tioned farther on; Carrie, Eva, and 
Blaine who died when four years old. 
Mrs. Dohn still retains her interest in the 
firm of Smith & Dohn, and is a woman 
of great intelligence and excellent busi- 
ness capacity. She is highly respected 
in the community. 

In closing this sketch of the career of 
one of Gibsonburg's most esteemed citi- 
zens, reference must be again made to his 



264 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGIiAPJIICAL RECORD. 



devotion to the religious faith which he 
first professed in 1857. From that time 
until his death he was one of the oldest 
and most faithful members of the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church, and the firm ad- 
herence to what he believed to be right, 
and which was so strongly manifested in 
his early days, was carried out in his life, 
both in business and every-day affairs, so 
that he commanded the respect and es- 
teem of the entire community. His 
funeral was one of the largest ever seen 
in Gibsonburg, all the business houses 
being closed and draped in mourning as a 
token of sorrow at his decease. 

To the foregoing memoir of this exem- 
plary man should be added a few words 
regarding his son, Frederick Dohn. He 
graduated with honors from the high 
school at Gibsonburg, in 1892, and in the 
autumn of that year he entered the North- 
western College, at Naperville, 111., with 
the intention of completing a college 
course. In this ambition of his young 
life, however, he was disappointed; his 
father's illness called him home, and be- 
fore reaching the age of seventeen he was 
in full management of his father's exten- 
sive business, in which capacity he still 
continues. In business ability and in 
integrity' of character he is following in 
the footsteps of his father, and he is an 
active member of the M. E. Church, and 
an earnest worker in the Sunday-school. 
His friends speak of him as a young man 
of thorough reliability, and marked busi- 
ness qualifications. 



CHARLES F. JOSEPH, one of the 
successful and substantial farmers 
of Kingsway, Rice township, San- 
dusky county, was born in Ger- 
many, September 4, 185 1, and is a son 
of George and Catherine (Brisoscher) 
Joseph, who were born February 9, 18 12, 
and August 11, 181 5, respectively. 

George Joseph was born in Germany, 



married Catherine Brisoscher, in the 
Fatherland, and came to this country in 
1855 with his wife and three children. 

\ They settled in Sandusky township, San- 
dusky county, where he was for ten years 
engaged in farming; they then moved to 
Rice township, in the same county. They 

I were the parents of seven children, three 
of whom are as follows: Catherine mar- 
ried Jacob Zorn, by whom she had five 
children, and, after his death, wedded 
Martin Hoffnian, a butcher by trade, by 
whom she has had four children, and they 
live in Baltimore; Mary is the wife of 
David Lehrman, a farmer in Kansas, 
Seneca Co., Ohio, and they have seven 
children; Charles F. is the subject of this 
sketch. Mr. Joseph died in 1872, and 
was buried in Sandusky county. His 
widow still survives, and is living with her 
son Charles; she was born August 11, 
1815. 

On November 4, 1872, Charles F. 
Joseph was united in marriage with Caro- 
lina Engler, who was born in Rice town- 
ship, Sandusky county, August 22, 1857. 
They settled where they now live, and 
have had nine children, their names and 
dates of birth being as follows: Minnie 
C. , August I, 1873, lives at home; George 
H., April 21, 1875, is a farmer; LoraA., 
October 6, 1879; John F. , March 3, 
1 881; Frank T., August 15, 1882; Carl 
W., February 10, 1884; Moses R. , Sep- 
tember 8, 1885; Edwin C, November 
23, 1887; and Gertie C, January 8, 
1889. Mr. Joseph was supervisor for 
two terms and trustee for two terms, both 
of which offices he now holds. He has 
been successful, worked hard for his 
money, saved it, and bought sixty acres 
of land, which is now worth one hundred 
dollars an acre. He raises more wheat 
than any other kind of grain, and also 
raises hogs, horses and Jersey cows. In 
early times the Indians camped on the 
land which is now his farm, and he has- 
a large collection of Indian relics which 
he prizes highly. In politics he is a Demo- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPBICAL RECORD. 



265 



crat, and attends the Evangelical Lu- 
theran Church, of which he is a deacon, 
and has been for the past eight years. 



HERMAN H. GERWIN, one of the 
oldest pioneers, and a prominent 
agriculturist of Madison township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, was born in 
the town of Bohmte, Hanover, Germany, 
July 23, 1844, and is a son of Ludwig 
and Sophia fHunte) Gerwin, whose fam- 
ily numbered seven children, of whom 
four are yet living. 

The father was born in Hanover, Ger- 
many, in 1799, and was a contractor and 
builder by occupation, also, engaged in 
the manufacture of carriages, and in the 
undertaking business. He followed these 
pursuits in his native town, and at the 
same time owned and superintended a 
farm. In 1826 he was married, the lady 
of his choice being also a native of Han- 
over. A brief record of their seven chil- 
dren is as follows: Dora, born in Han- 
over, is the widow of Casper Ernsthau- 
sen. John Henry, a carpenter and joiner, 
of Toledo, Ohio, died June 8, 1892; his 
wife died June 8, 1895, leaving a family 
of three children. Sophia, wife of Henry 
Schoniburg, died in Toledo leaving one 
son, Lewis, who is treasurer of the Mer- 
chants Savings Bank of Toledo. Fred- 
erick is engaged in repairing cars in the 
employ of the Ann Arbor Railroad Com- 
pany at Toledo. William, who died Oc- 
tober 9, 1895, was a farmer of Woodville 
township, Sandusky county. Christopher 
died in Germany. The father of this fam- 
ily emigrated to America in 1853, and lo- 
cated in Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, where he engaged in farming for 
seven years. His death occurred in 1 86 1 . 
at the age of si.\ty-one. His wife survived 
him some sixteen years, and departed this 
life in 1877. They were worthy people, 
highly esteemed by all who knew them. 

Mr. Gerwin, the subject of this sketch, 
attended school in his native county for a 



year and a half, and then removed with 
his parents, in 1853, from his old home 
to the New World. They came direct to 
Ohio, and located on a farm in W^ood- 
ville township, Sandusky county. Our 
subject pursued his studies in the schools 
of Toledo for a period of eighteen months, 
after which he returned to his father's 
home, and assisted in the labors of the 
farm; also attended school in the neigh- 
borhood for two winters. He continued 
to aid in the cultivation of the fields on 
the old homestead until 1863, when he 
went to Toledo, and served an appren- 
ticeship to the trade of carpenter and 
joiner, which he followed until 1872, re- 
moving then to Gibsonburg, where he em- 
barked in contracting and building. He 
did a successful business there, employ- 
ing a number of men, erecting many fine 
structures both in that place and in Mad- 
ison township, Sandusky county. While 
thus engaged, through economy and thrift, 
he managed to save enough to purchase 
some real estate in the city of Toledo, 
which he afterward sold, and bought prop- 
erty in the town of Gibsonburg. In 1877 
he abandoned his trade, and returned to 
agricultural pursuits, trading his real es- 
tate in Gibsonburg for a farm of forty 
acres in Madison township, a small por- 
tion of which was under cultivation. He 
soon cleared the remainder, erected there- 
on a substantial dwelling, good barns and 
other necessary outbuildings, set out a fine 
orchard, and made other general improve- 
ments, all within the short space of six 
years. He then sold and purchased si.xty 
acres of land, forty of which was im- 
proved. It was not long until the re- 
mainder was under cultivation, and en- 
closed with fences. Three years later he 
again sold, and removed to Washington 
township, where he purchased fift)'-si.x 
acres of improved land. He spent three 
years on that farm, remodeling the dwell- 
ing and barn, digging ditches, laying tiles, 
and continuing the work of improvement 
until he sold in 1889. In that year he be- 



266 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPniCAL RECORD. 



came owner of seventy-five acres of im- 
proved land, and on selling half of this 
bought seventy-two acres of an adjoining 
farm, making a total of loi acres, which 
he is to-day cultivating. He is progres- 
sive in a high degree, and has carried for- 
ward the work of improvement along vari- 
ous lines until he is now the owner of one 
of the finest farms in Madison township. 
He also carries on stock raising. 

On November 4, 1869, Mr. Gerwin 
was married in Pemberville, Wood Co., 
Ohio, to Miss Christina Berlekamp, and 
this happy union has been blessed with 
six children: John, was born February 
16, 1871, and died December 25, 1872; 
Cora S., born June 29, 1874; Mary K. , 
February 3, 1878; Carl W. , February 12, 
1 881; Herman H., January 22, 1887; 
and Lewis William, August 13, 1889. 

John Berlekamp, father of Mrs. Ger- 
win, was born in Germany, and in 1851 
crossed the Atlantic, locating in Seneca 
county, Ohio, where he farmed for two 
years. He afterward removed to Wood 
county, and purchased 120 acres of land, 
continuing its cultivation up to the time 
of his death. He was married in Ger- 
many to' Mary Beimdick, and their chil- 
dren were: Katarina, wife of Henry Koh- 
rig, a farmer of Wood county, Ohio; 
Mary, wife of David Hummell, also a 
farmer, living on the old homstead in 
Wood county; Christina, who was born 
in Germany, December 18, 1847, and is 
the wife of our subject; Henry, who died 
in Germany; Louisa, wife of William 
Hagemizer, a farmer of Wood county, 
Ohio; Emma, who married Henry Bude- 
myre, of Wood county, and is deceased; 
and Frank, who died in that county in 
October, 1878. John Berlekamp passed 
awaj' February 6, 1893; his wife died 
eighteen years previous, in 1875. 

Mr. Gerwin is a self-made man. 
Through industry and strict attention to 
business he managed to acquire a start in 
life, and through his perseverance and en- 
egrj" he has won success, assisted by his 



wife, who has indeed been to him a faith- 
ful companion and helpmeet, sharing with 
him in the joys and sorrows, the adversity 
and prosperity, which have checkered his 
pathway. He is a member of Gibson- 
burg Lodge, No. 687, I. O. O. F., and 
in religious belief is a Lutheran. On 
questions of national importance he votes 
with the Republican party; but at local 
elections supports the man whom he 
thinks best qualified for office, regardless 
of party affiliations. 



WILLIAM H. HINELINE was 
born October 3, 1835, '" east- 
ern Pennsylvania, and is a son 
of Hugh and Rebecca (Latick) 
Hineline, who were born respectively, 
February 11, 1802, in Pennsylvania, and 
July 13, 1808, and were married in the 
Keystone State, October 22, 1825. 

Hugh Hineline was a merchant, but 
sold out in 1855, came to the State of 
Ohio, and bought 160 acres of land. He 
was justice of the peace for seventeen 
years, and also trustee. He died March 
3, 18 — , and left fourteen children to the 
care of their mother, who passed from 
earth August 18, 1891. The names and 
dates of birth of their children are as fol- 
lows: Anna M., July 24, 1827; Sycus, 
October 31. 1829; Jacob, March 11, 1831 ; 
Elizabeth M., November 19, 1832; Sarah 
A., March 23, 1834; William H., October 
3, 1835; Alida, July i, 1857; AbelT, 
September 16, 1839; Hugh E., October 
15, 1841, died July 21, 1894; Simon P., 
November 2, 1843; Francis, October 22, 
1 845 ; Kahudeis, August 7, 1 847 ; Rebecca, 
April 19, 1850, and John, April 7, 1855. 
William H. Hineline conducted a hotel 
in Wood county from i860 until 1862, 
when he enlisted as a soldier. He con- 
tinued in the service three years, being in 
the South the greater part of the time, 
went with Sherman to Atlanta, Ga. , and 
from there marched to Tennessee, where 
he took an active part in several battles. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



267 



He was taken prisoner in eastern Tennes- 
see, spent two weeks in Libby Prison, 
and was then transferred to Belle Isle, 
and kept there seven months. He was 
released on May 17, 1864, came home on 
a furlough, and remained three months. 
Joining the One Hundredth Regiment, O. 
V. I., he again engaged in the service, was 
with Sherman at Atlanta, and took an 
active part in a great battle at Franklin. 
Afterward he returned to Sandusky county, 
Ohio. In February, 188S, our subject 
was united in marriage with Rosa C. 
Meoder, who was born January i, 1867, 
and they have four children, namely: 
Cleta V. , Leona A., Sarah A. and Bertha 
E. Mr. Hineline deals in cattle and 
horses, and is prosperous and well-to-do. 
He votes the Democratic ticket, has held 
several minor offices, and been trustee and 
school director. His parents lived with 
him until their death, and the old home- 
stead of 160 acres was left to him. 



JACOB REEF, a progressive business 
man of Sandusky county, is engaged 
in agricultural pursuits in Woodville 
township, and in the manufacture of 
lath and paling. 

He was born in Bowville, Switzerland, 
Februar\' 28, 1854, and is a son of John 
Reef, who is also a native of that country, 
where he was employed as a day laborer. 
He wedded Mary Soldt, who was born in 
the same country and they became the 
parents of six children: John, who makes 
his home with our subject; Mary, wife of 
Andrew Widmer; Elizabeth, who died in 
childhood; Lucy who lives with her broth- 
er Jacob; Frederick, engaged in milling, 
and the subject of this review. In 1863 
the father brought his family to America, 
taking up his residence near Fremont, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, where he purchased 
twenty acres of land on which he con- 
structed a log cabin. While cutting down 
a tree near his house he met with a very 
severe as well as painful accident, which 



resulted in the loss of his life after only 
one year's residence in the New World. 
His widow afterward married again, her 
second union being with Conrad Myers, a 
farmer of Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, who died in 1879. Mrs. Myers 
is now living with her son Jacob, who like 
a dutiful son tenderly cares for her in her 
declining years. The children at the 
father's death were left to provide for 
their own support, for no inheritance came 
to them. 

Our subject was only nine years of 
age at that time, and being forced to earn 
his livelihood he had little opportunity to 
pursue an education. For several years 
he worked only for his board and clothes. 
He then spent two years on the farm of 
his step-father and at the age of seven- 
teen began learning the carpenter's and 
joiner's trade, working the first seven 
months for the small sum of $7 and his 
board. He thought this rather unprofi- 
table, so started out to secure day's labor 
at his trade, and soon found einplo\'ment. 
When he could not follow carpentering 
he took up any pursuit that would yield 
him an honest living, and thus worked 
for ten years, and then operated his moth- 
er's farm for a year. He ne.xt removed 
to Wood county, Ohio, where he culti- 
vated a rented farm of forty acres for 
three years, when, through industry and 
economy, he was enabled, in connection 
with his brother-in-law, to purchase one 
hundred acres of land. The tract is lo- 
cated in \\'oodville township, Sandusky 
county, the purchase price being $5,500, 
and each brother paid $r,ooo, going in 
debt for the remainder. After a year 
Jacob Reef bought out his brother-in-law, 
and continued the work of improving the 
land, erecting barns and other necessary 
outbuildings, planting orchards, and ad- 
ding all the accessories and conveniences 
of a model farm. He placed fifty acres 
under cultivation, and then, having more 
than he could conveniently manage, he sold 
twenty acres, and to-day has one of the 



268 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



most hip;hly cultivated farms in Wood- 
ville township. In 1895 his barn and 
stable were destroyed by fire, causing a 
loss of $1,500; but with characteristic en- 
ergy he rebuilt, and now has one of the 
finest barns in the township. There are 
also upon his place two good oil wells 
which have yielded to him a handsome 
profit, and which are now owned and 
operated by the Ohio Oil Company. 
There are also indications of oil on other 
parts of the farm. During the pa.st year, 
Mr. Reef has engaged in the manufactur- 
ing business. He built a sawmill, and is 
now making laths and fencing, the new 
enterprise proving a profitable one. In 
this he is associated with his brother. He 
is a man of excellent business ability, 
whose foresight and keen discrimination 
have proved important factors in his 
prosperity. 

On February 15, 1885, Mr. Reef was 
married in Sandusky county to Miss An- 
nie Widmer, daughter of John Widmer, 
a farmer of Bradner, Wood Co., Ohio, 
and they have three children: Rosie 
L. M., born January 4, 1886; George 
W., born December 20. 1889; and Emma 
P., born January 13, 1894. Mr. Reef 
has held the office of supervisor for two 
terms, and has discharged the duties of 
the position in a most creditable and ac- 
ceptable manner. In politics he is a 
stalwart Republican. His success is not 
the result of propitious circumstances, but 
has come to him through industry, energy 
and honorable dealing. He has not only 
paid off all his indebtedness, but now has 
a highly cultivated farm with improved 
stock and other valuable property. His 
life has indeed been a busy and useful 
one, and his career is above reproach. 



JOSEPH HOOVER. Of the many 
genial, whole-souled men of Green 
Creek township, Sandusky county, 
perhaps no one is better or more 
favorably known than Mr. Hoover. A 



Union soldier in the war of the Rebellion, 
and a man whose high personal qualities 
make lighter the burdens of life for 
others, he is deservedly given a place in 
this volume. He is a son of George and 
Marguerite Hoover, and was born August 
14, 1840, in Fayette county, Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Samuel Hoover, the paternal grand- 
father of the subject of this sketch, was 
born in Pennsylvania, and died there; 
his father came to America while a boy. 
By occupation Samuel Hoover was a car- 
penter. His son George was born in 
Fayette county, Penn., and grew up a 
farmer. In 1839 he married Marguerite 
Hilliard, and they had three children, 
namely: Joseph, whose name introduces 
this sketch; Eli, who died in Illinois, and 
Harvey, who was a member of the Sec- 
ond Virginia \'. I., and was killed in the 
engagement at Cedar Mountain. George 
Hoover died in Pennsylvania in 1846; 
his widow is still making her home in 
Pennsylvania, and some of her relatives 
are living in Fayette county, Ohio. 

Joseph Hoover was reared in Penn- 
sylvania. He enlisted in Compan\' A, 
Sixty-second Pennsylvania V. I., in 1863, 
according to the records; but the date 
given is erroneous. The true records 
were destroyed by fire, and those com- 
piled to take their places were not made 
perfectly accurate. His company first 
went to Washington, and from there to 
the front, and were in Meade's army be- 
fore Richmond for some time. He was 
in some of the most famous battles of the 
war, among them those of Gettysburg, 
Cedar Mountain, Wilderness, Spottsyl- 
vania Court House, May 12, 1864, where 
a minie ball completely shattered his 
right forearm, and made a gunshot wound 
through the wrist of his left arm. Ampu- 
tation of the right arm was made neces- 
sary, while the left hand is almost use- 
less. He was mustered out May 18, 1865. 
It is a remarkable sight to see Mr. Hoover 
write with two pencils at the same time; 



COMiIEMORATI\'B BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



269 



he fastens one to his right arm by means 
of a rubber band, takes another in his left 
hand, and then writes very legibly with 
both. Mr. Hoover resided in Pennsyl- 
vania in 1867, and on March 16, of that 
year, he came to the Buckeye State, lo- 
cating in Erie county. In the following 
year he went to Groton Center, in the 
same county, and remained for several 
\'ears. On September 22, 1874, he was 
there united in marriage with Mrs. 
Rosanna Fleming, who was born March 
22, 1842. and they have had one child — 
Eunice A., born July 21, 1876. She is an 
accomplished and brilliant performer on 
the piano, and renders selections on the 
violin and organ with intuitive skill. A 
gifted young lady, she adorns the home 
as only a beloved daughter can. 

Mrs. Hoover's parents were Robert 
and Sarah (Price) Howey, and her maiden 
name was Rosanna Howey. Mr. Howey 
died on April 4, 1850, in Penns\lvania, 
his native State, and his widow makes her 
home with her daughter and son-in-law, 
Mr. and Mrs. Hoover. On November i 3, 
1859, Miss Rosanna Howe\' was united 
in marriage with James H. Fleming. 
Three of their children — Marion, Frank 
and John — live in Groton township, Erie 
county; and Grant, the youngest son, 
was killed January 13, 1891, at Dana's 
crossing, while three companions were 
killed by a Lake Shore train. Mr. Flem- 
ing died in Groton township, March 17, 
1872. Mrs. Hoover's brother, John 
Howey, was a private in Company G, 
One Hundred and First O. V. I., in the 
war of the Rebellion, and her brother-in- 
law, John Fleming, was captain of Com- 
pany G, same regiment. They were both 
wounded in the engagement at Stony 
River, Tenn., December 13, 1862. A ball 
passed through private Howey's right 
arm, shattering four inches of the humerus, 
and then, striking the left arm of Capt. 
Fleming, passed through and found lodg- 
ment in the lining of his coat. Capt. 
Fleming was taken prisoner, and for three 



months lay in Andersonville, at the end 
of which time he was e.xchanged and re- 
turned home. While his coat was being 
taken off the ball dropped from the 
sleeve, evidence that the coat had not 
been removed from the arm for a period 
of almost four months — a noteworthy 
fact. The wound had not been cared for 
from the time it was received until Capt. 
Fleming returned home. As before stated, 
Mr. Hoover's brother Harvey was killed 
at Cedar Mountain. So, all told, the 
number of casualties in this family has 
been considerable. A. B. Howey, a 
brother of John Howey, was a private in 
Company G, One Hundred and First O. 
V. I., having enlisted in August, 1862, 
and was discharged with the rest of the 
regiment at the close of the war. 

Mr. Hoover has a small fruit and gar- 
den truck farm of thirteen and one-third 
acres; but a man's income is not always 
to be estimated by the number of acres 
he possesses. In casting his ballot he 
usually fa\'ors the candidates of the party 
that was instrumental in preserving the 
Union. 



JOSEPH WHITEHEAD, a substan- 
tial farmer of Townsend township, 
Sandusky county, is a son of Joseph 
and Matilda (Albon) Whitehead, and 
was born in Huntingdonshire, England, 
January 24, i 836. 

Joseph Whitehead. Sr. , was born 
in 1 8 10, at Great Gransden, Huntingdon- 
shire, England. In 1833 he was united 
in marriage with Matilda Albon, who 
was born in 18 14, a daughter of John 
Albon, who came to the United States 
in 1833, the year of his daughter's 
marriage, and located in Erie county, 
Ohio. Mr. Whitehead, his son-in-law, 
received such glowing accounts of the 
natural wealth and resources of this 
great land, that he decided to leave 
his bake-shop and Britannia's shores, and 
make a home on this side of the bil- 



270 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



lowy Atlantic. So he set out with his 
family in 1851, landed at Quebec, and 
came on from there to Sandusky City, 
Erie Co. , Ohio, part of the way by boat, 
from Niagara to Chippewa on horse-cars, 
reaching Sandusky City June 15, 1851. 
The same year Mr. Whitehead bought 120 
acres of land in Sandusky county, on 
which his son Thomas C. now resides. 
Mrs. Whitehead departed this life in the 
fall of 1864, and Mr. Whitehead on Feb- 
ruary 10, 1 89 1. 

Joseph Whitehead (Jr.), the subject 
of this sketch, received only a limited ed- 
ucation in his native land, and it was not 
augmented by schooling after reaching 
the United States. At the age of fifteen 
he accompanied his parents to America. 
He served as a "hundred-day-man" in 
the war from May 2, 1864, until Septem- 
ber 5, when he was discharged. On June 
12, 1865, Mr. Whitehead married Laura 
A. George, who was born August 5, 1843, 
and they have had four children, as fol- 
lows: William H., born August 29, 1S68, 
married Mary Howe, of Riley township, 
Sandusky eounty, November 26, 1891 
(they had a daughter, Estella May, born 
December 27, 1894); John T. , born Jan- 
uary II, 1 871; Bessie R., born in 1875, 
married Oscar Longanbach on Februar}' 
22, 1894 (they had a daughter, Cora Ella, 
born July 28, 1895); and Ross D.. born 
September 28, 1878. The father of Mrs. 
Whitehead, Joseph George, formerly re- 
sided in Townsend township, but removed 
to Ch'de, Green Creek township, San- 
dusky county, where both he and his wife 
were laid to rest. They had a family of 
fourteen children, and Mr. George en- 
dured a great number of hardships through 
life. Pfe was an old pioneer, and served 
in the war 181 2, receiving a discharge. 

After his marriage our subject, Joseph 
Whitehead, resided in I^iley township, 
Sandusky county, about twenty years, 
since when he has lived in Townsend 
township. He has a farm of three hun- 
dren and si.xty acres, all undercultivation, 



and makes a specialty of grain and stock. 
In the spring of 1 893 he was thrown from 
a horse, and sustained injuries internall}', 
which he is likely to feel the rest of his 
life. Politically, Mr. Whitehead's sympa- 
thies are with the Republican party. 



ZACHARIAS HOUTZ. Among the 
enterprising agriculturists of San- 
dusky county who are rapidly push- 
ing their way to the front, to a 
place among the substantial and leading 
citizens, is this gentleman. 

He was born March 14, 1850, in Ma- 
honing county, Ohio, where his father 
was a pioneer, and when a mere lad came 
with his parents to Scott township. San- 
dusky county. His father, John Hout2, 
who was born in Pennsylvania September 
13, 1 80 1, and located in this locality when 
it was an unbroken wilderness. He pur- 
chased the east half of Section 4, Scott 
township, a Mr. Roller purchasing the 
west half about the same time. He also 
bought one hundred acres on the Greens- 
burg pike, which he afterward sold, be- 
coming the owner of a like amount near 
Helena, a portion of which has been di- 
vided into village lots and sold. He con- 
tinued to conduct his business affairs with 
marked ability, and at his death was in very 
comfortable circumstances, owning much 
valuable real estate, and a large amount 
of money in notes. Before his demise 
he divided the property among his heirs. 
He passed away January 20, 1881, and 
the community mourned the death of one 
of its respected and valued citizens. His 
wife, who in her maidenhood was Eliza- 
beth Boyer, was born May 9, 1819, and 
died July 27, 1871. They were the par- 
ents of six children — Mary, Cornelius, 
Zacharias, Elizabeth, John and Sarah. 

Aiding in the work of the farm, Zach- 
arias Houtz developed a strong and vig- 
orous constitution. His mental training 
was meager, as the schools of the neigh- 
borhood were poor; but through business 




./? 



'^//^^'M-'W^^' 





•C2y%^d^ 




COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



271 



experience and observation he has be- 
come a well-informed man, and has pro- 
vided his children with good educational 
advantages. With his axe upon his 
shoulder he would start out early in the 
morning with his father to assist in the 
work of clearing the farm, seventy-three 
acres of which he received of the home- 
stead, which was almost unbroken for- 
est. As the years passed, the forest was 
replaced by waving fields of grain and 
grassy meadows, and in 1874 Mr. Houtz 
erected his first frame house of the family, 
and in 1S92 he built a substantial frame 
residence, which stands as a monument 
to his thrift and enterprise. He now 
gives his entire attention to farming, and 
to the oil business, in which he is exten- 
sively engaged. On September i, 1882, 
Mr. Houtz purchased thirty acres. In 
1889 he leased the 1 03-acre farm on which 
he resides for a consideration of one dol- 
lar per acre and one-eighth of the oil pro- 
duced. He has since purchased eighty 
acres, which he has leased for one-sixth 
of the oil. The royalty from his wells con- 
stitutes a handsome income, and would 
enable him to retire at once from business 
were he so disposed; but indolence and 
idleness are utterly foreign to his nature, 
and he continues his work, increasing the 
value of his property by keeping his farm 
in good condition. 

On October 22, 1874, Mr. Houtz wed- 
ded Mary Jane Plantz, who was born Oc- 
tober 26, 1858, and is a daughter of an 
honored pioneer of Scott township, San- 
dusky county, Benjamin Plantz, who was 
born in Lancaster county, Penn., March 
18, 18 10. His wife, Amelia (Romler), 
was born February 6, 181 8, in Colum- 
biana county, Ohio, and died June 16, 
1892. His death occurred in January, 
1895, and of their thirteen children seven 
are now living. Grandfather Jacob Plantz 
was born in 1790, his wife in 1792, and 
they passed away in 1876 and 1880 re- 
spectively. They had eight children, six 
of whom are living. The maternal grand- 



father, Mr. Romler, died about 1863. 
Mr. and Mrs. Houtz are the parents of 
seven children: Mary Lodema, born June 
7, 1875, was married March 3, 1895, to 
Burt Whiteman, who is engaged with the 
Manhattan Oil Company, in Scott town- 
ship, Sandusk}- county; Verna Ellen, 
born September 16, 1S77; John William, 
born October 16, 1879; Belvin C, born 
September 4, 1882; Edward Floyd, born 
June 3, 1885; Charles E., born May 18, 
1887; and Minnie May, born May i, 
1892. The family circle yet remains un- 
broken, and the friends of parents and 
children are many. 

Mr. Houtz is a supporter of the Peo- 
ples party, but has never sought or de- 
sired political preferment, gi\'ing his time 
and energies to his business interests, in 
which he has met with a high degree of 
prosperity, thanks to his capable manage- 
ment, his enterprise and honorable dealing. 



DAMD B. JONES. Among those 
who successfully follow agricul- 
tural pursuits in Madison town- 
ship, Sandusky county, is num- 
bered this gentleman — one of the worthy 
citizens that the land of the Cymri has 
furnished to this locality. 

He was born in Montgomeryshire, 
Wales, July 25, 1 841, and is a son of John 
and Mary (Jones) Jones, who were also 
natives of the same county. The father 
was a farm laborer, and worked at any oc- 
cupation that would yield him an honest 
living. In the family were eight children, 
six of whom are living and are married, 
namely: Sinah, widow of Thomas Jones, 
a farmer of Wales; John, a farmer of 
Madison township, Sandusky county; 
Thomas, an agriculturist of Iowa; David 
B., subject of this sketch; Mary, wife of 
Edward Griffis, who follows agricultural 
pursuits in Wales; and Humphrey, a farmer 
of Iowa; Ellis is deceased, and one other 
died in infancy. The parents spent their 
entire lives in their native land, where the 



272 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



father died in 1858, while the mother's 
death occurred in 1885. 

Our subject spent the first twenty- 
three years of his hfe in his native land, 
during which time he received no educa- 
tional privileges, for the schools were not 
free institutions, and the parents were too 
poor to afford to pay for what they con- 
sidered was not within their means, for 
education in those days was not looked 
upon as an absolute necessity. He learned 
to read in the Welsh language while at- 
tending Sunday-school. At the tender 
age of eleven years he began to work as a 
farm laborer, receiving the meagre com- 
pensation of two pounds per year and his 
board, his mother having to do his wash- 
ing for him. He worked in this way for 
a period of twelve years, his wages in- 
creasing as the years passed by, and he 
was able to do more work. In this way 
he managed to contribute to the support of 
his widowed mother, who was left in very 
limited circumstances. In 1865, having 
determined to try his fortune in the New 
. World, he sailed from the shore of his 
native land to seek broader fields and bet- 
ter opportunities in America. On landing 
here he came direct to Ohio, and found 
employment as a farm hand in Morrow 
county, where he was given $ 1 4 per month 
and his board. This seemed good wages 
to one who was accustomed to the meagre 
equivalents sometimes paid in Europe. 
He continued in the employ of one man 
for six 3'ears, and during the last year re- 
ceived $20 per month. While working in 
this wa\' he spent two months of three 
winter seasons in school, and thereby 
gained enough knowledge to continue his 
education alone, which he has done, be- 
coming a well-informed man through read- 
ing, study, experience and observation. 
Habits of industry, sobriety and economy 
enabled him to accumulate some money, 
and he then left Ohio for the territory 
bej'ond the Mississippi, purchasing eighty 
acres of land in Iowa. A year later he 
returned to the Buckeye State, and again 



worked in Morrow county as a farm 
laborer, and was emplo3'ed at the poor- 
house of the State for a )'ear. 

Mr. Jones then returned to Wales to 
visit his mother, and for twelve months 
remained in the land of his birth, when 
he again came to the United States. 
Taking up his residence in Madison town- 
ship, Sandusky county, he purchased an 
interest in a shingle-mill, which he con- 
ducted in connection with a partner for 
nine months, when he sold and purchased 
eighty acres of land in the same township. 
He then returned to Morrow county, 
where he operated a farm, on shares, 
for Mrs. Jones, a widow lady, continuing 
that employment some four years, when 
he resumed work as a farm hand. In 
1880 he made his second trip across the 
Atlantic, this time in quest of a wife, and 
again spent a year in the midst of the 
scenes of his childhood. In 18S1 he 
sailed with his bride for America, landing 
at Boston on the 6th of October, whence 
he came direct to his farm in Sandusky 
county. In six weeks he had erected a 
frame dwelling, in which he and his wife 
were soon established, beginning life in 
earnest in their new home. He had pre- 
viously purchased an additional ten acres, 
and now had ninety acres of wooded land 
to clear and make productive; but indus- 
try is one of his chief characteristics, and 
in course of time the forest was replaced 
by rich and fertile fields, where wheat and 
corn and other grains gave evidence of 
good harvests, while well-kept fences, 



good barns 



and other outbuildings indi- 



cated his enterprise and told of a bus\' 
life. He also added to and improved his 
dwelling, and his home and its surround- 
ings bespeak the industry and enterpris- 
ing spirit of the owner. He has availed 
himself of every opportunity offered in or- 
der to achieve success, and there has been 
little leisure in his life, for he is always at 
work improving his place in one waj' or 
another. Through thrift and economy he 
managed to save enough to purchase the 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



273 



(arm on which he worked during the first 
six years of his residence in this country — 
a tract of 200 acres, costinjj $7,400. It 
is situated in Morrow county, and, being 
rented, yields to him a good income. 

The wife of our subject, who bore the 
maiden name of Ellen Jones, was born in 
Montgomeryshire, Wales, February 13, 
1848, one of the eight children of Ellis 
Jones, a farmer of Wales, who died Oc- 
tober 7, 1894, at the age of eighty-one 
years; his wife passed away in 1890. 
David Jones and his wife have two chil- 
dren — Mary E., born July 26, 1882; and 
Ellis, born January 31, 1888. Mr. Jones 
has been school director for one term, 
also clerk of the board, and was elected 
supervisor for one year. He votes with 
the Republican party, but prefers business 
to politics. His success he owes to no 
man, earnest and honest toil bringing him 
what he possesses to-daj^ Industry and 
close application to business have been 
the rounds of the ladder on which he has 
mounted to prosperity, and are traits of 
character worthy of emulation. 



E ROY NICHOLS BROWN, one 



of the intelligent and progressive 



1^^ citizens of Clyde, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born in Huron county, 
Ohio, November 22, 1850, and is a son of 
Franklin and Rispah A. (Nichols) Brown. 
The father was born near Plymouth, 
Richland Co., Ohio, in 1825, and was a 
son of Peter Brown, who engaged in ho- 
tel-keeping in that locality' until his son 
was about six years of age, when he re- 
moved to a tract of timber land in the 
western part of Norwich township, Huron 
county, where he built a gristmill, which 
was operated by horse power. This was 
the only mill in the locality, and people 
came for fifty miles around to get their 
grists. The father of our subject, during 
his boyhood, used to turn the bolt by 
hand, until the grandfather constructed a 
machine to do the work. For twentv- 



five years the latter carried on the mill- 
ing business, and then retired into private 
life, making his home with his son in Peru 
township, Huron county, where he died at 
the advanced age of eighty- one years. In 
his political views he was a Whig. His wife 
afterward removed to Clyde, where her 
death occurred when she had attained the 
ripe old age of ninety-three. The mar- 
riage of this worthy couple was celebrated 
in Norwich, Ohio; the husband was born 
in Norwich, Vt., the wife in Norwich, 
Connecticut. 

Dr. Franklin Brown was one of a fam- 
ily of eleven children. During his youth 
he learned the blacksmith's trade, and fol- 
lowed that business in connection with 
farm work for some time. After his mar- 
riage, in 1847, he carried on blacksmith- 
ing exclusively for fifteen years, doing a 
good business. When he sold out he re- 
moved to Peru township, in i860, and en- 
gaged in farming, keeping a smithy only 
for the purpose of doing his own work. 
In 1869 he disposed of his property in 
that place, and taking up his residence in 
Clyde established a meat market. Not 
long after his arrival he was elected mar- 
shal of Clyde; and it was then that 
" Brown's Hotel " became known. In his 
composition was a vein of humor which 
made itself manifest in having a sign 
painted "Brown's Hotel," and nailed up 
over the door of the jail. The name was 
at once adopted, and the old sign hung in 
its place until very recently when the city 
replaced it by a new one, and this house 
of correction still goes by the name of 
"Brown's Hotel." F"or about six years 
he acceptably filled the office of marshal, 
and was always recognized as a leading 
and influential citizen. He held mem- 
bership with the Universalist Church. 
His death occurred May 27, 1886, and he 
was buried on Decoration day. His wife, 
who was born in Weathersfield, Vt., 
April 3, 1827, is still living. In the fam- 
ily there were two children. Valeda, the 
eldest, born March 10, 1849, was on No- 



274 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



vember 12, 1873, married to H. B. Whit- 
aker. They had three children — Leona 
N., Yule C. and Frank E. — and resided 
in Crawford county, Kans. ; Mrs. Whitaker 
died November 1 1, 1893, and ^"^s buried 
at Girard, Kansas. 

Mr. Brown, whose name introduces 
this sketch, has lived in Clyde since his 
early boyhood, and was educated in its 
public schools. In 1869 he became in- 
terested in the dr\'-goods business here, 
and for thirteen years was associated with 
that line of trade, when he embarked in 
gardening and fruit growing, raising 
peaches, pears, celery, tomatoes and cab- 
bage. On December 7, 1872, he was 
united in marriage with Miss Clara M. 
Letson, daughter of Abram and Analiza 
Letson, natives, the father of New 
Jersey, the mother of Jefferson county, 
Ohio. Migrating westward, Abram Let- 
son located on a farm in Hardin county, 
Ohio, and was married December 11, 
1 85 1. In Hardin county Mr. Letson re- 
mained until the spring of 1866, when he 
removed to Clyde with his family, where 
he still resides. To Mr. and Mrs. L. N. 
Brown have been born five children: 
Carroll C, Eugene E., Laverne L. , Mil- 
dred M. and I ma I. 

Mr. Brown is a member of the Order 
of United American Mechanics. He is 
now serving his third term of three years 
each as a member of the school board of 
Clyde; has for seven years been clerk of 
the board, and has taken an active part 
in educational matters, doing all in his 
power to secure good schools, and to raise 
their standard of e.xcellence, for he be- 
lieves that education is one of the im- 
portant factors in producing good citi- 
zens. 



JOSIAH ZIMMERMAN was born in 
Knox county, Ohio, Octobers, '842, 
and is a son of Adam and Maria 
(Mathias) Zimmerman. The family 
is of German origin. The grandparents, 



David and Catharine (Shultz) Zimmer- 
man, were natives of the Fatherland, the 
former born in 1776, the latter in 1778. 
His death occurred in 1S62, and his wife 
passed away in 1S64. This worthy couple 
were the parents of twelve children — John, 
Rosa, Jacob, George, Peter, Adam, Cath- 
erine, Susan, Margaret, Mary, and two 
daughters who died in infanc}-. The ma- 
ternal grandparents of our subject were 
Abram and Mary (Shafer) Mathias, the 
former of whom was born near Pittsburg, 
Penn. , in 1 787, made farming his life work, 
and passed away in 1 863 ; his wife, who was 
born in 1790, survived until 1874. Their 
eight children were: Elizabeth, Susan, 
Lydia, Nancy, Catherine, Maria, Philip 
and Daniel. 

When our subject was a child of six 
years his parents came to Ohio, locating 
in Jackson township, Seneca county. His 
father was a farmer by occupation and 
was born in Stark county, this State, May 
19, 1 8 19. In 1 84 1 he wedded Maria 
Mathias, and they became the parents of 
eleven children, of whom our subject is 
the eldest. The others are: Philip, who 
was in the one-hundred-day service during 
the Civil war; Lydia A. ; Nancy Jane; 
Sarah; Eli A.; John Wesley; Abram A.; 
Simon A. ; Nathaniel, and Mary. The 
father carried on agricultural pursuits 
throughout the greater part of his life, 
and died August 18, 1885. 

Josiah Zimmerman was reared in 
Seneca county, acquired his education in 
its public schools, and there made his 
home until after the South had taken up 
arms against the Union, when, in August, 
1 86 1, he enlisted in Company E, Forty- 
ninth O. V. I., serving for four and a 
half years. At the battle of Shiloh he 
received a scalp wound, and at the battle 
of Chickamauga was wounded in the left 
hip, and had a ring shot from the little 
finger of his left hand. At the battle of 
Dallas, Ga., May 22, 1864, he received a 
wound which nearlj' caused his death, 
and forced him to remain in the hospital 



COMMEMORATIVE BWGRAPEICAL RECORD. 



275 



for six months. An ounce ball struck him 
just in front of the left ear, passing di- 
rectly through the head and coming out 
about an inch below the right ear. This 
was his last battle, for when he had re- 
covered the war was over, and, receiving 
an honorable discharge, he returned to 
his home. 

Mr. Zimmerman then removed to Scott 
township, Sandusky county, and on 
March 6, iS66, was united in marriage 
with Miss Elsie A. Brion, who was born 
May 26, 1850, in Scott township, where 
her father was a farmer. She was the 
daughter of John and Lucinda (Ceroid) 
Brion, the former of whom, born October 
8, 1813, died July 2, 1895, the latter 
passing away May 16, 1887. Of their 
six children all are yet living, namely: 
Norman, who served for three years in 
the Seventy-second O. V. I. during the 
Civil war; Mary Jane, wife of Samuel 
Martin, of Michigan; Ann, wife of Charles 
Woodruff; Elsie A., wife of our subject; 
Charles, and Theodore. The paternal 
grandfather of Mrs. Zimmerman, Thomas 
Brion, also made farming his life occupa- 
tion. He was born in Ohio in 1789, and 
married Betsy Walkup, who was a few 
years his junior, and who passed from 
earth a few years before him. Their 
four children were Betsy, John, Joseph, 
and one who died in infancy. The ma- 
ternal grandparents of Mrs. Zimmerman, 
Theodore and Elsie (Decker) Ceroid, 
were natives of New York, born in 1770 
and 1774 respectively. Their seven chil- 
dren — James, Lucinda, John, Thomas, 
George, Jackson, and Isaac — are all de- 
ceased. The first named served in the 
Me.xican war, and John, Thomas and 
Jackson were soldiers of the Civil war. 

For two jears Mr. and Mrs. Zimmer- 
man resided in Scott township, Sandusky 
county; but on account of his health Mr. 
Zimmerman was obliged to abandon farm- 
ing, and for two years carried • on a 
grocery. The succeeding three years he 
spent in a sawmill as head sawyer, after 



which he purchased the mill and has since 
continued its operation. In addition to 
his null property he also owns eighty 
acres of land, well-fenced, and under a 
high state of cultivation, and he is now 
doing a successful business. He has ac- 
cumulated his property entirely through 
his own efforts. To Mr. and Mrs. Zim- 
merman have come four children — Charles 
F. , born February 11, 1 869, who was 
married December 3, 1891, to Rachel 
Shupe, and their children are Melvin and 
Cloal (he is connected with his father in 
the mill); Hattie M., born June 18, 1871, 
and Ervin A., born March 12, 1878, are 
still with their parents; and Flavilia, born 
August 28, 1887, died September 27, of 
the same year. 



HENRY DORR, a prosperous farm- 
er and honored citizen of Riley 
township, Sandusky county, was 
born October 1 1, 1850. His par- 
ents, John and Catherine (Yager) Dorr, 
were born in Germany, in 18 16 and 1831, 
respectively. 

After coming to the United States 
John Dorr settled in New York State, 
and there conducted a milk depot for 
several years. He then came to Ohio, 
settling in Riley township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, where he engaged in work by the day, 
saved his money, and bought forty acres 
of valuable land, which cost him $3,200. 
Three children came to Mr. and Mrs. 
John Dorr, as follows: Mary, born in 
1844, who married Jacob Hilt, and they 
have had two children — Edward and 
Laura; they live in Fremont, Sandusky 
county; Mr. Hilt is a Democrat in pol- 
itics, and a member of the Lutheran 
Church. Henry is the subject of these 
lines. John died young. Mr. Dorr is a 
Democrat in politics, and a member of 
the Lutheran Church. His wife died 
June 13, 1892. 

Henry Dorr was reared at home, was 
early taught valuable lessons of upright- 



276 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ness, persevering industry and economy, 
and worked for his father until his twen- 
ty-fifth year. Then, on December 5, 
1876, he was united in marriage with 
Catherine Martin, and their union has 
been blessed with six children, as follows: 
Ella B., born April 15, 1881; William E., 
born July 4, 1882; Albert L. , born Au- 
gust 19, 1883; Hattie M., born Septem- 
ber 21, 1884; Anna C, born May 28, 
1887; and Chester F. , born May 26, 1 890. 
Mr. Dorr bought land from his father, 
and now carries on general farming. He 
is a Democrat in political affiliation, and 
he attends the Grace Lutheran Church. 



JONATHAN SPOHN is a well-known 
farmer of Green Creek township, 
Sandusky county, where no citizen 
enjoys greater esteem among his 
fellow citizens. He is a native of Perry 
county, Ohio, born January 10, 1822, son 
of Jacob and Barbara (Anspach) Spohn. 
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Spohn were born 
in Hagerstown, Md., and Lancaster 
county, Penn., respectively, and they 
were married in Reading township. Perry 
Co., Ohio, where their parents had lo- 
cated. There was a settlement of pioneer 
families from Pennsylvania at that place 
when Mrs. Spohn was about thirteen 
years old, and Jacob Spohn's people also 
settled there about that time, in the wil- 
derness among the Indians. The pater- 
nal grandfather, Philip Spohn, was an 
American soldier all through the Revolu- 
tionar}' war, and was pensioned by the 
U. S. Government; he served as one o£ 
Gen. Washington's bodyguard during the 
war. In after years he often related how 
the English general. Lord Howe, had 
Washington's army surrounded in the 
bend of a river when night came on, and 
seemed sure of his capture the following 
morning, but that during the night Wash- 
ington marshaled his little arm\' out from 
under the bank of the river, and before 



the next morning, while Lord Howe was 
preparing for his capture, he had made 
his escape, and was miles away surprising 
and defeating another body of English 
forces. Philip Spohn lived to be ninety- 
four years old, and his wife also lived to 
an advanced age. They were both of 
Holland-Dutch descent. The maternal 
grandfather of our subject was Adam 
Anspach, who died when Jonathan was 
eight years old. He was the father of 
eleven children, of whom we have men- 
tion of Benjamin, Adam, David, John, 
Mrs. Adam Binkley, Mrs. Philip Dupler, 
Mrs. Emanuel Binkley, Mrs. Ludwig 
Ridenaur, and Barbara (the mother of our 
subject). Barbara Anspach first married 
Jonathan Zartman, by whom she had 
four children, all now deceased, viz.: 
Kate, who married D. Binkley; Mollie, 
who married Benjamin Humberger, and 
lived in Perry county, Ohio; Barbara, 
who was married in Sandusky county to 
Christopher Spohn, who now lives in 
Perry county; and Elizabeth, who married 
John King, and lived in Fairfield county, 
Ohio. Jacob Spohn was one of eleven 
children: Henry, Daniel, John, Adam, 
Samuel, Jacob, Mrs. Jacob Anspach, 
Polly Stomp, Mrs. Lawrence, Christena 
(who married John Horner) and Mrs. 
Henry Ridenaur. Jacob and Barbara 
Spohn had seven children, of whom 
Margaret died when seventeen years old; 
Solomon died at the age of fifty-nine 
years; Jonathan is our subject; Anthony 
died at the age of twenty-one; Joel now 
resides on the old homestead; Leo is de- 
ceased; Isabella married George Swine- 
hart. 

Jonathan Spohn grew to manhood in 
Perry county, and when twenty-one years 
old came to Sandusky county, Ohio, 
where he ranks among the old pioneers. 
He was a blacksmith by trade, and worked 
first in Ballville township two years, after 
which he put up a shop for himself on the 
line of the Western Reserve and Maumee 
Pike, east of Lower Sandusky, across the 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGIiAPUICAL RECORD. 



277 



road from his present residence, and in 
this he worked for farmers and teamsters 
about twenty-two years. This was before 
the days of railroads, when the pii<e was 
the great highway of commerce in that 
section, and when the constant stream of 
settlers was moving westward. So im- 
passable were the roads that he often saw 
people stop two and three days at one 
hotel, the trip being so slow on account of 
the mud that they would walk from their 
teams to the hotel. There was then an 
average of one hotel to each mile of the 
pike. 

In 1 844 Jonathan Spohn married Miss 
Elizabeth Brunthaver, who was born in 
1825 in Fairfield county, Ohio, and they 
had four children: Francis, who died in 
the army, at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, 
Mo., while serving as a member of the 
Seventy-second Regiment, O. V. I., and 
whose remains were brought home by our 
subject for burial; Adam F., who married 
Samantha Strohl, and has ten children — 
Lottie, Hadie, Franklin, Alvin, Mabel, 
Thurnian, Waneta, Lizzie, Willis, and 
one who died in infancy; Allen, living at 
home, who married Miss Annie Riden- 
hour and has three children — Walter, 
Harry and Enid; and Mary, wife of O. 
Grover, of Wood county, Ohio, whose 
children are Howard, Ethel C, Nelson 
and George. Our subject is a Democrat 
in politics, and cast his first vote for Mar- 
tin Van Buren. In religious connection 
he is a member of the Reformed Church 
at Fremont, as is also Mrs. Spohn. Dur- 
ing the Mexican war he served as a sol- 
dier under Gen. Scott, and was also a sol- 
dier in the Union army during the Civil 
war. Socially he is a member of Croghan 
Lodge No. 77 , F. & A. M., Fremont. 
Mr. Spohn has held various civic offices 
in Green Creek township; in the fall of 
1879 he was elected to the office of in- 
firmary director, serving two terms, si.\ 
years in all, with credit to himself and sat- 
isfaction to all concerned. Our subject 
owns seventy-six acres of valuable land, 



and the prosperity he now enjoys is due 
entirely to his own good management, 
thrift and economy. 



WILBERT PHILLIPS, son of 
John and Mariam (Baker) Phil- 
lips, was born in Montgomery 
township. Wood Co. , Ohio, 
June 14, 1 86 1. He lived at home until 
his marriage, October 23, 1884, to Ellen 
Bowe, daughter of George and Mary 
(Bordner) Bowe. To Mr. and Mrs. Phil- 
lips have come two children — Durbin, 
born April 25, 1886, and Floyd, born 
October 27, 1887. After the marriage 
of Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, they settled in 
Wood county, on a farm, where they 
lived two years. They moved to the 
David Phillips' farm, in Scott township, 
where they have lived for the past nine 
years, during which time Mr. Phillips has 
worked his grandfather's farm of 160 
acres, and done teaming for the oil com- 
panies. On October 13, 1894, he pur- 
chased eighty acres of wild land in Scott 
township. This land is within the oil 
belt, and he expects to lease it to the oil 
company. 

The father of our subject was born in 
Trumbull county, Ohio, March 18, 1834. 
When he was six years old his parents 
came to Scott township, and purchased 
eighty acres of land in Section 31, for 
which they gave a horse, and $250 in 
money; later they purchased another 
eighty acres. On this farm the father of 
our subject grew to manhood. Wilbert 
Phillips, our subject, is the eldest of a 
family of eleven children, the others 
being: Wilby, Zerusha, Ettie, Delbert, 
John, Rettajane, David, George, Charles, 
and Daisy. Mr. Phillips' mother was 
born in 1840, near Findlay, Ohio, died in 
1 878, and was buried in Trinity Cemetery,. 
Scott township, Ohio. 

Our subject's paternal grandfather, 
David Phillips, was born September 6, 
, 1804, in the State of New York; his- 



278 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



wife, Mary Ann (Bates), was born April 
15, 181 1, in Pennsylvania. They were 
married December 27, 1827. in Stark 
county, Ohio, and reared a family of chil- 
dren, their names and dates of birth being 
as follows: Mary Ann, October 26, 1828; 
Lucinda, April 22, 1830; Henry, Decem- 
ber 23, 1831; David, Decembers, 1833; 
Sylvester, May 17, 1836; John, March 
18, 1838; Hiram, January 15, 1841; 
Eliza Jane, February 7, 1843; Mariar, 
November 19, 1844; and George, Feb- 
ruary 26, 1847. Grandfather and Grand- 
mother Phillips are now living on the 
farm which is being worked by our subject. 
The paternal great-grandfather of our 
subject, Vespasian Phillips, was born in 
Pennsylvania about 1756. When about 
seventy-five years of age he left home, 
and was never heard of afterward. The 
date of his wife's birth is not known; 
she died in 181 3 the mother of ten chil- 
dren. Our subject's maternal great- 
grandfather, Andrew Bates, was born in 
Pennsylvania, in 1765; he was a cooper 
and farmer. His wife, Ann (Homan), 
was born about 1772. They had a family 
of ten children, si,\ of whom are living. 



JOHN L. DONNELS, a leading, pro- 
gressive and influential citizen and 
present mayor of Gibsonburg, San- 
dusky county, is a native of Ohio, 
born in Scott township, Sandusky county, 
March 30 1852. 

James Donnels, his grandfather, a na- 
tive of Ireland, emigrated in an earlj' day. 
For a time he lived in what is now West 
Virginia, later moving to Ohio and settling 
in Scott township, Sandusky county, as 
one of the pioneers, where he was engaged 
in farming up to the time of his death. 
He was married in Scotland, and his chil- 
dren were: John, who died in Scott 
township, Sandusky county; Gilbreth S., 
father of our subject; Margaret, wife of 
Nicholas Bowlus, of Madison township, 
Sandusky county; Becky Ann, wife of 



Henry Fausey, also of Madison township; 
James, a resident of Helena, Sandusky 
county; Ellen (Mrs. Hess), who died in 
Virginia; and Amos, living in Scott town- 
ship, Sandusky county. 

Gilbreth S. Donnels, father of John 
L. , was born in 1820, in what is now 
West Virginia, and was a boy when his 
parents removed to Scott township, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio. There he was reared 
to agricultural pursuits, which he followed 
in both Scott and Madison townships all 
his life, owning over 137 acres of land at 
the time of his death. In Madison town- 
ship, Sandusky county, he married Nancy 
Wolcott, who was born in 18 17, in Chau- 
tauqua county, N. Y., whence when a 
young woman she accompanied her par- 
ents to Ohio. To this union children as 
follows were born: The eldest died in in- 
fancy unnamed; Louisa died at the age of 
seven years; John L. is the subject of this 
sketch; William is a farmer of Madison 
township, Sandusky county; one died two 
weeks old, unnamed; Lindon is a merchant 
and farmer of Helena, Ohio; Franklin lives 
in Woodville township, Sandusky county; 
Stanley and James A. are both in Madi- 
son township, Sandusky county; Jessie 



died at the age of seventeen years. 



The 



father of these was called from earth in 
1855. In politics he was originally a 
\\^hig, later a stanch Republican. 

John L. Donnels, the subject proper 
of these lines, received a liberal education 
at the common schools of Madison town- 
ship, and ever since the age of thirteen 
years has been engaged more or less in 
the sawmilling business in Sandusky coun- 
ty. In 1864 he enlisted in Corhpany H, 
One Hundred and Si.xty-ninth Regiment, 
O. N. G., and served one hundred days 
at Fort Ethan Allen, after which he re- 
turned home and established a sawmill in 
Madison township, buying land in the 
county, the timber on which he lumbered 
himself. He thus continued till 1872, 
when he entered the employ, in a similar 
line, of Daniel Smith, for several years 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



279 



working for him and other parties. While 
in the employ of G. F. Aldridge, of Scott 
township, he had two of his fingers acci- 
dentally cut off by the saw, but neverthe- 
less lost only five days' work, immedi- 
ately recommencing with another em- 
ployer, with whom he remained until, in 
1885, he was elected on the Democratic 
ticket to the position of Justice of the 
Peace of Madison township. This office 
he tilled with characteristic ability and fi- 
delity nine years, or until his election to 
the mayoralty of Gibsonburg, in the spring 
of 1894. He is the owner of 120 acres 
of land in Madison township, on which 
there is a good oil field. 

In 1871 John L. Donnels was married 
to Miss Catherine Bowser, who was born 
in Bedford county, Penn., July 8, 1858, 
and died September 30, 1884, the mother 
of five children, of whom the following is 
a brief record: Emma is the wife of John 
Vantine, of Gibsonburg, and has one 
child, Winnie; Minnie is the wife of David 
Blausey, also of Gibsonburg, and has one 
child, Willie; Louis, on his father's farm 
in Madison township, is married to Susie 
Lattimore, and has two children — Clar- 
ence and Alta; Alma is the wife of David 
Biddle; Mattie is married to Henry Blau- 
sey, and has two children. For his sec- 
ond wife Mr. Donnels wedded Mrs. Jen- 
nie (Henry) Ridley, who was born in Jack- 
son township, Sandusky county, in 1848, 
and by her first husband had two children 
— Arthur and Carrie. Mr. Donnels is 
the only Democrat in the family; in fra- 
ternal membership he is an Odd Fellow, 
and in religious faith he is identified with 
the Disciples of Christ. 



JACOB KLINK, a well-known and 
popular citizen of Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born 
December 9, 1839, and is a son of 
Caleb and Mary (Brunthaver) Klink, who 
were born, respectively, May 7, 181 1, in 

18 



Wittenberg, Germany, and January 12, 
181 3, in Columbus, Ohio. 

Caleb Klink came to America at the 
tender age of six years. His parents were 
very poor, and he was bound out until his 
eighteenth year to pay for their passage 
across the ocean. After this he went to his 
parents, at that time living at Mansfield, 
Ohio, remained there but a short time, 
then walked to New Orleans, and worked 
on a boat one season. He was there 
during the yellow fever epidemic in 1832 
(when six thousand died in seventeen 
days), contracted the fever, and was sick 
for two months. After his recovery he 
went to Philadelphia, and attended a 
Centennial celebration in that city, and 
later worked on the Erie canal and helped 
to build the first railroad in the United 
States. The year of that Centennial he 
walked 3,300 miles, and was in every 
State in the Union. Mr. Klink cut the 
lumber to build a flouring-mill at Green 
Spring, Sandusky Co., Ohio, which they 
were six weeks in raising. Afterward he 
worked in a sawmill for seven years, and 
lost only two days during that time. 

On September 27, 1836, Caleb Clink 
was united in marriage with Mary Brunt- 
haver, and four sons and four daughters 
were born to them, as follows : Louisa, 
born August 11, 1837, at Green Spring, 
Sandusky count}', now deceased, married 
Henry Peters, a farmer, by whom she had 
six children, and he resides in Woodville 
township, Sandusky county ; Jacob is the 
subject of this sketch; Charles, born De- 
cember 23, 1 841, married Caroline Pem- 
ber, by whom he has had three children, 
and they live in Woodville township; 
Leah, born March i, 1844, married 
Elexix Nolan, by whom she had four 
children, and both she and her husband 
are now deceased; Ellen, born June 15, 
1846, and died at the age of eighteen; 
Adam, born September 15, 1848, was 
united in marriage on May 28, 1878, with 
Sarah Caris, daughter of Adam and Julia 
Caris,of Wood county, Ohio, born January 



280 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



3, i860, and by her has one child — Lester, 
born December 13, 1880 fhe lived at 
home the greater part of his life, and has 
worked for the pipe line companj-, there 
being fourteen oil wells on the Klink 
estate, all in good flow); Catherine, born 
February 12, 1853, married John Foster, 
by whom she had two children, and they 
live in Elmore, Ottawa Co., Ohio; and 
Reuben, born January 11, 1853, now a 
farmer in Woodville township, married 
Addie Tucker, by whom he has had four 
children. 

Two years after his marriage Caleb 
Clink moved to Woodville township, San- 
dusky county, where at that time he had 
eighty acres, on which there was no clear- 
ing. He put up a house, moved in and 
began clearing the land. There was a 
great deal of fever and ague in those days, 
and all of his family were sick with it. 
Mr. Clink at one time owned over twelve 
hundred acres of valuable land, and 
when he died left six hundred acres 
in Woodville township, and fort)' 
acres in Michigan. He raised many 
valuable horses and cattle, giving 
considerable attention to stock-raising. 
Mr. Clink was a Democrat in politics. 
After a long busy and useful life, beloved 
by a large circle of friends and neighbors, 
he passed away at the old homestead No- 
vember 26, 1894, at the age of eighty- 
three years, six months and nineteen days, 
and was buried in Woodville township, 
Sandusky county, November 28, 1894. 

On October 12, 1866, Jacob Klink 
was united in marriage with Miss M. J. ^fc- 
Crary, who was born December 12, 1846, 
and three children have been born to 
them, as follows: Rosa, Frank and 
Henry. At the age of twenty-six Mr. 
Klink went to Woodville township, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, entered into partnership 
with Henry Rancamp, and they con- 
ducted a general store there for six 
months, then removed to Pemberville, 
Wood Co. , Ohio, where they conducted 
a store for two years. In 1865 and 



1866 Mr. Klink was the postmaster there. 
He bought out his partner and carried on 
the store alone for a short time; then sold 
it and moved back to Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusk)' countj', on the farm 
where he now lives. He has alwaj's 
bought and sold cattle and horses, and at 
times has very large herds. 

Socially, Mr. Klink is a Free Mason, 
in politics a Democrat, was supervisor 
and school director for several years, and 
is highly spoken of. Mrs. Klink was one 
of eight children. Her father was born 
July 4, 1812, and now lives in Toledo, 
Ohio, with a daughter. Her mother died 
in 1850. 



HENRY KLINE, one of the promi- 
nent representative citizens of 
Fremont, Sandusky county, was 
born in Union county, Penn., 
February 20, 1849, a son of Jacob and 
Catherine (Swartz) Kline, who were also 
natives of the Keystone State, of Ger- 
man descent. They were farming peo- 
ple. The Kline family migrated to Ohio, 
and finally settled in St. Joseph county, 
Mich., where Mr. Kline still lives at the 
age of eighty years, and where Mrs. 
Kline died at the age of sixty-six. They 
had fourteen children, all of whom be- 
came heads of families, namely: Barbara 
M., Jesse, Susan, Catharine, Leo, Lydia 
Ann, Jacob, Joseph, Henry and John 
(twins), Mary Ann, Libbie, George, and 
Frank E. (who died at the age of twenty- 
eight). 

Henry Kline was reared on a farm 
about six miles north of Bellevue, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, where his educational 
advantages were very limited. At the 
age of seventeen he went to Michigan and 
remained there with his parents about 
four years, engaged in farm work, return- 
ing to Bellevue, Ohio. Here, after 
working on a farm one year, and clerking 
in a store two and a half years, he mar- 
ried Miss Kate Gearhart, and moved oa 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



281 



the N. P. Birdseye farm, living there for 
one summer. He next moved to Fre- 
mont, and located in the Baumann Block, 
on Croghan street, where he remained 
five years, keeping a saloon and restaur- 
ant. In 1880 he removed to East Fre- 
mont, where he bought property, and for 
twelve years carried on a thriving grocery 
business in a wooden building opposite 
the Clauss Shear Works. He then re- 
built his brick residence, removed his 
wooden building, and erected in its place 
a fine, three-story brick block, consisting 
of four flats, one large hall and three 
business rooms, with a cellar for each de- 
partment. Mr. Kline has made all his 
money by his own efforts, being a wide- 
awake, energetic hustler. He formerly 
kept a grocery and feed store, was a con- 
tractor, a pork packer, dealt in real es- 
tate, and sold river sand. He now keeps 
a saloon and restaurant in his back room. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Kline were born two 
children: Hattie E. and Jesse Hermon. 



M 



RS. JOSEPH CLEMONS, whose 
maiden name was Caroline 
Lewis, is a wide-awake and pro- 
gressive resident of Townsend 
township, Sandusky county, having charge 
not only of a well-ordered household, but 
of a farm of one hundred and forty-five 
acres as well. 

Joseph demons (deceased) was born 
in Pennsylvania, February 23, 1832. His 
father had served in the war of 1812, and 
Mr. demons would have enlisted in de- 
fense of the Union in the war of the Re- 
bellion had he not been incapacitated by 
an accident which befell him in 1857. 
That year he severely cut his left leg, 
which caused a stiffness sufficient to e.\- 
clude him from the list of able-bodied 
men. On April i, 1855, Mr. demons 
was united in marriage with Caroline 
Lewis, who was born March 24, 1837, in 
Seneca county, Ohio, and they lived in 



Adams township, Seneca county, for 
seven years. They had eleven children, 
as follows: Levi H., born February 16, 
1856, a resident of Pullman, 111.; Mary 
Jane, born November 19, 1857, and died 
in December, 1858; Harriet F. , born 
February 16, 1859, now Mrs. Ira Met- 
calf, of Mansfield, Richland county, Ohio; 
Albert M., born May iS, i860, and died 
in November, 1862; Mahala I., born Au- 
gust 3, 1 86 1, now Mrs. Charles Combs, 
of Bloomingville, Erie Co., Ohio; Aldora 
M., born September 23, 1863, and mar- 
ried to A. J. Beaghler, of Townsend 
township, November 24, 1 881; Henry E., 
born June 28, 1865, now at home; An- 
drew S., born December 17, 1866, now 
of Erie county; infants who were born 
July 12, 1868, and March i, 1872, and 
died on September 10, 1868, and March 
14, 1872, respectively; and Ami J., born 
August 17, 1873, living at home. 

In 1862 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph demons 
moved to Thompson township, Seneca 
county, whence, in 1871, they came to 
their present home, which Mr. demons 
purchased that year. In 1875 he bought 
one hundred acres of prairie land in Erie 
county, on which property his son Andrew 
now lives. Mr. demons was an infant 
of but four weeks old when his parents 
moved to Ohio, and he lived here the 
remainder of his life. He died May i, 
1889. He was a Republican in politics, 
and a member of the Lutheran Church. 
His widow is a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. 

Mrs. demons in her girlhood received 
a common-school education. Her par- 
ents, Isaac and Susanna Lewis, were both 
born in Lancaster county, Penn. Mr. 
Lewis taught school in Pennsylvania be- 
fore his marriage, and, being a scholar, 
accumulated quite a library. Among his 
books was a Bible, now highly prized by 
Mrs. demons; it is in German type, and 
the date of its publication is 1771. Mr. 
Lewis came with his family to Seneca 
county, Ohio, in 1832. They lived 



282 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



there for many years. Then, retiring 
from active work, Mr. Lewis and his 
wife moved to Bellevue, Huron Co., Ohio, 
where both passed away. 



A P. JOHNSON, one of the rehable, 
solid citizens of Madison town- 
ship, Sandusk}' count}', is a native 
of Ohio, born December 1 1 , 1 848, 
in Holmes county, son of Prelate and 
Phoebe (Cutler) Johnson. 

Prelate Johnson was born in 1808 in 
Connecticut, where he was married, and 
whence in an early day he came to Ohio, 
settling in Holmes county, where he fol- 
lowed his trade, that of carpenter and 
joiner. He died in that count}- at the age 
of fifty-five years. Afterward his widow 
returned east with her children to live 
with her father, Jonathan Cutler, in Mas- 
sachusetts, and there died at the age of 
fifty-four years. The father of our sub- 
ject was a Baptist in religious faith, an 
old Henry Clay Whig in his political 
leanings, and in later life a strong sup- 
porter of Lincoln. The maternal grand- 
father Cutler, who was born in 1786, was 
a silversmith, following his trade up to 
his death, which occurred at Brimfield, 
Mass., when he was eighty-five years old. 
A. P. Johnson, the subject proper of 
these lines, is one of a family of eight 
children — three sons and five daughters — 
as follows: Alonzo, who died in hospital 
at Gettysburg, Penn. , at the age of twen- 
ty-four years; Charlotte, wife of John 
Wilson, of Holmes county, Ohio, who 
died at the age of twenty-nine years; 
Horatio, who died when twenty-two 
years old; Helen, when fifteen years old; 
A. P., our subject; Phoebe, deceased at 
the age of twelve years; Fidelia, who died 
when si.xteen years old; and Martha J., 
the wife of J. B. Tice, residing in Eaton 
county, Michigan. Our subject was fif- 
teen years old when he went to Massa- 
chusetts to live with his widowed mother, 
but after a residence there of eighteen 



months he returned to Ohio, and for 
three months worked on a farm in Madi- 
son township, later taking up the saw- 
milling business, which he has since suc- 
cessfully followed; he is also superintend- 
ent of Zorn, Hornung & Co.'s stave and 
heading factory at Gibsonburg. He now 
owns twenty acres of arable land within 
the corporation limits of that village, and is 
well known and highly respected through- 
out the county for his sterling qualities as 
a citizen. 

On April 17, 1870, Mr. Johnson was 
married in Madison township to Miss 
Elizabeth Tice, who was born in Penn- 
sylvania April 24, 1853, and children as 
follows have blessed their union: Effie, 
born April 15, 1871, wife of James Will- 
iams, of Rising Sun, Wood Co., Ohio 
(they have one child, Lester); Horatio, 
born June 21, 1873, who is employed in 
the oil fields; Delbert, born October 21, 
1876, who works in the stave factory of 
Zorn, Hornung & Co. ; and Verna, born 
June 12, 1888. In his political prefer- 
ments Mr. Johnson has always been a 
stanch Democrat, and in 1893 he was the 
regular nominee on the Democratic ticket 
for county commissioner, but was de- 
feated with the rest of the party in the 
fall of that year. In 1887 he was elected 
a justice of the peace, which incumbency 
he held six consecutive years. Socially 
he is a member of the I. O. O. F. and 
K. of P. 

Mrs. Johnson's father, A. H. Tice, was 
born in 1821 in Pennsylvania. In 1844 
he was married to Catherine Noggle, who 
was born in 1822. They came to Ohio 
in 1853, settling in Sandusky county. 
Here he lived until 1884, when he re- 
moved to Michigan, and, his wife dying 
there in 1888, he returned to Gibson- 
burg, where he died in 1890, leaving 
nine children, twenty-three grandchildren 
and one great-grandchild. He served 
eighteen years as a justice of the peace. 
Socially, he was a member of the I. 
O. O. F. fraternity. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



283 



CHARLES LIVINGSTINE, a suc- 
cessful farmer and prominent and 
public-spirited citizen of Riley 
township, Sandusky county, was 
born September I2, 1828, in Stark county, 
Ohio. He is a son of Jacob and Eliza- 
beth (Weimer) Livingstine, who were born 
respectively in June, 1794, and on Febru- 
ary 8, 1792, in Germany. 

Jacob Livingstine was united in mar- 
riage with Elizabeth Weimer, in 181 5; 
they then came to America, settling in 
Stark county, Ohio, where he entered 160 
acres of land. He sold out in 1833, set- 
tled in Sandusky township, Sandusky 
county, and bought 120 acres, and, later, 
105 in Riley township. He lived in San- 
dusky township until his death, which oc- 
curred October 9, 1866; his wife died 
January 7, 1856. They had seven chil- 
dren, as follows: Saloma, born in 1816, 
married George Hilt, by whom she had 
ten children, and they lived in Ballville 
township, Sandusky county, Mrs. Holt 
dying there in 18S4, Mr. Holt in 1887; 
Barbara, born 18 19, was married in 1840 
to Henry Hoffman, who lives in Jackson 
township, Sandusky count^^ and died 
March 7, 1890, the mother of nine chil- 
dren: .Maggie, born in August, 1S22, 
married John Newman, in 1841, in San- 
dusky township, and they live in Fre- 
mont, Sandusky county, with their family 
of five children; Elizabeth, born in Febru- 
ary, 1825, married George Hendricks in 
1847, and they had two children (she 
died in 1874, Mr. Hendricks in 1878, and 
both were buried in Green Creek town- 
ship, Sandusky county); Charles is the 
subject proper of this sketch; Annie died 
young, and one child died in infancy. 

Charles Livingstine worked for his 
father until his twenty-fourth year, and 
then, on April i, 1852, married Mary 
Shoch, settling in Riley township, where 
he bought 280 acres of land, which cost 
him $10,600. They have had twelve 
children, viz.: Alvina, born in 1853, and 
Jacob, born in 1855, deceased when young; 



Charles H., born November 9, 1857, who 
in 187S married Miss Jennettie Halbeisen, 
and they had one child, the mother dying 
in 1887, after which, in 1891, he married 
Mary Ulch, and they live in Sandusky 
township; Edward, born in 1858, de- 
ceased in 1866; Mary C. , born in i860, 
who married William Vogt, and lives in 
Riley township; Lydia, born in 1862, de- 
ceased when young; Harriet, born in 
1864, married to David Russell, and they 
have had five children; William L. , born 
in 1 866, deceased when young; John, born 
in 1870, and now a farmer in Sandusky 
township, married Carrie Johnson in 1892, 
and they have one child; Frank, born in 
April, 1866, and Levi, born in iS72,both 
deceased when young, and Robert, born 
in 1873. 

Mr. Livingstine cleared the greater 
part of the farm on which he lives, and 
carries on general farming. He is much 
esteemed in the community, and has been 
repeatedly honored with election to public 
office, having been justice of the peace 
thirteen years, trustee nineteen years, 
school director six years, township treas- 
urer nineteen years and infirmary director 
seven years, of the county. He votes 
the Democratic ticket, and attends the 
Lutheran Church, of which he has been 
an elder for ten years, and is trustee at 
the present time. 



JOHN BARTSON, farmer, Ballville 
township, Sandusky county, a na- 
tive of Luxemburg, Germany, was 
born January i, 1834, a son of John 
Bartson, Sr. , who was born in 1779 at 
Frankfort-on-the-Maine, served as a sol- 
dier under the First Napoleon in the 
twenty-five-years' war, and came to 
America in 1842. After landing in New 
York he proceeded to Stark county, Ohio, 
where he remained a year; then, with a 
yoke of cattle, a horse and a cow, and a 
large covered wagon, he moved through 
the forests to Ballville township, Sandusky 



284 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



county, where he settled upon forty acres 
of partly-improved land, for which he paid 
$i8o. He built a log cabin, and cleared 
up land for farming purposes; but after 
four years of hard work he succumbed to 
a severe attack of bilious fever, the early 
scourge of the Black Swamp, died in 1847 
at the age of sixty-eight, and was buried 
at Tiffin, Ohio. The children of John 
Bartson, Sr. , were: John, Jr. ; Catharine, 
born March 4, 1836, married to Anthony 
Fullmer, their children being: John, Cath- 
arine, George, Mary, and four that died 
in childhood. After the death of John 
Bartson, Sr. , his widow married John 
May, a farmer of Ballville township. 

Our subject, John Bartson, remained 
at home two years with his widowed 
mother, and after her marriage to Mr. 
May he lived with them three years, and 
then went to work on the U. S. mail 
steamer "Lady Pike," plying between 
Louisville and Cincinnati; he sta3'ed there 
one season, came home, and the follow- 
ing season worked on the "War Eagle" 
up and down the Mississippi. Returning, 
he chopped in the woods during the win- 
ter, the next summer was on a farm in Il- 
linois, and the following winter assisted in 
chopping and logging at Chippewa Falls, 
Wis. He made several trips on rafts 
down the Mississippi to New Orleans, and 
was on the steamer "City Belle" one 
season; later, he returned to Wisconsin, 
where, at Chippewa Falls, he was sick 
with bilious fever six months. After his 
recovery he returned to Ohio, married, 
rented eighty acres of land of Thomas 
Easterwood for two years, then bought 
eighty acres of timber land in Ballville 
township for $800, gave forty acres of it 
to his father-in-law, built a cabin, and 
sold the balance at an advance. He then 
bought forty acres in Sandusky township 
for $1,400, and lived there until 1864, 
when he was drafted into the army. He 
served in Company A, Sixty-fourth Regi- 
ment, O. V. I., Third Brigade, Second 
Division, Fourth Army Corps, and en- 



dured all the trials and privations incident 
to his regiment in active service. He 
started at Johnson's Island, Ohio, was re- 
examined at Columbus, and mustered in 
with about 4,000 others, taken success- 
ively to Indianapolis, Louisville, Nash- 
ville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Alpine, Pu- 
laski, Columbus and Spring Hill. At the 
last place he stood on picket all night 
during a battle, being in the rear guard 
while forces went to Franklin. When 
they marched in front of Franklin he was 
in the skirmish line in front of Hood's 
army, where, after holding the Rebels at 
bay for a time, he retreated behind the 
second line of works; held that place till 
12 o'clock at night, and then went along 
to Nashville and helped fortify the town. 
Many other instances of doing duty in 
times of danger might be mentioned. Our 
subject fought under Gen. Thomas, at 
Nashville, for forty-eight hours, when the 
regiment had about 400 men, and Com- 
pany A only 25 men left out of 100 which 
were fit for duty. They marched back to 
Franklin, Spring Hill, Cumberland, Pu- 
laski, Huntsville, Decatur, Athens, Silver 
Creek, fixed up a block-house, and fought 
Forrest's and Rowdey's cavalry for three 
weeks, until they were relieved by a Wis- 
consin regiment. They returned to Hunts- 
ville, and by train to Chattanooga, Selma, 
Knoxville, Strawberry Plains, Blue Spring, 
and Bull's Gap, when they heard that Gen. 
Robert E. Lee had surrendered. Then 
marched back to Knoxville, thence to 
Nashville, where, in Camp Harker, they 
were mustered out. Mr. Bartson was 
wounded at Nashville, and otherwise dis- 
abled. He returned to Fremont, Ohio, 
and resumed farming. 

On April 13, 1857, John Bartson was 
married to Miss Mary Romer, born April 
12, 1839, a daughter of Ignatius and 
Eleanora (Kries) Romer, natives of Baden, 
Germany, who came to America in 1854, 
and settled in Ballville township, San- 
dusky Co. , Ohio. The mother died in 1 870, 
the father in 1877, both at an advanced 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



285 



age. Their children were: Mary, wife 
of oursubject; OHve, wife of John Ginder; 
Agnes, deceased in childhood; Johanna, 
wife of Mr. Baumgardner, proprietor of a 
hotel in Fulton county, a Democrat, 
whose children are, Eddie and Nora; 
Paul, who died in childhood; Agnes, wife 
of James Hoyes, of Seneca county, Ohio, 
whose children are, Nora, Matthew, Kate, 
Maggie, Emma, Agnes, Anna, Irving, 
Joseph, Nellie and Bernard; Anna, wife of 
Fred Steiber, a moulder by trade, whose 
first child was George. The children of 
John and Mary Bartsonare: (i) Ignatius, 
born March lo, 1858, who married Cath- 
arine Hughes, whose children are, Mary 
and Johanna; (2) Mary O., born Decem- 
ber 8, i860, wife of Charles Fish, of Chi- 
cago, 111. (she died in Michigan); (3) 
Bernard, a farmer and contractor, born 
February 19, 1862, and now lives in Ball- 
ville township; (4) Julia M., born January 
31, 1864, wife of Sidney Champion, a 
painter, of Toledo, whose children are, 
Estelle, George, Harmon and Mary; (5) 
Elizabeth, born June 9, 1866, wife of Her- 
mon Hesshel, whose child, Lizzie, died Sep- 
tember 19, 1888; (6) Johanna, born Sep- 
tember I, 1868, wife of George Heffner, 
street-car conductor, Chicago, 111., whose 
children are, Thomas, Alonzo and Louis; 
(7) Nora, born May 5, 1870, wife of James 
Castello, a merchant of Chicago; (8) John 
C. , born March 17, 1872, contractor, 
Ballville township, who married M. House; 
(9) Ida, born April 8, 1S74, wife of Louis 
Mierkie, a barber, of Fremont, Ohio; (10) 
Clara H., born March 18, 1876, unmar- 
ried ; { 1 1 ) Rosa, born September 10, 1878; 

(12) Mary F., born March 10, 1880; and 

(13) Joseph, born May ii, 1882. 



HENRY KILGUS is one of the 
most prominent and progressive 
farmers of Washington township, 
Sandusky county, a true W'estern 
man, possessed of the enterprising spirit 
which has resulted in placing this West- 



ern region on a par with the older States 
of the East. 

Mr. Kilgus was born in the Empire 
State, July 16, 1854, and is a son of Fred 
and Magdalena (Kesler) Kilgus. The 
father was born in Wittenberg, Ger- 
many, and emigrated to the United States 
in 1843, taking up his residence in Seneca 
county, Ohio. He worked as a farm 
hand, until by industry and frugality he 
had saved a sum sufficient to purchase a 
farm. He then became owner of forty 
acres of choice land near Hessville, in 
Washington township, Sandusky county, 
and subsequently he purchased fifty acres, 
paying $50 per acre for same. That farm 
was subsequently sold, and purchase made 
of another tract of 120 acres in Washing- 
ton township, on which he resided until his 
death. He passed away on October 22, 
1890, leaving a family of ten children, 
namely: Lewis, Albert, Frank, Charles, 
Noah, Mary, Minnie, Henry and two 
whose names are not given. 

Our subject lived at home until he 
was twenty-seven years of age, and then 
began to earn his livelihood by working 
out by the day, in which way he got a 
start. He was industrious and energetic, 
desirous of pleasing his employers, and as 
a consequence it was not difficult for him 
to secure a situation. He continued his 
service as a farm hand until he had man- 
aged to save from his earnings enough to 
purchase a farm of si.xty acres. This he 
still owns, but his lands have been doubled 
in e.xtent, and to-day within the bounda- 
ries of his farm are comprised 120 acres 
of valuable land which jield to the owner 
a golden tribute. Upon the place he has 
several fine oil wells, and derives from 
that source a good income. His land is 
now valued at $100 per acre, and it is one 
of the best improved places in the county. 
His residence and barns are the finest in 
this section of Washington township, and 
every corner of the place is neat and 
thrift}' in appearance, indicating the care- 
ful supervision of a painstaking owner. 



286 



COMMEMORATIVE BIO GRAPHICAL RECORD. 



On September 22, 1882, Mr. Kilgus 
married Miss Sophia Driftmeyer, who was 
born December 30, 1857. In poHtics he 
is a Democrat, and has been honored with 
several local offices, the duties of which 
he has ever discharged with promptness 
and fidelity. He is a member of the 
Lutheran Church. A self-made man in 
the truest sense of that term, he has 
worked his way upward from a humble 
position to one of affluence, achieving 
prosperity through perseverance, indus- 
try, good management and well-directed 
efforts. His e.xample is one well-worthy 
of emulation, and he is deserving of hon- 
ored mention in the history of his adopted 
country. 



JOHN C. FISHER, son of George 
W. and Clarissa (Black) Fisher, was 
born May i, 1848, in Scott town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohio, of which 
locality he is now a prominent resident. 
When he was a mere child his parents 
moved to Washington township, in the 
same county, whence after a residence of 
two years they went to South Bend, Ind., 
living there one year. On their return to 
Ohio they lived in Washington township 
eight months, then came again to Scott 
township, residing there two years, and 
subsequently went to Jackson township, 
where they lived about eight years. 

During this time our subject was at- 
tending school in different townships, and 
while the family were in Jackson town- 
ship he went to college at Oberlin, Ohio, 
for one term. In 1869 Mr. Fisher went 
to Ballville and commenced business for 
himself, being engaged in teaming and 
farming. He continued in this work about 
four years, and then went to Newaygo 
county, Mich., there working in a feed 
store, where he remained until the latter 
part of June, 1873, at which time he went 
to Ft. Scott, Kans. Here, July 3, 1873. 
he was married to Miss Celia Moore, and 
they returned east, coming to Ballville. 



For six months Mr. Fisher was engaged 
in a gristmill, after which he resumed his 
old occupation of teaming and farming, 
working his father-in-law's place near 
Ballville. 

In 1877 Mr. Fisher purchased a farm 
of 130 acres of land in Ballville township; 
but as there were no buildings on this 
tract, he sold thirty acres, and purchased 
forty acres containing buildings. Here he 
lived one year, when he sold out and came 
to Scott township. In 1881 he purchased 
160 acres in Section 8, and in 1890 eighty 
acres in Section 17, making in all a farm 
of 240 acres, nearly all of which is under 
cultivation. Since 1890 Mr. Fisher has 
been engaged in raising stock, including 
horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, and he has 
ready for market yearly about five horses, 
eighty hogs and from 300 to 500 sheep, 
which he ships directly to Buffalo and 
New York. In 1880 Mr. Fisher leased 
160 acres to the Sun Oil Company, re- 
ceiving $1, 12 i bonus, and one-seventh of 
the production of oil from the wells; he 
also leased eighty acres to the Ohio Oil 
Co., receiving from them $1,600 bonus, 
and one-eighth of the oil. This lease was 
cancelled, but he held the bonus, and in 
1895 the whole farm was re-leased, Mr. 
Fisher receiving one-si.\th of the oil. 
There are eight wells on the farm, each 
averaging eight barrels per day, which 
gives him an income of about $6.00 per 
day. 

Mrs. Celia (Moore) Fisher was born 
November 7, 1848, near Ballville, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, and here received her 
early education, later in life attending the 
high school at Fremont, Ohio, and com- 
pleting her literary education at Delaware, 
Ohio. She remained at home with her 
parents until her marriage to Mr. Fisher, 
July 3, 1873. They settled near Ballville, 
remaining in the township until 1880, in 
which year they sold out and came to 
Scott township, where they now have one 
of the most delightful homes in Sandusky 
county. To their union have come chil- 




^' .4' ^l^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPIIWAL RECORD. 



287 



dren, whose names and dates of birth are 
as follows: Claud, April ii, 1874; Guy, 
October 12, 1875; Webb, July 27,1877; 
Jim, February i, 1879; Maud, December 
23, 1 881; Blanch, December 3, 1883; 
Clara, August 20, 1884; Bruce and Brice, 
November 22, 1886; Lester, February 5, 
1888; and George, February 9, 1890, who 
died March 10, 1890. The rest of the 
children are at home with their parents, 
and have attended the home school. 

Mrs. Fisher's father, James Moore, 
was born about 1805, and died December 
5, 1873, being buried in Oakwood Ceme- 
tery, Sandusky county; his occupation 
was milling and farming. Her mother, 
Harriet (Patterson) was born May 17, 
1810. This worthy couple reared a fam- 
ilj- of children, as follows: Orven, Juli- 
ette, Celliette, LeRoy, Manville, Charles, 
Celia and Oriette. Of these four are liv- 
ing: Juliette, now Mrs. William Rice, of 
Sandusky county; Charles, living in San- 
dusky county; Celia, now Mrs. Fisher; 
and Oriette, Mrs. John Speller, of San- 
dusky county. Mr. Fisher was a cousin 
of the wife of Wid Inman, son of James 
Innian. He was an adherent of the Re- 
publican party, and served as treasurer of 
Scott township. 



FREDERICK G. BASKEY, a pros- 
perous farmer of Green Creek 
township, Sandusky county, was 
born in Prussia, Germany, May 
30, 1833, a son of Charles Baskey, by his 
first wife, whose children were: John, 
Charles, Jr., and August, all three dying 
in Germany; Frederick G., our subject; 
Augustina; and Minnie. F"or his second 
wife Charles Baske\- married Miss Louisa 
Linstead, and their children were: Amelia, 
Caroline, Emma, and Robert. The pa- 
ternal grandfather of our subject was a 
blacksmith by trade. 

Our subject worked at blacksmithing 
in Germany nine years, and at the age of 
twenty-four came to America, landing at 



New York City, whence he came to San- 
dusky City, Ohio, near which place he 
found work on a farm, and there remained 
three years. He married Miss Henrietta 
Marzke, who was born March 17, 1836, 
daughter of Charles and Christena 
(Mugahn) Marzke, farmers, the former of 
whom died in Germany at the age of six- 
ty-four, the latter passing away in San- 
dusky, Ohio, at the same age. They had six 
children: Charles; Henry, who died; 
Hannah; Henrietta, Mrs. Baskey; Chris- 
tena, who lives in Sandusky township; 
and Theodore, in Rilej' township. Our 
subject's wife was nineteen years of age 
when she came to America. Mr. and 
Mrs. F. G. Baskey have had children, as 
follows: William H., born February 14, 
1863, married to Emma Loaesa Zeigler, 
and is a farmer in Green Creek township; 
Albert F. , born April 17, 1865, now at 
home, operating a threshing machine; 
Rosa, born September 30, 1868, died 
April 8, 1878; Bertha E., born Septem- 
ber 15, 1870, died August 25, 1887; 
Charles F., born January 7, 1873, now at 
home, working on the farm; and Theresa 
M., born October i, 1875, living at 
home. 

Our subject and his wife first settled 
in Erie county, near Castalia, where they 
farmed one year, then came to Sandusky 
count}', and here rented a farm four years. 
They then bought twenty acres of land, 
and lived on the same three years, when 
they sold it, and bought forty acres where 
they now reside, to which more was add- 
ed, making 130 acres. They carry on 
mixed farming, and they have made val- 
uable improvements on their property, 
having built a substantial brick house and 
a good-sized barn. They have given land 
to their sons. Mr. Baskey is a Democrat 
in politics, and in religious connection he 
attends the Lutheran Church at Fremont. 
He came to this country with nothing in 
the way of earthly possessions, but has 
secured a fair competence, by hard work 
and close economy. His wife formerly 



288 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



worked in families, doing housework, at 
$1 per week, in Sandusky City, and he 
worked on farms at the rate of $io per 
month. 



WILLIAM BUMGARDXER, a 
prosperous agriculturist of Ball- 
ville township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, a native of Baden, Ger- 
many, was born August 5, 1845, a son of 
John and Rosa (Harter) Bumgardner, 
both of whom died in the Fatherland. 
Their children were as follows: (i) 
Mary, wife of Jacob Naus, a farmer of 
Sandusky county, whose children are 
William, who married a Miss Bowlus, and 
lives in Edwards count}', Kans., and 
George, who married Miss Sarah lams, 
and lives in Washington township, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio. (2) Louisa, wife of 
Jacob Frentzel, whose children are Will- 
iam, Fred, Louisa, Minnie, Hattie; Mr. 
Frentzel died in 1892, and is buried in 
Oakwood Cemetery; and (3) William, 
our subject. John Bumgardner set out 
for America with his family in 1847, and 
after a voyage of forty days landed in 
New York, whence, after a brief sojourn, 
he came to Sandusky City, Ohio, where 
he visited friends. He then located at 
Fremont, where he worked at his trade 
of shoemaking about two years, and then 
moved to Washington township, where 
he bought a piece of land on which he re- 
mained a year, after which he went 
farther west. 

Our subject, William Bumgardner, at 
the age of thirteen went out to work 
among farmers, and after working thirteen 
years he married, September 22, 1882, 
Miss Anna Ott, who was born September 
29, 1850. He then rented a piece of 
ground from Emanuel Wingert, which 
he worked on shares some fifteen years. 
He next bought eighty acres of land from 
Hiram Pool, for $6,000, where he has 
since resided. His mother lived with his 
family some years pre^■ious to her death. 



which occurred February 3, 1883, when 
she was aged eighty years. Mr. Bum- 
gardner's wife's brothers and sisters were: 
(i) William Ott, who was a soldier and 
was killed in the civil war; (2) Sarah, born 
August 22, 1844, wife of Elias Babione, 
a farmer; Charles Ott, born April 26, 
1847, married to Sarah Jackman, and 
their children are — Clara, Frank, Eva 
and Virgie. The children of William 
and Ann Bumgardner are: Minnie, born 
September 12, 1S72, married March 14, 
1894, to King Hiett; Rosa, born April 
26, 1874; William, born December 18, 
1878; Wesley, born August 8, 1883, and 
Mabel, born November 16, 1888. 



JOHN W. MELLISH, a well-known 
resident of Fremont, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born in Port Clinton, Otta- 
wa Co. , Ohio, October 8, 1 86 1 , a son 
of John and Martha (Granger) Mellish. 

Our subject's father was born in To- 
ronto, Canada, January 7, 1825, and came 
with his parents, in 183 3, to Ottawa county, 
where they located on a farm in Bay town- 
ship on which he spent the rest of his life. 
He was for many years a Republican, and 
a member of the M. E. Church. Our 
subject's paternal grandfather, a native of 
Lancashire, England, emigrated to Cana- 
da, and thence moved to Ohio. Our sub- 
ject's mother was born in Columbiana 
county, Penn., September I, 1833. After 
the death of her parents she came with 
friends to Ottawa county, where she was 
married February 10, 1853; her death oc- 
curred April 22, 1881 ; she was a member 
of the M. E. Church. The children of 
John and Martha Mellish were: James, 
born September 5, 1854, died December 
3, 1857; Harriet, born September 22, 
1857, died March 12, 1859; William A., 
born June i, 1859, now a grocer at Port 
Clinton, Ohio; John W., our subject; 
Clare J., born January 26, 1864, wife of 
Peter Bradshaw. of Chicago, III. ; Martha 
E. , born August 11, 1871, died May 6, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



289 



1872; and Newton A., born February 4, 
1874, now clerk in a store at Fremont, 
Ohio. 

J. W. Mellish grew up in Port Clin- 
ton, Ohio, where he graduated from the 
high school. He then left home to be- 
come a sailor before the mast for about 
two years on the lakes, after which he 
went to railroading as brakeman on the 
L. S. & M. S. railroad for one year. He 
next worked as butcher at Port Clinton 
for some time, and then kept a restau- 
rant. Having sold out his stand, he went 
to learn the molder's trade, and worked 
in the Wm. M. Whitley shops, Spring- 
field, Ohio, one year. In 1889 he came 
to Fremont, and opened up a saloon and 
restaurant on Front street, which he still 
keeps, with a liberal patronage. He is 
an excellent specimen of physical man- 
hood, being over six feet tall, and weigh- 
ing 225 pounds. He inherits the true 
doggedness of character and stubborn 
persistence of the old Anglo-Saxon people. 

In 1885, Mr. Mellish married Miss 
Lydia .Hodge, who was born in Kenton, 
Hardin Co., Ohio, in 1865, a daughter of 
George and Rachel (Skelenger) Hodge. 
She died April 12, 1894, at Fremont, 
Ohio. Her father, who was a farmer, 
was born in Columbiana county, and her 
mother in Hardin county, Ohio, where 
she died at the age of forty-one years. 
They had a family of nine children, five 
of whom are now living. 



GEORGE O. HARLAN, veterin- 
ary surgeon, Fremont, Sandusky 
county, is a native of Cumber- 
land county, Penn., born Novem- 
ber II, 1836. His paternal ancestors 
came from England to North America in 
Colonial days. In 1687 two brothers, 
George and Michael Harlan, located in 
what is now Chester county, Penn. In 
later years that branch of the family 
to which our subject belongs removed 
to Baltimore, Md., where his grandfather, 



Samuel Harlan, was born, and whose 
children were: Hannah, born February 
27, 1794; Samuel, born December 7, 1795; 
Sallie, born October 3, 1797; Elizabeth, 
born August i, 1800; George, born Decem- 
ber 8, 1802; Mary, born December 22, 
1804; and John, (subject's father), born 
July 14, 1808 — all born in Baltimore, 
Maryland. 

John Harlan early earned the trade of 
hatter, and going to Adams county, Penn., 
engaged in business as a commission mer- 
chant. He subsequently located in Cum- 
berland county, Penn. , and followed the 
commission business there for many years. 
This was in the early days when large 
merchants owned their own cars, and 
the railroad companies furnished engines 
to haul the cars. In later years he was 
not fortunate in business, and finally re- 
tired from it altogether. During the past 
nine years he has had his home with his 
son, George O., at Fremont, Ohio. Our 
subject's mother was a Miss Jane McEl- 
wee, born in Cumberland county, Penn., 
June 16, 1847, and died in 1876. Before 
her marriage to John Harlan she had 
been married to a Mr. Marshall, by whom 
she had two children: Francis, who lives 
in Chambersburg, Penn.; and James A., 
of Philadelphia. By her marriage to 
John Harlan, subject's father, there were 
three children: George O. ; Henry Addi- 
son, born January 10, 1841, a soldier in 
the Union army during the Civil war; and 
Emma, born June 10, 1845, ^lied June 
23, 1884. 

Dr. George O, Harlan grew to man- 
hood in Cumberland county, Penn., 
where he learned the trade of copper- 
smith. Later on he took up the study of 
veterinary surgery, under a preceptor, at- 
tended a veterinary college at Philadel- 
phia, Penn., graduating from same in 
i860. He soon after took a trip west- 
ward and the breaking out of the Civil 
war found him at Rochester, Ind. In 
1862 he joined the Fourth Cavalrj\ Sev- 
enty-seventh Regiment of Indiana Volun- 



290 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



teers, and at Perryville, Ky., he was in- 
jured by the falling of his horse. As soon 
as he was again fit for service he was ap- 
pointed veterinary surgeon by the United 
States Government, and served in the 
horse hospitals in Pennsylvania. At the 
close of the war he was appointed to as- 
sist in selling the useless supplies which 
the government had accumulated, con- 
sisting of horses, saddles, blankets, etc. 
One of his shipments brought him to Ohio. 
He remained in Toledo a short period, 
then came to Fremont, where he opened 
work in his profession, and decided to 
make his home. After locating at Fre- 
mont, Dr. Harlan traveled during the 
most part of the succeeding ten years and 
delivered lectures on the Comparative 
Anatomy of the Horse. He doubled In- 
diana and Michigan a couple of times, 
making nearly everj' town in each State, 
and also nearly all the towns and cities 
in Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky and the 
State of New York. Early in his work 
he wrote and published a book, entitled 
" Harlan's Illustrated Horseman's Guide." 
which was afterward re-written, and en- 
larged to a book of more than 200 pages. 
More than 50,000 of these books have 
been sold, and they are still in great de- 
mand, being considered among the best 
works on the horse ever published. Many 
years ago he opened a horse hospital in 
Fremont, and his efforts to build up an 
interest in horses have been quite success- 
ful: He has of late years been called re- 
peatedly to nearly every great horse cen- 
ter in the country, on special missions, 
being a specialist in horse surgery. 

On March 6, 1856, Dr. George O. Har- 
lan was married to Miss Adline McGuire,of 
Cumberland county, Penn., who died 
January 7, 1865, leaving two children — 
Alice (now Mrs. O. E. Jones), and Serelda 
(now Mrs. H. Hale). On May 4, 1866, 
Dr. Harlan married Miss Harriet Hollis, 
of Monroeville, Ohio, and three children 
have been born to them, viz. : Hulda 
(now Mrs. J. H. Comstock, of New York 



City), Nora (now Mrs. A. S. Close, of 
Toledo), and John M. (at home with his 
parents). Dr. Harlan is a member of 
the G. A. R., F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F. 



JOHN WENDLER. Among the 
prominent and substantial citizens of 
Madison township, Sandusky county, 
is found the gentleman whose name 
he're appears, and who was born in Wurt- 
emberg, Germany, July 13, 1827. 

His parents, John and Catherine (Sny- 
der) Wendler, had two children — Barbara 
and John. John \\'endler, Sr. , who was 
a blacksmith by trade, died when his son 
was a boy, after which his widow married 
Casper Freman, in Switzerland, and they 
had two daughters. John ^^'e^dler, Jr., 
was two years of age when his mother 
married Mr. Freman. He then went to 
Switzerland to live, remaining there until 
1854. when, at the age of twenty-seven, 
he set out for the United States. Coming 
to Ohio, he located in Ballville township, 
Sandusky county, and was employed in a 
woolen-factory from 1854 till 1857, after 
which he worked on a farm by the month 
for four years. In 1861 he bought forty 
acres in Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, and commenced clearing. In 
1872 he traded this forty-acre tract for 
eighty acres in Madison township, and in 
the same year bought eighty acres more, 
northwest of Gibsonburg, on which he 
lived until 1890, when he purchased the 
twenty-five acres whereon he now lives. 

On November 27, 1854, John Wendler 
was united in marriage with Marj" Brooker, 
who was born March 26, 1832, in Switzer- 
land, and they had six children, of whom 
Albert, born April 8, 1856, married Mary 
Walter, and has had five children; Mary, 
born July 29, 1858, married Fred Driftmey- 
er, and has had two children (they live in 
Washington township, Sandusky county); 
Amelia, born October 11, 1864, married 
John Callahan, and died July 18, 1890, 
at the age of twenty-five years; John W., 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



291 



born November 28, 1866, lives at home; 
tmma L. , born October 8, 1869, died 
September 15, 1891; Caroline Sophia, 
born July 10, 1875, died November 25, 
1878. Mrs. Wendler's parents, Henry 
and Susan (Meddler) Brooker, were born 
in Switzerland. Mr. Wendler is a Re- 
publican in politics, has several times 
been honored with public office, and at 
present is serving his second term as 
township trustee. He is a member of the 
German Methodist Episcopal Church, 
and is much respected. 



PETER KENAN, a well-known 
farmer of Jackson township, San- 
dusky county, "was born November 
2, 1829, in Perry county, Ohio, a 
son of Silas and Barbara (Overmyer) 
Kenan. 

Silas Kenan was born February 3, 
1 80 1, near Wheeling, W. Va. His father 
was a native of County Derry, Ireland, 
and came to America when a small boy, 
settling in Virginia. James married 
Catherine Yost, by whom he had children 
— si.xteen in number — as follows: Silas, 
Margaret, Phiebe, Samuel, John, Peter, 
Robert, Nancy, Emeline, James, Rebecca, 
Juliann, Sarah Ann, Melissa, Henry and 
Catherine. After marriage James Kenan 
moved to Perry county, Ohio, and thence 
to Tymochtee township, Wyandot county, 
later removing to Illinois, finally, how- 
ever, settling in Bettsville, Ohio, where 
he died in 1856. His wife died a year 
later at the home of a daughter in Mis- 
souri. The parents of Mrs. Silas Kenan 
were natives of Harrisburg, Penn., and 
their children were: Hugh, Margaret, 
Barbara, Polly, Eva, Lewis, Catherine, 
Elizabeth and Peter. 

Peter Kenan in his youth came from 
Perry county to Sandusky county, Ohio, 
where he engaged in the arduous labors 
of pioneer farming, and where, in Jack- 
son township, he owns 1 20 acres of land 
in a good state of cultivation. He is a 



Republican in politics, and has held various 
civic offices. In the Civil war he was a 
volunteer in Company H, One Hundred 
and Si.xty-ninth Regiment O. V. I., and 
was stationed at Fort Ethan Allen, Vir- 
ginia, in the summer of 1864. On May 
4, 1856, he was married to Miss Sarah 
Ann Hodgson, born in Herkimer county, 
N. Y., November 19, 1835, daughter of 
Rev. W^illiam Hodgson, who was a sol- 
dier in the war of 1812. To this union 
was born, March 11, 1857, one son — 
William Manville — who on October i, 
1 878, married Miss Sylvia Ann, a daughter 
of Rev. John W. Powell, of Fostoria, 
Ohio, and they have a son, John Peter 
Kenan, born February 24, 1887. 



CHARLES DELBERT KENAN, 
a son of George W^ and Eliza- 
beth (Posey) Kenan, was born in 
Jackson township, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, January 15, 1858, and is of Ger- 
man and Irish lineage, his great-grand- 
father being a native of the Emerald Isle. 
His father was born July 31, 1824, in 
Perry county, Ohio. His mother was 
born August 20, 1832, in Hartley town- 
ship, Wayne Co., Penn., and came with 
her parents to Ohio during her early girl- 
hood. His father and mother are now 
living a retired life. They became the 
parents of seven children, as follows: 
Barbara, who was born December 10, 
1852, and died in infancy; Oran, who was 
born December 7, 1853, and lives in the 
city of Fremont, Ohio; Lodema, who was 
born November i, 1856, and is the wife 
of Michael Maurer, a resident farmer of 
Jackson township, Sandusky county, by 
whom she has three children — Charles, 
Louis and Webb; Charles Delbert, sub- 
ject of sketch; Marshall A., a farmer of 
Jackson township, born Maj' 17, i860; 
Lorina, born October 27, 1862, now the 
wife of Elijah Voorhees; George, born on 
the old homestead, July 10, 1864, and yet 
living there. 



292 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Charles Delbert Kenan was reared to 
manhood under the parental roof, spend- 
ing the days of his boyhood in a manner 
not unlike that of other farmer lads of 
that locality. After arriving at years of 
maturity, he was married, in 1880, to Miss 
Mar}' M. Cookson, a teacher in the com- 
mon schools, having taught seven terms, 
daughter of William and Rose (Metzger) 
Cookson, who were natives of Pennsyl- 
vania, and came to Ohio in its pioneer 
days. Mr. and Mrs. Kenan have no chil- 
dren of their own, but have an adopted 
daughter — Frances Fleeta Kenan — whom 
thej' are tenderly rearing. 

Upon his marriage our subject re- 
moved with his bride to Scott township, 
Sandusk}' county, where he rented his 
father's farm, and remained for about two 
months. He then came to Washington 
township, and purchased sixtj' acres, 
carrying on agricultural pursuits there for 
nine years, when he sold his property, 
and purchased seventy-four acres of land, 
constftuting his present farm. Upon this 
place are four good oil wells, with a fair 
flow, and these net him considerable 
profit, adding not a little to his income. 
His carefully managed business interests 
have brought him success, and his fair 
and honorable dealing have gained for 
him the confidence and good will of all 
with whom he has come in contact. In 
politics he is a Democrat, discharging all 
his duties of citizenship with promptness 
and fidelity. 



EXOS J. GROVER, a well-known 
farmer of Sandusky county, was 
born in Green Creek township, 
that county, October 23, 1841, a 
son of Truman and Caroline (Swart) 
Grover. 

Truman Grover was born in Genesee 
county, N. V., March 13, 1810, a son of 
Silas and Sallie (Williams) Grover, the 
former of whom was born in 17S2, in 
Cayuga county, N. Y. , where he grew to 



manhood. His father died in 1843, and 
his mother — who was of \\'elch descent, 
and who in her younger days lived on the 
banks of the Susquehanna river, in New 
York State — lived to be eighty-one years 
old. Silas Grover married at the age of 
twenty-five, built a log house, cleared up 
a farm, and reared a family of children. 
In 1 826 he came by steamer with his fam- 
ily from Buffalo, N. Y., to Sandusky 
City, and thence overland through the 
woods to Sandusky county, where he set- 
tled on a farm of eighty acres, for which he 
had traded sixty acres in York State, and 
received $100 to boot, which paid his 
moving expenses. Here he followed farm- 
ing twelve years, and then moved to 
another farm farther from Hamer's Cor- 
ners (now Clyde). He was a member of 
the Universalist Church, and in politics a 
Democrat. The children of Silas and 
Sallie Grover were as follows: Messa, 
who died at Fremont February 28, 1894, 
at the age of ninety-four; Truman, father 
of our subject; John, who lives in Branch 
county, Mich., aged eighty-two; Orson, 
living at Hillsdale, Mich., aged seventy- 
seven; Samuel, living at the same place, 
aged seventy-three; Harriet, who died 
leaving several children; and Lydia, -wife 
of Clark Cleveland. 

Truman Grover came to Sandusky 
county at the age of sixteen. His oppor- 
tunities for getting even a common-school 
education were very meager. On March 
12, 1835, he married Miss Caroline 
Swart, who was born in Herkimer coun- 
ty, N. Y., October 3, 1818, and to their 
union came eight children: Eunice, born 
December 10, 1835, who became the wife 
of W. T. Perrin, and their children are 
Perry, William, Frank, Fannie and Burt; 
of these. Perry married Minerva Youngs, 
and has four children — Leo, Lestia, Le- 
Roy and another; William married, and 
has four children; Frank married, and has 
two children. Milo married Lucy Perrin, 
and has seven children — Addie, Ralph, 
Pearl (who is married and has two chil- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



293; 



dren), Grace, Chrisence, Myrtle and an- 
other; Frank married Jane Diiesler, and 
has two children, Minnie and Charlie; he 
lives in Chicago, 111. Enos J. is the sub- 
ject proper of these lines. Margaret is 
the wife of D. Clapp, of Fremont,- Ohio, 
and has three children — Emmitt, Gertrude 
and Horace. Melvina is the wife of M. 
Hart, of Green Spring, Ohio, and has 
three children — Victory, Milo and another; 
Ella is the wife of James Raymond, and 
their children are Winfred and Jay. Ran- 
som died when twent}' years of age. 

Enos J. Grover was reared on a farm, 
and during his youth attended the coun- 
try and village schools. He lives in one 
of the garden spots of northern Ohio. He 
is a Democrat in politics, and socially is 
a member of the Royal Arcanum, at Clyde, 
Ohio. In i860 he married Miss Angeline 
Adams, and five children have been born 
to them: Nora (wife of LeRoy Lee, whose 
children are Margaret and Davis), Ran- 
som, Claude, Byron and Truman. 

Truman Grover, father of our subject, 
was an enthusiastic member of the San- 
dusky County Pioneer and Historical So- 
ciety, and on October 11, 1890, at its an- 
nual meeting, held in Fremont, gave an 
interesting account of his pioneer e.xperi- 
ences. a report of which was published in 
the Fremont /oitrna/, from which we 
here give a few items. Mr. Grover, among 
other things, said: 

I moved from the State of New York with 
ray father, in 1826, at the ag-e of si.xteen. Our 
farming at first went verj' slow. We cut most 
of our j,'rain with sickles, as we thought 
the cradles wasted too much. We preferred 
to cut and lay it down by handfuls. The sec- 
ond year my father fi.xed a cradle to a grass 
scythe that worked pretty well. We threshed 
our grain by tramping it out with o.xen, or 
beating it out with flails or cudgels: we kept at 
it all winter and fed the straw to our live stock. 
We hauled the grain to town and exchanged it 
for goods, and the merchants sent the grain 
east by boat in exchange for goods. One 
of our first merchants was Mr. Olmstead, who 
carried on a large business with very little 
money, by his system of exchange. We could 
not get any money at that time. After a while 
things changed, and we got money, and 
threshing machines and railroads, so that we 



did not need to wait for the lake to open up in 
the spring to market our grain. I feel pretty 
well to-day, for a man who is eighty years old, 
and has done an awful sight of hard work. We 
seemed to have more leisure time for hunting- 
and fishing and sporting in the early days than 
we have now. We could shoot wild ducks, 
geese and turkeys, and wild hogs in abundance. 
We got S3 per hundred for wild pork in Lower 
Sandu.sky. I was not much of a deer hunter. 
The deer had such sharp eyes that I could not 
see them before they saw me. When the 
Twelve-mile Reservation was sold by the Indi- 
ans and they moved away, the white people 
came in and bought homes, and then we got 
money and all business brightened up. Those 
Indians are now in the Indian Territory on No 
Man's Land. Our people here are now away 
ahead of the early times. I don't suppose that 
there is a depot between Cleveland and Toledo 
that ships as much of different kinds of fruit as 
Clyde. The pioneer price of corn used to be 18 
cents, r.ve 20 cents, wheat 50 cents. In 1833-34 
we got $2.10 for wheat. 



ORION VAN DOREN, a progressive 
young farmer of York township, 
Sandusky county, is a son of Ed- 
win and Zeruiah Van Doren, and 
was born in Green Creek township, San- 
dusky county, September 3, 1858. He 
is of Dutch extraction on his father's 
side, his ancestors having come from 
Holland more than one hundred and fifty 
years ago. His mother is of Scotch de- 
scent. 

Abraham Van Doren, grandfather of 
the subject of these lines, was born about 
1805, in a town in New Jersey, which 
then contained but few houses. Coming 
to Lower Sandusky (now Fremont), San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, he followed his vocation 
of shoemaker for many years, and then re- 
moved to a farm in Green Creek town- 
ship, where he passed the remainder of 
his life. Edwin Van Doren, who was a 
son of Abraham Van Doren, was born in 
Fremont, August 14, 1829, and in 1854 
was united in marriage with Zeruiah 
Gray, who was born in Oswego, N. Y. , 
August 13, 1832. They have had seven 
children, as follows: Allen, who is on a 
farm in Green Creek township; Orion, 
the subject of this sketch; Ida, now Mrs.. 



294 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



John Hyatt, living west of Fremont; Sid- 
ney, in Green Creek township; Jennie, 
now Mrs. John Langton; Clara, now 
Mrs. William Pack, living at Centreville, 
Mich. ; and Lucy, now Mrs. H. G. Huff- 
man, living at Clyde, Green Creek town- 
ship, Sandusky, Co. , Ohio. Mr. Van Doren 
has always been an active Republican 
since the founding of the party. He was 
in the hundred-day service in the war of 
the Rebellion, upon his discharge re-en- 
listing in the Fifty-fifth O. V. I., and was 
with Sherman on his famous march to 
the sea. He was mustered out at Camp 
Dennison, near Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. 
and Mrs. Van Doren are now living at 
Clyde, Sandusky Co., Ohio. 

Orion Van Doren attended the Fre- 
mont school one term after leaving the 
district school, then went to the high 
school at Ch'de one year, and the follow- 
ing year took a short course at Ada; but 
his father had need of his services, so he 
left school and remained at home until 
his marriage. On April 14, 1884, he 
wedded Miss Emma White, who was 
born March 8, 1868, and they have had two 
children, namely: Zeruiah, who was born 
March 25, 1886, and is at present at- 
tending the Clyde schools, and Marj' 
Ruth, born December 16, 1893. Mrs. 
Van Doren's father, William White, a 
son of Lyton White, was born in New 
York State in 1827, and in 1S55 married 
Mary Kettle, who was born in Townsend 
township in 1832. They had the follow- 
ing named children: Samuel; George, 
now deceased; Sarah, wife of Morris 
McGraw, of Albany, N. Y. ; Lillian, wife 
of A. J. Smith, of Clyde; Marguerite, 
deceased; Mary, wife of Sidney Van- 
Doren; Emma, now Mrs. Orion Van- 
Doren; Lucinda, deceased; and Anna, 
wife of George Mason. In 1862 the 
family moved from Erie county, Ohio, 
where they had made their home for 
many years, to Townsend township, and 
from there to York township, where Mrs. 
White died August 26, 1872. Mr. 



White continued to manage his farm of 
600 acres until March 26, 1887, when he, 
too, passed away. Mr. Van Doren votes 
the Republican ticket. For the past five 
years he has made an annual hunting 
excursion to northern Michigan, and his 
home is nicely decorated with antlers and 
other trophies that attest to his skill as a 
marksman. 



H 



ON. GEORGE F. ALDRICH. 
Foremost among Sandusky coun- 
ty's representative men of to-day 
stands Hon. George F. Aldrich, 
a truly self-made man. He is the son of 
Hiram H. and Ellen (Donnell) Aldrich, 
and was born on a farm in Scott township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, February 26, 1857. 
Like many a farmer's boy he was obliged 
to work in the summer time, while during 
the winter seasons he was permitted to at- 
tend the district school. Determined to 
obtain an education, he diligently perse- 
vered, and finally attended for some time 
the Normal School at Fostoria, Ohio, 
afterward attending a Normal in Mans- 
field, Ohio. 

At an early age he was among the 
most successful teachers in Sandusky 
county, and has followed that profession 
for twenty years. The township of Scott, 
recognizing his ability, elected him jus- 
tice of the peace, which position he held 
for nine years; he was also census enumer- 
ator of the township in 1880, and served 
on the board of county e.xaminers" for 
four years. Having successfully filled 
every position to which he had been 
called, his fellow-citizens, being desirous 
of conferring still further honors upon 
him, in 1891 sent him as a representative 
of Sandusky county at the State Legisla- ■ 
ture on the Democratic ticket, his oppo- 
nent being Mr. J. L. Hart. This in- 
cumbency he also filled with his well- 
known abilit\' and customary success. On 
his return from the legislature he devoted 




J^- 




^^^^^<^^ 



/ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHWAL RECORD. 



295 



the greater part of his time to teaching. 
During the summer months he conducted 
a normal school at Tinney, having some 
forty pupils, many of whom are teachers. 
In addition to his profession he also di- 
rected the work on the farm at Tinney. 
In the fall of 1893 Mr. Aldrich was again 
nominated for the Legislature on the 
Democratic ticket, his opponent being 
George F. Keefer, and by whom he was 
defeated in 1893. In the 1895 campaign 
Mr. Aldrich carried the county, defeating 
Mr. Iveefer, his opponent of 1893, not- 
withstanding the fact that the political 
aspect of the county has materially 
changed since the 1891 election. 

On March 7, 1878, Mr. Aldrich was 
married to Miss Eulalie Adelaide Tinnej', 
of Tinnej', Ohio, and to them have come 
three children: May Bordelle and Mabel, 
born December 10, 1878 (Mabel died in 
infancy); and Rufus Haven Scott, born 
December 22, 1886. Of these May re- 
ceived a teacher's certificate in Sandusky 
county when only fourteen years old, 
but poor health has prevented her from 
teaching; she has given the study of music 
considerable attention. Mrs. Aldrich, the 
estimable wife of our subject, was born at 
Tinney, Ohio, November 21, 1857, and 
received her education in the public 
schools of that place. Her mother died 
when she was young, which deprived her 
of the advantages that she otherwise 
might have obtained. 

The father of our subject was born in 
Rhode Island, in 1836, and when he was 
six years old his parents came to Ohio, 
where, with the exception of six years 
spent in Kansas, he has since resided. On 
February 29, 1864, he enlisted in Com- 
pany D, Third O. V. C. , and was mus- 
tered out of the service at the close of the 
war. In his family were five children: 
John, Mary (now Mrs. J. W. Hudson, of 
Tinney), George F. (our subject), Charles 
A., and Jackson. Our subject's mother 
was a native of Scott township, Sandusky 

countv. where she spent her entire life ex- 
i9 



cept a few years in Kansas, in which State 
she died, October 9, 1887, at the age of 
fifty-seven. Mr. Aldrich's paternal grand- 
father, Nero Aldrich, was born in Rhode 
Island, and spent the greater part of his 
life in Scott township, where he died. He 
was twice married, the grandmother of 
our subject being his second wife. The 
maternal grandmother was born in Noble 
county, Ohio, and died in Kansas in 1895. 
She was three times married, her last hus- 
band being Nero Aldrich. 

Among the pioneers of Scott town- 
ship is the father of Mrs. Aldrich, Darwin 
Scott Tinney. He was born September 
18, 1826, in New York State, where he 
lived until eight years of age, and then 
with his parents came to Lenawee county, 
Mich., thence to Ohio, where he after- 
ward lived. He died at Tinney, Ohio, 
November 16, 1893. He was one of 
Sandusky county's most prosperous farm- 
ers, a vocation he gave his entire attention 
to during a greater part of his life. For 
three years he was county coinmisioner of 
Sandusky county. About 1850 he was 
married to Sarah Wiggins, of Scott town- 
ship, who was born in Massachusetts in 
1829, and to them were born three chil- 
dren: Almeda Ann; Frank J. Tinne}', of 
Fostoria, principal of the public schools; 
and Eulalie Adelaide (now Mrs. Aldrich). 
He was the son of Stephen Tinney, who 
was born in December, 1799, in Massa- 
chusetts, and died February 10, 1848. 
When about sixteen j-ears old he went to 
New York and there lived some fourteen 
years; thence moved to Michigan where 
he lived six years, and from there to 
Scott township, where he passed the 
rest of his days, dj'ing on January 9, 
1836. He was married to Julia Scott, of 
Niagara county, N. Y. , born July 24, 
1797, and died February 7, 1869. To 
them were born four children: Darwirt 
S., Edwin C, Jackson and Julia Ann, 
Edwin C. being the only one now living. 
Stephen Tinney's mother, Sally Jonier, 
was born in Massachusetts, about the 



296 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



year 1770, and her husband, Stephen 
Tinney, Sr. , was born about the same 
time. To them were born three children. 



DAVID SMITH is a substantial 
farmer of York township, San- 
dusky county. In his early years 
he lived the life of a stalwart 
pioneer, and he has succeeded in gaining 
a competency which will suffice him for 
the remainder of his days. He is a son 
of Fred and Dorothea Smith, and was 
born in Lehigh county, Penn., August 7, 
1820. 

Fred and Dorothea Smith were united 
in marriage in Germany in 181 3, and in 
18 18 came to the United States, locating 
in Pennsylvania. Mr. Smith worked at 
the forge in that State, and also after 
coming to Ohio, whither he removed in 
1837, settling first in Bellevue, Huron 
county, or rather Amsden's Corners, and 
the following year coming to York town- 
ship, where he resided the remainder of 
his life. He bought a farm, which he 
managed in connection with his black- 
smith shop. Of their children Marie (the 
eldest, who lived in Bellevue), Anna (of 
York township), and Fred (a farmer of 
York township, who was the oldest son), 
died in 1889, within six months of each 
other; David is the subject of this sketch; 
Catherine islivingin Tennessee; Sallie died 
in California; John F. is a large land- 
owner of York township. 

David Smith was the first of his 
parents' children born in America, his 
older brother and sister having been born 
before the family left Germany. Oppor- 
tunities for obtaining a good education, 
which are now so numerous and easy of 
access, were open to but few during his 
childhood, and his father's children were 
not numbered with the few. He came 
with his parents to York township at the 
age of ten, and later he learned the trade 
of carpenter and millwright, working in 
Bellevue and Toledo before marriage, and 



a short time after. On October 22, 1846, 
David Smith was united in marriage with 
Julia Ann Knauss, who was born in Union 
county, Penn., April 3, 1825, and they 
have had six children, a brief record of 
whom is as follows: George, born March 
9, 1848, is now a carpenter, residing in 
Bellevue; he married Anna Derr, and has 
two children — Julia Maude and Frank 
Elliston. Charles, born August i, 1S54, 
is a carpenter and lives in Michigan; he 
married Hattie Ent, and they have one 
child — Earl. Samuel, born Xo\ember24, 
1859, is at home. Sarah Maria, born 
July 16, 1864, married David Barnard, 
of Groton township, Erie county, and they 
have three children — George. Ralph, and 
Charles. Mary Elizabeth, the joungest, 
born November 15, 1866, is at home. 
Mrs. Smith is the daughter of Solomon 
and Sarah Knauss. 

Although suffering from a stroke of 
paralysis, Mr. Smith still superintends the 
farm, and tribute may well be offered to 
his perseverance and courage. He is 
prudent in his undertakings and never at- 
tempts to make large gains by corres- 
pondingly large risks. When he engages 
in an enterprise little doubt as to its sta- 
bilit}' and character need be felt. Mr. 
Smith believes in the doctrines of protec- 
tion and sound money. 



GEORGE MARTIN, a farmer of 
Ballville township, Safldusky 
county, was born near Buffalo, 
N. Y. , March 21, 1832, a son of 
Michael and Catherine (Flory) Martin. 
Michael Martin was born in Baden, Ger- 
many, and married there. On immigra- 
ting to America he settled seven miles 
from Buffalo, N. Y., where he died at the 
age of thirty years, leaving a son Michael, 
Jr., by his first wife, and the following 
children by his second wife, a Miss 
Stuller: Joseph, Jacob, Abraham, Mary, 
Kate, and George, the subject of this- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



297 



sketch. The mother of George Martin 
was born in Alsace, Germany. 

George Martin grew to manhood in 
this country, but his education was entire- 
ly neglected, as he never learned to read 
or write. He worked on his father's farm 
in Sandusky county, Ohio, until Decem- 
ber, 1858, when he married Miss Mary 
M. Slaughter, who was born April 8, 
183", and settled on his present farm. A 
brief record of their children is as follows: 
Charles L. , born October 18, 1859, is a 
farmer, living on an adjoining farm; he 
married Miss Caroline Bloom, and their 
children are Blanche, \'innie, Ralph, 
Mabel and Iva. Frank S. , born Septem- 
ber 16, 1 86 1, is living with his parents; 
Albert, born September 29, 1863, is liv- 
ing with his parents; Clara C, born Sep- 
tember 27, 1865, married William Sachs, 
and their children are Fern, Carl and 
Lulu; Edwin, born July 5, 1868, is living 
with his parents; George T., born May 
28, 1874, is li\ing at home; Estella ^f. 
was born February 18, 1877. Mr. Mar- 
tin is a Democrat in politics, and in relig- 
ious connection is a member of the Lu- 
theran Church. He is an enterprising and 
well-to-do farmer, and an obliging neigh- 
bor. His half-brother Michael finds a 
comfortable home with him. His wife 
Mary was born April 8, 1837. 



GEORGE W. IvIXG, farmer and 
merchant of Rice township, San- 
duskj' countv, and postmaster at 
Kingsway, Ohio, was born Sep- 
tember 25, 1840, in Fairfield county, 
Ohio, son of Peter and Mary (Shoemaker) 
King. 

Peter King and his father, George 
King, were both born in Perry county, 
Ohio, where the great-grandfather, John 
King, who was a native of Virginia, had 
located shortly after marriage, passing the 
remainder of his days there. George 
King moved to Pickaway county, Ohio, 
where he died. Peter King was reared 



on a farm up to the age of nineteen, and 
also learned the carpenter's trade, which 
he followed about twenty years in Fair- 
field county. He was married in Pick- 
away county, removed thence to Fairfield 
county, and thence, in 1852, to Washing- 
ton township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, where 
he bought 240 acres of land. Here he 
accumulated wealth, and he built a hand- 
some house and barn, the house having 
the finest staircase in the county. He 
was a Democrat, and a member of the 
German Reformed Church. He died Au- 
gust 2, 1880, and his widow, who was 
born in Pickaway county, Ohio, in 18 19, 
is still living on the old homestead. They 
had nine children: Samuel, a farmer, 
George W. ; Levi, a farmer, who is coun- 
ty commissioner of Henry county, Ohio; 
Henry, a farmer in Henry county; Peter, 
also a farmer in Henry county; J. M., 
living on the old homestead; Rebecca, 
born in 1S43, who died in 1894, wife of 
L J. Shoemaker, of Henry county; Me- 
linda, who first married J. D. Overmyer, 
and after his death wedded Solomon 
Shoemaker (she is now living near Muncie, 
Ind.); and Mary Ann, wife of Noah Gar- 
rett, of Sandusk}' township. 

George W. King came with his father's 
family to Washington township, Sandusky 
county, attended the common schools, 
and learned the carpenter's trade, which 
he followed in Fremont. In 1862 he 
married Miss Elizabeth L. W^agner, who 
was born in Sandusky county, October 6, 
1842, and eleven children have blessed 
their union, viz. : MaryoMarthella, wife 
of M. E. Boggs, of Elmore, Ohio, who 
has one child, George Nolan; Clara Ellen, 
widow of Daniel Packett (she has one 
child); Louisa Emily, wife of Fred Cap- 
pus, of Hessville, Sandusky county (they 
have one child, Carl); Samuel, living at 
Mt. \'ernon, Ind., who is married and has 
three children — George, Henry and John; 
Selesta Alrneda, wife of Irvin F"etterman, 
of Rice township; Catherine Minerva, 
wife of H. F. Hetrick, of Washington 



298 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



township (they have one child, Lester 
Wilhs), and John Jacob, Ida Isabelle, 
Pear! Annetta, Cara Stella, and Daisy 
Modelia, the last five living at home. 

Mr. King purchased his present farm 
in 1864, following his trade until 1867, 
since when he has devoted himself to 
agricultural pursuits, now owning 155 
acres in Rice township and twenty-seven 
in Washington township. The Wheel- 
ing & Lake Erie railroad runs through 
his farm, on which has been erected a 
depot and post office, named, after him, 
Kingsway. He is the second postmaster 
of the place, having received his commis- 
sion from President Arthur, and has held 
the office twelve years. He is a Demo- 
crat in politics, and in religious affiliations 
a member of the German Reformed 
Church. The first office Mr. King held 
in the township was that of constable, in 
which he continued for two years, after 
which he was elected justice of the peace 
for three consecutive terms. Mr. King's 
residence and home are among the finest 
farm improvements in the county. He 
is a recognised business and social leader 
in his community, of gentlemanly dispo- 
sition, and is essentially a self-made man. 



JAMES D. HENSEL, an energetic 
agriculturist of Sandusky township, 
Sandusky county, was born Feb- 
ruary 19, 1849, on the farm now 
owned by his uncle, Daniel Hensel, and 
is the eldest son of Adam and Mary J. 
Hensel. 

The maternal grandparents of Mr. 
Hensel were natives of Northumberland 
county, Penn. , and of German descent. 
They moved to Perry county, Ohio, in 
1 819, where their eldest son, Adam, was 
born in 1825. Their attention was then 
attracted by the fertility of the Black 
Swamp, and in 1827 they located on the 
banks of Little Mud creek, four miles 
west of Fremont. At that time there 
were but three families living between 



Muscalonge and Perrysburg, north of the 
Perrysburg road. 

Adam Hensel was married to Marj' J. 
Benner in 1847; to them were born six 
children : James D. Ellen M. , wife of John 
Fangboner; she died at the age of twent}'- 
four years, leaving two children — Irvin 
and ^Iertella, who live with their father 
in Fremont. Sarah E. and Harriet S. 
both reside in Chicago, 111. ; Harriet is 
married and has two children, Mary and 
Allen. Alice C. and husband, A. J. Wal- 
ters, with their daughters, Jessie and 
Madge A., live in Montpelier, Ohio; and 
Emma C. married W. S. Diggs, and they 
with their two children, Ethel E. and 
lone, reside in Winchester, Indiana. 

Mr. Hensel grew to manhood on a 
farm, receiving his education in the com- 
mon schools, and remained at home until 
his marriage to Miss Savilla Wolfe, Feb- 
ruary 6, 1873. She was born January 
25, 1850, in Sandusky county. They 
have two daughters: Nora O., born De- 
cember 4, 1873, was educated in Fre- 
mont school and Ohio Normal University, 
and is now a teacher in the schools of 
Sandusky county, and Mabel M., born 
December 9, 1877. Mr. Hensel settled 
on the old homestead, which he pur- 
chased after the death of his father in 
1887. He belongs to the younger ele- 
ment of progressive farmers in Sandusky 
township, and owns seventy-seven acres 
of good land. In politics he is a Demo- 
crat, and in religious connection he is a 
member of the Reformed Church. Fra- 
ternally, he affiliates with the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows. 



PHILIPP MIARER, a well-t<5-do 
farmer of Sandusky township, 
Sandusky county, was born in the 
southern part of Russia, August 
15, 1828, a son of John and Barbara 
(Krather) Miarer. 

John Miarer, a farmer by occupation, 
was also born in South Russia, and died 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



299 



there at the age of forty-six years. Bar- 
bara Miarer, his widow, came to America 
with her family and settled in Sandusky, 
Ohio, where she died at the age of sixty- 
seven. Four children were born to them: 
John Miarer, a retired farmer, now living 
in Seneca county, Ohio, who was a soldier 
in the Civil war; Magdalena, who married 
Henry Henning, in Germany, where she 
still resides; Susan, who was married in 
German}- to Louis Bowers; and Philipp, 
subject of this sketch. Philipp attended 
school in Germany up to his thirteenth 
year, and then came to .\merica in 1850, 
landing in New York City. Coming to 
Cleveland. Ohio, he remained there one 
year, after which he removed to Jackson 
township, Sandusk}' count}', where he 
sought and found such employment as the 
times afforded. He was married, in i860, 
to Miss Catharine Mahr, who was born in 
Jackson township August 29, 1839, and 
nine children were born to this union, 
six of whom are living: David, born Sep- 
tember 5, 1 86 1, who married Miss Lavina 
Lang; Sarah, born September 15, 1862, 
married to Augustus Buehler; John, born 
in 1868, who married Ellen Bender (he at- 
tended the common schools, and has 
taught five terms in Sandusky county); 
Mary, born March 28, 1870, living in 
Fremont; Henry, born March 28, 1874; 
and Amelia, born September 24, 1877. 
After his marriage Mr. Miarer bought 
forty acres of land in Jackson township, 
and lived there fourteen years, removing 
thence to Riley township, and in the 
spring of 1 876 settling at his present home. 
Here he owns 157 acres of land, eighty 
acres in Seneca county. His brick resi- 
dence, erected a few years ago, has few 
equals in his vicinity. During his early 
days he did much hard pioneer work; he 
cleared sixty acres of heavily-timbered 
land with his own hands, using oxen to 
do the logging; and it will readily be seen 
that there is a great contrast between his 
early surroundings in the county and that 
which he enjoys now. He is recognized 



as one of the most substantial men in his 
township, of which he has served as trus- 
tee four years, and supervisor two years. 
Mr. Miarer and his wife are members of 
the Reformed Church. Politically he is 
a Democrat. The paternal grandfather 
of our subject was a farmer, and his ma- 
ternal grandfather was a man of more 
than ordinary wealth. 



WILLIAM L. RICHARDS, who 
for many years has ranked as 
one of the most energetic and 
respected citizens of York town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born August 
17, 1828, on the farm he now occupies. 
He is the son of Lester and Mary (Baker) 
Richards, both natives of Connecticut, 
who in the fall of 1826 migrated from 
that State, and in York township pur- 
chased land, which had been entered in 
1822 by Edmund Fuller, the original 
patent for the land being signed by Pres. 
James Monroe. The parents remained 
on the farm through life. Lester Rich- 
ards died in 1845, aged forty-five years. 
His wife survived until 1872, when she 
passed away at the age of seventy-two 
years. In politics Lester Richards was a 
Whig. His grandfather was an emigrant 
from England. 

William L. Richards is one of eight 
children, six of whom grew to maturity, 
as follows: William L. ; Elizabeth, who 
died unmarried at the age of seventeen 
years; Celinda, who was born in 1832, 
married John B. Colvin, and died in 1894; 
Edward, born in 1835, "ow a resident of 
Ottawa county; Melissa, who died when 
a young woman; and Almarema, after- 
ward Mrs. McClanahan, who died in 
Ohio. William L. , the eldest child, 
grew to manhood on his father's farm 
and attended the neighboring schools. 
He was married Januar}- i, 1861, to Miss 
Sarah Rife. She was born on an adjoin- 
ing farm September 7, 1843. daughter of 
Michael and Mary (Longwell) Rife, the 



300 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



former of whom was born in Frederick 
county, Md., February 14, 1S14, and in 
1832 migrated to York township with his 
parents, Daniel and Elizabeth (Zumbrin) 
Rife. Here, January i, 1839, he married 
Mary Longwell, only daughter of Robert 
and Lucinda (Butler) Longwell, who were 
among the earliest settlers of the town- 
ship, and who died here soon after. Mrs. 
Rife is still living at the old homestead. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Richards have been 
born six children, as follows: Emily, born 
October 30, 1862, married April 7, i856. 
to George Bemis, and is the mother of 
one child — Edna; Carrie, born October 
25, 1865, died October 10, 1891; Bertha, 
born January 30, 1867, married Septem- 
ber 19, 1894, to James A. Lewis; Charles 
R. , born December 13, 1868, married 
Helen Gile, and has one child — Karl; 
Mary L. , born December 14, 1870, is 
at home; William H., born September 18, 
1872, was married September 24, 1895, 
to Miss Dora Guinall. Emily and Mary 
are graduates of the Clyde High School, 
and Bertha attended school at Cljde and 
Green Spring; Carrie attended school at 
Clyde and Green Spring, and also at Ada 
Normal School; Charles and William were 
students at Ada Normal School. There 
are few families in Sandusky county so 
thoroughly educated as that of Mr. Rich- 
ards. 

After his marriage our subject settled 
on the farm, and in addition to the farm- 
ing operations he did business at Clyde as 
partner in a grocery store. He was a 
member of Company B, One Hundred 
and Si.xty-ninth 0.\'. L, which was called 
out during the summer of 1864 to do mil- 
itary duty at Washington and Fort Ethan 
Allen. In 1865 Mr. Richards began the 
manufacture of brick and tile, and he has 
ever since been extensively engaged in 
that important industry. Last year he 
burned about 8,000 tile; but in former 
years it was not unusual for him to turn 
out from 60,000 to 75,000 tile, besides 
large quantities of brick. There was an 



active market for all he could make. 
During this time he has also tilled his 
excellent farm of iio acres. In politics 
Mr. Richards usually votes the Republican 
ticket, but he is non-partisan, especially 
in local matters. Socially he is a Mason, 
and also a member of the Grange. His 
son, William H., is a member of the Sons 
of \'eterans. Mr. Richards is one of the 
peace-loving, industrious and capable 
farmers of York township, and his friends 
are as numerous as his acquaintances. 



CHARLES H. WELCH, a pains- 
taking and eminently successful 
agriculturist and fruit grower of 
York township, Sandusky county, 
is a son of Ebenezer and Mary Lovina 
(Hubbell) Welch, and was born in Lyme 
township, Huron Co., Ohio, November 
16, 1839. 

Ebenezer Welch, who was a black- 
smith by trade, came to Ohio from New 
York State about 1830. In Januarj', 
1837, he was united in marriage with 
Mary Lovina Hubbell, who was born 
near Monroeville, Huron county, and 
they had four children, as follows: Edgar 
A., the eldest, served in the Twenty- 
fourth O. V. I., in the war of the Rebel- 
lion, was honorably discharged, and died, 
in I 89 1, at Fawn River, Mich., leaving a 
widow, but no children; Charles H. is the 
subject of this sketch; Alice R. is the wife 
of E. J. Squire, a dry-goods merchant of 
Monroeville, and they have had four chil- 
dren — Elbert W., John Clary, Roy and 
William; Mary C, the youngest, is mar- 
ried to Charles B. Scoville, a boot and 
shoe dealer of Middletown, Butler Co., 
Ohio. Mr. Welch died in Lyme town- 
ship, and his widow moved to Monroe- 
ville, where she died a few jears after- 
ward. 

Charles H. Welch received only a 
common-school education and remained 
at home until the outbreak of the war. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



301 



On September i8, 1861, he enlisted in 
Company A, Fift\-fifth O. V. I., at Camp 
McClellan, Norwalk, Huron Co., Ohio. 
Camp was broken on January 2, 1862, 
and the Fifty-fifth set out for the front 
via the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. They 
first halted at New Creek, \'a. Mr. 
Welch was with the Fifty-fifth Regiment 
through all their hardships, and was dis- 
charged with his company July 20, 1865, 
at Cleveland. 

On October 23, 1867, Charles H. 
Welch was united in marriage with Miss 
Lovina Hitt, who was born January 17, 
1845, and they had four children, namely: 
Alice R. , born August 26, 186S, is at 
home; Mary Mahala, born October 8, 
1870, was married on January iS, 1891, 
to Joseph L. Royer, of Flat Rock, Seneca 
■Co., Ohio, and they ha\e had one child, 
Charles Lewis; Adelia was born Novem- 
ber 21, 1S72; and Charles Hubbell, Jr. , 
born June 2, 1878, is in the third year 
class of the high school at Bellevue. Mrs. 
Welch is a daughter of Seneca and 
Mahala (Staffordj Hitt, the former of 
whom came to Ohio from Rutland county, 
Vt., in 1836, and his wife came from the 
same State a \ear later. In January Mr. 
Hitt built the house ip which Mr. \\'elch 
at present lives, and Mrs. Hitt en- 
tered it a bride. Here for forty-seven 
years she conscientiously attended to her 
duties as wife and mother, making her 
home so attractive that no allurements 
won away her loved ones. In this house 
Mrs. Welch was born, as were also her 
brothers and sisters, who are as follows: 
Mary Elizabeth, wife of L. G. Ely, of 
Fulton county, Ohio, who has been rep- 
resenting his county in the Ohio Legisla- 
ture for the past two years; Marion Ade- 
lia, who died in January, 1882, wife of 
George H. Mugg, of Dundee, Mich, 
(they had three children, Elmer E., 
Luella E. and Susan M., who are unmar- 
ried, and own a farm adjoining their fath- 
■er's), and a son, Seneca, Jr., who died in 
infancy. Mr. Hitt died in January, 1872. 



His wife survived him twelve years, dying 
in June, 1884. 

Mr. Welch has retired from farming, but 
still grows much fruit, which he personally 
superintends. In the spring of 1894 he 
set out over twenty acres of peach trees. 
He is prominent in G. A. R. circles, be- 
ing a charter member of C. B. Gambee 
Post No. 33. In adhering to the Repub- 
lican party, he believes he is furthering 
the interests of the country. For more 
than fifteen years he has held the office of 
township clerk. Mrs. Welch is a member 
of the Congregational Church at Bellevue. 



CHRISTIAN SCHWARZ, a pros- 
perous farmer of Washington 
township, Sandusky county, is the 
owner of a valuable tract of land, 
which is under a high state of cultivation, 
and improved with good buildings, well- 
kept fences and all the accessories of a 
model farm. He is engaged in raising 
those grains best adapted to this climate, 
and keeps on hand enough stock for his 
own use. Possessing good business ability, 
his able management has brought to him 
a comfortable competence, and to-day he 
is numbered among the substantial farm- 
ers of Washington township. 

Mr. Schwarz was born in Wurtem- 
burg, Germany, December 2, 1842, and 
is a son of Christian and Margaret (Voelm) 
Schwarz, farming people, who, in 185 1, 
emigrated to America. On reaching the 
shores of the New World they came di- 
rect to Sandusky, Ohio, but soon re- 
moved to Washington township, Sandusky 
county. In 1853 the father purchased 
134 acres of land, and later added other 
tracts to it, at one time forty acres, at 
another one hundred acres, and subse- 
quentlj' seventy-six acres. He prospered 
in his undertakings, and his success was 
the just reward of his own labors. His 
death occurred June 18, 1892, when he 
had attained the age of seventy-five years; 
his wife still survives him, and is now liv- 



302 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ing in Hessville, Ohio. The family of 
this worthy couple were as follows: 
Catherina, now the wife of John Balseiser 
(a farmer of Washington township), and 
the mother of twelve children; Carolina, 
who died in Germany; Leonard, a resi- 
dent farmer of Sandusky county, and who 
has seven children; August, who died in 
infancy; Laura, wife of Daniel Auxter, a 
farmer of Washington township, Sandusky 
county, by whom she has twelve children; 
Reekie, wife of Charles Thajer (proprie- 
tor of a hotel in Hessville), by whom she 
has nine children; Henry, also an agricul- 
turist of Washington township; Louisa, 
wife of Jacob Ansted, a farmer of Ottawa 
county (they had eight children, but one 
is now deceased). 

Our subject spent the first nine years of 
his life in the Fatherland, and then came 
with his parents on their emigration to 
America. He completed his studies in 
German after his arrival in this country, 
but speaks English very fluently. He 
never left his parents, always giving his 
father the beneht of his services, and to- 
day he is the owner of the farm upon 
which they located forty-two years ago. 
On December ii, 1872, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Catherina P. Myers, 
daughter of John P. and Catherina M. 
(Deal) Myers, whose family numbered 
five children, namely: Philip, deceased; 
Mrs. Schwarz; Mena, Louisa and Mary. 
Eleven children have been born to our 
subject and his wife, their names and 
dates of birth being as follows: John H., 
December 2, 1873, died June 22, 1875; 
Louisa, July 17, 1875, now the wife of 
\\'illiam \\'ing. a farmer of Washington 
township, Sandusky county; Henry, June 
13, 1877, died May 12, 1882; Laura C, 
June 25. 1879; Harmon, March 28. 1882; 
Louis A., February 4, 1884; Emma M., 
May 29, 1886; Bertha R., July 10, 1888; 
Clarence C, January 14, 1890; Alice C. 
March 28, 1892; and Daniel I., February 
1 1, 1894. 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Schwarz are mem- 



bers of the Lutheran Church, and are 
highly respected people who hold an envi- 
able position in social circles in this local- 
ity. In his political views he is a stalwart 
Democrat, warmly advocating the princi- 
ples of his party, and several times has he 
been honored with public office, having 
served as school director and road super- 
visor, while for three years he was trustee. 



OLIVER M. MALLERNEE, an 
active and highl3-respected farmer 
and business man of Clyde, was 

[ born in Harrison county, Ohio 

i March 14, 1836, son of William and 
Lydia (Burtoni Mallernee. 

W' illiam Mallernee was born in Mary- 

i land in 1807. His father, Emanuel, was 

! a native of France, who. when he emigra- 
ted to America, first settled in Maryland, 
and afterward came to Harrison county, 
Ohio, where he died leaving eight chil- 

i dren. as follows: William, father of Oli- 
ver M. ; Levi, who died in Harrison coun- 
ty; Mathias, a stockdealer and farmer of 

i Harrison, and once a hotel-keeper at 
Cadiz; Quillow, a "forty" miner, who 

I died in Harrison county; Lewis, now of 
Harrison county; Ernanuel, who left home 
young and has never been heard from 

I since; Mary Ann, widow of William Rich- 
ardson, of Harrison county; and Eliza- 
beth. William Mallernee was a boy when 
his parents migrated from Maryland to 
Harrison county. Ohio. He there learned 
the cooper's trade, and married Lydia 
Burton, who was born in Nottingham 
township, Harrison county, daughter of 
Thomas Burton, a native of Scotland, 
and a man of unusual physical strength. 
He made his home in Harrison county. 
In his earlier life William Mallernee was 
a successful cooper, and did some trading 
as far south as New Orleans, La. In 
later life, or after 1840, he was a farmer. 
In politics he was a Democrat, and in re- 
ligious faith a Baptist. He died Decem- 
ber 21, 1887; his wife in I S45. They had 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



303 



eifjht children, as follows: Ezra, of New 
Philadelphia; Hannah, married and liv- 
ing in Harrison county; Thomas, of Ok- 
lahoma; Henry, of Harrison county; Will- 
iam, of Indian Territory; Kachel Ann, 
who died young; Lydia, who is married 
and lives in Nebraska; and Oliver M. 

O. M. Mallernee, the subject firoper 
of this sketch, worked on a farm in Har- 
rison county, and attended the common 
schools until he was eighteen. He then 
learned the blacksmith trade with John 
Croskey, of Hopedale, Harrison Co., Ohio. 
Working at his trade for a time in Bel- 
mont county, he went to Mt. Pleasant, 
and to Burlington, Iowa; but finding no 
work at his trade on account of the hard 
times then prevailing, he sold a horse far- 
rier's book for a time, then started home- 
ward. At Oquawka, 111., he found work 
during the summer. Visiting Rock Island 
and Chicago in vain, he reached Clyde in 
October, 1857, via Logansport, Ind. He 
expected to remain at Clyde only over 
night; but learning of its rich agricultural 
environment he sagaciously determined 
to locate here permanently. Not finding 
work at his trade he was variously en- 
gaged, and finally secured a place at Fre- 
mont, where he lived for a }'ear and a half. 
He went to Fostoria and was working 
there at his trade when the Rebels tired 
upon Fort Sumter. 

Returning to Fremont he enlisted in 
the Third O. V. C. August 10, 1861, and 
was mustered in the U. S. service Sep- 
tember 10, same year, at Monroeville, 
Ohio. He was placed in charge of the 
blacksmith department of the regiment, 
and while in Monroeville was in charge of 
the horse hospital. Col. Lewis Zahni 
commanding. Our subject marched with 
his regiment to Camp Dennison, Ohio, 
and from there they marched to Cin- 
cinnati, where they took a boat for Jeffer- 
sonville, Ind. From there they marched 
to Nashville, Tenn., via Mammoth Cave 
and Bowling Green, Ky., and from Nash- 
ville they proceeded to Shiloh. Mr, Mal- 



lernee was taken down with the measles 
the first day out of Nashville camp, and 
was left in the hospital at Savannah, 
Tenn., on the river, below Shiloh. In 
the following May he joined his regiment 
at Corinth, Miss., whence they marched 
to Tuscumbia, Ala. , from there to Wood- 
ville, Ala., thence to Perryville, Ky. , and 
were with Gen. Buell on his famous cam- 
paign with Gen. Bragg. From there they 
returned to Nashville and participated in 
the battle of Stone River. At Murfrees- 
boro they remained until the following 
June, when the\' moved out on the Chicka- 
maugua campaign with Gen. Rosecrans. 
Mr. Mallernee was in the siege of Chatta- 
nooga, then went to Woodville, Ala., 
and returned to Chattanooga in time to 
witness the battle of Lookout Mountain 
and Mission Ridge. From there he went 
on the Atlanta campaign with Gen. Sher- 
man as far as Jonesboro, Ga. His time 
of enlistment expiring, he returned to 
Columbia, Tenn., was discharged, and 
then came home for a short time. Re- 
turning to Nashville, he was in the Gov- 
ernment employ at the time of the battle 
of Nashville, and was appointed first 
lieutenant in the First regiment O. M. 
forces, and was assigned to Company F, 
by command of Col. C. H. Irvin. Lieut. 
Mallernee was in command of Company 
F, at the battle of Nashville, Tenn., and 
remained in Nashville until June, 1865. 
He was with his regiment in the field 
continuously for three years, except about 
six weeks he was sick in the hospital, and 
he did not sleep in a bed only once in 
three years. 

Returning to Ohio, Mr. Mallernee 
began blacksmithing for himself in Clyde, 
and later opened a shop at Milan, Erie 
county. Returning to Clyde, he pur- 
chased a farm in York township, which he 
still owns. From 1870 to 1882 he was 
engaged in the marble business at Clyde; 
then became interested in the coal in- 
dustry, and bought coal lands in Ohio, 
which he subsequently sold at a profit. 



:304 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



He has since continued to reside at Clyde 
and operate his farm. At the present 
time (1895) he is proprietor of the Clj^de 
Produce and Fruit Co., at Clyde. 

On November i, 1865, Mr. Mallernee 
was married to Mrs. Mary (West) Blake, 
who was born in 1834, and they have one 
son, William S., born February 4, 1868; 
he attended the Clyde school, and was in 
the office with his father until he was 
about eighteen years old, when he went 
to Cleveland, and was irt the employ of 
the Street Railway Co. about two years. 
He then again turned his attention to 
school, and attended the school at Val- 
paraiso, Ind., where he graduated with 
high honors in the commercial course. 
He then went to Ann Arbor, Mich., to 
complete his law studies, but his health 
failing him, he returned home. On Oc- 
tober 6, 1894, he married Jessie Babcock, 
and he is now living at the old homestead 
in Clyde, Ohio. By her first marriage 
Mrs. Mallernee had two children — Frank 
and Emma. In politics Mr. Mallernee is 
a Republican. He is a prominent mem- 
ber of Eaton Post No. 55, G. A. R., and 
of the U. V. U., of which he is now quar- 
termaster and has been commander. 



WARREN J. BRADFORD, a wide- 
awake business man of Clyde, 
Sandusky count}-, is of the ninth 
generation in descent from Gov- 
ernor William Bradford, who came over 
in the "Mayflower" in 1620, and was the 
first governor of the Plymouth Colony. 
The line of descent from Governor Brad- 
ford is as follows: Major William Brad- 
ford, Thomas Bradford (of Norwich, 
Conn.), Lieutenant James Bradford (of 
Canterbur\-, Conn.;, William Bradford 
{of Canterbury, Conn.), Josiah Bradford 
{of Connecticut), Joshua Bradford, Jr. (of 
Connecticut), Moses D. Bradford and 
Warren J. Bradford. 

Joshua Bradford, Jr., became one of 
the earliest pioneers of Trumbull county. 



Ohio, and there his son, Moses D., was 
born, April 3, 18 10. Moses D. grew up 
in that county, and married Aurel Ovitt, 
who was born in 181 2, of an old New 
England family. He operated a wagon 
manufactory and turning works at Brace- 
ville, Trumbull county, and in 1861 moved 
to Hancock count}'. Three years later 
he removed to Republic, Seneca county, 
and about 1869 he came to York town- 
ship, Sandusk}' county, whence a few 
years later he removed to Clj'de; he died 
there February i, 1S94; his wife passed 
away in 1871. Moses D. Bradford and 
wife were members of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, and in politics he was an 
ardent Whig and Republican. Moses D. 
and Aurel Bradford had five sons, a brief 
record of whom is as follows: (i) Ovitt 
enlisted in 1861, in Company A, Twenty- 
first O. X. I., in Hancock county, for 
three years, and died in Tennessee in De- 
cember, 1862. (2) William H. enlisted 
in the same company and regiment, and 
was killed at the battle of Stone River. 
(3) R. S. lives near Green Spring. (4) 
Warren J. is the subject of this sketch. 
(5) Arthur M. is a resident of Paulding 
county, Ohio. 

Warren J. Bradford was born July 7, 
1847, ^"d was fourteen years old when he 
left Trumbull county with his father's 
family. He attended Normal School at 
Republic, and in Lorain county learned 
the cheesemaker's trade. For some years 
he operated a cheese factory in that county, 
and when, in 1869, he came to Sandusky 
count}', he became a gardener and raiser 
of small fruits on a twenty-acre tract. 
Since 1881 he has been in the seed and 
sweet-corn business. He began with one 
acre, and has since had as high as 300 
acres on contract. He owns twenty acres 
of his own, and has been doing a profita- 
ble and satisfactory business from the 
start. He was first married in 1869 to 
Miss Sarah Pettys, who was born April 3, 
1850, and died January 21, 1889; they 
had one child, Maud, born July 9, 1872, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



805 



and died September 12, 1874. The sec- 
ond and present wife of Mr. Bradford is 
Clara L. Pettys, a cousin of his first wife. 
They were wedded in December, 1889, 
and b}' that marriage there have been 
three children: Arthur, born December 
27, 1 891; Burt, born in June, 1893, de- 
ceased June 6, 1894, and George, born 
July 4, 1895. In politics Mr. Bradford 
is a Republican. He is a prominent mem- 
ber of and at present regent of Clyde 
Council No. 1503, Royal Arcanum. He 
is one of the most energetic, enterprising 
and successful men of Green Creek town- 
ship. 



JAMES INMAN was born August 11, 
1839, in Fremont, Ohio, son of Will- 
iam and Calista (Barringer) Inman, 
who when he was five years old 
moved to Scott township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, settling in Section 27, where they re- 
mained one year. They then removed to 
Section 26, there purchasing 200 acres of 
wild land, where they lived for seven 
years, at the end of that time removing 
to Section 24, where they purchased 100 
acres; this they soon sold, however, and 
returned to Section 26. 

\Mien twenty-one years of age James 
Inman began life for himself, farming, for 
a time working rented land in Scott 
township. On July 4, 1861, he was 
united in marriage with Miss Drusilla 
Gossard, of Scott township, and for the 
following three years the young couple 
lived at Mr. Gossard's, Mr. Inman work- 
ing a year in all on his father-in-law's 
farm. Mr. Inman then purchased 
thirty acres near Mr. Gossard's farm, the 
latter adding forty acres adjoining, on 
which he erected buildings and settled in 
1867. Mr. and Mrs. Inman have added 
to the small farm which they at first 
owned, and now have 236 acres, for the 
most part under cultivation. In 1875 
Mr. Inman went to California, but did 
not engage in any business there and soon 



returned to Ohio. In 1887 he, in com- 
pany with others, put down the first gas 
well on Mr. H. Lendig's farm, and one 
year later, in company with others, he 
put down another. Since then he has 
sunk twenty-four oil wells, si.xteen of 
which are in successful operation. These 
wells yielded at first from ten to seventy- 
five barrels each per day. It should be 
mentioned that nnly six of the above- 
mentioned wells are on Mr. Inman's farm; 
the rest were put down for others on land 
that the company leased. In addition to 
these six he has an interest in nine oth- 
ers, making fifteen wells in all in which 
he is directly interested. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Inman were born 
three children: (i) William W., born 
March i, 1863, was educated in Scott 
township, and was for a time a successful 
teacher in Sandusky county; in 1886 he 
was married to Olive M. Fisher, of Scott 
township, and to their union have been 
born two children — Florence, in 1887, 
and Clay, in 1890. (2) Zelora C. , born 
November 23, 1865, was married Novem- 
ber 30, 1882, to D. F. Long, of Seneca 
county, and they have three children — • 
Almon W., Milan L. and Orlo W'ayne. 
(3) Alvin G. was born June 2, 1869, and 
was married August 2, 1889, to Ardilla 
Miller, and February 14, 1S91, there was 
born to them a daughter — Goldie Theo- 
dorie. 

Mrs. Drusilla (Gossard) Inman, the es- 
timable wife of our subject, was born No- 
vember 5, 1 S3 7, in Scott township, daughter 
of A. P. and Mary (Cooley) Gossard. She 
received her education in her native town- 
ship, and was at home the greater part of 
the time until her marriage, keeping house 
for her father for five years after her mo- 
ther's death; also teaching school part of 
the time. A. P. Gossard was born June 
6, 1808, in Ross county, Ohio. When 
a young man he came to Sandusky coun- 
ty, purchasing a farm in Scott township, 
adding thereto until 190 acres were se- 
cured; he was a great stock-grower and 



306 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



dealt largely in cattle; in which line he was 
very successful. Peleg Cooley, father of 
Mary (Cooley) Gossard, was born in New 
York about 1765. Martha (Basset) 
Cooley, wife of Peleg Cooley, was born 
about 1770. They were married when 
quite young, and located in Canada, where 
they were residing during the war of 1812. 
At the close of that struggle they came to 
Sandusky county, and Mr. Cooley, who 
was a carpenter by trade, built the first 
frame house in Lower Sandusky (now 
Fremont). He split the siding with a 
froe, dressing it with a drawer knife, and 
this was undoubtedly the first frame house 
in the county. Philip Gossard, father of 
A. P. Gossard, was born about the year 
1785, and Drusilla (Plummer), his wife, 
was born in Kentucky about 1788. 

William Inman, father of our sub- 
ject, was born February 14, 18 16, in New 
Jersey, removing with his parents in boy- 
hood to Sandusky county, Ohio, where 
they settled on a large farm of 400 acres, 
near Fremont. Here he went to school, 
receiving a fair education at the public 
schools of Fremont. At the age of twenty- 
two years he was married to Miss Calista 
Barringer, of Fremont, and shortly after- 
ward, in 1844, they purchased a farm of 
forty acres in Scott township, which was 
added to until at one time they had a 
tract of 200 acres. Mr. Inman made two 
trips to California in the interest of gold 
mining, in which he was quite successful, 
realizing a snug sum from this source. 
He died in 1892, and was buried in the 
Metzger Cemetery. 

Mr. Inman's grandfather, Brazil In- 
man, was born about 1785. The mother 
of our subject, whose maiden name was 
Calista Barringer, was born October 15, 
1 8 16, nine miles from Columbus, Ohio, 
where she lived until fifteen years of age, 
there receiving her education. She then 
came to Sandusky county, where she has 
spent the greater part of her life. Her 
father William Barringer, was born about 
1791, was a farmer by occupation, and 



was killed by the fall of a tree when 
Calista was a child. His wife, Sarah 
(Campbell), was born about 1793. To 
them were born four children — -two sons 
and two daughters. Andrew Barringer, 
father of William Barringer, was born 
about 1759. Jane Campbell, mother of 
Mrs. Sarah (Campbell) Barringer, was 
born about 1760. 



JOHN KOPP, a prosperous farmer and 
well known citizen of Woodville 
township, Sanduskycounty, he was 
born in Switzerland, December 16, 
1824, and is a son of Andrew and Mary 
(Stoner) Kopp. 

Andrew Kopp was born in Switzer- 
land in 1792, and died in 1844. His wife, 
whose maiden name was Mary Stoner, 
was born in 1 790. They were the par- 
ents of six children, as follows: Jacob, 
married Elizabeth Omsler, and they have 
four children; they live in Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohio. Ullrich, a 
farmer, married Rosie Stahlter, and they 
lived at Lindsey, Sandusky Co., Ohio; he 
died in September, 1886. John is the sub- 
ject of this sketch. Andrew (Jr.), a 
farmer of Woodville township, married 
Elizabeth Andrews, and they have one 
child. Frank is single and lives in Put- 
in Bay. Mary married Jacob Grutter; 
they have seven children, and live in 
Switzerland. In 1854, several years after 
her husband's death, Mrs. Andrew Kopp 
(Sr.) came to America with some of her 
children. 

In 1 85 1 John Kopp came to America 
with his brother, landing, after a voyage 
of twenty days, in New York, where they 
remained two days, and then went to Buf- 
falo. They were out of money, and 
worked by the day about one year, after 
which, journeying west to Ohio, they lo- 
cated in Bellevue. Huron county, where 
where they remained about eight years, 
working by the day and month. They 
settled in the ' ' Black Swamp. " On April 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



307 



27, 1857, John Kopp was united in mar- 
riage with Anna M. Riser, who was born 
in Switzerland October 24, 1837, and 
they have become the parents of eight 
children, as follows: John, born Decem- 
ber 18, 1858, who is unmarried; Mar}' A., 
born March 15, 1861, who married Jacob 
Younker, a farmer of Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky county, by whom she has 
had two children — Albert, born Novem- 
ber 10, 1884, and Lena, born November 
17, 1886; Jacob J., born July 16, 1863, 
who married Lizzie Young, and they live 
in Paulding county, Ohio, and have one 
child — May, born in 1894; Albert F. , born 
April 24, 1867, living at home; Frank, 
born August 26, 1869, died June 9, 1885; 
Adam H., born December 24, 1871, liv- 
ing at home; Linda L. , born July 22, 
1874, living at home, and Anna S., born 
September 14, 1879. The father of Mrs. 
John Kopp died in 1849, her mother in 
1883, and they are buried at Bellevue, 
Huron Co., Ohio. A brief record of her 
brothers and sisters is as follows: Jacob 
Riser, a farmer, married Ellen Fane- 
maker, and they have four children; live 
in Bellevue, Ohio. Elizabeth married 
George Schuster, a harness-maker of 
Bellevue, and they have two children. 
Anna is single, and lives in Toledo. 
Frances Riser married Frank Hunsinger, 
a railroad man; they live in Bellevue, and 
have two children. 

Mr. Ropp at first bought forty acres, 
all timber, put up a log cabin, and began 
to clear the land. Later he bought forty 
acres, which cost him $2,800. In 1894 
he bought forty acres in Wood county, 
Ohio, for $2,600, and now has a total of 
120 acres of valuable land. In 1891 he 
leased his land to the Standard Oil Com- 
panj-, and they have since put down four 
wells, as good as any in the vicinity. 
When he settled in the "Black Swamp" 
there were no roads, and he helped to lay 
out and build several of them, besides 
which he has cleared over thirty acres of 
timber himself. He has always had the 



best of health, and is very active for a 
man of his years. Mr. Ropp is engaged 
in general farming, and still does some 
work himself. He has always voted the 
Democratic ticket, and is a charter mem- 
ber of the Reformed Church at Elmore, 
Ottawa Co., Ohio. 



THOMAS THRAVES. The breadth 
of thought and enlarged views of 
life obtained by several ocean voy- 
ages, and a residence for several 
j'ears amid the stirring scenes of mining 
camps, lumber mills and fruit gardens in 
the Golden State, must be an excellent 
preparative. To a young man previous 
to his settling down to the usually dull 
routine of life on a farm, the recollection 
of these events and scenes will often be- 
guile a weary hour, and their" narration to 
others less favored will be a source of 
mutual pleasure and satisfaction. As a 
noteworthy e.xample of one whose youth 
was spent in adventure, but who is now 
content to remain within the limits of his 
farm home, we present the subject of this 
sketch. 

Thomas Thraves, a farmer of Ballville 
township, Sandusky county, was born in 
Nottinghamshire, England, September 6, 
1839, a son of William and Marilla 
(Graves) Thraves. He came with his 
father's family to America in the summer 
of 1844, and was just five years old the 
day he landed in Sandusky county. He 
was reared with his parents, on a farm in 
Washington township, Sandusky count}', 
and grew up to the usual pursuits and 
hardships of farm life in a new country. 
At the age of nineteen our subject left 
school and the endearments of home, and 
started for the gold regions of California 
to seek his fortune in the then adventur- 
ous West. He went by the Panama route 
from New York City, reached San Fran- 
cisco in safety, and the following day 
started for Sacramento City on his way to 



I 



308 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



join his brother Mark. On meeting him 
the}' located claims in Yuba county, re- 
maining there one season, from June until 
October, 1 860, when his brother Mark re- 
turned to Ohio. Our subject was not yet 
satisfied with his success in mining, and. 
proceeded on to Virginia City, Nevada, to 
buy stock in the famous Comstock mine; 
but they had gone up to a speculative 
point of from $1,000 to $1, 500 per foot, 
and he concluded not to make any pur- 
chases, but went to work for others in the 
mines and continued about twenty-two 
months. He then returned to California, 
and worked in a mine at Downville, Dur- 
gan Flat, in Sierra county, three months. 
Leaving the Flat he went to Oregon Hill, 
Yuba county, where he bought a one- 
fourth interest in a surface mine, which he 
worked for three years with good success, 
making and saving a goodly sum of money. 
He then went to w.ork in a fruit orchard 
two seasons, raising apples, peaches, 
pears, etc., and becoming familiar with 
the methods of fruit raising in that rich 
garden spot of the world. He ne.xt worked 
one year for a lumber company in Yuba 
and Plumas counties. In 1867 he re- 
turned to Ohio, and lived with his parents 
in Ballville township, Sandusky county, 
where he assisted in farming and dealing 
in live stock. 

On October 17, 1871, Thomas Thraves 
married Miss Armida Annette Dawley, 
who was born September 17, 1847, 
daughter of Elisha and Sarah (Brush) 
Dawley, of Green Creek township. Two 
children were the fruits of this marriage: 
Larkin Alonzo, born December 28, 1872, 
living with his parents, and a son, born 
September 16, 1874, who died in infancy. 
Mr. Thraves is a Democrat, and one of 
the leading men of enterprise in his town- 
ship, where he does a general farming 
business. His land has been finely im- 
proved, and in 1880 he put up a substan- 
tial frame residence. It is a compliment 
to his chivalry and to the excellent house- 
keeping of his estimable wife that he did 



not sleep outside of his own house a single 
night for the first fifteen years of his mar- 
ried life. 



CLARK RATHBUN CLEVE- 
LAND, a prosperous and popular 
farmer of Green Creek township, 
Sandusky county, and member of 
one of the earliest pioneer families of that 
county, was born in that township, April 
I, 1836. 

Clark Cleveland, Sr. , his grandfather, 
migrated with his wife, Jemima (Butler), 
and family early in the century from 
Mount Morris, Livingston Co., N. Y. , to 
northern Ohio. He first settled in the 
forests of Huron county, and had made 
improvements when he learned that his 
title to the land was not good. He then 
packed up his few household effects and 
penetrated deeper into the western wil- 
derness, entering eighty acres of govern- 
ment land in Green Creek township, and 
there building his second pioneer cabin 
some time prior to 1822. Here he re- 
mained until his death, which occurred in- 
1831, in his seventy-first 3'ear. The chil- 
dren of Clark and Jemima Cleveland were 
as follows: Abigail, who married Oliver 
Hayden; Cozia, who married William 
Hamer; Moses; Sally, whose first hus- 
band was Benjamin Curtis, her second 
husband being Alphcus Mclntyre; Clark, 
Jr., who married Eliza Grover, and left 
six children; Polly, who married Timothy 
Babcock; Betsy, who married Samuel 
Baker; and James. 

James Cleveland was born at Mount 
Morris, N. Y., March 14, 1806, and mi- 
grated with his father to the pioneer home 
in northern Ohio. He remained with 
his father until his marriage, March 3, 
1 83 1, to Jeannette Rathbun, who was 
born in Genesee county, N. Y., May 9, 
1815. daughter of Chaplin and Lucinda 
(Sutliff) Rathbun, pioneers of Green 
Creek township. At the time of his mar- 
riage James Cleveland had saved enough- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



309' 



money to buy forty acres of land in Green 
Creek township, a part of the old Sawyer 
farm. For five years he was engaged in 
clearing and cultivating the land. Then 
during one winter with his father-in-law 
he rented a saw and grist mill on Green 
creek several miles from the farm. He 
supported the family, and accumulated 
enough lumber to build a barn on his 
farm, and in the spring he returned to his 
farming operations and purchased some 
additional land. In 1841 he took a con- 
tract to grade a half mile of the Maumee 
and Western Reserve turnpike. He 
moved his family near the scene of the 
operations, and upon its completion, five 
months later, returned to the farm, richer 
by $600, paid in "State scrip." A part of 
this he traded for building hardware, and 
then erected a large frame dwelling in 
1845. Meanwhile he kept adding more 
acres to his now quite extensive farm. 
He was a sagacious, tireless, thrifty pio- 
neer, and at the time of his death, which 
occurred September i, 1878, he owned 
nearh' 400 acres of land, containing some 
of the best and most extensive improve- 
ments in the county. His wife, who sur- 
vived until August 8, 1891, was a woman 
of unusual energy, and was in every sense 
worthy of his ambitions and plans for ad- 
vancement. She ably seconded his ef- 
forts to secure a competence that might 
support them in their declining years. In 
physique somewhat below the medium 
size, scarceh' weighing i 20 pounds in her 
best days, she left nothing undone to ad- 
vance the interests of her family. When 
her husband was clearing up the farm, she 
hauled the rails which he split and made 
the fences. Once when help was scarce 
she fastened her child to her back by a 
shawl, and thus burdened, she planted 
and hoed corn in the field. Her first cal- 
ico dress she earned by picking ten quarts 
of wild strawberries and walking to Lower 
Sandusky, where she traded them, at a 
shilling a quart, for five yards of calico, 
worth two shillings a j-ard. Few pioneer 



families in Sandusky county have left a 
worthier record than that of the Cleve- 
lands. 

Ten children were born to James and 
Jeannette Cleveland, as follows: James, 
born December 3, 1831, who reared a 
family, and died in 1890, a farmer of 
Green Creek .township; Eliza, born No- 
vember 29, 1833, married A. J. Harris, 
of Clyde, and died in 1861, leaving two' 
children; Clark R., of Green Creek town- 
ship, born April i, 1836; George Down- 
ing, of Green Creek township, born Sep- 
tember 9, 1838; Lucinda, born May 29, 
1 841, married Horace Taylor; Chaplin^ 
S. , born July 28, 1844, is a resident of 
Green Creek township; John H., born- 
November 21, 1847, died October 28, 
1879, leaving one daughter; Sarah, born 
September 22, 1851, married Charles- 
Sackrider, and now living on the old 
homestead; Mary, born February 25, 
1854, married George Crosby, of Clyde; 
and Charles, born December 30, 1857,. 
died December 14, 1879. 

Clark R. Cleveland grew up on his 
father's farm, attending the schools of the 
Baker district, and in his 3outh worked 
on the farm. Gifted with musical talent 
of a high order, he became a violinist of 
great repute in his neighborhood, and no 
musical programme, no local dance, was 
complete without the presence of Mr. 
Cleveland and his violin. In i860 he 
was married to Sarah Herold, who was- 
born in Green Creek township October 
10, 1842, and died April 18, 1890. The 
eight children born to Clark R. and' 
Sarah Cleveland are as follows: Clara 
J., born March 11, 1861, married Oliver 
E. Hawk, and lives in Green Creek town- 
ship; Mary E., born September 28, 1862, 
is the wife of John Shipman, and mother 
of two children — Dawn and Carl; James 
R. , born September 8, 1864, married, 
and has two children — Lee and Sidney; 
Willie, born December 25, 1866, died 
aged five days; Addie A., born August 
10, 1 868, is the wife of George Neikirk, 



310 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



and has four children — Edna, Floyd, Irene 
and Ferol, the last named born September 
1 6, 1895; Clarence L. , born January 11, 
1 87 1, married Ernestine Huss; Irvin L., 
born March 2, 1874, married Merna Liv- 
engood, and has one child — Vera Mae; and 
Herbert R. , born Julv 3, 1876. The 
second and present wife of Clark R. 
Cleveland is Alma Andrews, born in San- 
dusky county, December 27, 185S, widow 
of H. P. Livengood, and daughter of Jer- 
emiah and Mary J. (Craig) Andrews. 
Jeremiah Andrews was born at Akron, 
Ohio, November 23, 1834, and died 
March 2, 1892; his wife was born April 
6, 1839, and is still living. The four 
children of Jeremiah and Mary J. An- 
drews were as follows: Alma; Elva, 
wife of J. E. Rathbun; Ulysses C, of 
Millersville; and Myrtie M., wife of John 
\\'eaver, of Fremont. By her marriage 
to Mr. Livengood (who was born in Erie 
county, Ohio, February 25, 1854, and 
died January 8, 1885) Mrs. Cleveland had 
two children — Merna E. , born March 25, 
187S, and Ata H., born September 3, 
1884. 

Mr. Cleveland has been a practical 
and successful farmer through life; for 
thirty-five years he was also a professional 
musician, and for four years he was pro- 
prietor of a hall where the Terpsichorean 
art was frequentlj' practiced to the notes 
of his soul-stirring violin. He owns a 
fine farm of 115 acres of land, and de- 
votes his attention chieliy to fruit grow- 
ing, especially blackberries, raspberries 
and strawberries; but he also raises grain 
and hogs. In politics he is a lifelong 
Democrat. Mrs. Cleveland is a member 
of the M. E. Church. 



HON. ALMON DUNHAM, of 
Woodville, Sandusky county, was 
born May 6, 1824, in Erie (then 
Huron) county, Ohio, son of 
Davis and Anna (^^'eidner) Dunham. 
Davis Dunham was born in Erie coun- 



ty, Penn., January 11, 1798, and in 181 1 
came to Ohio with his parents, Phineas 
and Sarah Dunham, both of whom were 
born in Pennsylvania. Our subject's 
great-grandfather, who was of English- 
Irish stock, removed to Pennsylvania from 
Virginia. The paternal grandparents 
located in 181 1 in Erie (then Huron) 
county, Ohio, where they died. Their 
children were: John, Eli, and Davis, all 
of whom died in Sandusky county; Levi, 
who went west; Nathan, who went to 
California; Jonathan, who went to the 
"Far West;" Nathaniel, who died in 
Sandusky county; Mary (or Polly), who 
married John Cowel, and lived on San- 
dusky Bay, in Erie county; Sarah, who 
married B. V. Havens, and lived near El- 
more, Ottawa county; and Lucy, who 
moved to the South. 

Davis Dunham, father of our subject, 
died in 1883, and his wife, who was born 
in Pennsylvania, died here at the age of 
seventy years. All their children but? one 
were born in Erie county, whence in 1834 
they removed to what is now Woodville 
township, Sandusky county, and here 
their last child was born. They lived in 
Woodville township during the latter part 
of their busy, useful and successful lives. 
They were members of the M. E. Church. 
Their children were: Anna, who died 
young; Rebecca, who married A. C. 
Ames, and now resides in Marshall coun- 
ty, Ind. ; Sarah, who married Martin Mc- 
Gowan, and died in Ottawa countj-, Ohio; 
Almon, our subject; Margaret, who mar- 
ried William McGowan, now living in 
Indiana; Lucy, also in Indiana; Phineas, 
who died in childhood; and Samantha, 
who died in Michigan. 

Almon Dunham came to Sandusky 
county when a boy, attended the subscrip- 
tion schools, and was reared on a farm. 
He remained here until his marriage, in 
1849, to Mrs. Mary Allen, who was born 
in the State of New York, in 181 8, and 
died in 1 880. She was a noble woman, 
and highly respected. They had four 




v.x^'i^i^^'z.,^?^^*/ 'r^-et^^,y/LAyiy*'*^^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



311 



children: (i) Orren and (2) Orsen (twins), 
born August 13, 1850, of whom Orsen 
died when one year and nine months old, 
and Orren is now a business men in 
Toledo, Ohio; he married Susan Alex- 
ander, and they have one child — Robert 
Alexander. (3) Mary E. and (4) Frank- 
lin P. (twins), born October 2, 1852, the 
former of whom is now the widow of 
William Yohn; Franklin P. died in child- 
hood. 

Almon Dunham grew to manhood 
under the pioneer influences of the sur- 
rounding country. He distinctly recalls 
many incidents of the early days that are 
now gone for ever, but he does not regret 
the changes that have been wrought. He 
has kept up with the progress of the times, 
and has contributed in no small degree 
thereto in his vicinity. He settled on his 
present farm after marriage, and has since 
continued to live there, carrying on gen- 
eral farming. He has been an active, 
public-spirited citizen, and served his 
township twenty-one consecutive years as 
justice of the peace and about fourteen 
years as township clerk. In 1877 he was 
made the regular nominee of the Demo- 
cratic party for the State Legislature, and 
was elected, taking his seat in January, 
1878. He was re-elected in 1879, and 
served two more terms. The Democrats 
were in power during the first term, the 
Republicans during the second, and he 
served on the Committee on Claims both 
terms, also introducing several local bills, 
all of which became laws. 

In personal appearance Mr. Dunham 
is a thin, spare man, six feet and one inch 
in height, and, although sevent}' years 
old, stands straight as an arrow, and 
walks lighter on his feet than most men 
of forty-five. His father was six feet three 
inches in height, and a giant in frame and 
strength. He was noted for these quali- 
ties all over the neighborhood, and in the 
early da3s, when men were scarce, he 
would often be called upon to go from one 

end of a log to the other, in putting up 
20 



log houses. Our subject is a member of 
the M. E. Church, and in political affilia- 
tion he has been a life-long Democrat. 
After the death of his first wife, Mr. 
Dunham wedded Miss Mary E. Miller, a 
native of Sandusky county, who still sur- 
vives. 



JOHN F. HILLE, of Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born in 
that township December 17, 1856, 
and is a son of H. H. and Catherine 
(Wickham) Hille. The grandparents of 
John F. Hille came to America when he 
was a boy, and bought land in Woodville 
township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, where 
the)' made their home. 

H. H. Hille, who was one of four 
children, was born near Hanover, Ger- 
many, in 1821. In 1855, in Woodville 
township, he was united in marriage with 
Catharine Wickham, who was born in 
Germany, in 1832, and came to America 
in 1850. To them were born seven chil- 
dren, as follows: John F., the subject of 
this sketch; Eliza, who married Fred 
Hudlebrink, a farmer of Wood county, 
and has had one child; Julia, deceased at 
the age of twenty-one years; William, a 
farmer of Wood county, married Anna 
Ofterstrauss; John, deceased when young; 
Henry, a farmer in Wood county, married 
Carrie Swan, and they have one child; 
and Frank, married to Clara Nickels, to 
which union one child has been born. 
The father always worked hard, and at 
his death, which occurred in 1873, he left 
169 acres of valuable land in Sandusky 
and Wood counties. His widow died in 
1882. 

John F. Hille received a common- 
school education, and always lived at 
home. On November 9, 1882, he was 
united in marriage with Mathilda Leisher, 
who was born in Germany January i, 
1858, and they have had four children, 
namely: Wilhelmina Elise, born August 
14, 1883; Johann Fred, born July 27, 



312 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



1 887 ; Eddie, who died in 1 892 ; and Frank 
H., born October 26, 1893. In 1892 
Mr. Hille's land was leased to an oil firm, 
and nine wells have been put down, seven 
of which are still in good flow. Mr. 
Hille is a strong Republican, and has 
held several township offices. He attends 
the German Lutheran Church. 



AE. METZGER, M. D. C., of 
Clyde, Sandusky county, is a na- 
tive of that county, born Sep- 
tember 7, 1867. He is a son of 
Jacob and Sarah J. (Shellhammer) Metz- 
ger, both of whom were born in Seneca 
county, Ohio, the former in 1842, and 
the latter in 1845. They now reside in 
Sandusky county, only one and a half 
miles south of Clyde. 

In the common schools A. E. Metz- 
ger received his primary education, and 
subsequently spent one term in the high 
schools of Clyde. He began the study of 
veterinary medicine about 1890, and the 
following year entered the Chicago Veteri- 
nary College, being a diligent student; he 
graduated among the first of the honor 
class of 1893. He then located in Clyde, 
where he entered upon the duties of his 
profession, and has since had a lucrative 
practice. He treats general diseases com- 
mon to domestic animals, and has re- 
ceived the degree of Doctor of Compara- 
tive Medicine. All his life he has been 
familiar with horses, and as he has given 
his profession thorough study, he is hav- 
ing excellent success in its practice. That 
he is skillful is demonstrated in the va- 
rious operations he has performed, and 
he thoroughly understands all that is to 
be known in the veterinary line, standing 
high in his profession, and receiving the 
patronage of the leading farmers and stock 
owners in his vicinity. 

On March 2, 1890, Mr. Metzger was 
united in marriage with Miss Anna L. 
\\'elch, who was born in Sandusky coun- 



ty, March 2, 1867. They are highly re- 
spected people of the communit}', where 
the}' have many warm friends. 



THEOPHILUS FITTERER, of 
York township, Sandusky county, 
was born in Palmyra. Lebanon 
Co., Penn., December 9, 1852, 
the third of the four sons of Simon and 
Mary (Swanger) Fitterer, who are at 
present living in Palmyra, Pennsylvania. 
Simon Fitterer, who is a shoemaker 
by trade, was born in 1S16. His father 
served in the war of 181 2. Simon F"it- 
terer was united in marriage with Mary 
Swanger, and they have had four chil- 
dren, all sons, namely: Josiah, a tinsmith 
of Palmyra, Lebanon Co., Penn.; Rev. 
J. S., of Bucyrus, Crawford Co., Ohio, a 
son of whom is attending Heidelberg Uni- 
versity, at Tiffin, Ohio; Theophilus, the 
subject of this sketch; and Amos, who 
died in Palmyra, Penn., in the spring of 
1 894. The eleven-year-old son of Amos, 
William Simon, was taken to be raised 
by his uncle Theophilus, and is attending 
school. 

Our subject learned the trade of cabi- 
net-maker in Pennsylvania, but, coming 
to York township, Sandusky county, 
Ohio, in March, 1873, he began farming, 
and has since followed that vocation. On 
October 18, 1874, he was united in mar- 
riage with Sarah M. Mook, daughter of the 
Rev. Conrad and Anna M. (Vogt) Mook. 
Mr. Mook was born in Union county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1807. He studied med- 
icine somewhat, but never "hung out a 
sign." He came to Ohio in 1836, and on 
March 27, following year, was united in 
marriage with Miss \'ogt, who was born 
in Philadelphia July 15, 1816, and a few 
3ears later migrated with her parents to 
Wj-andot (then Crawford) county, Ohio. 
Mr. and Mrs. Vogt came to York town- 
ship in 1836, the same year in which 
Rev. Mr. Mook came to the State. Of 
their eight children six grew to maturity. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



313 



namelj': John H., now living at Mt. Car- 
mel, York township; Rosina E. , wife of 
the Rev. J. S. Fitterer, of Bucyrus; Mary 
L. , widow of the late J. K. Landis, of 
York township; Anna M., wife of Samuel 
Royer, of York township; Sarah M., wife 
of Theophilus Fitterer, of York township; 
and Katie S., wife of William Jones, of 
York township. 

The Rev. Mr. Mook died September 
10, 1883, and his widow is living with her 
daughter and son-in-law upon the same 
farm on which she has lived for fifty-seven 
years. Mr. Mook was a well-educated 
man, and had a library of over seven hun- 
dred books, among them a Bible printed 
in Germany in 1768, of large proportions 
and weighing over twenty-five pounds; 
also a copy of the Koran, which is of great 
value, as it is one of a very rare edition. 
This library was given to the children, 
and it was expressly stated in the will 
that no books were to be sold. In polit- 
ical preferences Mr. Fitterer is a Repub- 
lican. The family are members of the 
Evangelical Church. 



HENRY F. NAYLOR, a prominent 
and enterprising agriculturist of 
Madison township, Sandusky 
county, was born in Medina 
county, Ohio, July 9, 1842, a son of Sam- 
uel and Elizabeth (Uhler) Naylor. 

Our subject attended the schools of 
the district where he was born, his edu- 
cation being necessarily limited, as he had 
to commence work early in life. Up to 
his twenty-second year he was employed 
as a farm laborer, with the exception of 
some twelve months he was engaged on a 
railroad, and he then, in May, 1864, en- 
listed in Company F, One Hundred and 
Sixty-sixth O. V. I., Col. James G. Blake, 
of Medina county, commanding. His 
company was stationed at Fort Richard- 
son, and was engaged in the construction 
of several forts, including Fort Allen, but 
was never called into active service, and 



September 15, 1864, it returned to Cleve- 
land, where Mr. Naylor received his dis- 
charge. Returning to Medina county, he 
remained there but a short time, and then 
came to Madison township, Sandusky 
county, settling on forty acres of wild, 
timber-covered land. Here he at once 
built himself a log cabin, in which his 
faithful, self-sacrificing wife was content 
to share with him all the cares and vicis- 
situdes incident to a wild pioneer life, far 
away from friends and family. Mr. Na}'- 
lor, with an earnest desire to accomplish 
the task which he had before him, set to 
work with a will to clear the forest, and 
hew out a space for cultivation, so that 
ere long he succeeded in transforming the 
wilderness into waving fields of grain and 
billowy clover meadows. By and bj' he 
added to this purchase another forty acres 
of timber land, which he also cleared, the 
old log cabin gave place to a substantial 
and ornamental dwelling, surrounded with 
barns, outhouses, orchard, etc., every- 
thing bearing the evidence of thrift and 
prosperity, neatness and good taste. 

On March 24, 1867, in Scott town- 
ship, Sandusky county, Henry F. Naylor 
and Miss Hattie Miller were united in 
marriage. She was born in Scott town- 
ship April 30, 1846, daughter of Simon 
Miller, a shoemaker by trade, who came 
from the East to that township, where he 
worked at his trade in connection with 
farming. He married Miss Elizabeth 
Hutchinson, by whom he had eight chil- 
dren, as follows: William, a shoemaker, 
who died in Kansas; George, a farmer, 
who is married and resides in Michigan; 
Mary, wife of Henry Van Horn; Jacob 
F. , who died in Wood county; John, a 
farmer of Sandusky county; Louisa, 
widow of John Barr; Hattie, wife of Mr. 
Naylor; and Sarah, wife of John Teeters, 
of Nebraska. The father of these died 
October 22, 1854, the mother on April 6, 
1 861. To Mr. and Mrs. Naylor were born 
eleven children, their names and dates of 
birth being as follows: Clara, January 



314 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



19, 1868 (deceased September 23, 1875); 
Flora M., November 22, 1870; Frank N., 
August 19, 1872 (deceased September 3, 
1876, of diphtheria); Fleetie E.. July 28, 
1875; Ernest L., June 29, 1877; Reason 
E., January 11, 1879; Maj' L. , January 
27, 1882; Ludie M., November 21, 1880; 
Irvin D., March 14, 1885; Jay F., No- 
vember 27, 1886; and Koudie E., May 
29, 1889. 

Mrs. Naylor is a member of the 
Daughters of Rebekah, Lodge No. 295, 
Gibsonburg, president of the Aid Society 
of the Disciple Church, which, under her 
guidance became a pronounced success, 
within a short period of time accumulat- 
ing the sum of $336 in collections and 
sales of fancy work made by her and other 
members of the society. In his political 
views Mr. Naylor is a stanch Republican, 
but has never been an ofSce seeker, his 
business demanding and receiving all his 
time and attention. He has served as 
school director, always entertaining a deep 
interest for educational affairs, as well as 
for whatever else tends to the benefit of 
his fellow men. Socially, he is a mem- 
ber of the I. O. O. F. Lodge, No. 687, 
and of the K. of P. Lodge, No. 435. both 
or Gibsonburg. He and his wife are 
highly respected throughout their part of 
the county as honorable, loyal and God- 
fearing people, whose success in life has 
been attained by industry, assiduous toil 
and judicious economy. 



WARREN A. BOWLUS, a lead- 
ing agriculturist, was born on 
his present farm in Sandusky 
township, Sandusk}' county, 
August 25, 1850, a son of Henr}' and Re- 
becca (Williamson) Bowlus. 

Henry Bowlus, father of Warren A., 
was a native of Maryland, born in 18 10, 
in Frederick county, of Pennsylvania 
Dutch stock. When a boy he came to 
Ohio with his father, Henry Bowlus, who 
took up land from the general govern- 



ment. When advanced in life he was 
killed by a horse. Our subject's father 
was twice married, first time to Miss 
Catharine Keller, by whom he had six 
children, as follows: (i) Hanson lives in 
Fremont, Ohio; (2) Mahala married Sol- 
oman W^olf, and'lives at Tiffin, Ohio; (3) 
Martha, wife of Edward Deemer, resides 
in Sandusky township; (4) Orie died 
young; (5) Caroline died when three 
years old; (6) Catharine married Mat. 
Hobert, and lives in Pemberville, Wood 
Co., Ohio. For his second wife Mr. 
Bowlus married Rebecca Catharine Will- 
iamson, and children as follows were born 
to them: (i) Warren A., subject of sketch; 
(2) Anna, who married Cyrus Smith, and 
is now living at Gibsonburg, Ohio; (3)' 
Henry, in Pemberville; and (4) Robert, a 
farmer, at Helena, Ohio. The mother, 
of these, who was born in Frederick 
county, Md., died at the age of si.\ty-six. 
Warren A. Bolus attended the district 
schools, and was reared to agricultural 
pursuits. At the age of twenty-four, in 
1874, he was married to Miss Carrie En- 
gelman, daughter of Samuel Engelman, 
and they have seven children, named re- 
spectively: Clarence L. , Richard, Lloyd, 
Earl, Ross, Edna and Rebecca. After 
marriage our subject settled on the old 
homestead, and is now the owner of 160 
acres of land. His occupation is that of 
general farming and stock raising, in which 
he has been successful. In politics he is 
a Republican, and in religious faith a 
member of the M. P. Church. 



GEORGE JACKSON, a successful 
farmer of York township, San- 
dusky county, was born in Lin- 
colnshire, England, November i, 
1 848, and is a son of Robert E. and Mary 
(Cragg) Jackson. 

Robert E. Jackson was born Septem- 
ber 9, 1 81 2, and is a son of Robert and 
Elizabeth (Elmer) Jackson. In Lincoln- 
shire, on August 27, 1839, he was united 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



315 



in marriage with Mary Cragg, who was 
born June 3, 181 5, daughter of John and 
Mar}' Cragg, and they became the parents 
of six children, namely: ^^'illiam, Frances 
Ann (Mrs. John Rife), George (the sub- 
ject of this sketch), Rhoda (Mrs. William 
Johnson), Clarisee (deceased), and Her- 
mon. Robert E. came to this country in 
1 85 1, landing at Portland. Maine, whence 
he proceeded to Orleans county, N. Y. 
After sojourning there one year, he con- 
tinued westward to Ohio, arriving in York 
township, Sandusky county, in 1852. 
Here he bought a farm of ninety-eight 
acres, on which he still resides. In poli- 
tics he was formerly a Democrat, but 
now votes with the Populists. 

George Jackson was brought to America 
at the age of three years, and received a 
common-school education in Townsend 
and York townships, Sandusky Co. , Ohio. 
On March 18, 1874, he was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Catherine Gust, of York 
township, Sandusky county, who was 
born in Erie county, Ohio, September 27, 
1854. They have had one child, Frank, 
born December i, 1874. Peter and 
Elizabeth (Hoffman) Gust, the parents of 
Mrs. George Jackson, were born in Mark- 
able, German}', near the river Rhine. 
They were married in 1848, and came to 
this country in 1852, landing in New 
York, whence they journeyed to Ohio, set- 
tling in Sandusky county, where they re- 
sided till 1874. They then purchased a 
farm in Michigan, and moved there, which 
is now their home. In November, 1 861, 
Mr. Gust enlisted in the Seventy-second 
O. V. I., in which he served till June, 
1864, when he was taken prisoner, and 
held eleven months, till the close of the 
war. He and his wife had four children, 
namely: Catherine, Mrs. Jackson; Mag- 
gie, wife of Jerome Hall, of Erie county; 
Will and Henry. Mr. Jackson has been 
interested in agricultural pursuits from his 
youth, and now has a productive farm 
of eighty acres, which he conducts with 
the assistance of his son Frank. They 



do general farming. Until within a few 
years Mr. Jackson affiliated with the 
Democratic party, but he now casts his 
vote for the most worthy candidate, irre- 
spective of party. 



JOHN G. BRUGGER, a successful 
farmer of York township, Sandusky 
county, is descended from the sturdy 
stock of the Teutonic race, and ex- 
emplifies their characteristic traits. He 
was born in Northumberland county, 
Penn., October 30, 1831, a son of John 
G. Brugger, Sr. , who was born in 1804. 
Rudolph and Catherine Brugger, pa- 
ternal grandparents of the subject of this 
sketch, owned a small farm in Germany, 
where their son, John G. Brugger, Sr. , 
was born. In 18 16 the farm was sold, 
the family came to America settling in 
Pennsylvania, and Mr. Brugger once more 
turned his attention to tilling the soil. 
John G. Brugger remained at home help- 
ing his father until 1827. In that year 
he was united in marriage with Miss Cath- 
erine Arnold, who was born in Pennsyl- 
vania, and they had twelve children. Of 
these (i) Sallie, is at present living with 
her brother, John G. Brugger; she was 
married in 1847 to Nathan Forrey, a farm- 
er of Snyder county, Penn. , and they 
had four children — Caroline, Thomas Jef- 
ferson, George Washington and Benja- 
min Franklin; the father of these died in 
i860, and in 1874 Mrs. Forrey was mar- 
ried to David Goy, also a farmer of Sny- 
der county, Penn.; he died in 1878, after 
which Mrs. Goy came to Ohio, where she 
now lives. (2) Rudolph, who resides in 
Riley township, Sandusky county, where 
he has a large farm, married Sophia Moy- 
er, and their children are: William, an 
insurance agent at Clyde, Green Creek 
township, Sandusky county; John and 
Robert, farmers of Riley township, in the 
same county; George, of Clyde; and Har- 
dy, who teaches school. (3) Samuel, 
the third child, is a civil engineer in Penn- 



31G 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



sylvania. (4) John G. is the subject of 
this sketch. (5) Benjamin is a fanner in 
Tennessee. (6) Mary was the wife of Mr. 
Vogt, the blacksmith at Wales Corners. 
(7) George died several years ago in Penn- 
sylvania. (8) Jonathan is a carpenter in 
that State. (9) William died in Pennsyl- 
vania. (10) Lizzie is the wife of Silas 
Melick, a Nebraska farmer. John G. 
Brugger, Sr. , died in 1856, and his widow 
in 1870. 

John G. Brugger, whose name intro- 
duces this sketch, has but little "book 
learning," as his early years were spent 
in overcoming the obstacles which so 
thickly beset the path of the earh' settler 
in his struggle for daily bread. His fa- 
ther permitted him to leave the farm, and 
learn the trade of blacksmith when he 
was twenty years old. For a few years 
he followed the trade in Pennsylvania, 
and then, in 1854, came to Ohio, first 
locating at Flat Rock, Seneca county, 
where he remained one year, then coming 
to York township, Sandusky county, 
where he started a shop and worked at 
his trade until 1S72, when he bought 160 
acres of land, constituting the farm which 
he now owns and tills. In February, 
1864, Mr. Brugger enlisted in the Signal 
Corps, U. S. A., and served under Sher- 
man and McPherson. In the Atlanta 
campaign, and on the "march to the 
sea" the Signal Corps did good and vali- 
ant service ; Mr. Brugger was with Sherman 
as he came up through South and North 
Carolina, and was discharged at Louis- 
ville, Ky. , in August, 1865. He is soci- 
able and public-spirited, and his life af- 
fords an excellent example to the younger 
generation. In politics he is an active 
Republican. 



CARL WEICKERT, a successful 
farmer and stock-raiser of Kings- 
way, Rice township, Sandusky 
county, was born in Germany, 
May 4, 1859, and is a son of Philip and 



Catherine (Biebesheimer) Weickert, who 
were born in Hessen, Germany, on De- 
cember 25, 1 82 1, and May 9, 1829, re- 
spectively. 

Philip Weickert came to this country 
with his wife and six children in 1862, 
and settled in Rice township, Sandusky 
county, Ohio, where he bought thirty- 
eight acres of land, paying fourteen hun- 
dred dollars for same. They have had 
eight children, as follows: (i) Maggie, 
who was born in Hessen, Germany, May 
24, 1848, and married John Loesch; they 
live in Wood county, Ohio, and are the 
parents of two bright children — Frank 
and Lewis. (2) John, born in Hessen, 
Germany, February 10, 1850, married 
Bertha Kyle; they live in Kansas, and 
have three children — Louise, George and 
Laura, all now living at home. (3) 
Philip, born in Hessen, Germanj', No- 
vember 19, 1853, died and was buried in 
Rice township, Sandusky county, Ohio, in 
1872. (4) Catherine, born in Hessen, 
Germany, October i, 1856, married 
Charles Gray, by whom she had two 
children — Willie and Katie; she died in 
Rice township, December 16, 1885, and 
was buried there. (5) Carl is the subject 
of this sketch. (6) Willie was born in 
Hessen, Germany, September 7, 1 861, is 
single, and lives in Kansas. (7) Lewis, also 
single, was born in Rice township, San- 
dusky county, August 23, 1863, and still 
lives in his native township. (8) Minnie, 
born in Rice township, Sandusky county, 
September 12, 1868, married Charles 
Berner, and they have had one child, 
Frank, born in Reno county, Kans., Oc- 
tober 25, 1888. The grandparents of 
the subject of this sketch were Philip 
and Mary (Helm) Weickert; they were 
born in Hessen, Germany, where they 
both also died. 

Carl Weickert worked for his father 
until he was of age, then went to Kansas, 
worked on a farm for about a year, 
saved his money, and came back to Rice 
township, Sandusky county, and bought 



COMMEMORATIVE BWORAPHICAL RECORD. 



817 



thirtj'-four acres of land adjoining his 
father's property. He is not married, so 
lives at his father's home. He raises fine 
horses, and also a mi.xed stock. In pol- 
itics he is a good Democrat, and in 
religious affiliation belongs to the Evan- 
gelishe Lutheran Church. 



GF. BUCHMAN. Success in any 
occupation in life requires a 
genius adapted to a special voca- 
tion. This is true, in a marked 
degree, of mercantile business, as there is 
a greater per cent of failures in this than 
in any other pursuit, a vast majority of 
those engaged therein not being pos- 
sessed of either the qualities or qualifica- 
tions essential to success. A merchant 
must understand not only the technical 
details of his business — what to purchase 
and what not to purchase, and the amount 
required at various seasons of the year — 
but must have a broad and liberal knowl- 
edge of the financial standing and the in- 
tegrity of the people in his community as 
well; and, above all, his own honesty of 
purpose, integrity and honor must ever 
be above question. 

As a gentleman whose characteristics 
harmonize with what is suggested above, 
we introduce a brief biographical sketch 
of Godfrey F. Buchman, grocer and pro- 
vision mercl]ant, Fremont, Sandusky 
county, who was born in Seneca county, 
Ohio, October 20, 1837, and has been 
established in Fremont since 1867. His 
ancestry hail from the gallant republic of 
Switzerland. His paternal grandfather 
was a weaver by trade, and worked at 
that business in winter, living in the vil- 
lage of Dettingen, and also operated a 
small farm. The parents of Godfrey F. 
Buchman were John and Mary Magdalen 
(Kissenberger) Buchman. John Buchman 
was born in the Canton of Argau, Swit- 
zerland, January 24, 1800; Magdalen 
(Kissenberger), his wife, was born in the 
village of Dettingen, Switzerland, July 



22, 1 80 1. They were married in Swit- 
zerland in 1S26, and three of their chil- 
dren were born there. John Buchman 
emigrated with his family to America in 
1837, and located on a small farm near 
Republic, Seneca Co., Ohio, where he 
remained until 1852, in which year he re- 
moved to another farm in the same 
county, close to Tiffin. He and his wife 
lived on this farm the rest of their lives, 
and reared their children to economy and 
industry. They were devout members of 
the Roman Catholic Church. In his po- 
litical affiliations John Buchman was a 
Jacksonian Democrat. The}' were pros- 
perous and successful in business, and in 
due course of time gave a small farm to 
each of their children. John Buchman 
died November 9, 1885; Magdalen Buch- 
man died October 4, 1868. Their chil- 
dren were: (i) John, born in Switzerland 
April 10, 1827; he came to America with 
his parents, grew to manhood in Seneca 
county, where, April 10, 1858, he married 
Miss Elizabeth Steigmeyer; he is now a 
farmer in Seneca county. (2) Joseph, 
born in Switzerland November 25, 1831; 
he also came with his parents to America; 
he is now a member of the Oblate Fa- 
thers, an order of the Christian Brothers, 
and has been in British America since 
1859, where a branch of the order is lo- 
cated, engaged in educating and caring 
for Indian children. (3) Benedict, born 
in Switzerland March 7, 1835; he was 
married, in 1868, to Miss Catharine Ober- 
houser, and is a farmer in Seneca county. 
(4) Godfrey F. is the subject of this 
sketch. (5) Peter, born in Seneca coun- 
ty, Ohio, June, 1841; in 1869 he married 
Miss Catharine Senn, and is now a farmer 
in Seneca county. Besides these five 
children who grew up, two of the family 
died in infancy 

Godfrey F. Buchman, the subject 
proper of this memoir, grew up in Seneca 
count)', where he received a good ele- 
mentary education in the public schools, 
after which he engaged in teaching for a 



318 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



few terms. His next employment was 
that of clerk in a store at Tiffin, where 
he remained about three years, and by 
strict attention and constant application 
gained a thorough knowledge of the busi- 
ness. At the close of his services as a 
clerk he, on August 20, 1867, married 
Miss Magdalena Bork, who was born in 
Seneca county, Ohio, September 14, 
1845. This union has been blessed with 
seven children: (i) Theresa M., born 
October 17, 1869, now the wife of Charles 
Babione, Fremont, Ohio. (2) Marguerite 
M., born July 11, 1868, died September 
22, 1868. (3) John M., born July 6, 
1871, diedAugust 23, 1872. (4) Joseph M., 
born October 3, 1873, at Fremont, Ohio, 
where he spent his childhood and youth, 
attended the schools of the St. Joseph 
Catholic Church, under the supervision of 
Dr. S. Bauer; assisted his father in a 
store, took a course of study in a business 
college, and later served an apprentice- 
ship at the carpenter's trade with Chris- 
tian A'ollmer, with whom he worked until 
March, 1892; since that time he has 
worked for other parties; he assisted in 
the building of the Hochenedel Block, on 
Croghan street, Fremont; the Lutheran 
Church at Gibsonburg, and other fine 
structures; he is a member of St. Joseph's 
Catholic Church, and of several of its so- 
cieties — the Young Men's Society of the 
B. V. M., the Catholic Knights of Ohio, 
Branch No. 8, and Uniformed Command- 
ery No. 2, C. K. O. (5) Mary E., born 
October 13, 1875, now attending Con- 
vent school at Chicago, 111. (6) Stanis- 
laus F., born April 23, 1878; now at 
home. (7) Aloysius S., born April 4, 
1883. 

Immediately after marriage, Mr. Buch- 
man settled in Fremont, and opened his 
present mercantile business. As a grocer 
merchant he is now perhaps the oldest 
established of any in Fremont. After 
twenty-seven years of a business career, 
his hold upon the community is unrelaxed, 
and he is recognized with no small degree 



of honor as a leading and successful mer- 
chant, and a respected citizen. After his 
long and active business career he still at- 
tends to business with the precision and 
V gor of his younger days. He has 
an as3ed a competency in his chosen pur- 
suit, and besides attending to his usual 
business he is president of the Lehr Agri- 
cultural Company, a leading manufactur- 
ing concern in Fremont. Mr. Buchman 
and his wife are practical Roman Catho- 
lics, and have reared and educated their 
children in that faith. 

Mrs. Buchman is a daughter of Fred- 
erick and Margaret (Yung) Bork, natives 
of Alsace, Germany, who emigrated to 
America, and settled in Seneca county, 
Ohio. Frederick Bork was born June 14, 
1808, near the city of Worms, and came 
to America when a young man. On Au- 
gust 27, 1838, he married Margaret Yung, 
in Seneca county, where he settled. She 
was born in France, of German parents, 
August 7, 1822, and after coming to 
America in childhood grew to maturity at 
Tiffin, Ohio. She died June 13, 1891; 
Frederick Bork, now aretired farmer, is liv- 
ing at Titfin, Ohio. Their children were as 
follows: (i) Mary A., born October 17, 
1839, died November 21, 1839. (2) 
Philip Henry, born January 18, 1841, 
married Miss Mary Fisher; they are 
farmers in Seneca count}', Ohio. (3) Eve 
Catharine, born May 8, .1842; she is 
Mother Superior at Tiffin, Ohio, in a con- 
vent, under the title of "Sister Clara." 
(4) Frank Joseph, born December 2,5, 
1843, married Miss Elizabeth Smith, of 
Seneca county. (5) Mary Magdalene, 
born September 14, 1845. (6) Mary Ann, 
born April 21, 1847, died August 29, 18S4; 
she was a sister in a nunnery at Tiffin, 
Ohio, known as " Innocencia. " (7) Louis 
Philip, born January 24, 1849; married 
Miss Margaret Kunce, and lives in Indi- 
ana. (8) John Peter, born October 14, 
1850, is a farmer in Seneca county; he 
married Miss Emma Gas. (9) Louisa, 
born October 11, 1853, died January 7, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



319 



1856. (10) M. J., born October 3, 1S55, 
is a farmer of Seneca county; he married 
Miss Anna Reinhardt. (11) Philomena, 
born November 13, 1859, now keeping 
house for her father in Tiffin. (12) Eliza- 
beth, born October i, 1861, living at 
home. 



NICHOLAS EMCH was born in 
Switzerland December 27, 1823, 
and is a son of Urs and Isabel 
(Baumgartner) Emch, whose 
children were as follows: Benjamin, 
Jacob, John, Nicholas, Samuel, Urs, 
Frederick and Annie. Urs Emch was a 
native of Switzerland, never came to 
America, and died at the age of forty-five, 
of colic. 

At the early age of thirteen Nicholas 
Emch left home, and had to work out for 
several years. He learned the shoe- 
maker's trade, which he followed for a 
number of years. In 1845 h^ came with 
his mother and brothers to America, and 
they first went to his brother at Perrys- 
burg. Wood Co., Ohio, who had been 
settled there about four years, but did not 
remain long. He and his brothers bought 
128 acres, all timber land, cleared a por- 
tion and put up a log cabin. Mr. Emch 
worked at his trade, when he could get 
anything in that line to do; also helped 
on the farm, and followed agricultural 
pursuits, until 1891. 

In 1849 he was united in marriage 
with Barbara Flickinger, who was born 
in Switzerland January 5, 1823, and they 
were the parents of children as follows: 
(i) Mary, born November 24, 1850, mar- 
ried Nelson Klink September 15, 1872, 
by whom she had three children — Bruce, 
Roy and Loyd, the last named dying in 
September, 1893, aged twelve years. 
(2) Gottfried, born December 10, 185 1, 
is still single. (3) Solomon, born Jan- 
uary 19, 1854, married Caroline Shriner 
March 18, 1880, and they have three 
children — Bertha, Edward and Charley. 



(4) Caroline, born May 10, 1S55, married 
John Klink June 28, 1S74, and they have 
four children — Orma, Lilly, Julia and 
Bessie. The mother of this family, Bar- 
bara (Flickinger) Emch, died June 18, 
1856, aged thirty-three years, si.x months, 
On November i, 1858, Nicholas Emch 
was married to Rosanna Flickinger, who 
was born in Switzerland June 18, 1836, 
and children as follows were the result of 
their union: William, now a farmer of 
Woodville township, Sandusky county, 
born December 13, 1859, and married 
Josephine Snyder on November 27, 1881, 
by whom he had two children — August 
and Carrie; Sophia, born September 7, 
1 86 1, married Frank Miller, and they 
have four children — Bertha, Elmer, Clar- 
ence and Grace (they reside in Wood- 
ville, Sandusky county); Nicholas, Jr., 
born November 26, 1865, is single and 
lives at home; Joseph, born March 16, 
1868; Ettie, born May 16, 1870, married 
John Kopp on May 3, 1894, and they live 
in Woodville, Sandusky county; Louisa, 
born May 17, 1876, and George, born 
December 4, 1877. Rosanna Flickinger, 
now Mrs. Nicholas Emch, came to 
America with her parents in 1847. They 
located in Ohio, rented land for several 
years, then bought forty acres and built 
themselves a home, where they passed 
their remaining days. Mr. Flickinger 
died October 17, 1854, at the age of si.\ty- 
five; and his wife April 16, 1863, at tlie 
age of seventy-one. In 1890, Mr. Emch 
leased his land to the Standard Oil Com- 
pany, and they have since put down wells, 
He retired from farming in 1891, and his 
sons now operate the place. 



COLONEL WILLIAM C. LeFE- 
VER is justly regarded as one of 
the leading citizens of Sandusky 
county, and in the vicinity of 
Clyde, where he owns one of the finest 
country residences in northwestern Ohio, 
a model of every comfort and lavish ele- 



320 



COMMEMOBATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



gance, he socially and politically ranks 
pre-eminent. 

He was born in Sandusky county May 
14, 1836. son of John and Rachel 
(Swope) LeFever, the former of whom 
was born in Lancaster, Penn., December 
4, 18 1 3, son of John LeFever, Sr. , who 
was of French extraction, migrating with 
his family to Fayette county, Ohio, early 
in the century. In 1832 John LeFever, 
Jr., moved to Fremont, Sandusky county, 
and two years later he entered govern- 
ment land in Green Creek township, 
cleared it and followed farming until 
1865, when he moved to Clyde, and died 
there December 27, 1890. He was in 
politics a Republican, and in religious be- 
lief a Methodist. His wife died in the 
prime of life. She was of Pennsylvania 
birth and family. The children of John 
and Rachel LeFever were as follows: 
Louisa, who married J. S. Lee, of Chick- 
asaw county, Iowa; Rebecca, who mar- 
ried Henry Perin, and now lives, a wid- 
ow, at Kalamazoo, Mich.; John S., of 
Green Spring; William C, subject of this 
sketch; J. D., a resident of Sandusky 
county; Oscar T. , of Marshall county, 
Iowa; Jane, wife of Monroe Lee, of 
Seneca county; May, who died in in- 
fancy; and Mary M., who died young. 

The boyhood of William C. LeFever 
was spent in Green Creek township. He 
attended the common schools, and com- 
pleted his education at Republic, and by a 
two-years' course at Oberlin College. In 
1857 he went to St. Joseph, Mo., where 
he taught school until the Civil war broke 
out. He was among the first in that dis- 
tracted country to espouse the Union 
cause, enlisting as a private in Company 
A, Fourth Missouri Cavalry, and doing 
valiant service throughout the war. In 
the earlier years he was fighting Gen. 
Price's forces. He was engaged at Wil- 
son's Creek, Mo., August 10, 1861, the 
second skirmish at Pea Ridge, Ark., in 
March, 1862, and Independence, Mo., 
later in that month. When Price was 



driven from the country the Missouri 
Cavalry troops were chiefly engaged in 
frontier guard duties. Promotion came 
rapidly, and the impetuous joung Ohioan 
was first sergeant, first lieutenant, cap- 
tain, major, and lieutenant-colonel, suc- 
cessively. After serving a year on the 
plains, watching Indians, he was mustered 
out at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1866, 
after service in the Fourth, Sixth and 
Thirteenth Missouri Cavalry, successively. 
He once held two commissions at one 
time, first lieutenant and adjutant. 

After the war Col. LeFever returned 
home and has since resided in Green 
Creek township. In 1866 he was married 
to Miss Elizabeth Mackey, a native of 
Chillicothe, Ross county, and has two 
adopted children, Mabel and Arthur. 
The present handsome brick residence of 
Col. LeFever, located two and a half 
miles south of Clyde, was built in 1880. 
In politics he is a Republican. He is a 
member of Eaton Post No. 55, G. A. R., 
and in religious faith is a Methodist. Col. 
LeFever is a man of high intellectual at- 
tainments, and possesses unusually fine 
business and executive abilities. He 
commands the esteem and confidence of 
a wide acquaintanceship. 



HENRY W. MILLER, now an 
honored citizen of Clyde, is a 
descendant of perhaps the first 
family that settled permanently in 
Green Creek township, Sandusky county. 
Lyman F. Miller, his father, was born 
in Geneva, N. Y., November 22, 1813. 
When an infant his widowed mother 
migrated with her brother, William Smith, 
to Huron, Ohio, and here she remained 
several j^ears, and married her second 
husband, Samuel Pogue. She had occu- 
pied a log cabin with her husband, distant 
about six miles from Huron. While here 
alone, hostilities still existing, Indians 
approached the cabin, so, hastily fastening 
the cabin door with a big wooden bar, she 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



321 



crept out the back window and fled to the 
blockhouse at Huron, six miles away. In 
i8i6, after her second marriage, she came 
with her child and husband to the site of 
Clyde. Mr. Pogue had been quarter- 
master in Gen. Harrison's army, and 
while making a trip from Huron to Fort 
Seneca he had noticed the hard maple 
timber where Indians had made sugar, 
and also the fine springs, and resolved to 
settle there. He entered the land, and 
died there August 26, 1S27. By her 
second marriage there was one child, 
Jane, who afterward married G. R. 
Brown, a Universalist minister, and the 
farm entered by Mr. Pogue descended to 
her and to Lyman F. Miller, the child by 
Mrs. Pogue's first marriage. Amos Fenn 
and Silas Dewey had each married a sis- 
ter of Mrs. Pogue, and .came with her 
husband and settled in the vicinity of 
Clyde. 

Lyman F. Miller grew to manhood on 
the site of Clyde, and had few educational 
advantages. In 1836 he married Melissa 
E. Harkness in a double log cabin which 
stood on the present cemetery grounds. 
She was born in 1 8 19, of Scotch-Irish ex- 
traction, and had come with her parents 
to Clyde in 1834. After his marriage he 
began housekeeping on the old home- 
stead. He laid out that part of the town 
lying between Main street and George 
street, commencing at Maple and running 
south to Cherry street. Mr. Miller en- 
gaged in general farming, and was also a 
noted horticulturist and breeder of fine 
stock. He lived in what is now the Col. 
Rhodes residence until 1859, when he 
built on the pike where his widow now 
lives. He was a Whig, a Know-Nothing 
and a Republican in politics, a Mason 
socially, and a member of the Universalist 
Church. He died in February, 1878. 
To Lyman F. and Melissa Miller nine 
children were born, as follows: William 
G., born March i, 1837, just commenc- 
ing a law practice in 1 861, when he en- 
listed in Company A, Seventy-second O. 



V. V. I., was a corporal, and was killed at 
Ripley, Miss., June 11, 1864, on the dis- 
astrous Guntown expedition retreat; 
Henry W. , subject of this sketch, born 
June 2, 1838; Mary E., born April i, 
1840, wife of Chester Persing, of Clyde; 
George N., born December 2, 1843, 
killed at the age of four by falling acci- 
dentally into a kettle of hot water; Oscar 
J., born June 15, 1845, ^ resident of 
Clyde; Isabel E., born May 22, 1848, 
wife of W. Bell, of Copley, Ohio; Fannie 
O., born July 15, 1853, a school-teacher 
for fifteen years, and now living with her 
mother; Emma J., born July 26, 1855, 
wife of F. J. Metcalf, of Clyde; Louisa 
J., born May 21, 1862, wife of Fremont 
Mears, of Clyde. 

Henry W. Miller attended district 
school and helped to clear the farm. On 
Christmas Eve, i860, he was married to 
Miss Louisa Metcalf, who died childless, 
April 2, 1862, aged twenty-one years and 
five days. Mr. Miller was for two years 
captain of a company of State militia, 
having in his command 130 men, most of 
whom subsequently enlisted in the army. 
The Captain enlisted in Company A, 
Seventy-second O. V. V. I., as a recruit, 
joining the regiment at Germantown, 
Tenn., January 5, 1864. He was with 
his ill-fated brother, William G., at Rip- 
ley, Miss., on June 11, until, while firing 
at the advancing Rebels, he was run over 
and stunned by a Union cavalryman on 
the retreat, soon after leaving Ripley. 
After being disabled thus, he fell in with 
five other Union soldiers and continued 
in the road until 4 P. M., having had 
several skirmishes with the enemy's ad- 
vance during the day. His amunition 
being exhausted he left the road, trying 
to escape through the woods, but was 
captured the next day at 6 p. M., stripped 
of everything but pants and shirt, and 
taken to Andersonville prison. When he 
arrived at the prison, in an address Capt. 
Wirz said: "Go in there, you Yankee 
s — b — 's, and I will prove we can kill 



:S22 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



more men in prison than at the front." 
This was verified by the death of 13,082 
prisoners while Mr. Miller was confined 
at Andersonville. Of the mess of five to 
which Mr. Miller belonged he was one of 
two who went out alive. He had not a 
cup, nor even a cloth to bathe the fevered 
brow of a sick comrade. In December 
he was paroled at Savannah, and reached 
home just before Christmas, 1864. 

After the war Mr. Miller taught music 
for several 3'ears, then settled on the farm, 
and engaged in farming and fruit-growing, 
his fruit having taken nearly a thousand 
premiums at the Sandusky, Erie and 
Huron county fairs. He has traveled 
somewhat as a vocal musician, and has 
sung in the various churches of Clyde for 
thirty-five years. Of his property seven 
acres are within the corporation of Clyde, 
and ninety-seven are situated north of the 
corporation. 

Mr. Miller's second wife was Maria L. 
De Yo, to whom he was married Septem- 
ber 22, 1868. By this marriage he has 
three children: Jessie L. , a graduate of 
the Clyde High School, and now one of 
its teachers; Esma M., also a graduate of 
the Clyde school; and Harkness J., at 
present a student. Mr. Miller is a mem- 
ber of the G. A. R. Post at Clyde, was 
its commander last year, and is now 
quartermaster. He has been a Mason 
since 1865, and in politics he is a Re- 
publican. 



CONRAD WOLFE, the ancestor 
from whom are descended the 
Wolfe families now (1894) resid- 
ing in Sandusky county, Ohio, 
and their descendants elsewhere emigrated 
to this country from Switzerland, and in 
the spring of 1804 came to Lancaster 
county, Penn. His children were: Peter, 
Jacob, George, Henry, Andrew and Mary; 
Peter being a child by a former marriage. 
Conrad Wolfe died shortly after his 
arrival in America. 



Andrew Wolfe, son of Conrad Wolfe, 
was born January 9, 1796, in York county, 
Penn. At an early age he was bound out 
to work, by his widowed mother, to a 
farmer, and he served a part of the time 
with his guardian, Mr. Krouster, his un- 
expired time being bought by a Mr. 
Weaver, with whom he worked three 
years. His work was hard, but he was 
kindly treated, and he remained with Mr. 
Weaver until he was twenty-one years of 
age. He then went to learn the trade of 
a carpenter with the Gerber Brothers, 
who built houses and bank barns in Lan- 
caster and adjoining counties, and he 
usually made his home with them during 
the winter seasons when work was dull. 
Here he became acquainted with Miss 
Salome Gerber, to whom he was married 
in 1 8 19. She was born in Switzerland, 
March 12, 1797, and became a member 
of the Lutheran Church. Her parents 
were Christian Gerber, of Saxon descent, 
born in 1750, and Elizabeth (Medary) 
Gerber, born in 1753. Her mother's 
maiden name was Biddle. Their chil- 
dren were: Anna, John, Christian, Jacob, 
Matthew, Mar)', Elizabeth, Salome. When 
Salome was but a child her father moved 
with his family from his farm into a large 
stone house in the village of Basle, where 
in the basement he carried on cabinet- 
making. After he had learned the trade 
of a carpenter he traveled and worked 
at his trade away from home, as was 
the custom, before he was allowed to set 
up in business for himself. His wife, 
I£lizabeth, was a seamstress, at which oc- 
cupation she wrought constantly as soon 
as her daughter Anna had learned to man- 
age the housework. Salome attended 
school in the village of Basle, regularly, 
and learned to read and write, sew and 
knit. She also learned to sing, which 
was a source of great pleasure to herself 
and friends in later life. She never studied 
arithmetic, as it was deemed unnecessary 
for girls. Her brothers attended school ir- 
regularly, and in addition to school studies 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL HECOBD. 



32&. 



were set to learn various handicrafts, 
chiefly weaving, in a large manufacturing 
establishment. Her brother John lived 
with his uncle until he arrived at man- 
hood. The children were all brought up 
to habits of industry and thrift. During 
their residence in Basle, Napoleon Bona- 
parte's troops passed through their vil- 
lage to secure conscripts, and the male 
citizens secreted themselves to avoid being 
pressed into the army. Mrs. Gerber en- 
tertained some of the soldiers in her house, 
and was kindly treated by them. They 
stacked their arms behind her door, ate 
the meals prepared by her and departed 
in peace. Some men who had hid them- 
selves under piles of hay were thrust 
through with bayonets. Salome's broth- 
ers, in order to avoid further danger of be- 
ing forced into the military service, pre- 
vailed upon their parents to emigrate to 
America. Some Swiss emigration agents, 
who had just returned from America and 
given them a glowing account of the fine 
climate, fertile soil and cheap land, to be 
found here, easily induced them to sell 
their possessions in Basle and engage a 
passage to America. Accordingly, in the 
month of May, 1804, the Gerber family 
took passage in a boat, and sailed down 
the Rhine river toward Amsterdam. Sa- 
lome had just passed her seventh birth- 
day, and was delighted to view the grand 
scenery and the ruins of old castles and 
fortresses along those classic banks. She 
often spoke in later years of the famous 
"Mouse Tower," of Bishop Hatto, where 
an avaricious man was said to have been 
devoured by an army of rats in retribu- 
tion for his having caused the destruction 
of a multitude of hungry people who at 
his apparently kind invitation had crowded 
into his well-filled grain store-house On 
reaching Amsterdam the Gerber family 
and others who accompanied them learned 
to their sorrow that there wa$ no ship in 
readiness to take them, and that they 
were at the mercy of unscrupulous agents 
who charged them exhorbitant prices for 



extra services. While waiting many days 
at the dock, weary of the long delay, the 
emigrants composed and sang in derision 
a sarcastic song, in German, about the 
kindness of the agents and the "glorious 
land of liberty in North America." This 
was sung so often on their six-weeks' 
passage on the Atlantic ocean that it be- 
came indelibly impressed on Salome's 
memory, and she often sung it in later 
years to her grandchildren. Owing to the 
long voyage, and the resulting extra 
charges of the agents, many emigrants 
were unable to pay their passage money 
in full, and were obliged to bind them- 
selves to a term of service, to someone- 
who could furnish money, or be cast into 
prison. After the Gerber family had 
landed in Philadelphia they lived for a 
time in the suburbs of that city, and then 
settled in Lancaster county, Penn., where 
the father and three sons found work as 
carpenters. They were known as "Zim- 
merman," the German name for carpen- 
ter. Here Anna Gerber married Jacob 
Mandewiler, and then moved to Knox 
county, Ohio; John Gerber came to 
America in 1806, and settled in York 
county, Penn. ; Christian Gerber, Jr., and 
Jacob Gerber also settled in that locality; 
Mary, the second daughter of Jacob Ger- 
ber, married Daniel March, after whom 
the second son of Salome was afterward 
named; Elizabeth Gerber died in Switzer- 
land. Christian Gerber, Sr. , died irr 
181 5. His elder children having gone 
from home, Salome stayed with her 
widowed mother three years, until her 
death in 18 18, after which she lived with 
a brother about two years. She was mar- 
ried October 18, 1819, to Andrew S. P. 
Wolfe, in York county, Penn., and they 
soon after located in Adams county, 
Penn. , where he worked as a carpenter 
and later as a farmer. In 1831, they 
took up their abode in Knox county, Ohio, 
where he followed farming. In 1844 they 
moved to Richland county, Ohio, where 
they farmed about nine years, after whichi 



324 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



they moved to Sandusky county, Ohio. 
They were members of the Methodist 
Protestant Church in Knox county, but 
on coming into Richland they united with 
the Church of the United Brethren in 
Christ, of which they remained faithful 
members during life. In politics Mr. 
Wolfe was first an Old-line Whig, then a 
Republican; all his sons are Republicans. 
The children of Andrew and Salome Wolfe 
were: Mar\', who married John Jones, 
and died March 26, i860; Jacob, a car- 
penter, who married in Richland county, 
Ohio, and then located in Bear county, 
Mich. ; Elizabeth, who married Judge 
Barnett, and lives in Iowa; Caroline, who 
married William Galbraith, and lives in 
Seneca county, Ohio; Daniel M., sketch 
of whom follows; Sarah, who married 
Laird Ritchie, and lives in Iowa; Rosa 
A., who married Fred Gibson, lived in 
Adams county, Iowa, and died there Oc- 
tober 24, 1882; Jeremiah, who lives with 
his family in San Jose, Cal. Andrew 
Wolfe died at the home of his son, 
Daniel, in Ballville township, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio, April 21, 1873, aged seventy- 
seven. Mrs. Salome Wolfe died at the 
same place, November 3, 1884, aged 
eighty-seven years, and both were buried 
in Mt. Lebanon U. B. Cemetery. 

Daniel M. Wolfe, son of Andrew 
Wolfe, was born January 22, 1831, in 
Knox county, Ohio. His childhood and 
youth were spent on a farm, and in attend- 
ing district school, and at the age of thir- 
teen he moved with his father's family to 
Richland county, where he attended town 
and country schools, studying English 
grammar, algebra, natural philosophy and 
chemistry, in addition to common-school 
studies, and during summer months learn- 
ing the trade of a carpenter with his 
brother Jacob. About the year 1853 he 
came to Ballville township, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio, where he and his father bought 
a farm on the line of the old plank road 
leading from Tiffin to Sandusky City. 
Here he farmed, and also worked at his 



trade in company with his brother Jere- 
miah in Green Spring and vicinity, build- 
ing the celebrated Water Cure establish- 
ment at that place. In 1879 he aban- 
doned carpentry and devoted himself ex- 
clusively to his farm of 123 acres, which 
he underdrained and otherwise improved, 
and on which he erected a large family 
mansion in 1878. 

On December 24, 1855, Daniel M. 
Wolfe was married at Mansfield, Ohio, to 
Miss Eunice Jane Black, daughter of 
William and Hannah (Cook) Black. 
William Black was born May 10, 18 10, 
son of James, and Mrs. Hannah Black 
was born September 23, 1S14, both in 
Washington county, Penn. They both 
came when young to Richland county, 
Ohio, where, on April 5, 1832, they were 
married, and several years afterward 
moved to Jefferson county, Iowa, where 
Mr. Black died in April, 1882. Mrs. 
Black died March i, 1879. Their chil- 
dren were: Eunice Jane, who married D. 
M. Wolfe; Martha, who married a Mr. 
Ramsey, of Iowa; Orlando, who lives in 
Kansas; Elbridge Gerry, who served as a 
soldier in the Civil war, being color bearer 
of Company I, Fiftieth Regiment, O. V. I., 
and Francis Julius Le Moyne, named 
after his uncle, the noted cremationist. of 
Washington county, Penn. The ma- 
ternal grandmother of this family, Eunice 
(Corwin), was born in the year 1796, and 
married William Cook, who was a soldier 
of the war of 1812. She afterward made 
a trip to Pennsylvania — two hundred 
miles — on horseback to visit her friends. 
She died in 1870, three years after her 
husband, who passed away in 1867. The 
paternal grandmother, Margaret (Fitz- 
williams), was born in 1789 in Ireland, 
and in 1807 married James Black, who 
was born about 1784. 

In the spring of 1863 D. M. Wolfe en- 
listed in Company K, Fiftieth Regiment, 
O. V. I., in which he served as second 
lieutenant, doing guard duty at Johnson's 
Island, where Confederate officers were 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPniCAL RECORD. 



325 



confined, in the fall of that year. In poli- 
tics he has always been a Republican. 
He and his wife were for a number of 
years members of the United Brethren 
Church, but now attend the Presbyterian 
Church. 

Mrs. Eunice]. (Black) Wolfe was born 
January 6, 1833, in Richland county, 
Ohio, and was educated at Lexington and 
Westerville, Ohio, afterward teaching for 
a number of years, part of the time in the 
high school at Lexington. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Wolfe have come five children, as 
follows: (i) Charles M., born November 
I, 1857, is a carpenter and contractor of 
Fremont; he was married May 23, 1883, 
to Miss Clara Potter, daughter of Henry J. 
and Zeruiah A. (Dawley) Potter, and the 
names and dates of birth of their children 
are: Irene, September 5, 1884; Libbie, 
December 7, 1885; Ella, July 14, 1888; 
Blanche, April 18, 1891; and Stanley, 
born August 22, 1893. (2) Sally Irene, 
born December 21, 1862, lives with her 
parents. (3) Elbridge B., born August 
30, 1866, is a farmer; on November 23, 
1889, he married Miss Ida Mclntyre, and 
their children are Lucile, born October 
13, 1890, and Gladys, born February 19, 
1 89 1. (4) Mary Inez, born July 28, 
1869, lives with her parents. (5) Daniel 
M., Jr., a carpenter, lives with his par- 
ents, and works at his trade with his 
brothers. 



HON. HOMER EVERETT. Per- 
haps no one of the early pioneers 
of Sandusky county contributed 
more to make its local history, 
and took more pains to put on record the 
stirring events which occurred when the 
wilderness of the Black Swamp began to 
be cleared up, and the little Indian trad- 
ing-post called Lower Sandusky (now 
Fremont) first sprang into prominence as 
a thriving village of enterprising white 
people, than the subject of this sketch. 
His literary tastes, his official positions, 



his wide acquaintance, his social nature, 
his habit of writing down the incidents 
and events which he gathered from fre- 
quent visits and conversations with the 
early settlers, and his powers of oratory, 
by which he presented, in the form of his- 
torical lectures, the well-digested results 
of his investigations, all rendered him 
very useful to the community, and en- 
titled him to the lasting gratitude of his 
fellow citizens, and the honor of being 
the first pioneer historian of Sandusky 
county. 

Hon. Homer Everett, son of Jere- 
miah and Elizabeth (Emery) Everett, was 
born in Huron county, Ohio, January 30, 
1 8 1 3. W^hen two years old he came with 
his parents to Lower Sandusky. His 
school education was such as could be 
picked up in the wilderness at that early 
day, his teachers being Justus and Ezra 
Williams, Edson Goit and Samuel Crow- 
ell. He grew up amid the toils, cares 
and privations of the early settlers, shar- 
ing the hardships of the common people; 
but he was alwaj^s cheerful and hopeful. 
At the age of seventeen he left the farm 
upon which he had spent his early boy- 
hood, and entered the store of Jesse S. 
Olmsted, in which he rendered faithful 
service about six years. In 1837 he was 
appointed postmaster at Lower Sandus- 
ky, by Martin Van Buren, and while serv- 
ing in this office he was also deputy clerk 
of courts, under James A. Scranton. In 
1839 he was elected sheriff of the county, 
resigning the office of postmaster, and was 
re-elected sheriff. He commenced read- 
ing law in 1834, improving his leisure 
time in so doing until 1841, when he was 
admitted to the bar. He now resigned 
his office as sheriff, and began the practice 
of law with Nathaniel B. Eddy, of Lower 
Sandusky; was subsequently a partner of 
L. B. Otis, who afterward removed to 
Chicago. On various occasions he was 
member of the city council, for several 
years township clerk, one of the first 
members of the City Board of Education, 



326 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in which body he served fifteen years, 
and was mayor of Fremont two terms. 

In 1847 he retired from the practice 
of law for the purpose of leading a more 
quiet Hfe on a farm, but was soon re- 
called by the votes of the people. In 
1848 he found himself in the chair of the 
county auditor, which office he held two 
terms. At the close of his second term 
he resumed the practice of law, entering 
into partnership with Gen. R. P. Buck- 
land. In 1S62, Mr. Buckland retired 
from the practice to enter the arm}'. 
During the Civil war Mr. Everett made 
many eloquent speeches in favor of the 
enlistment of Union soldiers. In 1866 he 
formed a partnership with James H. 
Fowler, an e.\-soldier, who had been his 
law student. In 1867 Mr. Everett was 
elected to the Ohio Senate, and in 1869 
was re-elected to the same position. He 
fostered the Akron school law, and was 
on the select committee which construct- 
ed the first municipal code for the State 
of Ohio. On his return home he again 
resumed the practice of law. In 1881-82 
he furnished valuable records for the His- 
tory of Sandusky county, to H. Z. Will- 
iams & Bro., publishers, Cleveland, 
Ohio. 

Mr. Everett was married, in 1837, to 
Miss Hannah Bates, of Sandusky county. 
She died in 1840, leaving an infant 
daughter, Hannah Bates Everett, who, in 
1856, became the wife of Henry Hatfield, 
and had two sons — one living in Kansas 
and one in Colorado. Mr. Everett, for 
his second wife, married in December, 
1842, Mrs. Albina Brush, widow of John 
T. Brush, and by her had two sons and 
two daughters: (i) George, who was 
telegraph operator for Gen. Thomas at 
Nashville, Tenn., during the Civil war, 
and died at home in 1874. (2) Charles 
Egbert, who was a soldier in the naval 
service during the Civil war (he married 
Miss Hattie Tindall, of Ballville town- 
ship, and their children are — Eddie and 
Nellie, living at the old homestead; he 



learned and follows the trade of cabinet 
making). (3) Albina Elizabeth, a teach- 
er, who was married at Osborne City, 
Kans. , to Frederick Yoxall, a native of 
England, and they have two daughters. 
(4) Lillie, a very fine musician, who mar- 
ried James A. Wilson, a hardware mer- 
chant, of Osborne, Kans. ; they have one 
daughter. The second wife of Homer 
Everett died in 1855, ^"d in 1873 he 
married Miss Minerva E. Justice, daugh- 
ter of James Justice. The death of Homer 
Everett occurred on June 22, 18S7, at 
the home of his daughter, in Kansas, and 
his remains were brought to Fremont, 
Ohio, for interment in Oakwood Ceme- 
tery. The Fremont Bar Association and 
Brainard Lodge, F. &. A. M., of which 
he was a member, each passed fitting 
resolutions of respect to his honored 
memory. 



AHORNUNG. A striking illustra- 
tion of that time-worn proverb fa- 
miliar to every school boy, "tall 
oaks from little acorns grow, " is 
seen in the business career of the geptleman 
whose name opens this sketch, and who 
is a member of the well-known firm of 
Zorn, Hornung & Co., leading citizens 
and pioneer merchants of the town of 
Gibsonburg, Sandusky county. The sim- 
ple story of his life shows that there is 
always a chance for the boy or man who 
takes hold of fortune with strong hands 
and steady will, and compels her to be- 
stow those gifts which the timid suppli- 
cant can never win. 

Mr. Hofnung was born March 7, 
1842, in Washington township, Sandusky 
county, son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Sick- 
endahler) Hornung. This worthy couple 
were natives of Germany, where they 
were married, and whence, in 1833, they 
emigrated to America, settling in Penn- 
sylvania near Allentown, where they lived 
for about six years. They then came to 
Ohio, settling in Washiogton township^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPUWAL RECORD. 



327 



Sandusky county, on a farm, where they 
remained during the rest of tfieir hves. 
The father, whose birth took place in 
1796, died in 1871, the mother, who was 
born in 1807, surviving him until 1892. 
Mr. Hornung was a Democrat, and both 
he and his wife were consistent members 
of the Lutheran Church. Their family 
consisted of si.x children: Charlotte, who 
married Aaron Krotzer, of Gibsonburg; 
Caroline, who married Adam Ansted, and 
lives in Washington township; Mary; 
Tilman, residingin Washington township; 
our subject comes next; and Jacob, who 
lives in Gibsonburg; two children died 
when infants. 

The subject of this sketch spent his 
early days upon his father's farm, per- 
forming the many tasks which fall to the 
lot of a farmer's bo}', with scanty sources 
of amusement or pleasure, and but 
small opportunity to acquire an educa- 
tion. At the age of fifteen, tiring of 
the monotonous life in the country, 
determined to strike out for himself, 
he commenced and served an apprentice- 
ship in the shoemaking trade under Mr. 
Zoxn, his present partner, who was then 
located at Hessville, Sandusky county. 
Here he remained some six years, making 
his home with Mr. Zorn, with whom he 
boarded nine years. At the end of six 
years he bought the shoe business from 
Mr. Zorn, carried it on for three years, 
and then formed a partnership with his 
old employer. 

The new firm continued in business at 
Hessville until 1S71, when, seeing that 
the present location of Gibsonburg bade 
fair to become a leading point in the 
county, they decided to open a branch of 
their business there, Mr. Hornung taking 
charge of the same. The first building 
put up in the present town was his store. 
It was erected on the corner now occu- 
pied by the large and commodious struc- 
ture in which their present extensive mer- 
cantile business is now carried on, and it 
is around this pioneer establishment that 

21 



the present flourishing village of Gib- 
sonburg has crystallized. The entire busi- 
ness of the firm was soon centered at this 
point, and it has been steadily growing in 
size and importance. Not content with 
this, these energetic men have constantly 
had in view the progress and enlargement 
of their chosen community, and have 
been prominent factors in its growth and 
prosperity. At the present time they are 
carrying on, in addition to their flourish- 
ing mercantile business, the manufacture 
of lime; have erected an elevator, and 
stave heading factory; established a 
creamery, and, besides, are pioneers in 
the gas and oil producing business, now 
owning and operating a gas plant and ex- 
tensive oil fields with many oil wells. It 
is generally an unwise thing to have so 
many "irons in the fire," but the un- 
doubted ability and well-known energy, 
perseverance and excellent judgment al- 
ways evinced by Mr. Hornung and his 
partner in the management of their large 
ventures, are a guarantee of their success 
in whatever direction they turn their at- 
tention. They are valuable citizens of 
Gibsonburg, and as such command the 
respect and esteem of all who know them. 
On April 8, 1867, Mr. Hornung was 
married in Washington township, to Miss 
Catherine Stotz, who was born in Ger- 
many May 28, 1842. Four children have 
been born to them: Elizabeth, George, 
Charles and Julia; of these, George is a 
member of the firm, Charles being in its 
employ as bookkeeper; the daughters are 
at home. In politics Mr. Hornung is a 
Democrat, and he and his wife are mem- 
bers of the Lutheran Church. 



M 



ICHAEL OBERST. Jr., a 
farmer of Sanduskj' township, 
Sandusky county, was born in 
that township December 8, 
1848, a son of Michael, Sr. , and Anna 
(Mohler) Oberst. 

The father of our subject was born in 



828 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPniCAL RECORD. 



October, 1811, in Prussia, German}', 
grew up there, and came to America 
about the year 1844. He settled in San- 
dusky township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
and worked as a farmer in Sandusky 
and Ottawa counties. At the outbreak 
of the Mexican war he volunteered in the 
U. S. military service, and served under 
Gen. Scott, afterward returning to San- 
dusky county. After his marriage he 
settled where he now resides. In the 
war of the Rebellion he joined the Union 
army, serving during the last year. He 
is one of the few Mexican war pensioners 
living in Sandusk}' count3^ In politics he 
is a Democrat, and in religious faith he 
is a member of the Lutheran Church. 
Mrs. Oberst was born in Switzerland 
October 27, 1829, and is still living. 
Their children were: Michael, our sub- 
ject; John, who died when six years old; 
Daniel, living in Millersville, Sandusky 
county, who married Miss Burgoon, by 
whom he has two children — Ralph and 
Merven; Mary Ann, unmarried, who is 
living at home with her parents; and 
George, who died when ten years of age. 
Our subject was reared in Sandusky 
county, and was educated in the public 
schools. In 1873 he married Miss Sarah 
Lobdill, who was born in Sandusky coun- 
ty, July 18, 1854, and their children 
are: Olive, Charles, Lucy, Frank, Anna, 
Earl and Clair. Mr. Oberst now owns a 
portion of the old homestead on which he 
was reared. He is recognized as one of 
the leading, progressive men among the 
3'ounger agriculturists in the township, is 
a competent business man, and adopts the 
most advanced ideas and business meth- 
ods. He was formerly a Republican; but 
awakening to a strong realization of the 
many evils consequent to the liquor traffic 
he identified himself some years ago with 
the Prohibition party. He is one of the 
leaders in the temperance cause in his 
community, has served as State delegate 
to Prohibition conventions, and is work- 
ing for the interest of the party. 



GEORGE H. WAGGONER, owner 
of a valuable farm in Sandusky 
township, Sandusky count}', is a 
native of the county, born No- 
vember 10, 1851, in Washington town- 
ship, where he spent his boyhood days, 
and received his early education, later 
attending one term at Oberlin College. 

Mr. Waggoner remained on the home 
farm until twenty-three years of age. On 
December 10, 1874, he was married to 
Miss Mary E. Engler, of Sandusky town- 
ship, Sandusky county, in the same house 
in which they have since lived. Shortly 
after their marriage his father purchased 
the farm — 142 acres — for which he paid 
$1 5,000, and later deeded the entire tract 
to his son George in consideration of 
$3,000. Here the latter has resided since 
his marriage, during which time he has 
much improved the place, in the way of 
under-drainings, erecting new buildings, 
etc., in general making it one of the best 
farms in Sandusky county. While Mr. 
Waggoner has been engaged in general 
farming, he has also paid much attention 
to the raising of good stock, including 
horses, cattle and sheep, and he is a pros- 
perous, thorough-going agriculturist. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Waggoner have come four 
children: Orie Odell, born September 2, 
1878, has attended the district school and 
paid special attention to music, having 
been organist for the past three years at 
Mount Calvary U. B. Church; Chester 
C, born July 20, 1881, has attended the 
home school (he is interested in the Sun- 
day-school); Vernie May was born October 
II, 1886 (she is taking music lessons); 
and Elmer E. , born November 30, 1889. 
Samuel Waggoner, father of George 
H. Waggoner, was born December 12, 
1827, in Perry county, Ohio. About 
1830 he came with his parents to Wash- 
ington township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
where he made his home until within the 
past three years, since when he has lived 
in Fremont. His wife, Sarah fMiller), 
was born August 28, 1831, in Ohio, and 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



329 



they were married in February, 1851. 
To their union were born nine children, of 
whom George H. is the oldest; Caroline 
died in infancy; Clara is the wife of H. 
A. Bolan, and has one child; Eugene 
married Hattie Bo3er, and died in 1892; 
Henry married Emma Carr, and has two 
children; Malvina, Mrs. Charles Keefer, 
of Sandusky township, has four children; 
Charles E. married Ellen King; Hattie is 
Mrs. Chester Wolf; Miland D. died at the 
age of fifteen. Mr. Waggoner's paternal 
grandfather, George Waggoner, was born 
November 10, 179S. and died at the age 
of ninety-six years; the grandmother, 
Margaret (Klinglerj, was born May 10, 
1802, and had nine children, three of 
whom are living. At the time of his 
death the great-grandfather owned and 
lived on the farm our subject now owns. 
Great-grandfather John Waggoner was a 
member of George Washington's body- 
guard during the Revolution. Mr. Wag- 
goner's maternal grandfather, Isaac Miller, 
was born July 19, 1805, and was killed 
during the construction of the Lake Shore 
& Michigan Southern railroad, in 1847; 
his wife, Elizabeth (Stierwalt), was born 
July 5, 1800, and they had three chil- 
dren, all of whom are living. They were 
all early pioneers of Sandusky county. 

Mrs. Marj' E. Waggoner was born 
December 4, 1854, in W^ashington town- 
ship, Sandusky county, and when a child 
moved with her parents to Sandusky 
township, where she has since lived. She 
was educated in the district schools of 
Sandusky township, and for five terms 
was one of the leading teachers of the 
county. Her father, Nehemiah Engler, 
was born February 17, 1832, in Ohio, 
where he is still living. He was one of 
the leaders of the Democratic party in 
Sandusky county, served as county in- 
firmary director six years, and is now on 
his farm in Washington township. His 
wife, Sarah A. fShively), was born July 
10, 1835, in Ohio. They were married 
June 4, 1854, and their union was blessed 



with six children: Mary (Mrs. Wag- 
goner), William W. (married Alice Hen- 
ricks, and they have one child), Minerva 
Jane (Mrs. N. Hetrick, who has three 
children and lives in Kansas), Hattie 
Odell (Mrs. F. Karbler, of Fremont, who 
has one child), Perry Sherman (of Find- 
lay, who married Sophia Elky, and they 
have one child), and Joseph Rollin (who 
died at the age of twenty-two). Mrs. 
W'aggoner's paternal grandfather, David 
Engler, was born March 27, 1797, and 
his wife, Edith (Burgoon), was born June 
8, 1803. He died about 1856, but she 
survived to the advanced age of nearly 
eighty-eight years. To them were born 
nine children, of whom seven are now liv- 
ing. The maternal grandfather, Joseph 
Shively, was born March 30, 18 12, and his 
wife, Susan (Overmyer), was born April 16, 
1 809. To them came nine children, all yet 
living. The grandparents on both sides 
were early pioneers of Sandusky county. 
Mr. and Mrs. Waggoner have been 
prominent members of the United Breth- 
ren Church since 1874, and have been act- 
ive in all lines of Church and Sunday- 
school work since their marriage. For 
twenty years Mr. W' aggoner has been su- 
perintendent of the Sunday-school of Mt. 
Calvary U. B. Church, of which his estim- 
able wife has been Church chorister for 
nearly a score of years. He has been a 
trustee of the Church and parsonage for 
fifteen years, and the life of the Church 
and Sunday-school isduein alarge measure 
to the untiring efforts of himself and wife. 
Mr. Waggoner is also deeply interested in 
educational matters, and has been school 
director for six years. His visit to the 
World's Fair was as much a matter of in- 
tellectual development as of recreation. 



FW. SANDWISCH, a retired 
farmer of Woodville township, 
Sandusky county, and an ex-coun- 
ty official, who in past years has 
been among the most prominent and pro- 



330 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



gressive public characters of the county, 
is a native of Germany. 

He was born in Hanover May 7, 1819, 
the youngest son of Rudolph and Jane 
(Daterman) Sandwisch. The mother 
died at the age of fifty-eight years, and 
the father attained the age of eighty-two 
years. They had five children, as fol- 
lows: (l) Rudolph, who was born in 
February, 1805, and married Catherine 
Sandwisch; he had two children — Henry 
and Maggie — both married, the former to 
Christina Meyers, the latter to Fred Puck. 

(2) Herman, who married Catherine 
Margee; their five children are William, 
who married Clarinda Swartzman, and has 
three children (she lives at Fremont]; 
Mary, widow of Jacob Bishop and mother 
of five children, living at Toledo; Louisa 
who married Benedict Emch and has five 
children, a resident of Woodville; John, 
a wagon-maker at Bowling Green, mar- 
ried to Almira Gallup, and has four chil- 
dren; Emma, wife of Charles Brett, and 
mother of one son, lives at Atlanta, Ga. 

(3) Jane, who married Herman Gismort, 
and died in Germany in 1879, aged sev- 
enty years, leaving one child. (4) Chris- 
tian, born in 18 17, married to a Miss 
Reader, by whom he had five children. 
(5) F. W. , subject of this sketch. 

In 1836 F. W. Sandwisch, then sev- 
enteen years of age, ventured alone into 
a strange and distant land to seek his for- 
tune. Taking passage in a sailing ves- 
sel, he seven weeks later landed at New 
York. His supply of money quickly be- 
came exhausted, and he secured a posi- 
tion on a steamboat, plj'ing on Lake Erie 
between Buffalo and Detroit. He re- 
mained on the boat all of one season. In 
1839 he married Louisa Clousing, who 
was born in 181 5. Three children blessed 
this union, as follows: (l) John, a farm- 
er of Woodville township, born Novem- 
ber 5, 1 84 1, and married to Eliza Me3'er; 
they have eight children — Dora, George, 
Gust, Maggie, Martha. Martin, Carrie and 
William. (2) Herman, retired farmer of 



Woodville township, born April 28, 1844, 
married Amelia Winegart; they are the 
parents of five children — Ella, ^^^illiam, 
Aaron, Nora and Paul. (3) Frederick, 
born July 17, 1850; he married Lucy 
Schroeder, and has si.\ children — Carl, 
Sophia, Frederick. Joseph. Fred and Eu- 
gene; he is a carpenter, and erected the 
first building at Woodville, where he now 
lives. 

After his marriage our subject worked 
for a time at the carpenter's trade. Liv- 
ing for a 3'ear in Perrysburg, he then came 
to the "Black Swamp." He worked for 
a year on the pike road in Troy township, 
Wood county, then purchased forty acres 
of wild land for $200. He built a log 
cabin and made other improvements, then 
sold the property and bought seventy 
acres. This, too, he disposed of advan- 
tageously soon after, and bought the 160 
acres where he now lives. The ravages 
of the cholera were severe when he first 
settled in the swamp, and his brothers 
perished from the epidemic while he was 
on his way for a doctor. Mr. Sandwisch 
owned the first ox-team in Woodville 
township. He had to go eighteen miles 
to mill, and the trip consumed several 
days. He was an extensive dealer in 
horses and cattle, and in i860 lost twenty- 
four head of fine cattle. 

Mrs. Louisa Sandwisch died October 
24, 1855, of consumption, and for his 
second wife our subject was married to 
Angeline Bossan, who was born in Ger- 
many November 8, 1833, daughter of 
Henry and Gertie Bossan. Her father 
died in Germany in 1871, aged sixty-nine 
years, her mother in 1875, aged seventy- 
four years. Mr. and Mrs. Bossan were 
the parents of five children: Clement, 
Henrietta, Henry, Frederick and Ange- 
line. The second marriage of Mr. Sand- 
wisch was blessed with ten children, as 
follows: (i) Edward, a farmer of Wood- 
ville township, born December 26, 1856; 
he was married in April, 1880. to Annie 
Stein, by whom he has five children — 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEWAL RECORD. 



331 



Edith, Edward, Dora, Mary and Lizzie. 
(2) Henry, born July i8, 1858, lives, un- 
married, in Woodville. (3) Carrie, born 
March 9, i860, married John Hurrel- 
brink, and is the mother of three children 
— Augusta, William and Edward. (4) 
Jennie, born August 9, 1862, married 
Herman Linke, a farmer of Woodville 
township; they have two children, Edith 
and Lizzie. (5) William, born April 18, 
1865, is at home. (6) Charles, born 
January 26, 1868, is at home. (7) Man- 
uel, born December 29, i86g, is also at 
home. (8) Louisa, born December i, 
1 87 1. (9) Frank, born March 22, 1874. 
(10) Sophia, born June 8, 1876. In 1884 
Mr. Sandwisch retired from active farm- 
ing, and his sons now operate the farm. 
In 1873 he was elected county commis- 
sioner, and re-elected for a second term, 
but on account of ill health he declined 
the honor. Mr. Sandwisch has also held 
various other local offices. The family 
attend the Lutheran Church, and is 
among the most popular and enterprising 
of the count)'. — [Since the above was 
written we have been notified of the death 
of Mr. F. W. Sandwisch, which occurred 
October 24, 1895. He died of old age, 
at the age of seventy-six years, had been 
aihng ever since January, 1895, and was 
confined to his bed for three months prior 
to his decease. — Editor. 



RICHARD WILLEY. a retired farm- 
er of Rice township, Sandusky 
county, deserves honorable men- 
tion as one of the early pioneers 
of the county. He was born in Tomp- 
kins county, N. Y., February 15, 1817, a 
son of Eleazar and Mary (Lane) Willey. 
Eleazar Willey was a well-to-do far- 
mer in the Empire State, who came with 
his family to Huron county, Ohio, in 1829, 
where he bought a large farm, and re- 
mained on it about six years. Ha\ing in 
the meantime lost nearly all his property 
by going surety for a neighbor, he sold 



out, removed to the Black Swamp, west 
of Lower Sandusky, and bought 400 
acres of partly-improved land. The title 
to this land not being satisfactorj', he 
abandoned it, and bought 300 acres in the 
south part of Rice township, on the west 
bank of the Sandusky river. Here he 
cleared up a home, and followed farming 
after the custom of the early pioneers. 
The children of Eleazar and Mary Willey 
were: Abraham, Isaac, Rhoda, Eleazar, 
Richard (our subject), Sarah Ann, Jane, 
and Naomi, all of whom are dead except 
Richard and Jane. The father died Au- 
gust 17, 1852, aged seventy years, and 
the mother on January i, 1866, aged 
eighty-two. All of those who died, ex- 
cept Sarah, are buried in Brier Hill Ceme- 
tery, located on the Willey farm; Sarah 
died in Kansas. 

Richard Willey spent his childhood in 
New York State, his youth in the Fire 
Lands of Huron county, and grew to 
manhood on his father's farm in Rice 
township, Sandusky Co., Ohio. He en- 
tered with a zest into both the toils and 
the pastimes of pioneer life, was an ex- 
pert marksman, and kept the family well 
supplied with wild game. He delighted 
to hunt deer and wild turkeys in the deep 
woods, and to shoot wild geese and ducks 
on the river and in the marshes. He 
often went to mill for his neighbors who 
had no teams, wending his way through 
the woods and across streams of water, to 
Cold Creek (now Castalia), in Erie county. 
His book learning was limited to only a 
few weeks of irregular attendance at a 
country school. On March 4, 1847, he 
married Miss Harriet Walker, who was 
born July I, 1825. a daughter of David 
and Elizabeth \\'alker, at that time neigh- 
bors of the Willeys. About the year 
1850 Mr. Willey removed to Rollersville, 
Ohio, and there burned lime one year; 
then returned to the Willey farm, which 
has been his home ever since. 

The children of Richard and Harriet 
Willey were: (i) Eliza, who April 26, 



332 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



1893, married Alfred Berlincourt, who 
was a minister of the Christian Church 
about ten 3'ears in Paulding county, Ohio, 
then joined the M. E. Church, at Find- 
lay, Ohio, and the Central Ohio Confer- 
ence at Fremont, June 13, 1894; his 
death occurred near Findlay, September 
9, 1894. (2) George W. , who married 
Lydia Wiliey, and lives at Bronson Sta- 
tion, Branch Co., Mich. (3) Mary E., 
born September 16, 1853, who March 27, 
1879, married Wallace, son of James and 
Mary (Fry) Scrimger, formerly of Allegan 
county, Mich. Richard Wiliey and his 
wife have lived to a venerable old age. 
Their land is now farmed by their son-in- 
law, Wallace Scrimger. They are mem- 
bers of the M. E. Church. 

The following is a brief account of 
Mrs. Willey's parents' family. The chil- 
dren of David and Elizabeth Walker 
were: (i) Mary Ann, wife of Richard 
Parham, of Burr Oak, Mich. ; she died 
leaving three sons — Aaron, Ann and Lo- 
rin, all of whom are now heads of fam- 
ilies. (2) William, who married Hattie 
Gifford; both have died, leaving several 
children in Michigan and California. (3) 
Fannie, wife of Abraham Wiliey, brother 
of Richard; they had four children, two 
of whom, Alfred and Lydia, are heads of 
families. (4) Welcome, who married 
Abigail Mitchell, of Iowa; they have three 
children — Everett, Ira and Ella, all mar- 
ried and heads of families. (Mi.ss Nellie 
Walker, daughter of Everett, at the age 
of seventeen manifested remarkable apt- 
ness and genius in the line of sculpture, 
having executed a marble bust of Abra- 
ham Lincoln, with rude tools picked up 
in her father's marble shop, without any 
previous instruction in the art of sculp- 
ture, and guided in her design with noth- 
ing but a picture of Mr. Lincoln, which 
she had torn out of a book and tacked on 
aboard. She finished the .task in less 
than a month, besides helping her mother 
meanwhile in domestic work. The bust 
in question was exhibited at the Colum- 



bian Fair in Chicago, and was pronounced 
by an old neighbor of Mr. Lincoln as the 
most natural he had ever seen. Miss 
Walker has since that time executed very 
satisfactory busts for other parties. She 
resides at Moulton, Iowa). (5) Eunice, 
wife of John Myers, a farmer, living in 
Seneca county, Ohio, who has six chil- 
dren, married. (6) Eliza, wife of Wash- 
ington Alexander, now living in Michigan. 
(7) Harriet, wife of our subject. (8) W. 
G. Walker, an artist, residing at Ottumwa, 
Iowa. (9) Mrs. Maria Fowler, of Fre- 
mont, Ohio. 



HG. HOUSE, farmer, Green Creek 
township, Sandusky county, was 
born in Switzerland, March 16, 
1833, a son of Jacob and Mary 
(Hooser) House, also natives of Switzer- 
land, who emigrated to America in 1847, 
landing at New York Cit}'. From there 
they at once proceeded to Lower San- 
dusky (now Fremont), Ohio, where the 
father worked at his trade as a stone 
mason, and soon after bought a farm of 
fort}' acres in Rile)' township, which they 
made their home. 

Jacob House was born June 3, 1800, 
and died in September, 1874. He was a 
Democrat in politics, and a member of 
the Roman Catholic Church. Mary 
Hooser, mother of our subject, was born 
in 1798, and died in April, 1874. Five 
of their children grew to maturity, of 
whom H. G. House is the oldest; John is 
a marble cutter in California; Casper died 
at the age of forty-nine years; Matthew is 
a stone mason in Fremont, Ohio; Mary 
married Joseph Huttinger, and is living 
east of Fremont. After coming to 
America H. G. House learned the trade 
of a stonemason, at which he worked at 
intervals for about twenty years, at the 
same time operating his farm in Riley 
township, Sandusky county. In 1857 he 
took a trip to California, b\' the Panama 
route, and spent several years on the Pa- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



833 



cific coast. He worked on a farm and in 
the mines; spent six months in British 
Columbia, assisted in building a pack- 
horse road for the Hudson Bay Company, 
and in 1861 he returned to Fremont, 
Ohio. 

On November 5, 1861, our subject 
married Miss Catharine Bisang, born at 
Buffalo, N. Y., in March, 1S41, and they 
have thirteen children, all of whom are liv- 
ing: Mary M., born May 2 I, 1863, married 
Philip \\'amus, who lives in Sandusky 
county (they have three children — Rosa, 
Clarence, \\'illiam); Amelia, married to 
Barney Halbeiscn, a farmer of Ballville 
township (they have six children — Laura, 
Louisa, Louis, Clarence, Leona, Urban), 
Charles married Katie Young, and they 
have two children — Louisa, Carl; Joseph 
is a carpenter of Portland, Ore. ; Laura 
married John Weiss, an employe at the 
Carbon Works, Fremont, Ohio (they have 
one child — Leona); and William H., 
Catharine, Rosa M., Martha L., Aloisius 
H., Francis, Helen, and Antonio. Mrs. 
House is a daughter of Joseph and Mar- 
aret (Geiger) Bisang. Her father was 
born in Alsace, France, married there to 
his first wife, and came with her to 
America; she died in Buffalo, N. Y. They 
had children as follows: Theresa, Mary, 
Joseph, and Peter. For his second wife 
Mr. Bisang married Margaret Geiger, 
and by her had six children: (i) Mar- 
garet, who married Samuel Babione, and 
died in Ballville township, Sandusky 
county; (2j Elizabeth, born October 14, 
1844, who married John P. Baker, a 
merchant tailor, of French descent, who 
worked at his trade in Fremont, and died 
in 1877; (3) Magdalena, who married 
George Fend, and is now living at Port 
Angeles, Wash. ; (4) Mary, who married 
John Schaff, now of Helena, Mont., and 
(5) Caroline, who married George Dun- 
ning, an undertaker at Portland, Ore. 
Mrs. House lived in Buffalo, X. Y., until 
twelve years of age, and then came to 
Sandusky county. Her father was born 



in 1793, and died in Fremont, Ohio, in 
1874; her mother was born in Baden, 
Germany, November 24, 1804, and died 
March 14, 1894, at the home of her 
daughter, near Fremont. 



WILLIAM HUMMEL, a well- 
known resident of York town- 
ship, Sandusky county, is the 
eldest son of William and Clara 
(Walter) Hummel, and was born in Sny- 
der county, Penn., April 24, 1843. He 
grew up to habits of thrift, frugality, and 
strict moralit}', which he at present pos- 
sesses to a marked degree. 

For more than i 50 years the Hummel 
family have resided in Pennsylvania. 
They are noted for physical stamen and 
indefatigable industry. William Hummel, 
Sr. , inherited these qualities, and during 
his life was rarely, if ever, deterred from 
important undertakings by difficulties, and 
was noted for his hardiness and firmness 
of character. He was born in 181 3 in 
Union county, and in 1842 was united in 
marriage with Clara Walter, born in 1818, 
daughter of Conrad Walter, a Lutheran 
preacher. Mr. Hummel died in 1861; 
his wife passed away in the spring of 1S94. 
William, the subject of this sketch, was 
the eldest in the family of William Hum- 
mel, Sr. , and Clara, his wife. Moses, 
the second son, died in 1872, leaving a 
widow and two children; his widow has 
married John Boyer, of Seneca county, 
and Emma Jane, his daughter, married 
Mr. Acker, also of Huron county. Aaron, 
the third child, married Amanda Stin- 
inger, and lives on the old homestead in 
Pennsylvania. Benjamin also lives in 
Snyder county. Catherine, the only 
daughter, died in 1880. John, the young- 
est of the family, is a farmer of Union 
county; he married a Miss Weaver. 

On Christmas Day, 1862, William 
Hummel was united in marriage with Miss 
Elizabeth Aigler, daughter of Amos and 
Armina (Bobb) Aigler. She was born in 



334 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Juniata county, Penn., November 9, 1842, 
and was raised in Snyder county. Irvine 
W. , who lives at Mt. Pleasant, York 
township, is the eldest child of Mr. and 
Mrs. Hummel, and was born February 3, 
1864. In 1885 he was united in marriage 
with Anna Gemberling, of Snyder coun- 
ty, Penn., and they have two children 
— William Aigler and Sophara Pickert. 
Mr. and Mrs. William Hummel's other 
child, still living, Lillie Marguerite, born 
April 23, 1876, is the wife of John Kern, 
a farmer of York township, and they have 
one child — Laurel Celestine. Four chil- 
dren of our subject and wife have died, 
as follows: Charles P., born February 
4, 1867, died April 6, 1867; Calvin E., 
born May 15, 1870, died August 31, 1870; 
Carrie E., born November 5, 1871, died 
August 31. 1872; and Mabel S., born 
May 7, 1882, died June 11, 1882. Mr. 
Hummel has ever been an ardent cham- 
pion of the principles of Republicanism, 
and he puts his preaching to practical use 
by voting for the candidates of that party. 
Both Mr. and Mrs. Hummel are members 
of the Evangelical Church. 



JF. GERWIN, a substantial farmer 
of Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, was born in Hanover, Ger- 
many, May I, 1842, son of Christian 
and Julia (Linnerbrink) Gerwin, who were 
born August 14, 181 i, and September 17, 
1816, respectively. 

Christian Gerwin came to America 
in 1835, and after a short sojourn returned 
to Germany. In 1842 he again came to 
this country, and same year located in 
Ohio. He married Julia Linnerbrink, and 
they had seven children, as follows: J. F. 
is the subject of this sketch. William mar- 
ried Mary Kleily, and they have had two 
children; they live in Woodville township. 
Angeline married Frank Hursall, a tJilor 
by trade; she died in 1881, the mother of 
si.x children. Caroline married Peter 
Knaup, a farmer in Michigan, and they 



have had three children. Louis married 
Carrie Bronckseker. Eliza died young. 
Mary died at the age of twenty-one years. 
The father, Christian Gerwin, has traveled 
a great deal, and is known far and near; 
the mother died June 16, 1892, at the age 
of seventy-si.x )-ears and two months. 

J. F. Gerwin was united in marriage 
March 28, 1878, with Eliza Blausey, who 
was born in Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, March 31, 1857, and they have 
had four children, namely: Ella, born 
March 9, 1881; Lillie and Millie ftwins), 
born November 7, 18S5; and Julia, born 
November 7, 1889. Mrs. Gersvin is one 
of the si.x children of Henr}' and Mary 
(Yeastings) Blausey. Mr. Gerwin leased 
his land to the Standard Oil Company in 
1 89 1, and has seven oil wells on his farm. 
He has held several township offices, is a 
member of the German Methodist Epis- 
copal Church in Woodville township, and 
is well and favorabl)- known. 



HENRY L. WOTT. Among the 
successful farmers of Sandusky 
county none sustains a better rep- 
utation for carefully attending to 
his own affairs, for industr\' and thrift, 
than does Henr\- L. Wott, whose traits, 
thus outlined, are distinctively those of 
his nationality, for Mr. Wott is of Ger- 
man birth. He was born in the Kingdom 
of Prussia May 25, 1839, son of Charles 
and Charlotte (Wottj Wott. 

Charles Wott was a farmer of some 
note, and a squire or magistrate, an 
office corresponding to our justice of the 
peace. His wife's father, also a magis- 
trate, was superintendent of a large es- 
tate. In 1866 Charles Wott emigrated 
with his famil}' to America. He lived 
for a year in Venice, Erie Co., Ohio, 
then came to Green Creek township, 
Sandusky county, and purchased eighty 
acres of land, where he lived and fol- 
lowed agricultural pursuits until his death, 
which occurred in the fall of 1868, when 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



335 



he was aged sixtN-three years. In re- 
ligious faith he was a member of the 
Lutheran Church. His wife survived un- 
til April 5, 1894, when she passed away 
at the age of eighty years. They had a fam- 
ily of twelve children, as follows: Car- 
olina, Albertiiia, Henry L. , Charles A., 
William (of Oak Harbor), Wilhelmina, 
Kate, August, John, and three who died 
in Germany. 

Henry L. Wott was twenty-seven 
years of age when he came with his 
parents to America. He remained with 
his father in Venice, Erie county, and 
came with him to Green Creek township. 
Upon his father's death, which occurred 
about si.\ months after he had bought 
his farm in Green Creek township, 
Henry L. and his brother Charles pur- 
chased the interest of the other heirs, 
and began to farm the newly-acquired 
home place. The}' also purchased eighty 
acres additional, and later divided the 
property between them, Henry L. re- 
taining the home farm, and now owning 
ninety acres of excellent land, eighty of 
which are under a high state of cultiva- 
tion. In 18S3 he erected, at a cost of 
$3,000, a fine brick residence, carefully 
designed and constructed. 

Mr. Wott was married April 20, 
1869, to Mary Schiska, and to them five 
children ha\e been born: William, 
Charles, John (deceased), Minnie and 
Henry. In politics our subject is a Dem- 
ocrat, and in religious faith he is an act- 
ive member of the Lutheran Church. 



A 



DOLPH PETERS is an intelli- 
gent and highly-respected citi;ren, 
now numbered among the leading 
farmers and stock raisers of Wood- 
ville township, Sandusky county. He 
wasborn in Wadenschwyl, Canton Zurich, 
Switzerland, December 24, 1849, ^^id is 
a son of Rudolph Peters, who was a na- 
tive of the same locality. 

The father was there employed as a 



dyer in a cotton factory until the spring 
of 1854, when he crossed the Atlantic to 
America, locating in Ballville, Ohio. He 
left his family in the land of his nativity 
until he shoidd succeed in obtaining em- 
ployment here, when he wrote for them 
to join him in his new home. W^estern 
life attracting him, he left Ballville for 
Michigan, securing employment on the 
railroad. As he had not then secured a 
definite location in Michigan, he wrote to 
his family to postpone their coming for a 
short time, but before the arrival of the 
second letter they had boarded a sailing 
vessel, on which were two hundred other 
passengers. After they had been some 
days on the ocean cholera bro.ke out on 
board, causing the death of forty passen- 
gers. Mrs Peters was stricken with the 
disease, but finally recovered. They 
landed at Belgium, but after a short rest 
again started for America, and after a 
long and tedious voyage reached the 
shores of the New World. They soon 
arrived at Ballville, Ohio, but finding the 
husband and father had left that place, 
Mrs. Peters and her son secured employ- 
ment as weavers in a factory, she having 
learned the weaving business in her na- 
tive land. As soon as the father learned 
of the arrival of his family in this country 
he joined them and found employment in 
Ballville among the farming population, 
while the other members of the family 
secured work as they could, all helping to 
earn a living. After a three-years' resi- 
dence at that place they removed to Mad- 
ison township, Sandusky count}', renting 
a farm which they operated for three 
years. Purchasing a tract of eighty acres 
in Woodville township, they next removed 
to their new home, and began clearing 
away the timber, a dense growth of which 
covered the land. Father and sons soon 
made this a tract of rich fertility, and the 
farm became one of the most highly cul- 
tivated in the neighborhood. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Peters were born 
the following children: (i) Henry, who 



MG 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



was born in Switzerland January 20, 1841, 
and tliere acquired his education; was 
employed in a factory in Ballville, Ohio, 
on first coming to America; he now fol- 
lows the occupation of farming in Wood- 
ville township; he was married December 
12, 1863, to Louisa Clink, a daughter of 
Caleb Clink, and a sister of Jacob, Reu- 
ben and A. J. Clink, all well-known resi- 
dents of Sandusky county; she was born 
August II, 1837, and now has six chil- 
dren — Mary, born September 30, 1864, 
and is the wife of Henry Hurleman, a 
farmer of Wood county, Ohio; William 
H., born January 26, 1866, follows farm- 
ing and operates oil fields (he married 
Tilley, daughter of Conrad Oberst); the 
other children of Henry Peters are George 
A., born May 4, 1869. died October 7, 
1870; Charles W., January i, 1871, work- 
ing in the oil fields; Frank C, born May 
12, 1874, died April 24, 1875; and Lillie 
D., born March 3, 1879; the mother of 
this family died July 28, 1883, after which 
Henry Peters married Annie Blausey, a 
daughter of Henry Blausey, a farmer of 
Madison township, Sandusky county; they 
have four children — Raymond, born Jan- 
uary 22, 1887; Grace M. and Mabel M., 
born August 6, 1890; and Annette, born 
February 14, 1895. {-) John Peters, the 
second of the family, was born in Swit- 
zerland May 24, 1 844, and was a farmer 
and lumber manufacturer; he died April 
I, 1883. (3) Adolph, subject of this 
sketch, is the next younger. Two other 
children died in infancy. The father of 
this family is still living at the ripe old 
age of eighty-six years, and makes his 
home with his son Adolph, who tenderly 
cares for him in his declining years. He 
is well known throughout the communit}', 
and is highly respected. 

The gentleman whose name opens this 
record was educated in the schools of 
Ballville, and after school hours worked 
in the mills. When his parents removed 
to Madison township, Sandusky county, 
he labored upon the farm, giving his 



father the benefit of his services, and took 
an important part in clearing the old 
homestead and placing it under a high 
state of cultivation. He resided thereon 
until 1876, when in partnership with his 
brother John he engaged in the manufac- 
ture of lumber, devoting his time and en- 
ergies to that business some eight years, 
during which time he furnished employ- 
ment to a number of men in cutting tim- 
ber, logs, etc. On the expiration of that 
period he sold his interest in the lumber 
business, together with one hundred acres 
of land, and in 1884 returned to the old 
home place. He then purchased sixty- 
two acres of land, which he succeeded in 
clearing, fencing and tilling, making it a 
tract of rich fertility. He now cultivates 
more than 140 acres of improved land, 
and to-day has one of the finest farms in 
Sandusky county, complete in all its ap- 
pointments from the substantial dwelling 
to the outbuildings for the stock. An air 
of neatness and thrift pervades the place, 
and waving fields of grain indicate good 
harvests. 

Mr. Peters was married July 27, 1874, 
in Seneca county, Ohio, to Lucy Parker, 
who was born February 14, 1855. They 
are the parents of six children: Edward 
A., born June 25, 1S75, now working in 
the oil fields; Ephraim R. , born January 
29, 1878; John R., born November 6, 
1880; Sarah E., born December 20, 1S76; 
Jessie, born October 21, 1882; and Elmer 
E., born September 27, 1888. Mr. 
Peters is a member of Freedman Lodge, 
No. 723, I. O. O. F. , of Wood county, 
and in politics is independent, supporting 
the man and not the party. He has al- 
ways taken a deep interest in educational 
matters, has held the office of school di- 
rector for more than fifteen years, has 
been clerk of the school board, and is 
now its president. In all possible ways he 
aids in the advancement of interests cal- 
culated to prove of public benefit, and is 
well-known and highly respected through- 
out the county as a man of industry, in- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



337 



tegrity and enterprising and progressive 
ideas. His genial and kindly disposition 
has won for him the good will of all with 
whom he has been brought in contact, 
either in business or social life, and he is 
indeed a highly esteemed citizen. 



GEORGE J. LEHRMAN, who for 
many years has been identified 
with the agricultural interests of 
Sandusky county, is a Western 
man by birth and training, and possessed 
•of a true Western spirit of enterprise and 
progress. He was born September 20, 
1849, and is a son of Mathias and Mary 
(Bowers) Lehrman, both of whom were 
natives of Hanover, Germany. In 1834 
they bade adieu to that country, and 
crossed the Atlantic to the New World, 
taking up their residence in Canton, Ohio; 
but after a short time they removed to 
Fort Wayne, Ind., where for twenty 
years they made their home. On the ex- 
piration of that period, they came to 
Washington township, Sandusky count}', 
and purchased ninety-six acres of good 
farm land. The father carried on agri- 
cultural pursuits throughout his life, and 
both he and his wife spent their remain- 
ing days on their home in Sandusky 
county. 

This worthy couple were the parents 
of a family of ten children, namely: 
David, who is now engaged in farming 
in Scott township, Sandusky county; 
Josephine, who died in infancy; John, who 
was killed while aiding his country in the 
Civil war; Caroline, wife of Philip 
Kirsch, a farmer residing in Coldwater, 
Ohio; Ellen, wife of Joseph Maers, an 
agriculturist, living in Scott township, 
Sandusky county; Lizzie, who became 
the wife of Fred I^evie, and died in 1893; 
George J., subject of this sketch; Mary, 
wife of Joseph Weaver, a farmer, residing 
in Madison township, Sandusky county; 
Sarah, wife of Joseph Ottney, who also 
•carries on agricultural pursuits in Madi- 



son township; and Audulph, who died in 
infancy. Mr. Lehrman, of whom we 
write, spent the days of his boyhood and 
youth in Fort Wayne, Ind., and came 
with the family to Sandusky county, 
Ohio. To his father he gave the benefit 
of his services throughout his minority, 
and even after his marriage he remained 
at home with his parents, carrying on the 
work of the farm. Upon his mother's 
death he purchased the old homestead, 
and since coming to the county has al- 
ways lived upon this place, which is a val- 
uable tract of land, under a high state of 
cultivation, and well improved with the 
accessories of a model farm. 

In 1873 Mr. Lehrman was united in 
marriage with Catherina Noss, and they 
began their domestic life upon the old 
homestead. Their union has been blessed 
with a family of five children (three of 
whom are living), namely: George, born 
March 23, 1874; Ellen, born in 1877, 
who died when three years old; Lena, 
born October 15, 1879; Sylvester, born 
September 11, 1893; and John, born 
•July II, 1875, died in infancy. Mr. 
Lehrman is a supporter of the Dem- 
ocracy, and for two years served as school 
director, but has never sought or de- 
sired political preferment, for his time 
and attention have been wholly taken up 
with his business interests. He and his 
wife are members of the Catholic Church. 



WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON 
ICKES, a prosperous farmer of 
Madison township, Sandusky 
count}", was born in Bedford 
county, Penn., August 27, 1840. His 
parents, Charles and Elizabeth (Burket) 
Ickes, were natives of the same county, 
and his mother's ancestors were also born 
in Pennsylvania. Charles Ickes was born 
September 14, 181 7, and was married in 
Bedford county, Penn., in 1839. He car- 
ried on farming, and is still living in that 
State. In his early days he was a Whig, 



338 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



but on the formation of the Republican 
party he joined its ranks. His wife died 
February 9, 18S5, whenalittle over sixtj-- 
seven years old. 

Our subject is the eldest of seven chil- 
dren, the others being: Jacob, Julia A., 
Thomas, Simon, Mary and John, all of 
whom live in Bedford county, Penn. 
William H. H. Ickes spent his youth upon 
the home farm, alternating his tasks in 
ploughing, sowing and caring for stock 
with attendance at the district school, and 
acquiring such an education as can be ob- 
tained under these circumstances. When 
twenty-one years of age he worked out 
one summer on a farm, and the following 
year, 1862, he left home and came to 
Ohio, locating first in Fremont, where he 
remained, however, only one month. 
Thence he went to Helena, this State, 
where he was employed some four years 
on the farm of Joseph Garns. Returning 
to Fremont, he was married October 7, 
1866, to Sarah Kemmerling, daughter of 
Peter Kemmerling, a farmer in Sandusky 
county, but their married life was brief, 
the young wife dying two years thereafter, 
on January 3, 1S69; their only child died 
in infancy. 

After his wife's death Mr. Ickes re- 
mained with his father-in-law for nine 
months. He was married, the second 
time, on February 10, 1870, his bride 
being Miss Sophia Sampsel, whose family 
histor}' is given in the sketch of Joshua 
Sampsel. Shortly after he removed to 
the town of Gibsonburg, where he worked 
by the day for two years, and then in- 
vested in forty acres of land in Madison 
township, to which he has since added 
thirty acres. At the time of purchase this 
land was covered with a dense growth of 
timber, of which Mr. Ickes cleared forty- 
five acres, and put under cultivation. 
When the discovery of oil was made in 
the township this land became very valu- 
able; eleven oil wells were sunk, and he 
leased fifty acres to the Hazelwood Oil 
Company, the remaining twenty to Lieber 



& Youth, of Pennsylvania. From these 
he derives an income of $100 a month. 
Mr. and Mrs. Ickes have had two chil- 
dren, one of whom, Franklin Harrison, 
born February 10, 1871, died July 21, 
1 87 1. Erma May was born June 27, 
1882. Mr. Ickes is a Republican, and is 
always ready to work for the good of his 
part}-, and for the welfare of the commu- 
nity in which he lives. He holds the of- 
fice of road supervisor, and is faithful in 
the discharge of his duties. Both himself 
and wife are members of the Evangelical 
Church, and are highly esteemed by all 
who know them. 



JOHN HENRY NIESET is the own- 
er of an eighty-acre farm, pleasantly 
located but a short distance from the 
town of Gibsonburg, Sandusky coun- 
tv- This he purchased from his father 
about four years ago, and much of it he 
has placed under cultivation. In this por- 
tion of Washington township the land is 
seemingly unfit for farming purposes, be- 
ing largely covered with rocks; but Mr. 
Nieset has cleared fifty acres of his place 
which he has transformed into rich and 
fertile fields that now yield to the owner 
a golden tribute in return for the care and 
cultivation which he bestows upon them. 
The patience and labor, required to clear 
the place, indicate two of his strongest 
characteristics — perseverance and energy. 
Mr. Nieset is a native of Washington 
township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, born June 
22, 1863, and is of German lineage. His 
father, Andrew Nieset, was a native of 
Prussia, Germany, and on crossing the 
Atlantic made his way to Ohio, locating 
in Sandusky county. He married Bridget 
Kayler, who was born in Ohio. Our sub- 
ject remained with them upon the home 
farm until his marriage, and during his 
boyhood and youth aided in the labors of 
the fields and in the other work of the 
farm through the summer, while in the 
1 winter season he attended the district 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



389 



schools, there acquiring a fair English edu- 
cation, which has been supplemented by 
business experience and contact with the 
world, making him a well-informed man. 
In the count}- of his nativity, he was mar- 
ried to Miss Minnie A. Kilgus, whose peo- 
ple are well known in the locality. She 
was born January 30, 1867, and is one of 
a family of ten children, four of whom are 
yet living in Washington township, San- 
dusky county. Five children grace the 
union of Mr. and Mrs. Nieset — two sons 
and three daughters — as follows: Louis, 
born February 22, 1886; Clara, March 7, 
1888; Mary J., March 10, 1890; Emma 
M., August 24, 1891; and John Andrew, 
September 8, 1893. 

In his political connections, Mr. Nie- 
set is a Democrat, having supported the 
men and measures of that party since at- 
taining his majority. In religious faith he 
is a Catholic, and he is one of the enter- 
prising young farmers of the community, 
to whom success will come as the reward 
of earnest and diligent effort. Idleness 
is utterly foreign to his nature, and he 
manages his business affairs with ability 
which has already made him one of the 
substantial citizens of the community. 



VALENTINE SHALE, a well-to-do 
farmer of Jackson township, San- 
dusky county, is a native of that 
section, born January 8, 1839, a 
short distance east of his present residence. 
John Shale, the father of our subject, 
was born February 3, 1S08, in Baltimore, 
Md., where he spent his childhood. In 
early manhood he went to York, Penn., 
where he learned the carpenter's trade, 
working for a Mr. Disler. He ne.xt went, 
in 1826, to Wayne county, Ohio, where 
he took jobs and worked at his trade on 
his own account, finally, in 1836, coming 
to Jackson township, Sandusky county. 
Here he bought eighty-acres of improved 
land for $1,000, then eighty more for 
$400, and other tracts, later, until he i 



owned 400 acres. In 1838 he married 
Miss Catharine Crites, a native of Stark 
count}-, Ohio, and ten children were born 
to them: Valentine, the subject proper 
of this sketch; Abraham, deceased; Isaac, 
who married Barbara Myers, by whom he 
had three children, one of whom is now 
deceased, and after her death wedded Lo- 
vina Clapper, by whom he also had three 
children: Jacob, who married Jane Eisen- 
hood, by whom he had four children, two 
of whom are deceased; Elizabeth, unmar- 
ried; Mary C. , who died in childhood; Ly- 
dia, who married David Daub, and had six 
children; Mary, who married Levi Stahl, 
a farmer of Jackson township; William, 
who married Clarissa Leffler, and has two 
children — Amanda and Samuel; and John, 
who married Mary Gametsfelder, and has 
five children. 

Valentine Shale lived with his parents 
on their farm until his twenty-sixth year, 
working by turns at the carpenter's trade, 
at farming during the summer seasons, and 
at shoemaking or cobbling during the in- 
clement weather. In this wa}' he ac- 
cumulated property, and by' successive 
purchases he has become the owner of a 
farm of 197 acres of choice land, on which 
he has erected substantial buildings. He 
was a soldier in the Civil war, and in the 
summer of 1864 served as second ser- 
geant of Company H, One Hundred and 
Sixty-ninth Regiment, O. V. I., four 
months at Fort Ethan Allen, Virginia. 

On January 14, 1864, Mr. Shale mar- 
ried Miss Rebecca Mowry, who was born 
September 18, 1836, and five children 
came came to their union: Alice, born 
January 14, 1866, who married George E. 
Wise, a farmer, and has one child, Stan- 
ley; Clara E., born May 14, 1868, who 
became the wife of W. A. Gossard, a 
school-teacher in Jackson township, and 
has one child, Mildred R. ; Emma R., born 
April 19, 1870, who became the wife of 
E. S. Flora, a farmer of Jackson town- 
ship, and died September 24, 1894; Will- 
iam I., born April 29, 1873, who attends 



340 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



select school at Burgoon, Ohio; and Edith 
L. , born September 19, 1879, at school. 
Mr. Shale is a Republican in politics, and 
he has held several offices in his township, 
where he is highly respected. In religious 
connection he is a member of the Evangel- 
ical Association. 



H.J^RMON HENRY TAULKER, one 
of the oldest and most esteemed 
citizens of Madison township, 
Sandusky county, was born in 
Hanover, Germany, November 26, 1838, 
and is a son of Harmon and Angeline 
(Niemanj Taulker. 

Harmon Taulker was a tailor in the 
old country, and in the year 1S41 sailed 
with his family for America. They came 
direct to Sandusky, Ohio, Mr. Taulker 
buying thirty acres of timberland, in 
Woodville township, Sandusky county, 
where his death afterward occurred. Mr. 
and Mrs. Taulker had four children, 
namely: Eliza, who married Henry 
Borcherding, a farmer, of Woodville 
township; Frederick, a farmer in Madison 
township; Harmon Henry, subject of this 
sketch ; and Louisa, who came to America, 
but the family have not heard from her 
since her arrival, and it is not known by 
them what became of her. Mr. Taulker's 
widow married Frederick Cook, and they 
have had three children, all living, as fol- 
lows: Angeline, married to Fred Brock- 
sieker, and they live in Toledo, Ohio; 
Caroline, widow of John Bruggmeyer, 
lives in Toledo, Ohio, and John is a 
farmer in Woodville township. 

When his parents arrived in this coun- 
try Harmon H. Taulker was but an in- 
fant. When old enough to attend school 
he received such educational advantages 
as the country schools near his home af- 
forded. After his father's death he went 
to the home of John Cline, a farmer in 
the same township, and worked for him 
by the day until he was fourteen years of 
be, when he went to live again with his 



mother (who had in the meantime remar- 
ried), remaining there until he became of 
age. On March 27, 1862, Harmon H. 
Taulker was united in marriage with Louisa 
Kuhlman, and they have had three chil- 
dren, namely: Sophia, born October 30, 
1863, wife of John Mauntler, a farmer of 
Woodville township; Henry, born Jan- 
uary 12, 1873, lives at home, attending 
school at Gibsonburg; and August, born 
January 30, 1875, also lives at home. Mrs. 
Taulker's parents, William and Margaret 
(Turenhagen) Kuhlman, lived and died in 
Hanover, Germany. 

Mr. Taulker owns 160 acres of choice 
land, on which are seven oil wells. From 
these he derives an income of fifty dollars 
a month, getting every eighth barrel. His 
home is in the heart of the oil district, 
and but one mile from the center of Gib- 
sonburg, and he has a fine residence, with 
commodious and well-built barns and 
outbuildings. Mr. Taulker is a Democrat 
in politics, has held the office of trustee 
for six years, was township assessor for two 
years, and was also school director and 
road supervisor. He and his family are 
members of the Lutheran Church. 



GEORGE L. REARICK, a farmer 
of Sandusky township, Sandusky 
county, was born in Union 
county, Penn., November 2, 1834, 
a son of William and Mary (Hassenplug) 
Rearick. 

The father of our subject was born in 
the State of New Jersey, from which he 
removed to Pennsylvania, Tater, in 1835, 
to Ohio, where he settled on a farm of 
fifty-nine acres in Sandusky township, on 
the line of the Western Reserve and Mau- 
mee turnpike. Here he worked at his trade 
as a chair-maker, cleared up his land, and 
for a time boarded the hands engaged in 
the construction of the pike. He died at 
i his home at the age of seventy years. 
Our subject's mother was born in Union 
. county, Penn., and became one of the 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



341 



honored pioneers of Sandusky county, 
Ohio, where, after a life devoted to her 
family, she died at the age of eighty-four 
years. Children: (i) Henry, a black- 
smith, who died at Woodville, Ohio. (2) 
Susannah, who married Peter Reed, had 
two children, and died in this county. 
(3) Mary Ellen, who married Aaron Fos- 
ter, and had one child, Tena; this hus- 
band died, and she afterward married 
David Younkman; now living at Toledo, 
Ohio. (4) George L., our subject. (5) 
Julia Ann, who died in childhood. (6) 
Joseph W. and William Franklin, twins; 
Joseph W. married Martha Eversole, 
Sandusky township; William Franklin, 
unmarried, was a Union soldier in the 
Third O. V. C during the Civil war; he 
was taken prisoner, and, after suffering 
confinement in three Rebel prisons, was 
sent to Richmond, Va., to be paroled or 
exchanged, after which all trace of him 
was lost. 

George L. Rearick, our subject, grew 
to manhood in Sandusky county, and at 
the age of eighteen began to learn the 
blacksmith trade with his brother Henry, 
for whom he worked two years, and then 
became his partner in a shop at the Four- 
Mile House, west of Fremont. In 1877 
he married Sarah, daughter of Samuel 
and Elizabeth fGeeseman) Skinner, who 
were pioneers of Sandusky county. After 
marriage, Mr. Rearick and his wife set- 
tled in Henry county, Ohio, and remained 
there about two years. They then re- 
turned to Sandusky count}', which has 
been their permanent residence since that 
time. Mr. Rearick joined the One Hun- 
dred days' men during the Civil war, and 
served in Compan\' K, One Hundred and 
Sixty-ninth Regiment, O. V. I., at Fort 
Ethan .•\lien, \'a. ; he receives a pension 
for disability. In politics he is a Repub- 
lican, and in religious faith he and his 
wife are members of the Reformed Church. 
Their children are: (i) Cynthia E., born 
August 28, 1858, who, after teaching 
school in Ohio and Michigan, married 



Augustus Ritzman, March 6, 1879; they 
have children — Clarence, Claude, Sadie, 
Lester, Willie, Burton, Anna and Lilly. 
(2) Theresa Ellen, born January 8, 1862, 
married to Charles Engler, December 6, 
18S9; they had four children — Grace, 
Vergie, George and Clifton. (3) Alberta 
A., born September 23, 1863, married to 
Charles Gillier, December 17, 1882; they 
had two children, one of v^-hom died in 
childhood, the name of the living one be- 
ing May. (4) Ida M., born September 
19, 1868, married to Lucas Overmyer; 
they have one child, Ada Alberta; the 
mother died in 1891; (5) Wilham S., 
born October 2, 1870, who, after attend- 
ing the Ada Normal, and the Toledo and 
Sandusky City Business Colleges, is en- 
gaged in teaching in the public schools. 
(6) Delbert Hayes, born November 30, 
1880, is living at home. 



LEWIS DEGROFT is a worthy 
representative of the agricultural 
interests of Madison township, 
Sandusky county, and also of an 
honored pioneer family. He was born 
July 23, 1858, to the union of Joseph 
and Mary (Chambers) Degroft, prominent 
people in their locality. 

The district schools of the neighbor- 
hood afforded our subject his educational 
privileges, and from early youth he 
worked on his father's farm, aiding his 
brother in clearing the land and placing 
it under cultivation. Wishing, however, 
to follow some other pursuit than that to 
which he was reared, he at the age of 
eighteen began learning the carpenter's 
and joiner's trade, which he followed for 
some time. He then returned to the old 
homestead, to look after the interests of 
the farm, which he operated for his father 
until the latter's death. He still contin- 
ues its cultivation, and gives to his 
mother one-third of the products for her 
support. He is a successful agriculturist, 
and the neat and thrift)' appearance of 



L 



342 



COMMEMOBATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the place indicates his careful super- 
vision. In connection with farming he 
also operates in the oil fields, connecting 
pipes, etc., and doing carpenter work for 
the company. Industrious and energetic, 
we predict that his future career will be 
one of success. 

On November 2 1, 1880, at Bradner, 
Ohio, Mr. Degroft was united in marriage 
with Miss Jennie Morgan, a daughter of 
Thomas Morgan, a farmer of Wood coun- 
ty, Ohio. He was born in Wales, Eng- 
land, April 27, 1832, and there followed 
the occupation of coal mining. In 1868 
he crossed the water to the New World, 
and embarked in farming in Ohio. He 
was married in his native land to Miss 
Mary Davis, and they became parents of 
eight children, seven of whom are now 
living: Mrs. Jennie Degroft, Cassie, An- 
nie, Emma (wife of Henrj- Jones, a 
farmer), Rosa, Lizzie and Alta. The 
parents still live in Wood county, where 
Mr. Morgan is successfully engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. Mr. and Mrs. De- 
groft have an interesting family of seven 
children, their names and dates of birth 
being as follows: Myrtle, February 10, 
1882; Jessie L. , July 10, 1883; Clayton 
L. , December 17, 1887; Glenn M., May 
7, 1890; Rachel J., June i, 1891; Clar- 
ence J., November 4, 1893; and Stella 
B., March 24, 1895. I" his political 
views, Mr. Degroft is a Democrat, but 
has never sought or desired official 
honors, preferring to devote his energies 
to his business interests. The family at- 
tend the Baptist Church, and are well- 
known and highly-esteemed people, hold- 
ing an enviable position in social circles. 



PHILIP H. ZORN, member of the 
widely-known firm of Zorn, Hor- 
nung & Company, of Gibsonburg, 
Sandusky county, is prominently 
identified with the growth and prosperity 
of that city, and, with his partner, has 
done more, perhaps, to encourage and 



foster home industries than any other man 
in this section of the country. He is 
another example of that German thrift 
and industry which is bound to succeed 
in whatever direction it trends. 

Mr. Zorn was born in Nassau, Ger- 
many, August 21, 1 83 1, son of John 
Philip and Margaret (Berbricker) Zorn. 
The parents came with their children to 
America, locating in Sandusky count}-, 
Ohio, and they both died in Erie count}', 
at the age of seventy-si.x years. Their 
family consisted of eight children, of 
whom the following record is given: John 
P. died when about twenty-six years old; 
Philip H. is our subject; Charles, who 
was a merchant in Iowa, died when about 
twenty-eight years of age; Louis is a 
farmer, and lives in Monroe, Mich. ; Fred- 
erick is a farmer in Montezuma, Iowa; 
William is a farmer in Erie county, this 
State; Henry, who was a carpenter, died 
in Sandusky count}'; Jacob, also a car- 
penter, lived in Fremont, where he died. 

Philip H. Zorn came to America when 
a lad of eighteen, finding his way from 
New York to Fremont, this State, which 
was then known as Lower Sandusky. 
Here he found employment at his trade 
of shoemaker, and remained some five 
years. In 1856 he married Miss Julia 
Margaret Stotz, who, like her husband, 
was a native of Nassau, Germany, the date 
of her birth being June 2, 1834. To this 
union nine children were born, of whom 
the following named survive: (i) Philip 
H., Jr., born November 25, 1856, received 
a good common-school education and ob- 
tained a thorough practical knowledge of 
his father's business; he is now manager of 
the large mercantile firm of Zorn, Hornung 
& Co., of which he is a member, and was 
one of the organizers and president of 
the Gibsonburg Banking Co. ; he married 
Miss Christina Richter, of Fremont, and 
they have a family of seven children — 
Harold, Julia, Zella, Carl, Corine, Edna 
and Florence- (2) Catherine was born 
February 25, i860, and resides with her 





^^ ^>^ r ri^^--^^^U 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPIIWAL RECORD. 



343 



parents. (3) F. W., born March 15, 
1868, is bookkeeper in his father's com- 
pany, and a member of the firm; he was 
married, May 15, 1890, to Miss Nora 
Ferrenburg, who was born in Pennsylva- 
nia, January 5, 1868, and they have two 
children — Freda and Ray. (4) F. A., 
born August 25, 1874, is now employed 
with the firm. The mother of this family 
passed from earth April 22, 1881. 

In the spring of 1856 Mr. Zorn lo- 
cated at Three Rivers, Mich.,, where he 
worked at his trade for a few months, 
and then went into business for himself. 
After one year he sold out his interest 
there and removed to Hessville, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio, carrying on the shoe business 
until 1863, when he sold out to A. Hor- 
nung, and established a general store at 
Hessville. This business he conducted 
alone up to 1866, when he took Mr. Hor- 
nung into partnership, the firm st\le being 
Zorn & Hornang, and they continued the 
business at Hessville until 1S74, when 
they sold out, in the meantime, in 1872, 
opening a branch store at Gibsonburg. 
The branch store opened at Gibsonburg 
in 1 872 was the nucleus around which their 
present extensive business has material- 
ized, and this has since been the center 
of their operations. In 1877 Henry Zorn 
was atimitted to partnership, and the 
business has since been carried on under 
the title of Zorn, Hornung & Co., of 
which firm F. W. Zorn and G. W. Hor- 
nung have been members since 1887. 
Succeeding in their first enterprise, the 
company have enlarged and added to 
their general merchandise business un- 
til now they stand at the head of a 
series of industries which have proved 
of immense value to the commu- 
nity, and of profit to themselves. Be- 
sides owning one of the largest general 
stores in northern Ohio, they built the 
first creamery in Sandusky county, and 
are owners of a stave factory, a grain 
elevator, and five lime kilns. Besides 

all this Mr. Zorn was instrumental in the 
22 



drilling of the first successful oil well in 
the vicinity of Gibsonburg, and the firm 
are, perhaps, the largest oil producers in 
this part of Ohio, having an interest in 
5,000 to 6,000 acres of oil and gas leases 
and 1 50 drilled wells. In operating these 
various industries they have constantly 
employed a large number of men at 
good wages, and in this way have con- 
tributed in no small degree to the pros- 
perity of the city. Mr. Zorn is a Dem- 
ocrat, and a member of the Lutheran 
Church, and he is always ready to help 
in an}' cause which has for its object the 
welfare of his fellowmen. 



REUBEN .CLINK is a prominent 
agriculturist and stock raiser of 
Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, where he was born Jan- 
uary II, 1852. He is a son of Caleb 
Clink, an honored pioneer, and well- 
krK)wn farmer of Woodville township, who 
passed away in November, 1894. He 
also has three brothers living in San- 
dusk}' county, well-known and influential 
citizens. 

In the district schools near his home 
Reuben Clink. acquired his primary educa- 
tion, and in early boyhood began to work 
upon his father's farm. He was early in- 
ured to the labors of farm life, and to his 
father continued to give the benefit of his 
services until he had arrived at man's es- 
tate. He was then married, and operated 
his father-in-law's farm five years. When 
that period had passed he removed to the 
place which is still his home, comprising 
138 acres of rich land, eighty acres of 
which are under cultivation. The im- 
provements upon the place have all been 
secured through his efforts, the work of 
clearing has nearly all been done by him, 
and to-day he is in possession of one of 
the finest and best equipped farms of the 
neighborhood. Well-kept fences divide 
it into fields of convenient size, and a fine 
orchard and vineyard add materially to 



844 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



his income by their heavy yields, for of 
late years he has engaged quite exten- 
sively in fruit growing. In 1886 he put 
up a large and substantial barn as well as 
other outbuildings, and recently he has 
erected a substantial and tasteful dwell- 
ing, one of the finest in the township, 
supplied with all modern improvements. 
The building alone cost $2,000, and is one 
of the beautiful country homes of San- 
dusky county, the grounds and fences 
being kept in first-class condition, while 
the lawn is ornamented with beautiful 
shrubs and trees which add to the attract- 
ive appearance of the place. 

On November 21, 1875, Reuben 
Clink was united in marriage with Adie 
Tucker, daughter of Thomas Tucker, 
who was born in New York, where he 
followed the occupation of a lumber man- 
ufacturer. He was there married, and of 
the union were born eight children — Mar- 
vin D., Matthew E. , Charles W., Fran- 
cis, Elvina, Jane, Emma and Laura. 
The mother of this family died in New 
York, after which he removed to Ohio, 
locating in Rollersville, Sandusky county, 
where he married Ester Mohler, and by 
her he had four children — Adie, born Oc- 
tober 8, 1858; Nelson, born August 18, 
1857, a farmer residing in Woodville 
township, Sandusky county; and one who 
died in childhood. Mr. Tucker died in 
Rollersville, and Mrs. Tucker remained a 
widow four years, when she married John 
Frobish, who died January 28, 1892, 
since when she has lived on her farm m 
Woodville township. Four children grace 
the union of Mr. and Mrs. Clink: Tillie, 
born September 22, 1878; Gertrude, born 
September 17, 1881; Bertie, born July 7, 
1885; and Oran W.. born June 17, 1889. 

Mr. Clink has held the office of school 
director in Woodville township, has been 
clerk of the school board, and takes a 
deep and abiding interest in the cause of 
education, and other matters that tend to 
advance the general welfare of the town- 
ship. In his political views he is inde- 



pendent, supporting the man whom he 
considers best qualified for office regard- 
less of part}' affiliations. He and his 
family are connected with the United 
Brethren Church, and are highly es- 
teemed people of the community, hold- 
ing an enviable position in social circles. 



JOHN B. MOHN, one of the public- 
spirited and successful farmers of 
York township, Sandusky county, is 
a native of Berks county, Penn., as 
were also his parents, who came of Ger- 
man ancestry. 

He is the son of Joseph and Cather- 
ine (Burgert) Mohn, and was born July 
20, 1839. His father, born in 18 12, was 
a mason by trade, and he started from 
Berks count}', Penn., for a home in Ohio 
in the fall of 1852, on the day when 
Franklin Pierce was elected President of 
the United States. He made the long 
journey in a wagon, and located first in 
Ashland county, where, however, he re- 
mained only a year. In the fall of 1853 
he continued westward to Flat Rock, 
Seneca county, where he purchased a 
home and remained during the rest of his 
life. He worked at his trade, and lived 
to the age of eighty years. Joseph Mohn 
was a member of the Evangelical Church; 
in politics he was a Whig, and afterward 
a Republican. It is indeed notable that 
all the blood relations of Mr. Mohn have 
also been Republicans. The widow of 
Mr. Mohn, who was born in 18 14, still 
lives at Flat Rock. The ten children of 
Joseph and Catherine Mohn were as fol- 
lows: Levina, who died at the age of 
sixteen years; Eliza, who died young; an 
infant, deceased, unnamed; Harrison, now 
a carpenter, in California; John B., sub- 
ject of this sketch; Sarah, who married 
John Terwilliger, and lives at Flat Rock; 
Sebastian, a farmer and carpenter, of 
Clyde; Fannie, wife of John McLaughlin; 
Martin, a minister of the M. E. Churchy 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



345 



now stationed in Coshocton county; Tillie, 
wife of Jacob Trot, of Seneca county. 

John B. Mohn was a boy of fourteen 
when he came with his parents to Flat 
Rock. He worked on the farm, and at- 
tended the district schools. For a year 
he worked at masonry, his father's trade, 
but did not like it, and returned to farm- 
in^ at monthly wages until his marriage, 
in the fall of 1861, to ^^iss Sarah Hassen- 
ger, who was born in Pennsylvania in 
1843. He rented a farm and began 
housekeeping in York township. )tfr. and 
Mrs. Mohn have two children. Flora and 
Minnie, the former married to W. A. 
Roach, and has one child, Chester Leroy. 
In 1864 Mr. Mohn enlisted in Company 
A, Fifty-fifth O. \' . I. , and served in the 
army of the West. He was with Sher- 
man in the Atlanta campaign, also in the 
memorable march to the sea, and he par- 
ticipated in the grand review at Washing- 
ton. Returning to his home he resumed 
farming. Mr. Mohn purchased his pres- 
ent excellent farm of 104 acres in the 
spring of 1881, and is engaged in grain 
and stock raising. In politics he is a pro- 
nounced Republican, and he takes an act- 
ive interest in county political affairs. 
He has served as trustee of York township 
four years. Socially he is a member of the 
Masonic Lodge and Chapter, and he is 
also prominent in G. A. R. and U. V. U. 
circles. Mr. Mohn is a stanch believer in 
American institutions and American lib- 
erty, and opposed to the introduction of 
monarchical or hierarchical methods in 
state affairs. 



DANIEL HOCK, the leading baker 
and grocer of Fremont, Sandusky 
county, is a native of Webenheim 
Rhein Phalz, Bavaria, Germany, 
born April 10, 1832, and is a son of Chris- 
tian and Caroline (Schunck) Hock. 

Christian Hock was a hotel-keeper 
and farmer by occupation. When fifty 
years of age he started for America to 



meet one of his sons at Yonkers, N. Y. , 
but was never heard from after he got on 
shipboard, and it is supposed he died on 
on the way across the Atlantic Ocean and 
was buried at sea. The paternal grand- 
father of our subject, Nicholas Hock, was 
a native of Switzerland, and a large farm- 
er. He had two brothers who came to 
America in 1793, and landed at Phila- 
delphia, Penn., and from them many of 
the Hock families of America have de- 
scended. The mother of our subject was 
born in Germany in 1799, and died in 
1843. The children of Christian and 
Caroline Hock, in the order of their ages, 
were: Carrie, John, Christian, Frederick, 
Mary, Jacob, Daniel, Catharine, Louis, 
Otto. Of these, John, Fred and Mary 
died in Germany, Jacob and Otto in Clyde, 
Ohio, and Christian at Fremont, Ohio. 
Carrie was married in Germany, came to 
America in 1836, and she and her husband 
died at Albany, N. Y. ; Louis is a dealer 
in boots and shoes, at Clyde, Ohio; Cath- 
arine is the wife of Andrew Markstahler, 
of Tiffin, Ohio. Otto Hock was a sol- 
dier in the Civil war, having served as a 
member of Company F. One Hundred 
and Sixty-ninth Regiment O. V. I. 

Daniel Hock learned the baker's trade 
in Germany, and followed it there for 
eight years. He then emigrated to Amer- 
ica, at the age of twenty-one, to avoid 
being drafted into the German army, land- 
ing at New Orleans, La., where he found 
work at his trade. The yellow fever was 
epidemic there, and his employer fell a vic- 
tim to it; so on learning the facts in regard 
to that terrible plague, Mr. Hock con- 
cluded to go farther north, and promptly 
took a steamer for Cincinnati, Ohio. 
From there he went to Sandusky City, 
Ohio, where, on the shore of Sandusky 
Bay, his brother Christian was foreman 
in a large stone quarry, called "Plaster 
Bed. " Here he found ready employment, 
and remained two years. In the spring 
of 1856 he first came to Fremont, but 
did not stay long. He went on down to 



346 



COMMEMORATrVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Cincinnati, where he worked at his trade, 
in 185S returning to Fremont and estab- 
lishing his own grocer)- and bakery, at the 
corner of State and Main streets, where 
he is still located and doing a prosperous 
business. 

Daniel Hock was married, in 1S59, to 
Miss Elizabeth Fuchs, a native of Hom- 
burg, Bavaria, who was born in 1836 and 
died in 1881. Their children were: Will- 
iam, who died when ten years of age; 
Carrie, who is living at home and assist- 
ing her father in business; Daniel and 
Elizabeth, who died in infancy; Clara, 
Edward, Libbie and Haidee, all four at 
home. 



AARON MYERS was born April 5, 
1847, in Madison township, San- 
dusky county, where he still 
makes his home, and is a son of 
Samuel Myers, a native of West Virginia. 

The father was a son of Jacob Myers, 
a farmer of West Virginia, who removed 
to Perry county, Ohio, where he carried 
on agricultural pursuits up to the time of 
his death. His son Samuel received but 
limited educational privileges, for there 
were no free schools in those days. His 
first employment was in a distillery, and 
he also worked upon his father's farm 
until his marriage, at the age of twentj- 
four years. In 1835 he came to Madison 
township, Sandusky county, where he pur- 
chased 160 acres of timber land, receiving 
the deed for the same from Gen. Jackson, 
who was then serving as President, and 
for whom Samuel Mj'ers cast his first vote. 
He erected a log cabin with his own hands, 
cutting away the trees in order to make 
room for the dwelling, and then returned 
to Perry county for his girl wife, whom he 
brought to his cabin home. She rode on 
horseback, while Mr. Myers drove a team, 
hauling the household effects. 

The young couple lived in a rude house 
without windows or doors — -quilts serving 
as a substitute — and were forced to keep 



fires burning all night outside of their 
cabin to ward off the howling wolves and 
other wild animals which then infested 
that part of the country. There Mr. 
Myers lived alone with his wife and little 
family, far away from neighbors, and with 
no roads or even a pathway. He fre- 
quently had to go to Fremont on horse- 
back with a bushel or two of wheat, which 
he took to the mill and had ground in or- 
der to make bread for the family. The 
road was at times impassable, and it was 
necessary to follow the Indian trails, the 
journey thus consuming two days. He 
was aided and encouraged by his young 
wife, and thus sustained began clearing 
away the dense growth of timber, which 
soon fell before the axe of the young pio- 
neer, and was replaced by the green corn 
and golden-headed wheat. In time he 
became the owner of a well-cultivated and 
valuable farm, and, though many were 
the trials and hardships in early da3'S, he 
continued his labors until thej- were 
crowned with success, an e.xample well 
worthy to be followed. He succeeded in 
fencing the land, and the rude cabin home 
gave way to a more commodious and or- 
namental structure, the log barn being 
replaced by good frame outbuildings, and 
instead of the wolves and deer which were 
seen in the neighborhood there were fine 
grades of cattle and horses. He also 
planted a fine orchard, and the place is 
now one of the model farms of the nine- 
teenth centur}' — a monument to the hon- 
est toil, laudable ambition and enterpris- 
ing spirit of the owner. He also aided in 
laying out the roads through the town- 
ship, gave one and a half acres of land on 
which to erect a school house, and has 
done all in his power for the promotion of 
education, of which he is a stanch friend. 
In 1835 Samuel Myers was married, 
in Perry county, Ohio, to Susanna Win- 
ters, who shared his pioneer life in the 
woods, and was indeed a faithful compan- 
ion and helpmeet to him. Their family 
numbered eleven children. Those living 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



347 



are: Isaac, born in 1838, a farmer, oper- 
ating his brother's land; Mary J., born in 
1844, the wife of Herman Seen, a farmer 
of Petersburg, Mich. ; Aaron Myers is the 
sixth child; Henry, born in 1851, farms 
in Madison township, Sandusky county; 
Frank, born in 1856, is also an agricul- 
turist; those deceased are: John; Sarah, 
wife of Christopher Foster; Elias; Phoebe, 
wife of Elia Rife; Levina and George. 
The mother died in 1880, mourned by a 
loving husband and father, to whom she 
devoted her life with an unselfishness sel- 
dom equaled. Mr. Myers was elected 
trustee of the township for many years, 
and discharged the duties of the office with 
credit to himself and satisfaction to all 
concerned. He took a deep interest in 
the cause of education, and was a leading 
member of the school board for more than 
a quarter of a century. He quietly passed 
away April 20, 1895, respected and be- 
loved by all who knew him, for his life 
was above reproach. Although eighty- 
four years of age at the time of his death, 
he was still quite active. Eight years be- 
fore his decease he had prepared for him- 
self a coffin, placed therein $50 for funeral 
expenses, made all arrangements for the 
funeral, chose those whom he wished to 
act as pall bearers, and selected a tomb 
stone. His wishes were carried out by 
those who were left behind to mourn the 
loss of one whose life was ever a source of 
inspiration and encouragement. Thus one 
of Sandusky county's most honored pio- 
neers passed away, but his memory re- 
mains green in the hearts of all who knew 
him. 

Aaron Mj-ers acquired a limited edu- 
cation in the district schools of his native 
township, pursuing his studies through the 
winter season, while during the summer 
months, in connection with his brothers, 
he aided in the labors of the farm. At 
the age of twenty-one he removed to 
Woodville township, Sandusky county, 
where he rented land, continuing its culti- 
vation for three years, when he returned 



to Madison township, and purchased fifty 
acres of land from his brother Elias. 
This he operated for some years, and 
then disposed of it to his brother, while 
he owns and operates the old homestead, 
comprising 140 acres of well-cultivated 
land. 

Mr. Myers was married at Woodville, 
Ohio, March 24, 1870, to Betsy Truman, 
who was born January i, 1848, in Wood- 
ville township. Three children constitute 
the family: (i) Ora C, born October 
12, 1870, in Woodville township; was 
educated in the public schools of Madison 
township, and now follows farming; on 
May 5, 1892, he wedded Miss Mellacena 
Riser, daughter of Daniel Kiser, a farmer 
of Madison township, and they have one 
child — Orvil, born January 16, 1894. 
(2) Orrison Ray, born in Woodville town- 
ship, Junes, 1875; was educated in Madi- 
son township, and is at home with his 
parents. (3) Ralph B., born September 
24, 1883, is attending school. Mrs. Myers 
is a member of the Baptist Church, and 
of the Ladies' Aid Society of Madison 
township. Our subject is a stanch Demo- 
crat, but has never sought or desired of- 
ficial preferment. He is an honest, in- 
dustrious man, enterprising and progres- 
sive, and acted the part of a dutiful son 
toward his father, who found with him 
and Mrs. Myers a pleasant home after the 
death of the mother. They cared for him 
with loving consideration, and such acts 
of kindness are characteristic of the 
worthy couple who are well deserving of 
mention among the best citizens of the 
communitv. 



A EVA J. HAWIv, farmer, Ball- 
ville township, Sandusky county, 
was born in Green Creek town- 
ship, same county, November 17, 
1 85 1, a son of Joseph and Martha (Har- 
ris) Hawk. Joseph Hawk was born in 
Pennsylvania, came to Ohio early in life, 
and settled in Green Creek township, 



348 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



where he followed farming. He was fond 
of hunting, and kept a deer park near his 
house. His first wife was a Miss Riden- 
our, by whom he had four children: 
William, a farmer, who died in Michigan, 
1893; Marie, wife of Joseph King, died 
1879; Elizabeth, wife of Henry Baker, a 
farmer of Green Creek township; and 
Marian, farmer and e.\-soldier. The sec- 
ond wife of Joseph Hawk was Martha 
(Harris), born in Schuylkill county, Penn.. 
who came to Ohio at the age of fourteen. 
She is still living, at Cleveland, Ohio, 
aged sixty-six. Their children were: 
Sarah, wife of Henry G. Gibbons, a real- 
estate agent at Clyde, Ohio; Alva J., our 
subject; Mary, wife of Albert Snyder, of 
Wood county, Ohio; Charles, living in 
Baker City, Oreg. ; Byron M., a farmer, 
of near Clyde, Ohio; Ida, wife of William 
Sherwood, of Fremont; Anna, wife of Dr. 
Harnden, of Clyde, Ohio; and Etta, wife 
of Mr. Kessler. The parents of our sub- 
ject were both of Pennsylvania-Dutch de- 
scent. Joseph Hawk died in 1889, at the 
age of seventy-five years. 

A. J. Hawk grew to manhood on his 
father's farm, and attended the common 
schools. In 1 88 1 he married Miss Amanda 
Wise, who was born October 19, 1857, 
in Pennsylvania, and settled in Clyde, 
Ohio, where he worked at the painting 
trade several years. He then moved upon 
a farm in Green Creek township, and 
later, in 1891, bought his present farm in 
the northeastern part of Ballville town- 
ship, where he has made marked im- 
provements, and where, in addition to 
general farming, he gives attention to 
poultry raising and small-fruit culture. 
Their children are: Laurel, \'ernon, 
Rollen, Romie, Cleveland, and Ethel May. 



Patrick McGrady was born in the same 
locality. He came to America in 1861, 
his family following him two years after- 
ward. They located on a farm near Cas- 
talia, Ohio, on which they remained two 
years, and then removed to Townsend 
township. In 1893 they came to San- 
dusky township, near Fremont, to live 
with the family of our subject. Here 
Patrick McGrady died January 24, 1894; 
his wife, who was born in 181 3, is still 
living. They had nine children, si.\ of 
whom died young. The living are: Eliza- 
beth, wife of Michael Gallagher; Mary, 
wife of Benjamin Robinson; and D. 
H., our subject. 

D. H. McGrady grew up in Townsend 
township, and received a common-school 
education. He was married in 1 878 to 
Elizabeth Lietzke, who was born in Ger- 
many, September 12, 1838, and they have 
seven children; John, Charles P., Mary 
A., Luella C, Joseph H., Francis E., 
and Otto T. Mr. McGrady purchased 
his present excellent farm in 1893, located 
in close proximitj' to Fremont, and by 
economy, thrift and industry has accu- 
mulated means, and is looked upon as 
one of the most enterprising of the 
younger element of men in the vicinity. 
He is the "bred-in-the-bone " of his 
Gallic ancestry. He is an ardent Roman 
Catholic, and a patriotic American citi- 
zen. His paternal grandfather, George 
McGrady, died in Ireland. 



DH. McGRADY, farmer, Sandusky 
township, Sandusky county, was 
born in Count)- Down, Ireland, 
October 22, 1852, a son of Pat- 
rick and Mary (Aguess) McGrady. 



FRANK R. HAVENS, farmer and 
dealer in live stock, Jackson town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born 
near his present place of residence 
January 11, i860, a son of William J. 
Havens. 

Our subject was reared on his father's 
farm, where he received valuable lessons 
in the most approved modern methods of 
farming in vogue in the Black Swamp, a re- 
gion formerly noted for its deep mud, and 
fever and ague, but which has had its soil 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



849 



fertilized and its air purified by scientific 
ditching and subsoil drainage, making it 
the garden spot of northern Ohio. He 
obtained his education in the common 
schools, and at the home fireside. He 
remained with his parents until his eight- 
eenth year when he married, and then en- 
tered upon farming on his own account. 
He first rented one hundred acres of land 
of J. B. Winters, for one year; then 
moved upon eighty acres of his father's 
land which he farmed on shares. He 
ne.xt bought eighty acres of his father, 
and, three years later, seventy-six acres 
of the Thomas Brown estate; then three 
years still later eighty acres of his father, 
then forty acres of William Lease, and 
twenty acres of Solomon King, and 153 
acres of the old Otho Lease farm, making 
a total of 449 acres. He carries on gen- 
eral farming, and makes a specialty of 
raising, buying and shipping fat hogs to 
East Buffalo, once or twice a year. In 
politics he is a stanch Republican, and 
has held various local offices; in religious 
connection he is a member of the U. B. 
Church. He has been very successful in 
his business ventures, and is highly es- 
teemed for his upright character. 

On January 23, 1879, F. R. Havens 
was married to Miss Avilda J. Winter, 
and the names and dates of birth of their 
children are as follows: Flavel S., .\ugust 
23, 1882; Robert G., August 17, 1884; 
Essie G., February 2, 1890; Ross Ray, 
January 28, 1892; and Willis B., Decem- 
ber 11,1 894. 



DAVID J. WINCHELL, a pros- 
perous farmer of Scott township, 
Sandusky county, was born in 
Whcaton, Du Page Co , 111., Sep- 
tember 3, 1845, ^nd 's one of the eleven 
children of Luther and Phctbe (Water- 
man) Winchell. 

The father of our subject was born in 
Connecticut, in 1800, and when a lad of 
but twelve years entered the war of 1812, 



as a substitute for his uncle who had 
been drafted, and with whom he was liv- 
ing at the time. He engaged in .sev- 
eral battles, including that of Sackett's 
Harbor, which was fought in 181 3, and 
resulted in an .American victory. The 
gun which he carried is now in possession 
of our subject, who values it most highly. 
After the war, Luther Winchell learned 
blacksmithing, and followed the trade for 
a few years in his native city; but having 
a desire to see the West, he emigrated to 
Ohio, and purchased land in Ohio and 
Illinois, at one time owning altogether 
700 acres, 160 of which were on the site 
of the present city of Chicago. By the 
time of his death he had become quite 
wealthy, and left a large property to 
his family. His wife, a native of Massa- 
chusetts, was born in 1805, and died 
July 19, 1895. Their children were 
Stephen R., Luther, David J., Sabra A. 
(who has e.xtensive real-estate interests 
in Chicago), Harriet M., Phoebe R., 
Lucy, Cynthia, and three who died in 
childhood. 

David Winchell coming to Ohio at an 
early day has witnessed its development 
from an. almost unbroken wilderness into 
fine homes and farms. When only six 
years of age he accompanied his par- 
ents to Lake county, where he grew 
to manhood, acquiring his education in 
the public schools and in the Madison 
Normal. Subsequently he came to Scott 
township, Sandusky county, and rented 
his father's farm of 340 acres for twenty 
years. During this time he purchased 
portions of it at intervals until he now 
owns 104 acres, which are located in the 
oil regions. A gas well has also been 
sunk upon the place, which supplies the 
home with gas, both for lighting and fuel. 
In addition to farming, Mr. Winchell has 
been engaged in general stock raising, 
buying and shipping stock direct to Buf- 
falo and New York. In this branch of 
his business he has been very successful. 
When he purchased his land it was partly 



350 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



covered with a dense grove of native 
forest trees; but by earnest and persistent 
toil he has transformed the place into 
highly-cultivated fields, and it is' now 
a well-tilled, well-fenced property, im- 
proved with good buildings and all the 
accessories of a model farm. 

Mr. Winchell has found in his wife a 
faithful companion and helpmeet. He 
was married September i8, 1869, to 
Harriet Rineholt, who was born in Jack- 
son township, Sandusky county, Septem- 
ber 16, 1852, a daughter of Solomon and 
Elizabeth (Selsor) Rineholt, who were 
pioneers of Jackson township, where 
they still reside. Mrs. Winchell attended 
the public schools in the locality, and re- 
mained with her parents until her mar- 
riage, when she went to the farm which 
has since been her home. The only 
child of Mr. and Mrs. Winchell — Myra — 
was born October 26, 1870, and was 
married November 13, 1890, to J. F. 
Wagner, who carries on general farming 
in Scott township. He was educated at 
Findlay, Ohio, and in Delaware College, 
from which he was graduated, while his 
wife has been a special student of vocal 
and instrumental music. Two bright 
children — Estella Ivonia and Hazel Ger- 
trude — grace the home of their parents, 
bringing much life and enjoyment thereto. 



PETER NICKLES is one of the old 
and honored residents of Sandusky 
count}', where he has lived for 
more than half a century, en- 
gaged in farming. He is a native of 
France, born February 26, 1815. His 
father, Henry Nickles, was a farmer of 
that country, and Peter spent the days of 
his boyhood and youth upon the old home 
place, where, aiding in the labors of the 
field, he became familiar with all the du- 
ties of agricultural life. 

In 1836, having attained years of ma- 
turity, Mr. Nickles determined to try his 
fortune in America, believing that he 



might better his financial condition there- 
by, and accordingly crossed the Atlantic 
to New York City. He did not remain 
long in the Eastern metropolis, however, 
but came direct to Sandusky county, Ohio, 
and after living at various places for a few 
years, located upon a seventy-seven-acre 
tract of timber land in Jackson township, 
the nucleus of his present landed posses- 
sions. This he at once began to clear 
and improve, and there made his home 
for thirteen years, when he came to Wash- 
ington township. His entire life has been 
devoted to agricultural pursuits, and has 
therefore been a quiet one; but he has 
faithfully performed every duty that has 
come to him, and has won the respect of 
all with whom he has been brought in 
contact. 

On May 8, 1845, Mr. Nickles was 
united in marriage with Miss Sarah Jo- 
seph, who was born October 22, 1825, 
and was one of a large family; her father 
was a German farmer, living in Sandusky 
county. Eleven children were born of 
this union, as follows: Sophia, in 1846; 
Mary Ann, in 1848; Christina, November 
5, 1S49; Margaret, October 13, 185 1, 
died October i, 1874; Sarah, October 28, 
1853; John G., October 13, 1855; Anna, 
August 10, 1 8 58; Catharine Jane, March 
9, i86i;^Lydia, August 30, 1863; George 
H., March 28, 1866, and Minnie, April 9, 
1 87 1. Mr. and Mrs. Nickles are still liv- 
ing on the old home farm that has been 
their place of residence for so many years. 
The father was industrious and enterpris- 
ing, and as his financial resources in- 
creased he bought other property, and 
now owns ninety acres on which his son 
George lives, and ninety acres which is 
the home of his son John G. In politics 
he is a Republican, and formerly took 
quite an active interest in political affairs, 
but he has now largely withdrawn from 
public life. Both he and his wife are 
members of the Evangelical Church, and 
are worthy people, well meriting the es- 
teem of their manj- friends. 



4 




<^^^-s^?^ ^"^^^^^.^X^ 





atvb 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPUICAL RECORD. 



851 



John G. Nickles, the six child in the 
above mentioned family, has spent his 
entire life in Sandusk}' county. He was 
born on the old home farm in Washing- 
ton township October 13, 1855, and 
passed the days of his boyhood and youth 
in the usual manner of farmer lads, re- 
maining with his parents until his marriage. 
On March 20, 1881, he wedded Miss 
Emily L. Culbert, daughter of a farmer 
of Sandusky county, and the young couple 
began their domestic life upon a ninety- 
acre tract of land belonging to Mr. Nick- 
les' father, to the cultivation and improve- 
ment of which he has since devoted his 
time and energies. The fields are now 
well tilled, and the neat and thrifty ap- 
pearance of the place indicates his careful 
supervision. 

The home of Mr. and Mrs. John G. 
Nickles has been blessed with a family of 
six children, their names and dates of 
birth being as follows: Lottie Maud, 
November 24, 1882; Lucy, October 26, 
1884: Helen, October 30, 1886; Addie, 
March 25, 1888; Walter, December i. 
1889; and Ruth, who died in early child- 
hood. John G. Nickles exercises his right 
of franchise in support of the Republican 
party, and has been called upon to fill the 
offices of road supervisor and school 
director, discharging the duties of both in 
a prompt and able manner. He is a worthy 
representative of one of the pioneer fam- 
ilies of the county, and as aciti/en is pub- 
lic-spirited and progressive, interested in 
whatever tends to promote the general 
welfare. 



LKOLB was born in Schwetzin- 
gen, Baden, Germany, July 2, 
1826, and is a son of Michael and 
Magdalena (Weir) Kolb. His fa- 
ther was a weaver in the old country, and 
followed that trade up to the time of his 
death. Both he and his wife spent their 
entire lives in their native land, the father 
passing away at the ripe old age of sev- 



enty-six years, while the mother died at 
the age of fifty-one. They left a family 
of six children, all of whom remained in 
Germany with the exception of our sub- 
ject, to wit: Elizabeth (who became the 
wife of Frederick Boop, but both are now 
deceased), subject, Adam, Margaret (wife 
of George Kolpe), Elizabeth and Philip. 
As soon as he was old enough our sub- 
ject began working with his father, and 
to the weaver's trade devoted his time 
and energies until 1853, when he left 
home for the New World, hoping to ben- 
efit his financial condition by a residence 
in America. Before leaving the Father- 
land, however, he was united in marriage 
with Miss Susanna Kulpe, daughter of 
Louis and Barbara Kulpe, farming people 
who spent their entire lives in Germany. 
The daughter was the second in order of 
birth in a family of seven children, the 
others being Jacob, Effie, Abraham, Ma- 
ria, Michael and Catherina. Mr. Kolb 
had no capital with which to begin life in 
the New World, but being a man of reso- 
lute spirit, and not afraid of work, he 
soon secured a start. His first position 
was as a section hand on the railroad, 
and he worked in that capacity some ten 
years, five of which were spent in Port 
Clinton, Ottawa Co., Ohio. After that 
he went to Norvvalk, Ohio, where he was 
employed by the day as a farm hand for 
a period of five years. In the meantime 
he saved his earnings, and with the capi- 
tal acquired removed to Washington town- 
ship, Sandusk}' county, where he invested 
his earnings in eighty acres of farm land. 
This was in 1855, and for thirty-five years 
he lived upon that place, continuing its 
cultivation, until the once wild prairie was 
transformed into rich and fertile fields 
that yielded to the owner a golden tribute 
in return for his care and labor. In 1889 
he purchased his present farm, to which 
he later removed, and here he is practi- 
cally living retired, his son-in-law opera- 
ting the farm, while he is resting in the 
enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. 



352 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



To Mr. and Mrs. Kolb were born three 
children — one son and two daughters — 
the eldest of whom. Philip, born August 
15, 1 85 1, is now deceased; Lena, born 
November 4, 1853, is the wife of George 
Stotz, who is a farmer of Washington 
township (they have six children); Bar- 
bara, born June 26, 1869, is the wife of 
Jacob Beeker, who operates the old Kolb 
homestead (to their union has been born 
one child). 

Mr. Kolb is a supporter of the Democ- 
racy, and is a member of the German 
Lutheran Church. He came to this coun- 
tryempty-handed, but has steadily worked 
his way upward, and the success he has 
achieved is the just reward of his own 
labors, and shows what can be accom- 
plished b}' perseverance and energy in a 
country where merit is unhampered by 
the closely drawn lines of caste or class. 



JACOB MONROE KING is the own- 
er of one of the fine farms of San- 
dusky county, and a progressive and 
enterprising man whom the commu- 
nity ma\' well number among its valued 
citizens. He was born on the farm 
which is still his home, and is a represent- 
ative of one of the honored early fam- 
ilies of the county. The date of his birth 
is December 21, 1 860, and he is a son of 
Peter and Mary (Shoemaker) King, who 
came from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1850, 
locating on the place where our subject 
now resides. Here the father carried on 
farming until his death, which occurred 
on August 2, 1880, when he had attained 
the age of si.\ty-two years. He left 240 
acres of land to be divided equally among 
his nine children. 

The record of this family is as follows: 
Samuel, who follows farming in Henry 
county; George W. , an agriculturist of 
Rice township; Rebecca, who became the 
wife of I. J. Shoemaker, and died in 
Henrj', Ohio, September 25. 1894, leav- 
ing a family of three children — George, 



Peter and Jacob; Levi, county commis- 
sioner of Henry count\-; Henry, who is 
engaged in farming in that county; 
Melinda, now the wife of S. Shoemaker, 
of Indiana, by whom she had two chil- 
dren — Maurievi (now deceased) and 
Jacob; Marj', wife of Noah Garrett, a 
farmer of Sandusky county, by whom she 
has one living child; Peter, an agricul- 
turist of Henr}' county; and Jacob Monroe. 

Although the youngest of the family, 
Jacob Monroe King, upon his father's 
death, determined to purchase the home- 
stead that it might not be divided, and by 
hard labor, industry and economy he suc- 
ceeded in acquiring enough capital to 
purchase the interest of one brother and 
sister, and now lives upon the place which 
has been his home throughout his entire 
life. On December 22, 1880, Mr. King 
was united in marriage with Isabel Mau- 
rer, the esteemed daughter of Manuel 
Maurer, a well-known farmer of Wash- 
ington township. With them resides the 
mother of Mr. King, who though now 
well-advanced in life bears her seventy- 
eight years lightly. The household is 
also blessed with the presence of seven 
children, constituting an interesting fam- 
ily, in order of birth their names and 
dates of birth being as follows: Clarence, 
October 28, 1881; Rosanna, April 13, 
1882; Alvin, March 3, 1883; Levi, De- 
cember 27, 1885; Alta, November 27, 
1887; George L., October 16, 1890; and 
John, June 28, 1893. 

The home of this family is a fine frame 
residence which sets somewhat back from 
the road, and on the lawn in front stand 
many beautiful evergreen trees, which 
throw their grateful shade over the home 
in summer, protecting it from Sol's hot 
rays. The farm is highly improved and 
cultivated, and waving fields of grain in- 
dicate the thrift and enterprise of the 
owner. In addition he also has one of the 
finest apple orchards in this section of the 
county, comprising nine acres on which 
are raised the following well-known varie- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



353 



ties: Baldwins, northern spies, rainbows, 
greenings, spitzenbergers, seek-no-farth- 
ers, and three different kinds of russets. 
In connection with general farming and 
fruit growing, Mr. King gives some atten- 
tion to the raising of fine-bred hogs, and 
takes a deep interest in the breeding of 
good horses. His energetic nature carries 
forward to successful completion what- 
ever he undertakes and he is a progressive 
business man, whose straightforward deal- 
ing and well-spent life have gained him 
the high regard of all with whom he has 
been brought in contact. In politics he 
is a Democrat. 



JONATHAN FALER, a contractor in 
Woodville township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born in Pennsylvania, Jan- 
uary lo, 1 82 1, son of George and 
Eva (Houtz) Paler, who came to Ohio 
from Pennsylvania and located in Perry 
county, where they bought a small tract 
of timber land. . The mother of the sub- 
ject of this sketch died in Perry county 
when he was an infant only one year old, 
leaving him and six other children. His 
father married again, by which union he 
had five children, sold the tract of land 
in Perry county in 1833, rented a farm 
where he spent the remainder of his days, 
and died September 24, 1834. 

Jonathan Paler lived at home until his 
father's death, then went to Pickaway 
county, Ohio, secured a position as a 
farm hand, and worked one year. He 
then worked at various occupations for 
four years, and in 1842 came with a 
family to Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, where he was engaged in making 
potash for one year, then worked at clear- 
ing land for si.x years. On December 24, 
1843, he was united in marriage with 
Catherine Swartzman, and thirteen chil- 
dren were born to them, as follows: Mary 
A., born October 27, 1844, married Eli 
Good, a farmer of Hancock county, Ohio, 
by whom she had six children; Margaret, 



born Pebruary 8, 1846, died \oung; 
Lovica A., born July 30, 1849, married 
John Angus, a farmer of Scott township, 
Sandusky county, Ohio; George A., born 
August 7, 1 85 1, died May 16, 1872; John 
H., born November, 1853, living in 
Postoria, Ohio; Lavina A., born January 
23, 1856, married Jacob W. Good, of 
Postoria, Ohio; Isaac, born June 15, 
1858; Charles W., born May 15, 1861, 
died May 29, 1865; Emma I., born Peb- 
ruary 22, 1864, married Charles G. Meyers, 
of Rising Sun, Montgomery township. 
Wood Co., Ohio; Nelson, born December 
13, 1866; Jonathan D., born March 13, 
1868; Delias, born October 3, 1S71, now 
deceased; and one deceased in infanc}'. 
The parents of Mrs. Jonathan F"aler, Paul 
and Mary (Moore) Swartzman, were farm- 
ers in Sandusky county, where both died, 
the father at the age of forty-six, the mo- 
ther at the age of fifty-seven. 

Mr. Paler began working at the car- 
penter's trade in 1849, and followed it 
until 1864, when he enlisted in the One 
Hundred and Seventy-seventh O. V. I., 
under the command of Col. Wilcox and 
Capt. Thomas. They were mustered in 
at Cleveland, Ohio, and sent to Murfrees- 
boro, Tenn. Mr. Paler took an active 
part in several battles. On January 24, 
1865, he was honorablj' discharged, and 
came home to his wife and fainily. Mr. 
Paler has more work as a contractor than 
he can take care of, and has a paying oil 
well on his place. He is an upright man, 
a Democrat in politics, and a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. 



BIRCHARD HAVENS, farmer, of 
Jackson township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born near the place of his 
present residence, August 16, 
1847, a son of Henry and Sarah (lams) 
Havens. 

Henry Havens, the father of our sub- 
ject, was one of the early pioneers of the 
Black Swamp, born at Columbus, Ohio, 



354 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and came to Sandusky county in the year 
1837, entered 160 acres of land in Sec- 
tion 10, Jackson township, to which more 
was added later, making 400 acres, about 
half of which he cleared himself of heavy 
timber, always worked very hard, and 
from exposure contracted consumption, 
of which he died. Birchard Havens, our 
subject, was the fourth in order of birth 
in the family of eight children, was reared 
upon his father's farm, and received the 
customary country-school education. He 
started out in life on his own account at 
the age of eighteen years, working on a 
farm for his brother William one year, 
and for John King one year. At the 
age of twenty he rented some land from 
his brother for one year, and subse- 
quently bought eighty acres from Joseph 
Hammer for $5,000. After clearing off 
ten acres of the timber he sold it two 
years later to his brother, and in 1870 
bought the 152 acres where he now lives. 
He has 130 acres under good cultivation, 
of which he cleared a large part himself. 
He has always worked diligently, enjoyed 
good health, and been a good provider for 
his family. He is highly respected in 
his community, and has held various civil 
offices. 

Birchard Havens was married January 
17, 1867, to Miss Elizabeth C. Overmyer, 
who was born February 19, 1844, daugh- 
ter of Lewis and Mary (Stoffer) Overnner. 
The father of Mrs. Havens was born De- 
cember 10, 1 8 10, and died October i, 
1886; her mother was born January 20, 
181 I, and died May 31, 1862. Their 
children were: Hugh, who married Dinah 
Kelley, by whom he had six children; Su- 
san, who married John Kelley, and had 
two children: Mary Ellen, who married 
Henry Sheffner, who died, and for her sec- 
ond husband she married John Reed, 
who died, and she then wedded William 
Brown, who lives in Fremont, Ohio: Ben, 
who married Ellen Burkhart, and has two 
children — Charles and Coraetta; Eliza- 
beth C. , wife of our subject. 



The children of Birchard and Eliza- 
beth Havens were as follows: Clara, born 
May 30, 1868, married to Frank Kenan, 
and has two children — Armina Catharine, 
born March 7, 1890, and Edna Rose, born 
July 24, 1891 ; Hattie, born November 13, 
1 87 1, who has taught eight terms of 
school in Jackson township, and resides 
with her parents; Myrtie, born Septem- 
ber 7, 1874, who died in childhood; Delia, 
born May 10, 1876; and one that died in 
infancy. Mr. Havens and his wife are 
members of the United Brethren Church, 
toward which they are liberal contribu- 
tors. 



WILLIAM \'OGT, a prosperous 
farmer of Riley township, San- 
dusky county, was born October 
29. 1857, and is a son of Henry 
and Madeline Vogt, the former of whom 
was born in Switzerland January 31, 1 8 1 1 . 
Henry Vogt came to America in 1S37, 
and ran a large truck line. On June 20, 
1848, in Philadelphia, Penn., he was 
united in marriage with Madeline Man- 
gold, who was born in France June 20, 
1828, and they became the parents of six 
children, as follows: Henry, born Au- 
gust 4, 1850, married Mary Bauman, and 
lives in Fremont, Sandusky county; Al- 
bert, born January 13, 1853, married 
Tillie Hudson, and they have had one 
child (they live in Ballville township, 
Sandusky county); Elizabeth, born June 
3, 1855, married Frank Bartis, and they 
had three children (she died F"ebruary 21, 
1892, and was buried in Ballville town- 
ship, Sandusky county); William is the 
subject of this sketch; Frank, born De- 
cember I, i860, lives in Fremont, and 
George was born February 9, 1 864. In 
i860, after running the truck line for 
about .twenty-three years, Henry Vogt 
sold out, came west, and settled in Ohio. 
He was in business two years in Fremont, 
and in 1862 moved to Riley township, 
where he bought a farm of one hundred 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHIOAL RECORD. 



855 



acres, which cost him two thousand dol- 
lars. In 1887 he sold this farm, bought 
a property' of ninety-seven acres, and li\ed 
there until his death, which occurred Jan- 
uary I, 1882. He was school director 
for several years, was a Democrat in pol- 
itics, and a member of the German Re- 
formed Church. 

William V'ogt was united in marriage 
May 4, 1880, in Riley township, with 
Mary Livingston, who was born June 3, 
1859, and the}^ have had two children, 
namely: William A., born January 22, 
1 88 1, and Charles M., born July 22, i888. 
Mr. Vogt had the benefit of a common- 
school education. He has fifty-eight acres 
of valuable land about two miles north- 
east of Fremont, and follows general 
farming. He is a Democrat in politics, 
and attends St. John's Church. His 
grandfather Henry, who was born in 
Switzerland, married Barbara Hirt, and 
they had two children, Henry and John. 



D.\RLIN L. AMES, one of the native 
sons of Sandusky county, is a tele- 
graph operator at Clyde. His 
birth occurred in that county, on 
the 24th of June, 1858, and from the 
business college of Clyde he was gradu- 
ated in the class of 1876. He was reared 
to farming, but, not wishing to follow agri- 
cultural pursuits, he began the study of 
telegraphy in the office of the W. & L. E. 
Railway Company, in Clyde, after com- 
pleting which he became operator for that 
company, and also for the Lake Shore & 
Michigan Southern Railroad Company. 
He was ne.xt connected with the Chicago, 
Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, being 
stationed at Monticello, Iowa, and also 
served as operator in Virginia for the Nor- 
folk & Western railroad. He now makes 
his home in Clj-de, being again in the em- 
ploy of the Lake Shore & ^Iichigan South- 
ern Railroad Company, at that place. 

Mr. Ames was united in marriage with 
Miss Libbie Campbell, and their union 



has been blessed with one son, Floyd. 
Our subject is public-spirited and progres- 
sive, and there are few men more popu- 
lar among the people of this community 
than he, who has spent nearly his entire 
life in their midst. He holds membership 
with the Knights of Pythias Lodge, No. 
494, of Air Line Junction, Lucas Co., 
Ohio, and in social circles both he and his 
wife hold an enviable position. 

The father of our subject, Joel Loomis 
Ames, was born in New London county, 
Conn., July 30, 1822, and is a son of 
Martin and Eliza (Loomis) Ames, the 
former also a native of New London 
county, where he was born January 24, 
1795, and the latter's birth occurred in 
East Lyme, Conn., May 27, 1802. The 
boyhood da\'s of the grandfather were 
spent in his native State, where he was 
married, and he became the father of four 
children before coming west, in 1827, 
when he located at Auburn, Mich. There 
he made his home until 1836, when he 
came to Ohio, securing a farm in Section 
6, York township, Sandusky county, and 
there made his home until his death, 
which occurred February 6, 1856. His 
wife survived him for seven years, being 
called to her final rest October 8, 1863. 
All his life had been devoted to agricult- 
ural pursuits, and with the assistance of 
his sons, he here cleared 200 acres of 
good farming land. He formerly belonged 
to the Baptist Church, but at the time of 
his death he was a Swedenborgian. His 
wife, after his death, made her home al- 
ternately with J. L. Ames, and J. Ames, a 
son, who resides in Wood count)', Ohio, 
and there she passed away. In their 
fatnily were eight children, namely: E. 
G., who was born September 5, 1820, 
was a store-keeper of Clyde, where he 
died July 12, 1849; Joel L. is the second 
of the family; Daniel, born May 30, 1824, 
is a resident of Bowling Green, Wood 
Co., Ohio; Jonathan, born March 20, 
1826, lives in Carthage, Jasper Co., Mo.; 
George, born October 14, 1830, died July 



356 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



3, 1849; John, born July 16, 1836, died 
October 2, 1874; Eliza Ann, wife of Will- 
iam Russell, born February 28, 1840, died 
September 13, 1858; James, born Sep- 
tember 10, 1843, died June 6, 1844. 

The paternal grandfather, Elder Jona- 
than Ames, was of English ancestry, and 
spent his entire life in New London coun- 
ty, Conn., where he was a devoted mem- 
ber of the Baptist Church. His death 
occurred May 22, 1830, when he was 
sixty-two years old. His father died Oc- 
tober 27, 1 8 14, at the age of eighty-seven, 
while his mother, who died December 17, 
1819, had reached the extreme old age of 
ninety-eight years. The maternal great- 
grandfather of our subject, Hon. Joel 
Loomis, was born May 5, 1773, and was 
one of the leading and prominent men of 
New London count)', Conn. He held a 
nuinber of important offices within the 
gift of the people, including that of jus- 
tice of the peace, and judge of the county 
court, and he served as a member of the 
State Legislature. He was of English 
descent. Though he visited his grand- 
children in Sandusky county, he continued 
to make his home in New London county. 
Conn., where he died in 1867. His 
brother was the father of Professor Loomis 
of Yale College, the author of the series 
of Loomis school and text books. 

We now return to the personal his- 
tory of Joel Loomis Ames, who went to 
Michigan with his parents in 1827, and 
lived there until the spring of 1836, when 
the family moved to Ohio. Then he 
went back to Connecticut, and lived with 
an uncle until the fall of 1838, and at- 
tended school during the winter months, 
when he came to Ohio, and has lived here 
ever since. He has been twice married, 
his first union being celebrated August 6, 
1857, when Jane E. Vincent became his 
wife. To them were born three children: 
Darlin L. , whose name introduces this 
sketch; Jennie, who was born July 30, 
i860, and died October 23, 1862; and 
Angie C. , who was born May 23, 1864, 



and is the wife of H. H. Woodman, 
principal of the telegraph college, at Ober- 
lin, Ohio. The mother of this family 
departed this life June 30, 1877. On 
August 27, 1879, Mr. Ames was again 
married, this time to Miss May Bement, 
a native of Michigan, born in Jackson, in 
April, 1843, and by his marriage there is 
one daughter — Edith. The father is one 
of the wealthy and influential citizens of 
the community, and the familj- now make 
their home in their beautiful residence in 
Clyde, where they are surrounded by 
many warm friends. Mr. Ames takes an 
active interest in everything that will 
benefit the community. His uprightness, 
integrity, and public-spiritedness, have 
won him the confidence and esteem of 
his neighbors, and he is classed among 
the respected representative citizens of 
Sandusky county. 



GEORGE FREY. Among the sub- 
stantial farmers of Riley town- 
ship, Sandusky county, whose 
energy and industry contribute 
to the prosperity and growth of that 
thriving community, is George Prey. 

He was born May 12, 1866, and is a 
son of George and Mary (Martin) Frey, 
who were born, respectively, March 30, 
1821, and July 14, 1825, in Germany. 
George Frey, Sr. , who was a jeweler by 
trade, sold out his business in the old 
countr}', and emigrated to America in 
1853. Coining to Ohio, he settled in 
Riley township, and here bought twenty 
acres of land. Selling this property after 
a short time, he bought forty acres more, 
and this has been the homestead. He 
has had a family of eight children, namely: 
Sophia, born in 1846; Caroline, Fred- 
erick, Mary, Katie, Christina, Rosina, 
and George, the subject of this sketch. 
Mr. Frey is a graduate of several colleges 
in Germany, and holds the office of school 
director. He was drafted during the 
Civil war, and served nine months, and 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



35 T 



after peace was declared returned to his 
family in Riley township. 

•George Frey, the subject of this sketch, 
was reared to habits of diligence, fru- 
gality and virtue, and received a common- 
school education. He worked on the 
farm for his father until his twenty-first 
year, and then worked by the day. In 
1893 he bought forty acres of land for 
two thousand dollars, and carried on 
general farming. Mr. Frey is a Demo- 
crat in politics, and in religious affiliation 
is a member of the Lutheran Church. He 
is much respected in the community and 
has many friends. 



CYRUS HARVEY McCARTNEY, 
farmer and fruit grower of Green 
Creek township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born in Erie county, Ohio, 
June 12, 1835, of old pioneer stock. 

His parents were William and Eliza 
(Cooper) McCartney, the former of whom 
was born in Kentucky in 1789, when a 
young man coming to Sandusky City, 
Ohio, some time prior to the war of 1 8 1 2, 
when there was only one cabin on the site 
of that now flourishing city. He was the 
first settler of the place. He removed to 
Venice, Erie county, and there for six or 
seven years owned and operated the first 
saw and grist mill of the place. Selling 
it to Mr. Heywood, he bought a farm a 
half mile west of \'enice, where he died 
in 1877, aged eighty-eight years. In 
politics he was originally an Old-time 
Whig, afterward a Republican. At Mt. 
Vernon, Ohio, he had married Eliza 
Cooper, who was born in Trenton, N. J., 
of old Highland stock. The six children 
of William and Eliza McCartney were as 
follows: Katie, now Mrs. Dwelle, of 
Fremont; Charles, who died aged thirty 
years; Jessup, who died at the age of 
twenty-five 3'ears; Gertrude, wife of J. F. 
Chapman, of Erie county; Henry, of Erie 
county; and Cyrus Harvey. 

The youngest child, Cyrus Harvey 



McCartney, grew up on the farm and at- 
tended the district schools. On Decem- 
ber 25, 1859, he was married, at Castalia, 
Erie county, to Miss Margaret L. Criffen, 
who was born December 23, 1836, in 
Groton township, Erie county, daughter 
of Charles B. and Lovina (Vandercook) 
Criffen. Charles Criffen was an extensive 
landowner near Bellevue. His wife Lo- 
vina Vandercook was born in Troy, N. Y., 
February 15, 1807, came to Ohio when 
about nineteen years old, and died in 
Groton township, Erie county, aged sixty- 
two years. 

After his marriage Mr. McCartney 
settled on the old McCartney farm near 
Venice, Erie county. He engaged in stock- 
raising and farming until 1 877, when he pur- 
chased and moved to a farm of sixty-eight 
and a half acres in Green Creek township, 
Sandusky county. He has lived here ever 
since, except two years spent in ' ' Egypt, " 
111. Mr. and Mrs. McCartney have had' 
seven children, as -follows: Gertrude 
C, born November 8, i860, now the wife 
of Thomas Bubler; Bell, born February 
26, 1862, married to Dr. L. U. Howard; 
George D., born December 19, 1866; 
Eliza L. , born February 16, 1873, died 
February 5, 1874; Florence May, bora 
August 6, 1875; Maude C. , born June 12, 
1877; Harvey Jessup, born August 17, 
1879. In politics Mr. McCartney is a 
pronounced Republican. 



WILLIAM H. WHITEHEAD, a 
young, well-educated, enterpris- 
ing and successful farmer of 
Riley township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born on the 29th day of August, 
1868, and is a son of Joseph and Laura 
(George) \\'hitehead. 

Joseph Whitehead, Sr. , was born in 
England in 181 1. In 1833 he was united 
in marriage with Matilda Albon, who was 
born in 18 14, a daughter of John Albon, 
who came to the United States in 1833, 
the year of his daughter's marriage, and' 



358 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPUICAL RECORD. 



located in Erie county, Ohio. Mr. White- 
head, his son-in-law, a baker by trade, 
received such glowing accounts of the 
natural wealth and resources of this great 
land that he decided to leave Britannia's 
shores and make a home on this side of 
the billowy Atlantic. So he set out with 
his family in 1S51, landed at Quebec, and 
came on from there to Sandusky, San- 
dusky Co. , Ohio, part of the way by boat, 
but from Niagara to Chippewa on horse- 
back, reaching Sandusk}- June 15, 185 1. 
The same year Mr. Whitehead bought 1 20 
acres of land, on which his son, Thomas 
C. , now resides. Mrs. Whitehead de- 
parted this life in the fall of 1864, and 
Mr. Whitehead on February 10, 1892. 

Joseph Whitehead, Jr., the father of 
our subject, received only a limited edu- 
cation in his native land, and it was not 
augmented by schooling after reaching 
the United States. At the age of fifteen 
he accompanied his parents to America, 
and he has been a. resident of Townsend 
township ever since. He served as a 
"hundred-day man" in the Civil war 
from May 2, 1864, until September 5, 
when he was discharged. On June 12, 
1865, Mr. Whitehead married Laura 
George, who was born August 5, 1843, 
and they have had four children, as fol- 
lows: William H., born August 29, 1868, 
married Mary Howe, of Norwalk, Huron 
county, November 26, 1891; John T. , 
born January 11, 1871; Bessie R., born 
in 1875, married Oscar Longanbach, on 
February 22, 1894; and Ross D. , born 
September 28, 1878. The father of Mrs. 
Whitehead, Joseph George, formerly re- 
sided in Townsend township, but removed 
to Clyde, Green Creek township, San- 
dusky county, where both he and his wife 
were laid to rest. 

William H. Whitehead was carefully 
reared by his kind and devoted parents, 
received fair advantages for an education, 
which he diligently improved, worked on 
his father's farm and taught school during 
the winter of 1890, for a term of five 



months. He then went to Cleveland, 
Ohio, and remained a year, employed as 
a street-car conductor, and thence to 
Norwalk, Huron county, Ohio, where he 
was united in marriage with Mary Howe, 
on November 26, 1891. There is one 
child by their marriage, Estella May, 
born December 27, 1894. Mr. and Mrs. 
Whitehead are members of the Methodist 
Church, and he is a Republican in poli- 
tics. He is a man of sterling qualities, a 
kind husband, a dutiful son devoted to 
his aged parents, and well-liked and 
highly respected in the community. 



JOSEPH R. CLARK (deceased). 
Among the pioneers of Sandusky 
county, who by force of character 
made themselves felt in the commu- 
nity in which they lived, was Joseph R. 
Clark, of Riley township. 

Mr. Clark was born in Fayette county, 
Penn., January 27, 1806. On March 
24, 1833, he was married to Miss Emilie 
Welsh, of Washington county, Penn., 
and he and his wife migrated to Knox 
county, Ohio, in September, 1836. In 
1848 they removed to Sandusky county, 
and here remained until 1863, when they 
took up their residence in Clay county, 
111. After living there three jears thej' 
returned to Riley township, Sandusky 
county, where Mr. Clark departed this 
life, February 6, 1892, his wife preceding 
him November 26, 1885. Mr. Clark was 
of Irish descent, his father having been 
born February 14, 1762, in the Emerald 
Isle; he died September 12, 1831. His 
wife, Elizabeth (Ross), was born January 
18, 1769, and died January 6, 1840. 
They were the parents of nine children, 
all now deceased. 

Mr. Clark was a man of more than 
ordinary ability, and he made his influ- 
ence for good felt throughout the com- 
munity. He possessed a wonderful mem- 
ory, great discretion and shrewd judg- 
ment, and on account of these prominent 




o/u^jJl 'jfSic^i'k 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOUAPniCAL RECORD. 



359 



traits of character was very frequently 
found on the jury when important cases 
were to be tried. His clear mind and 
impartial \erdict were so hif,'hly appreci- 
ated by all who knew him that when he 
was chosen as a juror neither attorney 
objected to his sitting. He was for 
many years justice of the peace in Riley 
township. A sentence sometimes speaks 
volumes. One of Mr. Clark's contempor- 
aries says of him: " You need not fear 
that you will over-estimate the man in 
writing his sketch." To Mr. and Mrs. 
Joseph R. Clark came twelve children, 
ten of whom are mentioned as follows: 
William W. , Mrs. Cleaver, John and 
Rebecca (both deceased in infancy), 
Leander, Joseph (who died at the age of 
nine years), Lucretia (deceased in in- 
fancy), Sarah Ann, James and Clara. Of 
those yet living, Leander, who was born 
June 5, 1839, is unmarried (he served 
four years during the war of the Rebellion 
as a member of Company F, Seventy- 
second O. V. I.); William W. , born 
March 13, 1834, married Sarah M. Bell, 
February 22, 1862, and to them five 
children were born, four of whom are 
now living — Mrs. Jesse Stevens (of Fos- 
toria), Mrs. Jennie Hyter (of Bradner), 
William E. (who resides in Indiana), and 
May (who resides in Fostoria). William 
W. Clark is now extensively engaged in 
the oil business; he makes his home with 
his daughter, Mrs. Stevens, of Fostoria, 
his wife having died some years ago. 

Mrs. Joseph R. Clark was the daughter 
of William and Rebecca (Budd) Welsh, 
the former of whom was born about i J J i 
and died in 1S33; the latter was born 
about 1778. To them were born eleven 
children, three of whom are now living. 



WH. K. G05SARD, one of San- 
duskj- county's representative 
self-made men, is the son of 
Alvin P. and Mary (Cooley) 
Gossard. and was born September 8, 1839, 

23 



in Scott township, Sandusky county. His 
education was acquired at the Ohio Wes- 
leyan University, and, although the ordi- 
nary advantages for literary pursuits at that 
time were meager, Mr. Gossard obtained 
a liberal training, and for several years 
was one of the foremost teachers in San- 
dusky county. 

On March 31, 1864, our subject was 
united in marriage with Lucinda Hollo- 
peter, of Seneca county, and soon after- 
ward settled upon eighty acres of wild 
land in Scott township, on which were no 
buildings. Here began the struggle with 
the forest from which he determined to 
secure a home; success has crowned the 
efforts of himself and wife, and to-day 
Mr. Gossard has the original purchase un- 
der high cultivation, with excellent build- 
ings and orchards, and to this property he 
has added another farm the same size. 
To him and his first wife were born three 
children: Mary O., born January 10, 
1865, who married C. P. Aubert, at that 
time of Columbus, Ohio, now of Wash- 
ington State, and she is the mother of 
three children — Claudius, Thalia and 
Mabel (Mr. Aubert is superintendent of 
Port Townsend (Wash.) public schools; 
for five years prior to her marriage she 
was teacher in the public schools of San- 
dusky and Wood counties); W^illiam Ar- 
thur, born January 30, 1 866, who married 
Miss Clara Shale (he was also a teacher); 
and Myrtle R., born October 29, 1871, 
who like her father, brother and older sis- 
ter, is a teacher, having been engaged in 
the profession for the past six years. The 
mother of these children was born August 
23, 1843, and was for a number of years 
a teacher; she died June 2, 1873, and 
was buried in the Metzger cemetery, and 
on April 23, 1879, Mr. Gossard was mar- 
ried to Miss Helen M. Canfield, of Wood 
county, who was born September 26, 
1850. She completed her education in 
Saginaw, Mich., where she was graduated 
in 1 87 I, and was also a teacher for twelve 
years, holding some very fine positions, 



360 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



among others teaching in the Woodville, 
Genoa and Bowling Green high schools. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Gossard have been born 
three children: Florence A., December 
14, 1882; Harry C.. March 13, i884;and 
Hellen Gladys, October 12, 1890. Silas 
Sprague Canfield, father of Mrs. Gossard, 
was born March 13, 1824. in Hamburg, 
N. Y. The history of the Canfield family, 
through the researches of Prof. Averill B. 
Canfield, has been traced back to 1350, 
when James De Philo, a French Huguenot 
of Normand}', France, emigrated to Eng- 
land and became a loyal subject of the 
Crown. In course of time the name was 
shortened and Anglicized into Cam. Philo, 
then Camptield, Camfield, and Canfield. 
From this line came Anion Canfield, who 
was the great-grandfather of S. S. Can- 
field. Silas S. Canfield's mother was 
Phcebe Uart. Mrs. Gossard's mother, 
Matilda Adaline Wetherell, was born at 
South Barre, Orleans Co., N. Y. . and 
died February 10, 1885. 

Mr. Gossard's father, AlvinP. Gossard, 
was born June 6, 1808, in Ross count}-, 
Ohio, and when a young man came to 
Scott township, Sandusky county, where 
he purchased a farm. Philip Gossard, his 
father, was born in America about 1777, 
of German parentage, and married a Ken- 
tucky lady, a Miss Plummer, who was 
born about 1779. In 1835 Alvin P. Gos- 
sard was married to Miss Mary Cooley, of 
Sandusky count}', and they settled on the 
farm which A. R. Gossard has purchased, 
and began a life which was prosperous in 
every way. Mr. Gossard was a great 
stockman, a shrewd dealer, and in that 
business made a great deal of money. For 
a long time he turned off one hundred 
head or more of cattle each year, which 
he had fattened, besides the large number 
purchased and shipped directly. By care- 
ful attention to his business he added to 
the small farm he had originally purchased 
until he at one time owned 800 acres, 
which he paid for mainly from his stock 
business. He was the father of eight 



children, si.\ of whom are now living: W. 
H. K. ; P. J. ; A. R. ; Mary, now Mrs. Mc- 
Ewen, of Wood county; Ann, now Mrs. 
Sidel, of Fulton county; and Mrs. Inman. 
The two deceased are Charles and Ed- 
mund. Mr. Gossard died May 6, 1887, 
and was buried in Metzger cemetery; his 
wife was born March i, 18 10, in Canada, 
daughter of Peleg Cooley, who built the 
first frame house in Fremont, Ohio. Peleg 
Cooley's grandmother was stolen from 
Wales when a little child and brought to 
New York, where she was sold for enough 
to pay her passage, $18; she was so young 
she did not remember her father's last 
name, but simply knew that they called 
him "John." When in the hands of her 
captors, on the boat, she heard her father's 
voice on board the vessel, but dared not 
speak. 



JOSEPH M. BUCHMAN, carpenter, 
of Fremont, Sandusk\- county, son 
of Godfrey F. and Magdalena Buch- 
man, was born at F"remont, Ohio, 
October 3, 1873. He spent his youth in 
his native city, assisting his father in a 
store, and attending the parochial school 
of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, under 
the precepiorship of Rev. S. Bauer, D. 
D. ; he graduated from St. Joseph's High 
School in 1890, and afterward took a 
course in a business college. 

With a view to preparing himself for 
the occupation of contractor and builder, 
he next served an apprenticeship at the 
carpenter trade, under the instruction of 
Christian \'ollmer, until March, 1894, 
since which time he has worked with 
various other parties. He assisted in the 
\ building of the celebrated Hochenedel 
' Block, on Croghan street, Fremont, the 
Lutheran Church at Gibsonburg, and 
other buildings of note elsewhere. He is 
a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 
of the Young Men's Society of the B. V. 
M., and of the Catholic Knights of Ohio, 
Branch No. 8, and Uniformed Comman- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPBICAL RECORD. 



361 



dery No. 2. By his habits of industry 
and thrift, strict attention to business, and 
fair dealing with his fellow men, Mr. 
Buchman has laid the foundation of a 
successful business career. 



ANTHONY C. NUHFER was born 
January i6, 1835, and is a son of 
Nicholas and Elizabeth (Creek) 
Nuhfer, born, the father on June 
2, 1814, in Baiern, Germany, and the 
mother on March 28, 18 10. 

Nicholas Nuhfer and Elizabeth Creek 
were united in marriage in 1834, and be- 
came the parents of seven children. They 
came to America in the year of their mar- 
riage, and located in Buffalo, N. Y. , where 
they remained a short time. They then 
removed to Ohio, where he worked on the 
Maumee and Western Reserve pike for 
two years; later bought twenty-five acres 
of land, which he kept a short time and 
then traded it for forty acres of timber 
land, put up a two-story house, and 
cleared the larger part of the land. In 
1845 Mr. Nuhfer commenced to preach, 
and this work he followed until his death; 
he preached three years in Cleveland, 
Ohio, and three years in Detroit, Mich., 
and was elder for eight years. He died 
January 31, 1888, at the age of seventy- 
four years and some months, and his 
widow January 18, 1891, at the age of 
eighty-one years; they were both buried 
in W'oodville township, Sandusky county. 
Anthony C. Nuhfer left home at tfie 
age of eleven years, went to work for his 
uncle a couple of years, and then went to 
school one year. Afterward he learned 
the shoemaker's trade, which he followed 
for twenty years. He worked at Dela- 
ware, Ohio, and at Carrington, Ohio, 
until his twenty-third year, when, on No- 
vember 22, 1858, he was united in mar- 
riage with Sophia Whipking, who was 
born August 28, 1837, in Toledo, Ohio. 
They have become the parents of two 
children, as follows: Helen E., born May 



3, 1 86 1, married George Walter, by whom 
she had two children — Frank and Carl, 
and they live in Woodville township; and 
George A., now a farmer in Woodville 
township, born June 29, 1864, and united 
in marriage May 8, 1891, in Fremont, 
Ohio, with Emma Meford, born January 
16, 1866, by whom he has had one child, 
Clarence, born February 19, 1892. 

After his marriage Anthony C. Nuhfer 
settled in Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, lived there for some time, then 
traded his property with his father for the 
farm upon which he now lives. He leased 
his farm to an oil company, and they put 
down three wells, all of which have a good 
flow. He carries on general farming. 
Mr. Nuhfer has been a member of the 
German Methodist Episcopal Church 
since 1854. He has always voted the 
Republican ticket, is widely and favorably 
known, and is well liked in the community. 



JOHN HOUTZ, a prominent and well- 
to-do agriculturist of Washington 
township, Sandusky count)', whose 
farm is situated within one mile of 
the town of Helena, is a native of the 
county, born October 7, 1855, in the 
town of Rollersville, third in the order of 
birth of five children born to John and 
Elizabeth (Boyer) Houtz. 

John Houtz, Sr. , father of our sub- 
ject, was one of the oldest settlers of San- 
dusky county; was a Pennsylvanian by 
birth, born in 1801 and in 1808 moved to 
Ohio, settling in Sandusky county, the 
Indians at the time being friendly neigh- 
bors. He was twice married, the first 
time to Katharina Houtz, who died leav- 
ing one child, Mar\' Ellen Phiester, at 
present living in Wood count}". Ohio. 
His second wife, Elizabeth (Boyerj, be- 
came the mother of five children, name- 
ly: Cornelius, a farmer, living near Rol- 
lersville, Sandusky Co. ; Zacharias, farm- 
er, near his brother Cornelius, both own- 
ing a goodlj' number of acres of prime 



362 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



land; John, subject of sketch; Elizabeth, 
who died in 1893 (she was the wife of 
Mr. George Tyson, who is now Hving in 
Wood county, Ohio); and Sarah, wife of 
Levi Tyson, a farmer near Koilersville, 
Ohio (they have two children). The 
father of this family died in Februarj', 
1880, at the age of seventy-nine years; 
the mother passed away when the subject 
of this sketch was but a young lad, and he 
does not remember much regarding her. 

John Houtx, of whom this sketch more 
particularly relates, received a liberal edu- 
cation at the winter schools of his native 
place, from early boyhood assisting his 
father on the farm, until the time of his 
marriage. In 1880 he purchased the 
ninety-two acres of land whereon he now 
lives, and has by industry, thrift and sound 
judgment made a success, living and toil- 
ing on with the bright prospect before him 
of adding to his possessions. 

Mr. Houtz was married February i 1 , 
1875, to Miss Mary Anna Baird, daughter 
of John S. Baird, a farmer of Sandusky 
county, Ohio, and five children have 
blessed this union, their names and dates 
of birth being as follows: Elsie, March 
27, 1877; Gary, July 4, 1882; Stella, Sep- 
tember 22, 1884; Mabel, August 10, 18S7, 
and Grace, July 13, 1889. In religious 
faith Mr. and Mrs. Houtz are members of 
the United Brethren Church. He has on 
his farm twelve good oil wells, and the 
property being one of the best oil stands 
in Sandusky county, he hopes before the 
close of the year to discover as many more 
wells. Wide-awake, progressive and 
genial, Mr. Houtz has insured for himself 
a personal popularity that in itself is a 
fair capital for any man traveling the 
earlier portion of life's highway. 



GEORGE W. WIRES, a retired 
fruit-grower, and the oldest liv- 
ing settler of North Bass Island, 
if not of Ottawa county, was 
born in Orangeville, Genesee Co., N. Y., 



October 5, 1809, son of Solomon and 
Susanna (Beals) Wires, who were both 
born in Northampton, Mass., and were 
of Welsh ancestry. They came to Ohio 
about 1 8 19, locating in Leroy township, 
which is now in Lake county, and after a 
residence there of about a year removed 
to the adjoining township of Painesville. 

When about ten years old George W. 
Wires came with his parents to Leroy 
township, and afterward accompanied 
them to Painesville, where he received 
such limited educational advantages as 
were afforded the youth of those days in 
the old primitive log schoolhouse. In 
early life he was bound out to learn the 
carpenter's trade; but not taking a fancy 
to the man to whom he was apprenticed 
he ran away, and hired out as a farm 
hand with a man named Charles C. 
Payne, with whom he remained eight 
years. At the expiration of that time he 
followed a sea-faring life for about five 
years, and afterward engaged in various 
occupations until 1838, when he removed 
to Kelle3''s Island, Erie county, where he 
resided four j'ears. He was ne.xt engaged 
in steamboating. on the Mississippi river 
for about two years, after which he re- 
turned to Kelley's Island, and after re- 
siding there about four years lived one 
winter on Point Pelee Island, Canada, in 
1849 removing to North Bass Island, 
which has been the home of the family 
for forty-five years. 

On May 16, 1843, George ^^■. Wires 
was united in marriage, on Kelley's 
Island, with Susan Fox, who was born 
in Essex county, Canada, March 12, 
1820, and they have had ten children, as 
follows: Charles C, born June 11, 1845, 
a farmer residing on Pelee Island; Mary 
Jane, born October 6, 1846, died August 
7, 1863; Adeline A., born Septembers, 
1848, widow of James Cummings, resid- 
ing on Pelee Island; Lavina Ellen, born 
September 30, 1850, the wife of George 
Hallock, residing on North Bass Island; 
William Tell, born November 30, 1852, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



363 



residing on Pelee Island; Simon Peter, 
born September 12, 1854, is superinten- 
dent of a fish hatchery at Duluth, Minn. ; 
George Washington, Jr., born December 
9, 1856, residing on North Bass Island; 
Olive Lenora, born April 22, 1859; An- 
drew Jackson, born March 16, 1861; 
and Elsa Rosella, born April 17, 1863. 
The parents of Mrs. George W. Wires 
were John and Rachel (Stewart) Fox. 
Mr. Wires attained his majority during 
the first administration of President Jack- 
son, and in his political preferences was 
formerly a W^hig, but has been a stanch 
Republican for many years. 



CHARLES E. BAKER, M. D , a 
prominent and popular physician 
of Genoa, Ottawa county, is 
numbered among Ohio's native 
sons, his birth having occurred in Fair- 
field county May 27, 1857. His parents, 
Richard H. and Lucinda (Baker) Baker, 
were also natives of that county, the for- 
mer born in April, 1832, the latter on 
January 2, 1831. They still reside there, 
honored and respected, the father being 
numbered among the esteemed and lead- 
ing agriculturists of the community. For 
many years he has efficiently filled the 
office of township trustee, and other local 
positions within the gift of the people, 
and in all has discharged his duties with 
a commendable promptness and fidelity. 
The family numbers but two children: 
Charles E., subject of this sketch; and 
Eva M., widow of George Turner, of 
Fairfield county, Ohio. The great-grand- 
father, Peter Baker, a native of Mary- 
land, became one of the honored pioneers 
of Fairfield county, where he located 
about the year 1799. 

Dr. Baker acquired his rudimentary 
education in the district schools of his na- 
tive township, and then attended the 
Fairfield Union Academy, from which he 
was graduated in June, 1877. For about 
three years thereafter he successfully en- 



gaged in teaching school in Fairfield 
county, after which he took up the study 
I of medicine under the preceptorship of 
Dr. H. C. Baker, of New Salem, Ohio. 
He further fitted himself for his chosen 
calling by prosecuting his studies in the 
Columbus Medical College, from which 
he was graduated with honor in March, 
1 88 1. A few months afterward he re- 
moved to Toledo, where he was con- 
nected with the Hospital for the Insane 
for a period of two and a half years. 
This added practical experience to his 
thorough knowledge of the science of 
medicine, and made him a skilled phy- 
sician. In 1884 he came to Genoa, 
where for a period of more than eleven 
years he has continuously practiced, be- 
ing the second oldest physician in the 
place. By his skill and ability he has 
succeeded in building up a large and rap- 
idl}' increasing business, to which merit 
well entitles him. 

The Doctor was married in Genoa, 
May 17, 1894, to Mary M. Humlong, 
and their union has been blessed with one 
child, George Lee, born August 17, 1895. 
Mrs. Baker was born January 9, 1864, 
in Marshall county, Iowa, received her 
early education in Genoa, graduating 
from the high school in 1880, and subse- 
quently attended Berea College, here 
completing her literary training, after 
which she was for several years a teacher 
in the public schools of Genoa. Her 
parents, William and Emma Humlong, 
prominent citizens and early settlers of 
Clay township, Ottawa county, were na- 
tives, respectively, of Kentucky and Pre- 
ble county, Ohio, both born in 1836, the 
father on May i 5, the mother on Septem- 
ber 6. W'illiam Humlong took a two- 
years' course in Oberlin College, and was 
for some years a teacher in Sandusky 
county. About 1856 he wedded Miss 
Emma Swann, and they became the par- 
ents of four children — John, Ernest, 
Eugene C. (deceased) and Marj' M. (Mrs. 
Baker). Mr. and Mrs. Humlong settled 



364 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



in Genoa. Ottawa county, about the 3"ear 
1 860. He served three j'ears in the war 
of the Rebelhon, and was first lieutenant 
of Company E, Twelfth Regiment, Ohio 
Volunteer Cavalry. John Humlong 
(grandfather of Mrs. Baker) was born in 
1802 in Kentucky, but was obliged to 
leave his native State' on account of his 
politics, he being an Abolitionist. He 
married Mar\' A. Hollis, who was born 
December 21, 181 2, in Kentucky, and 
they became the parents of nine children. 
Robert and Margaret (Crume) Swann, 
maternal grandparents of Mrs. Baker, 
were born in 1796 and 1800, respectively, 
and were married in 18 16. Seven chil- 
dren were born to them. After Mr. 
Swann's death Mrs. Swann for her sec- 
ond husband married Judge Gregg, of In- 
diana. 

The Doctor and his wife attend the 
Presbyterian Church, and occupy a prom- 
inent position in social circles. His po- 
litical views are in accord with the prin- 
ciples of the Democratic party. He is 
one of the most popular gentlemen in 
Genoa, and his name is a household word 
in the homes throughout his section of 
the county. His genial manner and 
kindness have won for him hosts of 
friends among all classes of people. He 
is indefatigable in his attention to those 
that are placed under his professional 
care, and has won golden opinions from 
friends and patrons, ranking deservedly 
high among his professional brethren. 



HUBBARD M. CLEMONS is a 
representative of one of the early 
families of Ottawa county, and 
was born in Danbury township, 
March 22, 1848. 

A pretty complete history of the 
Clemons family was written by Alexander 
demons (deceased), of Marblehead, Feb- 
ruary, 20, 1874, and embodies the facts 
which were related to him by his father. 
" While on their way to school on the 



Island of Guernsey, two little boys, Isaac 
and Jacob Clemons, were stolen and 
placed on board a British man-of-war and 
brought to this country, being landed at 
Salem, Mass., probably earl}' in the 
eighteenth century. Isaac afterward lo- 
cated in the State of Maine, and Jacob 
in Canada. The former had two sons, 
Edward and John, and Edward became 
the father of four sons, who were named 
Jock, Samuel, Jabez and Frank. These 
four brothers removed to Madison, Madi- 
son Co., N. Y. , in 1795. Jock had born 
to him three sons and three daughters: 
Samuel, one son and two daughters; Ja- 
bez, two sons and three daughters; and 
Frank, three daughters. Samuel re- 
moved to Fredonia, N. Y. David, a son 
of Jabez, is, I believe, the father of Sam- 
uel L. Clemens, better known b\' the iioin 
dc plume oi "Mark Twain." John, the 
brother of Edward, had born to him three 
sons and three daughters, named re- 
spectively, John, Jonathan, Eli, Ruth, Han- 
nah and Eunice. John married Mary Mc- 
Lallan, of Gorham, Maine, and there 
were born to this union ten children, 
named: Carry, Andrew, Alexander, John, 
Eunice, Ai, Elijah, Nancy, Samuel and 
William. Ruth, a sister of John, married 
Col. Charles Wadsworth, a son of Gen. 
Pcleg Wadsworth, of Revolutionary war 
fame, and uncle of Henry Wadsworth 
Longfellow. Hannah married William 
Cotton. Of Eunice I remember nothing. 
Alexander, son of John, was mar- 
ried to Angeline Hollister, February 11, 
1824, and to their union were born four- 
teen children, as follows: Winslow, 
Mile, William .Alexander, Phineas Harri- 
son, Sarah, Frances, Myron Elijah, 
Albert Alonzo, Lucian 



Newton, Lucia Louisa, 
mer, Ai J., and a babe 



Monroe, Lester 
Hubbard Morti- 
unnamed. The 



mother of John and grandmother of Alex- 
ander was Abigail Wetherbee, who lived 
to be one hundred and four years old, and 
left one hundred and sixty-four descend- 
ants. The following is the record of births 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



365 



and deaths in Alexander demons' family: 
Alexander demons was born in Hiram, 
Maine, February 1 1, 1794, and died March 
12, 1886, in Marblehead, Danbury town- 
ship, Ottawa count)'. He wedded Almira 
Angcline HoUister, who was born in 
Glastonbury. Conn., April 5, 1806, and 
died at Marblehead, March 24, 1861. 
Their marriage was celebrated near San- 
dusky, Ohio, February 11, 1824, and 
they became the parents of the following 
children: Winslovv, who was born in 
Sandusky, December 29, 1824; Milo, who 
was born April 26, 1827, and died March 
6, 1888; \\'illiam Alexander, born Decem- 
ber 16, 1829; Phineas Harrison, born 
February 16, 1832; Sarah, born March 4, 
1834; Frances, born April 6, 1836; Myron 
Elijah, born February 25, 1838; Albert 
Alonzo, born April 9, 1840; Lucian Mon- 
roe, born November 28, 1841; Lester 
Newton, who was born in 1843, and died 
March 5, 1846; Lucia Louisa, who was 
born in December, 1844, and died No- 
vember 20, 1849; Hubbard Mortimer, 
born March 22, 1848; Ai J., born June 
17, 1850; and there was also one child 
that died in infancy." 

The gentleman whose name com- 
mences this review was reared to man- 
hood on the old homestead, and acquired 
his education in the district schools and 
in the high school of Sandusky City. He 
afterward engaged in stone quarrying, and 
subsequently became a member of the 
firm of demons Sons, operating a quarry 
until 1 89 1. In January of that year he 
began dealing in coal, wood and ice in 
Marblehead, and is now doing a good 
business, having a large and constantly 
increasing trade. He has always resided 
in this locality, and is numbered among 
the representative business men. 

Mr. demons was married in Sandusky 
City, January 23. 1873, to Miss Almira 
L. , who was born near Troy, N. Y., Jan- 
uary 9, 1843, daughter of George J. and 
Margaret (Hogal) Le Vake, the former a 
native of Vermont, the latter of New 



York. To this union have been born six 
children: Flora B., November 15, 1873; 
Lucy A., July 1 1, 1875; Clara Pearl, De- 
cember 22. 1877; Ralph M., May 17, 
1879; Eunice N., July 17, 1882, and 
Jessie Mabel, August 10, 1885. 

Mr. demons is a very prominent and 
influential citizen of his native county, 
and is now efficiently serving as mayor of 
Marblehead. He has also served as jus- 
tice of the peace, and for seventeen years 
has been a member of the board of edu- 
cation. His political support is given 
the Republican party, and socially he is 
connected with Peninsula Lodge, No. 607, 
Iv. of P., of Lakeside, Ohio. The family 
attend the Methodist and Congregational 
Churches, Mr. demons holding member- 
ship with the former. He is one of the 
successful business men of the county, 
and the chief element of his prosperity 
has been close application to business, 
coupled with executive ability and fore- 
sight. He furnishes a striking example 
of what may be accomplished b}' honora- 
ble dealing, careful and wise management, 
and by a business policy that commands 
the respect of all. He has thus succeeded 
in attaining an enviable position in the 
regard of the public, and his prominence 
is well deserved. A pleasant and genial 
gentleman, unassuming in manner, he 
commands the highest esteem of all with 
whom he has been brought in contact. 
He is a close observer of men and affairs, 
and is well-informed on all public ques- 
tions. 



HARLEY HOLLISTEK EL- 
WELL. The subject of this brief 
biographical sketch stands prom- 
inent among the most successful 
and influential fruit-growers of Ottawa 
count)'. 

He is a native of the Empire State, 
born at Meridian, Ca_\uga count)', Novem- 
ber 14, 1818. Spending his childhood 
among the picturesque hills and valleys. 



3C.G 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



lakes and streams of that beautiful coun- 
try, where, at that time, the " Red Man " 
was not an infrequent visitor at the rural 
homes as he wandered from his tribe, as 
thouf(h reluctant to yield this paradise to 
the white usurper. Mr. Elwell's father 
was a New Englander, born in Vermont, 
where his early years were passed. His 
mother, Mary (Acker) Elwell, was reared 
in the Mohawk Valley, as were her par- 
ents, who were of Holland ancestry. Mrs. 
Elwell's rare gifts of character were sup- 
plemented by the practical qualifications 
of that sturdy people, and admirably 
fitted her for the trials and duties of pio- 
neer life. From this excellent mother, 
whose early death was an irreparable loss 
to her family and to society, Mr. Elwell 
inherited much of the integrit}', firmness 
and decision, which has characterized his 
course through life. 

In 1835 he accompanied his father to 
Lapeer, Mich., where he remained un- 
til 1838 when he came to Ohio, locating 
at Plasterbed, Ottawa county, where he 
was engaged for a short time. He then 
bought and occupied a farm in Sandusky 
county, and at length settled in Sandusky 
City, where he lived over thirtj' years, 
serving as engineer and conductor for dif- 
ferent railroad companies. In 1864 he 
was injured in a railroad collision, and 
unfitted for the business. In the follow- 
ing year he located in Danbury, Ottawa 
county, where he now resides. In 1840 
Mr. Elwell was united in marriage with 
Miss Alice Lachlison, who was born in 
England, April 30, 1820, and died August 
9, 1 849. The surviving children of this 
union are Annjemmetta Louise, widow of 
the late Fletcher Hartshorn, and Abner 
H. Elwell. The year 1853 was again 
the nuptial year with Mr. Elwell, when, 
in the land of his nativity, at the home 
of E. H. Burnham, Esq., he was married 
to Miss J. A. Burnham. Of this paren- 
tage there are two surviving children: 
Alice Jennie, now Mrs. T. W. Payne, and 
Burton H. Elwell. 



Politically, Mr. Elwell has always 
been a Republican, unswerving m his sup- 
port of the cause which that party has 
espoused. He is one of those men to 
whom the term "selfmade" is appro- 
priately applied. Though lacking the ad- 
vantages of college education, he has ob- 
tained much of that most valuable infor- 
mation which comes from observation, 
experience, and general reading of books 
and current events, and has made for 
himself a character and reputation that 
places him in the highest regard of those 
who know him best. He is a man of in- 
fluence, whose good citizenship has never 
been questioned, and his name deserves 
an honored place in the history of his 
adopted countrj'. 

GEORGE W. GRANT is a repre- 
sentative agriculturist of \\'ash- 
ington township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, of which he is a native, his 
birth having occured on the old home farm 
on September 2t, 1832. 

David and Rebecca (Rabe) Grant, his 
parents, were among the earliest settlers 
in this section of Ohio, coming here when 
much of the land was still in its primitive 
condition, and when the work of progress 
and civilization seemed scarcely begun. 
They located upon a 160-acre tract of 
land just two miles east of where our 
subject now resides, and the first elec- 
tion held in Washington township was 
held b}' David Grant, John Berie and 
James Rose, the}' being the only voters 
present in the township, as the record, 
which is to be found in the town of Lind- 
sey, Sandusky county, shows. David 
Grant gave the township its name, calling 
it after Washington county, Penn., his 
old home. Mrs. Grant died when our 
subject was quite young, David Grant 
passing away not many years afterward, 
and all record of the ancestry of the 
family was lost. 

Our subject remained under the pa- 




'f^^^?-^^^^ ^'y^A^i^yr^-i^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



367 



rental roof until he had attained his ma- 
jority, giving his father the benefit of his 
services. He then started out in life for 
himself, and whatever success he has 
achieved is due entirely to his own efforts. 
He was employed in the neighborhood, 
scorning no work that would yield him an 
honest dollar, and thus through industry 
and prudence he accumulated enough to 
purchase a farm. He invested his capital 
in 104 acres of choice land, the place 
upon which he now resides, and beginning 
its cultivation at once he has to-day a 
farm improved with all modern acces- 
sories and conveniences, and the richly 
developed fields indicate the supervision 
of a progressive and painstaking owner. 
He also owns property in Gibsonburg, 
Sandusky county. In 1889 he leased his 
farm to the Ohio Oil Company, and four 
wells were put down, yielding about fifty 
barrels per day, Mr. Grant receiving one- 
eighth royalty and a bonus of one dollar 
per acre. He has also been quite exten- 
sively engaged in the stock business. 

In i860 Mr. Grant was united in 
marriage with Miss Mahala Moses, who 
was born in 1844, daughter of Jacob and 
Catherine (Hess) Moses, and to them 
have been born nine children, as follows; 
(i) Silvanus W. , who for twelve j'ears 
was superintendent of the Lindsey and 
Woodville public schools, and now re- 
sides at Tiffin, Ohio, where he is engaged 
in the mercantile business; he married 
Dora Cummings, by whom he has one 
child. (2) Minnie Mowry, who was a 
teacher, is deceased. (3) Frank follows 
farming in the State of Michigan. (4) 
Jacob is employed by the Ohio Oil Com- 
pany. (5) Estella, who for several years 
was successfully engaged in teaching, is 
married to Charles Doty, a contractor 
and driller of oil wells, of Oil City, Penn. 
(6; Myrtia is an oil operator. (7) Maud (a 
teacher; and (8) Elgie are still under the 
parental roof. (9) Herald is deceased. 

Mr. and Mrs. Grant hold membership 
with the United Brethren Church, and 



their honorable, upright life is well 
worthy of emulation. By his ballot Mr. 
Grant supports the men and measures of 
the Republican party, is a stanch advo- 
cate of its principles, and on that ticket 
he has been elected to several township 
offices, discharging his duties with prompt- 
ness and fidelity. He has always lived 
in the county of his nativity, and those 
who have known him from boyhood are 
numbered among his stanchest friends, 
a fact which indicates a well-spent life. 

JOHN H. MILLER (deceased), who 
was recognized as one of the repre- 
sentative and leading citizens of Ot- 
tawa county, was the eldest son of 
Claus and Catherine (Buck) Miller, and 
was born in New York City, on the i ith 
of March, 1S51. 

During his early childhood he was 
brought by his parents to the West, the 
family locating in Danbury township, Ot- 
tawa county, where he acquired his edu- 
cation, his privileges being those afforded 
by the common schools. Farm labor was 
familiar to him from his early youth. He 
aided in the cultivation of the home farm 
during his boyhood, and when he began 
life for himself it was as an agriculturist. 
Afterward he turned his attention to fruit 
growing in connection with his other work, 
and became one of the leading farmers 
and horticulturists of his adopted county. 
He managed his business affairs on sys- 
tematic principles, and as the result of his 
well-directed efforts acquired a handsome 
competence. 

Mr. Miller was married on the 20th of 
December, 1877, the lady of his choice 
being Miss Anna M. S. Brauer, a daugh- 
ter of John H. and Louisa (Lenkring) 
Brauer, both of whom were natives of 
Germany, and on coming to America cast 
their lot with the early settlers of Dan- 
bury township, Ottawa county. The 
father is still living in that locality, but the 
mother died on the 14th of N'ovembe 



368 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



1875. Mrs. Miller was born in Danbury 
township, October 14, 1854, and by her 
marriage became the mother of two chil- 
dren — Henry E., born October 25, 1878; 
and Reuben B., born June 27, 1887. 

At the time of his death. Mr. Miller 
was filling the office of postmaster at Pic- 
colo. He was regarded as a public-spirited 
and progressive citizen, and took an active 
interest in all that pertained to the wel- 
fare of the community, and its upbuilding. 
He passed away on the 20th of April, 
1894, and his death was mourned by a 
large circle of friends and acquaintances, 
as well as by his immediate family. He 
had ever lived so as to merit the highest 
respect and confidence of those with 
whom he came in contact, and he left to 
his family the priceless heritage of a good 
name. 



CLAUS BUCK (deceased) was one 
of the most prominent and highly- 
respected residents of Danbury 
township, a wide-awake, progres- 
sive citizen, taking an active part in all 
matters tending to advance the interests 
of the county generally. 

He was born in Basdahl, Amt Brem- 
ervorde, Germany, April 6, 1809, and 
was educated in his native land. When 
a young man of twenty-seven years he 
left his native village for America, and, 
after a tempestuous voyage of eleven 
weeks, reached New York City, January 
I, 1836. Later in the same nionth he 
started for Ohio, traveling by stage and 
on foot, and on February 19, 1836, after 
a tedious and tiresome journey of three 
weeks he reached the southern shore of 
the Peninsula, being one of the seven 
original German settlers of Uanbury town- 
ship, all of whom preceded him to the 
grave. 

Here in the then vast wilderness, Mr. 
Buck made himself a home, engaging in 
agricultural pursuits, and during his fifty- 
eight years of residence in Danbury town- 



ship, Ottawa county, he saw many 
wonderful changes in his adopted country, 
and in all possible ways aided in the 
development of his resident community. 
Ohio was at that time considered the 
" Far West." The Indians still roamed 
in Ottawa county, and this beautiful 
Peninsula was a forest awaiting civiliza- 
tion. The pioneer's life at the best is one 
of toil. None but those who have passed 
through a like experience can ever realize 
the hardships and privations of such a 
life, and the present generation have but 
little idea of the difficulties and trials their 
forefathers, and such men as the subject 
of this sketch, were obliged to undergo in 
those early days in order to bring this 
country to its present state of prosperity 
and perfection. 

On January 5, 1844, Mr. Buck was 
united in marriage with Miss Rebecca 
Brauer, who was born in Fredricksdorf, 
Germany, September 29, 1821, a daugh- 
ter of Frederick and Christina Brauer. 
In 1842 she came to America with her 
father, her mother having passed away in 
the land of her nativity two years previous. 
For more than fifty years she was the 
faithful companion and helpmeet of Mr. 
Buck, and still survives him, now at the 
advanced age of seventy-four years. Their 
union was blessed with but one child, a 
daughter — Christiana M. — who was born 
March 27, 1845, and who, on the 2nd of 
May, 1866, was united in marriage with 
Henry H. Lullman. She died January i, 
1882, leaving two daughters — Regiiia R. 
and Rebecca — who still reside with their 
grandmother, caring for her during her 
declining years. 

Mr. Buck was an earnest worker in 
the Lutheran Church, and was a liberal 
contributor to both the old church and 
the handsome and imposing edifice that 
now adorns the township. He was a 
consistent member of the organization, as 
are his granddaughters and widow. For 
many years he was a great sufferer, and 
for two years prior to his death was un- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPnWAL RECORD. 



369 



able to leave his room. He passed peace- 
fully away at one o'clock on the morning 
of December 20, 1894, at the advanced 
age of eighty-five years, eight months and 
fourteen days, sadly mourned by his rela- 
tives and a large circle of friends and ac- 
quaintances, who loved and revered him 
for his many noble traits of character and 
unswerving integrity. He died as he 
lived, and his end was like the coming into 
harbor of a stately ship after a long and 
successful voyage. He looked death in 
the face with that calmness and dignity, 
that serene certainty that it was a change 
for the better which Christian faith, such 
as he possessed, could alone inspire. He 
has passed awaj' from among his old 
friends and companions in life, but his 
memory will long be cherished by all who 
knew him. 



HIZXRY H. LULLMAN. Prom- 
inent among Danbury township's 
prosperous citi;;ens we innd Henry 
H. Lullman, who was born April 
8, 1845, in New York City. His parents, 
John and Martha (Ahlers) Lullman, came 
to this country about 1840, from Bremen, 
Germany, and settled in New York City, 
where the father engaged in the grocerj' 
business. On July 28, 1848, the mother 
died at the early age of twenty-five, and 
three years later, July 20, i 85 i, the father 
also passed away, aged thirtj-si.x years. 

Thus early in life the subject of our 
sketch was left an orphan, and when nine 
years old he came to Ohio to make his 
home with his uncle, Henrj' Lullman, who 
was one of the pioneer settlers of Dan- 
bury township, Ottawa county, having 
located on the Peninsula in February, 
1845. F"or thirtj'-four years he resided 
continuously in the township, ending his 
life's labors April 14, 1879. His wife, 
Gacia Lullman, died December 18, 1882. 
Henry H. Lullman spent his early boy- 
hood days upon his uncle's farm, and ac- 
quired his education in the district schools 



of the neighborhood. The occupation to 
which he was reared has been his life 
work, and in addition to agricultural pur- 
suits he has for the past fifteen years en- 
gaged extensively in fruit growing. 

Mr. Lullman was married in Danbury 
township. May 2, 1866, to ^fiss Chris- 
tiana M. Buck, who was born March 27, 
1845, and was the only child of Mr. and 
Mrs. Claus Buck, honored pioneers of 
this locality. This union was blessed 
with three children: Regina R. , born 
July 31, 1868; C. Henry, born April 16, 
1 87 1, who died in infanc)', and Rebecca 
C, born April i, 1875. Mrs. Lullman 
died January i, 1882, at Sandusky, Ohio, 
after an illness of several years, aged 
thirty-six years, nine months and four 
da3S. On August 28, 1888, Mr. Lull- 
man was again married, this time to Miss 
Emma Wuhrman, who was born Sep- 
tember 3, 1857, daughter of Henry and 
Amelia Wuhrman, v.'ho migrated to Ohio 
in 1847. Mr. Lullman has manifested 
great interest in the affairs of the town- 
ship, alwajs endeavoring to promote the 
general welfare of the community. He 
has held various local offices at different 
times — that of treasurer for six years and 
clerk for fifteen years. No higher testi- 
monial of his efficient services can be 
given than his long continuance in office. 
In religious belief Mr. Lullman and all 
the members of his family are Lutherans, 
and interested in everything pertaining to 
the welfare of that Church. 



WILLIAM H. ALTHOFF, pub- 
lisher and proprietor of T/tc 
Ottawa County News Democrat, 
is a native of Ohio born No- 
vember 2iO, 1 86 1, in the city of Dayton, 
only son of F. M. and Jennie E. (Clark) 
Althoff. 

He was married at Plasterbed, Octo- 
ber 7, 1886, to Imogene, daughter of J. 
W. and Elizabeth (Smith) Lockwood, and 
four children have been the result of this 



370 



COmdEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



union, namelj": Lina, born August 9, 
1887; William L. , born February 28, 
1890. died June 26, 1890; Herbert A., 
born September 29, 1892; and Amos C, 
born Januarj- 26, 1895. 

The old Port Clinton Bulletin, was 
purchased by Mr. Althoff in April, 1892. 
The Bulletin was merged into the Demo- 
crat, which was consolidated with the 
Xc^L's in 1895. The,AVrt'.j was established 
in April, 1865, by George R. Clark, an 
uncle of the subject of this sketch. 



HENRY J. MILLER. This work 
would not be complete unless it 
contained some account of the 
pioneers whose lives and labors 
were given to make possible the prosper- 
it}-, wealth and comfort of to-day. In the 
early history of Ottawa county no man 
took a more prominent part or did more 
to mold and influence the work of his 
time than did the subject of this sketch. 
Henry J. Miller was born May 18, 
181 2, in the village of Putnam (now 
Zanesville), Ohio. His father, William 
Miller (born 1777, died at the home of 
his son in 1840, a member of a family of 
ten children), emigrated from Columbia 
county, N. Y. , to Ohio soon after the or- 
ganization of the State. He raised and 
commanded a company of volunteers in 
the war of 1812. Henry J. came to Ot- 
tawa county (then a part of Huron) in 
1828, buying a small farm of the govern- 
ment. Upon the organization of Ottawa 
county he was appointed sheriff, and 
served until the iirst election. After an 
inter\al of one term he was twice elected, 
and served two terms in that capacity. 
After the expiration of his term as sheriff 
he was three times elected, and served 
nine years as justice of the peace of his 
township. He was one of the first to 
propose the organization of the Ottawa 
County Agricultural Society, and served 
as its first president, and for several years 
thereafter. He was prominent in every 



enterprise which had for its object the 
improvement of his county, and bettering 
the condition of her citizens. 

Mr. Miller was married November 25, 
1836, to Susan Wonnell, who came to 
Ottawa county with her parents from 
Worcester county, Maryland, in 1828. 
Of this union six children were born as 
follows: (i) Maria was bom January 15, 
1838, became the wife of William Sloan, 
and is now deceased. (2) Wilson S. was 
born May 9 1839, (a sketch of whom ap- 
pears elsewhere). (3) George W. , born 
December 28, 1840, died January 23, 
1864, of wounds received while defending 
his country in the Civil war; he was a 
member of the First Ohio Sharpshooters. 
(4) William, a sketch of whom follows 
this, was bom Februan." 4, 1844. (5) 
James H., born March 15, 1846. was a 
prominent farmer of Portage township, 
and died at the age of forty-six. (6) Per- 
melia A., born June 10, 1S48, became the 
wife of Silas A. Hardy. 

During the war of the Rebellion Mr. 
Miller did valiant service in his countrj's 
cause. Three of his sons served in the 
army. Too old to go to the front him- 
self, he was faithful in looking after his 
country's defenders at home. The noble 
work of these older men during the war 
has never received the recognition its im- 
portance deserves. Mr. Miller united 
with the Methodist Episcopal Church and 
helped, in 1842, to organize the first so- 
ciety of that denomination in the county. 
He remained an active member of that 
society until his death, which occurred 
November 12, 1874. 



WILLIAM MILLER. Amongthe 
leading residents of Ottawa 
county none are more deserving 
of representation in this vol- 
ume than the gentleman whose name 
opens this review, and who is numbered 
among the valued citizens of this com- 
munity, as well as among the prominent 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPmCAL RECORD. 



371 



fruit growers and farmers of Portage 
township. He was born in that town- 
ship, Februar\' 4, 1844, and is a son of 
Henry J. and Susan (Wonnell' Miller, a 
sketch of whom appears above. 

Mr. Miller acquired his education in 
the district schools near his home, and 
subsequently for two years pursued his 
studies in Baldwin University, of Berea, 
Ohio. He then turned his attention to 
agricultural pursuits, which he has since 
continuousl}- followed. He was the first 
in his township to grow peaches for mar- 
ket, planting his first orchard in 1868, 
and is at present quite extensively en- 
gaged in that branch of fruit growing. 
He thoroughly understands his business, 
and his capable management and fair and 
honorable dealing have brought to him a 
well-deserved success. During the war 
of the Rebellion he served as a private in 
Company K, One Hundred and Thirty- 
ninth regiment, Ohio Infantry. 

On January 12, 1875, he was married 
to Miss Eliza Petitt Alexander, of Marble- 
head, Ohio, who was born in Piqua, Ohio, 
June 23, 1850, a daughter of David Alex- 
ander (a sketch of whom follows) and 
Harriet (Petitt) Alexander. Two children 
grace this union: Henry A., born March 
7, 1877; and Mary F. , born December 
20, 1879. The parents of Mrs. Miller 
were both natives of Pennsylvania. 

The subject of this sketch has filled 
the office of director of the County Agri- 
cultural Society for several years. He 
was one of the organizers of the Peninsula 
Farmers and Fruit Growers Club, which 
existed for several years, and also assisted 
in organizing the first Farmers Institute 
in the county, acting as its president for 
two years. He is a member of the Ad 
Interim Committee of the State Horticul- 
tural Society; is the present master of 
the Grange, and does all in his power for 
the advancement of the farming interestsof 
his locality. For ten consecutive years 
he has been a member of the township 
school board, and the cause of education 



finds in him a warm friend. He is an 
ardent supporter of the Republican party, 
and in 1892 was nominated by the Re- 
publicans of the Ninth Congressional Dis- 
trict as candidate for Presidential elector, 
was elected a member of the electoral 
college, and cast his vote for President 
Harrison. In his religious views he is a 
Methodist. His life has not been one of 
excitement, being quietlj- passed in devo- 
tion to his business enterprises; yet it is 
not without its points of interest as is that 
of every man who faithfully performs his 
duty to his country, his neighbor and him- 
self. 

David Alexander (deceased), father 
of Mrs. Eliza P. Miller, was born at New 
London, Chester Co., Penn.. July 31, 
18 1 2, and came to Ohio in 1833, locating 
first at Dayton, later at Piqua. Here he 
was actively engaged in business for a 
number of years. In 1843-44 he repre- 
sented Miami county in the Ohio Legisla- 
ture. About that time he removed to 
Columbus, and for several years was en- 
gaged in the home office of the Columbus 
Insurance Co. In 1854 he became general 
agent for the West of the Hartford Fire 
Insurance Co. , removing to Chicago in 
1 86 1. In 1863 failing health compelled 
him to resign his position, and in order to 
obtain rest and recreation he came to the 
Lake Erie islands. Impressed with the 
natural beauty and advantages of the lo- 
cality, he bought a farm on the Peninsula, 
which for thirty years was his home. 
During the administration of President 
Grant, Mr. Alexander was appointed 
Exaniiner of National Banks, and spent 
four years in government employ, his ter- 
ritor}' embracing all of New York State 
(except the city), Ohio, Indiana and a part 
of \'irginia. 

Mr. Alexander early saw the superior 
advantages of the Peninsula for fruit 
growing, and from the first made that the 
only product of his farm. He was the 
first on the Peninsula to plant peaches 
largely for market, and to see, as pro- 



372 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



phesied by him, that entire section of 
country covered with peach orchards. 
He was called from earth December 23, 
1894. Though of a retiring disposition, 
always seeking to avoid publicity, he took 
an active interest in public affairs, and few 
men were better posted in the doings of 
the day. In early life he united with the 
Presbyterian Church, and alwa}s lived a 
consistent Christian life. He assisted in 
organizing the Congregational Church on 
the Peninsula, and was always one of its 
faithful supporters. 

Mr. Alexander was twice married; 
first time to Martha A. Graham, of Ches- 
ter county, Penn., but she died in 1844, 
leaving one son, Robert Graham Alex- 
ander, who died in Chicago in 1862, in 
his twentj'-second year. In 1849, for his 
second wife, Mr. Alexander married Har- 
riet R. Petitt, of Piqua, who, with three 
daughters (Mrs. William Miller, of Gyp- 
sum, Mrs. S. R. Gill, of Lakeside, and 
Mrs. J. W. Benschoter, of Bowling 
Greeny and one son (S. P. Alexander), 
survives him. 



GEORGE F. MEYER. The sub- 
ject of this sketch, who has been 
for nearly twenty-one years a 
resident of Port Clinton, Ottawa 
county, is a prosperous cigar manufac- 
turer, in his business combining the Ger- 
man thrift and industry with American 
push and enterprise. He is a native of 
Hanover, Germany, born September 9, 
1840. 

Mr. Meyer's parents were both natives 
of Germany, the father, H. Meyer, born 
in Lansberger, Hanover, in 1805, and 
the mother, Mary (Walsen) Meyer, in 
Bad Rehburg, in 1803; the former died 
in 1868, and the latter in 1874. The 
father, who was a man of much intelli- 
gence and ability, was a surgeon, and 
practiced his profession from 1825 until 
his death. He served during the Franco- 
Prussian war. He was a member of the 



Lutheran Church. This worthy couple 
had eight children, as follows: William, 
who died after coming to America; August, 
who lives at Bremen, German}-, and is 
engaged in the cigar business; George F. , 
our subject; Charles, living in Zulingen, 
Germany; Frederick, who resides in 
Bremen, Germany; Caroline, a widow, 
residing in Sandusky; Dorritt, deceased; 
and Augusta, who married a Mr. Dink- 
lage. The maternal grandfather of our 
subject was a baker by trade, and also 
held the office of postmaster at Bad Reh- 
burg, a position which has been handed 
down in the family from generation to 
generation until the present time. Others 
of the connection are also engaged in the 
postal service. The paternal grandfather, 
Henry Meyer, was born at Lansberger on 
the Weser, and was a farmer by occupa- 
tion. 

Our subject attended school in his na- 
tive country until fourteen years old, and 
when eighteen years of age, as is the cus- 
tom in Germany, he entered the army 
and served over seven years. In all this 
time his regiment was not ordered to the 
front, but he saw enough of a soldier's 
life to satisfy him, without remaining 
longer in service. After leaving the army 
he learned the cigar business, and in 1867 
came to America, locating first in the city 
of Sanduskj', Ohio, and there remaining 
until 1874, when he removed to Port 
Clinton. Since that time he has carried 
on business for himself. He employs 
from six to eight men all the time, and 
has a large trade in the surrounding coun- 
try; he also has a fruit farm, etc. Mr. 
Meyer was first married in Sandusky, on 
October 10, 1868, to Miss Julia Luedecke, 
by whom he had one child, Gustave, who 
is engaged in business in Cleveland, Ohio. 
The mot*^ died September 19, 1871, at 
Sandusk), hio, and on September 28, 
1872, Mr. N ^yer was again married, this 
time to Miss ouisa Bolte, who was born 
in Hanjver. They have two children: 
George, a clerk in the German-American 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



373 



Bank of Port Clinton, in which his father 
is a stockholder; and Lillie. Mr. Meyer 
has a fine fruit farm at Graytown, this 
State, on which he raises quinces, pears 
and plums; he also owns property in Port 
Clinton. In politics, he is a Democrat, 
and in religious faith is a member of the 
Lutheran Church; socially, he belongs to 
the I. O. O. F. He is a public-spirited 
citizen, always ready to aid any project 
tending to the welfare of his town and 
county. 



ANTON YOUNG, one of the oldest 
pioneers, and also one of the 
prominent agriculturists of Allen 
township, Ottawa county, was 
born in Germany, February 2, 1823, 
near the banks of the beautiful river 
Rhine, his parents being John and Kate 
(Diefenthaler) Young, also natives of 
Germany. 

The early years of our subject were 
spent in school in his native province, and 
he assisted his father on the farm until 
he was nineteen years of age. At that 
time he was drafted into the army, being 
required to learn the science of warfare, 
having to drill and perform all military 
duties and receiving a furlough every six 
months. In 1849, when the revolution 
broke out in his native land, he was called 
upon to take up arms in defense of the 
government, and served until peace was 
restored in 1850, when he received his 
discharge. He then returned home and 
worked on his father's farm, and also for 
other parties until 1852. In March of 
that year he emigrated to this country, 
and came to Ohio, locating in Toledo, 
where he was married and remained for a 
short time. In 1853, Mr. V?yng came 
to Allen township, then a pr .on of Clay 
township, Ottawa county, wJt^rehe bought 
sixty-five acres of land,,i./ost of which 
was covered with timber, and t^n which 
he built a log cabin. He immediately 



began clearing his land, planting, as fast 
as the trees were removed, small patches 
of corn, potatoes, etc., with which to sup- 
port his family. After several j'ears of 
hard toil he succeeded in converting the 
place into a well-cultivated farm, and 
erected a commodious dwelling house 
with large barn and other outbuildings, 
the property now being considered among 
the finest in Allen township. In 1863 
Mr. Young was drafted into the Union 
army, but not feeling willing to leave his 
wife and young familj', he paid $300 to 
be exempted. He afterward had his 
money returned to him, as the draft was 
not a legal one. In 1864 he was again 
drafted, but did not have to answer the 
call. In 1865, when the last call for 
volunteers was made, Mr. Young enlisted 
in the One Hundred and Eighty-ninth 
Ohio Infantry, and was sent to Nashville, 
Tenn. It so happened that he was not 
in any engagement, and on October 9, of 
the same year, he received his discharge 
and returned home. Since that time he 
has lived upon his farm, where with his 
good wife he is passing the evening of his 
days in peace and happiness. 

Mr. Young was married, January 30, 
1853, at Toledo, to Mary Kohler, daugh- 
ter of Philip Kohler, a farmer, who was 
of German birth. To this union nine 
children were born, of whom eight are 
living, viz.: John, born July 15, 1855, 
is a farmer in Allen township; he was 
married in June, 1887, to Mary, daughter 
of Hiram Overbeck, a farmer of Wood 
county, and they have two children, Her- 
man, born September i, 18S8, and Eva 
K., born November i, 1891. Christina 
Young was born April 29, 1858, and is 
living at home with her parents. George 
J. was born November 2, i860. Philip, 
] February 17, 1863. Andrew, May 20, 
1865. Edwin, July 20, 1867. Katie, 
July I, 1870, and Henry, May 10, 1873. 
All of these were educated in the public 
schools of Allen township, and are at 
home with their parents. Mary, who was 



374 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



born February 2, 1854, died Jul}- 28 of 
the same 3'ear. 

John Young, the father of our subject, 
was born in Germany, where he was a 
farmer. He was married in 18 19 to Katie 
Diefenthaler, and five children have blessed 
their union, viz. : Philip, George, Anton, 
Jacob (who is a farmer in Wood county, 
this State) and Susan (who died in Ger- 
many when a child). Philip Kohler, 
father of Mrs. Young, was born in Ger- 
many, where he was married, and he be- 
came the father of four children, viz. : 
John Philip, who died in Toledo; Bar- 
bara, the wife of John Young, of Toledo; 
Kate, who died when a child in Germany, 
and Mary, the wife of our subject. The 
father died in Germany, and the widow 
married Philip Diefenthaler, with whom 
she came to this country, locating in 
Wood county, Ohio. By this second mar- 
riage a family of four children was born: 
Maggie, who died in Germany; Christiana 
M., wife of John Bush, a farmer in Wood 
county; and Jacob and Anthona, both of 
whom are farmers in Wood county. The 
mother died in that county in 1864. 

Our subject held the office of school 
director in Allen township for several 
years. In politics he is a Republican, and 
the family are members of the Evangel- 
ical Church. 



DANIELV. FLUMERFELT. The 
subject of this sketch disclaims 
the possession of any qualities 
that entitle him to the mention 
which his friends believe should be made 
of him; yet it is in no spirit of adulation 
when we say that his busy and active life 
is illustrative of the success that attends 
honest, well-directed endeavor, industry 
and adherence to duty. "Uncle Dan," 
as he is everywhere known, is one of those 
men to whom the trite term "self-made" 
is appropriately applied. Though lacking 
the advantages of a higher education in 
college, he has absorbed much from those 



valuable instructors — experience and ob- 
servation. 

Those who know Mr. Flumerfelt well 
and intimately need no explanation about 
him. To strangers, however, it is suffi- 
cient to say that he has inherited from his 
father a great deal of his looks and per- 
sonal appearance, but more so his tenacit}' 
and perseverance. His sound judgment 
and good business capacity were shown in 
many instances while living in Seneca 
count}-, especially in the building of the 
"Flumerfelt bridge," which is a fair 
monument of his perseverance and sa- 
gacity. As early as 1836 he had assisted, 
as carpenter, in putting up the frame 
work of the Stem's and the Hedge's mills, 
near Green Spring, Ohio, which were pat- 
ronized by pioneer farmers for many miles 
around. His native pluck was shown, 
later, in litigation with a railroad com- 
pany, whose opposition he contested to 
the supreme court, securing a verdict in 
his favor in each court in which the case 
was tried. 

The father of our subject, Cornelius 
Flumerfelt, was born in New Jersey July 
10, 1774, in Sussex county, and was 
reared on a farm. In 1804 he was mar- 
ried to Catharine Christman. On the 
second day of May, 1826, they started for 
Ohio. It took them four weeks to reach 
Seneca county. He bought the west half 
of the southwest quarter of Section 16, in 
Pleasant township. Mr. Daniel Rice had 
a lease on land from the commissioners 
of Sandusky county, which he also bought. 
Mr. Rice had built a log cabin, and Mr. 
Flumerfelt moved into that. Mr. Flumer- 
felt was twice married. There were six 
children of the second marriage, of whom 
Daniel V. , our subject, was second, and 
is the only one of them now living. Cor- 
nelius Flumerfelt was a fine specimen of 
well-developed physical manhood. He 
was six feet tall, of fair complexion, had 
blue eyes, and was very straight and well- 
proportioned. He was of purely German 
type, very firm in his convictions, slow of 



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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



375 



speech and fixed in his habits. He voted 
for every Democratic candidate for Presi- 
dent after Washington, and always took 
an active part in poHtics. He was one of 
the positive men of the country. His 
word was his bond, and to be rehed upon. 
He was highly respected wherever he had 
become known. He died August 28, 
1 87 1, at the age of ninety-seven. His 
second wife died in 1847. 

D. V. Flumerfelt, our subject, was 
born in Sussex (now Warren) county, 
near Danville, N. J., October 13, 1807. 
He came to Seneca county, Ohio, with 
his father's family. He married Miss 
Melinda Littler, of Hardin county, Va. . 
October 12, 1837. This union was blessed 
with live sons and five daughters, of whom 
one son and three daughters have died. 
Those living are: (i) Mathilda, who mar- 
ried Matthew T. Lutz, a retired farmer, 
Ballville township; (2) Ann Maria, who 
married Dennis Deran, a farmer in Ball- 
ville township; (3) George, who married 
Ellen Cheney, living in Ballville town- 
ship; (4) Amos, who married Etta Crowe, 
and lives in the State of Kansas; (5) 
Charles, single, living at Old Fort, Sen- 
eca Co., Ohio, an ex-member of the 
Ohio Legislature; and (6) Abraham, un- 
married, living with parents. 

Our subject came to Ballville town- 
ship, Sandusky county, in the spring of 
1884, and purchased his present beautiful 
home near Sandusky river. He is the 
owner of 1,200 acres of land. His first 
vote was for Andrew Jackson. 



WILLIAM CLARK. A sketch of 
the life of this early settler of 
Ottawa county, who bore such 
a prominent part in the affairs 
of his community, and whose death was 
deeply mourned by all to whom his name 
was familiar, is truly worthy a place in 
this volume. 

William Clark was born in Devon- 
shire, England, August 11, 1827, and 

24 



was a son of William and Ann 
(Clark) Clark, also natives of that 
county, where the father passed away. 
Here the son was educated and reared to 
manhood, spending his time upon a farm 
until 1853, when he immigrated to 
America, and coming to Ohio settled 
in Danbury township, near Port Clinton, 
where he engaged in agricultural pursuits 
for about eight years. In 1862 Mr. 
Clark removed to what was then Clay 
(now Allen) township, and from that 
date until his death, which occurred No- 
vember 29, 1894, he was a continuous 
resident of that township, and held a 
leading place among its most enterpris- 
ing and progressive citizens, giving his 
support to all projects tending to the ad- 
vancement and welfare of the town and 
county. He was largely engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits, in connection with mill- 
ing, the manufacture of lime and an ex- 
tensive mercantile business. He was also 
postmaster for twelve years. In all these 
various lines he was conspicuous for his 
energy, untiring industry, strict integrity 
and faithful performance of his duties, 
and having brought up his children to the 
same commendable habits they are to- 
day able to carry on his large enterprises 
with credit to themselves and honor to 
the memory of their father. Mr. Clark 
was married, in Lincolnshire, England, 
December 5, 1852, to Susan, daughter 
of Robert and Ann (Chapman) Wilkin- 
son, the former of whom passed away 
March 20, 1874, in Allen township, the 
latter dying October 5, 1893, in her na- 
tive land. 

To the union of our subject and his 
wife nine children were born, as follows: 
Sarah Ann, September 8, 1854; William 
W., November 8, 1855; James A., No- 
vember 8, 1857; George P., November 
26, 1859; Charles E., April i, 1861; Ira 
A., March 2, 1863; Alice N., March 15, 
1865; Mary E. , January 2, 1868; Florence 
A., March 2, 1870. Of this family Sarah 
Ann died July 24, 1874. William W. 



376 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPEICAL RECORB. 



Clark was educated in the district schools 
of his native township, and since his 
early youth has been connected with 
his father's business enterprises. He is 
a member of Clay Lodge No. 584, I. 
O. O. F., at Genoa, and also of the 
Encampment at Elmore, and of the 
Daughters of Rebekah. He is a Re- 
publican politically. James A. Clark was 
married December 18, 1891, to Miss 
Mary R. Richards, and resides at Clay 
Center; since arriving at the years of 
manhood he has always given his atten- 
tion to the duties pertaining to the home- 
stead farm; like his brothers he attended 
the district school in his bo} hood. George 
F. Clark was married October 19, 1883, 
to Nellie J. Mclntyre, and they have two 
children, Alva B., born February 15, 
1890, and Florence A., born February 
4, 1S92. He received his education in 
the public schools of Clay township, and 
has always assisted in his father's busi- 
ness. He is a member of Genoa Tent 
No. 173, Knights of the Maccabees. 
Charles E. Clark was married Decem- 
ber 23, 1889, to Miss Stella Ross, of 
Colorado, and has one child, Ira E., 
born October 29, 1891. He also re- 
ceived his education at the home schools, 
and was connected with his father's busi- 
ness up to 1887, when he went to Colo- 
rado, where he now resides, engaged in 
farming in Montrose county. Ira A. 
Clark received his early education in the 
district schools of Clay township and 
also spent the winters of 1886 and 1887 
in the Normal School of Danville, Ind. 
He entered the Law Department of Ann 
Arbor (Mich ) University in 1892, and 
graduated with honor with the class of 
June, 1894. He was admitted to the bar 
of this State in March, 1894, and since 
that time has practiced in Toledo, where 
he is meeting with flattering success. He 
is a member of Claj' Lodge No. 584, I. 
O. O. F., at Genoa, and also of the 
Toledo Encampment. In politics he is 
Republican. Alice N. is the wife of 



Ralph \V. Hill, cashier of the Eiyria 
Savings Bank. Mary E. resides at Clay 
Center. Florence A. was married June 
21, 1893, to Alva H. Mclntyre, and resi- 
des in Toledo. 

During the life of our subject his large 
business enterprises were conducted un- 
der his own name, but since his death a 
stock company has been formed consist- 
ing of all the members of the family, 
under the title of The Clark Company, 
of which George F. Clark is president 
and treasurer, and William W. Clark is 
vice-president and secretary. Mr. Clark 
was for several years trustee of Clay 
township. He was a member of Clay 
Lodge No. 584, I. O. O. F., also of the 
Toledo Encampment and Daughters of 
Rebekah. His widow lives at the old 
homestead at Clay Center, Allen town- 
ship. 



EDWARD GEORGE MESSER- 
SMITH, agent of the Wheeling & 
Erie Railway Company at Lime- 
stone, Ottawa county, and one of 
the busiest and most enterprising young 
citizens of this community, is well-known 
for his personal activity in the affairs of 
the county, and also as a member of one 
of the pioneer families of Benton town- 
ship, of which he is a native. 

Our subject was born April 30, 1868, 
and spent his boyhood days on his father's 
farm, attending the district school and 
acquiring a liberal education. He re- 
mained at home until the age of eighteen, 
when he took up the study of telegraphy 
with H. C. Fedderson, of Limestone Sta- 
tion, on the Wheeling railroad, and in 
six months he had so thoroughly mas- 
tered the business that he went to Hart- 
land, Huron county, and took the po- 
sition of night operator for the Wheeling 
railroad. After eight months' service 
there he was promoted to a larger field, 
and the company gave him the position of 
night operator at Orrville, Wayne county. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



377 



a position he held one year. He was 
next at Trowbridge one year, and thence 
was removed to Limestone, now having 
entire charge of the Company's business 
at this point, the freight business alone 
amounting to some $8,000 per year. In 
addition to his railroad business Mr. 
Messersmith is also largely engaged in 
business for himself, which industry is 
now assuming large proportions and is 
steadily on the increase. Besides at- 
tending to all the above mentioned inter- 
ests, he has charge of the old homestead, 
a farm of 120 acres, where he now lives 
with his mother and one sister. The 
property' is owned by himself and brother 
Charles Albert; the farm is rented, but 
Mr. Messersmith has full charge and 
oversight of the business. Politically 
he is a Democrat, and is a public-spirited 
citizen, taking a loyal interest and pride 
in the welfare of his community. 

Henry Messersmith, father of our sub- 
ject, one of the earliest settlers of Ottawa 
county, and especially well-known and 
respected in Benton township, was a na- 
tive of Prussia, born in 1823. His par- 
ents were also natives of Prussia, the 
father born in 1785, the mother about 
1775, and the\' died at the ages of 
seventy-eight and eighty-three years re- 
spectively. They had a family of nine 
children — four sons and five daughters. 
When Henry was eight years of age he 
came with his parents to this country, 
the famih' settling in the present city of 
Cleveland, then a small town, and there, 
in the public schools, he received his ed- 
ucation. When eighteen he began life 
for himself, learning the cooper's trade, 
at which he worked until 1865. He then 
came to Benton township, Ottawa county, 
a region which at that time was a com- 
plete forest, and settled on Section 22, 
where he and his brothers Conrad and 
Jacob purchased 500 acres of wild land 
completely covered with timber. There 
was not a laid-out road in the township, the 
only one being a path along the banks of 



a small stream. They at once erected a 
stave and heading factory, and in con- 
nection therewith a sawmill, and com- 
menced the work of clearing off the tim- 
ber and making a comfortable home. 
Day after day could be heard the ring of 
the axe felling the timber for the great 
mill to convert into marketable form; the 
hum of the machinery was heard early 
an(l late; gradually the trees were re- 
moved, and in a seemingly short period 
of time the 500-acre tract was cleared and 
transformed into one of the finest farms 
in Ohio. Jacob sold out to his brothers 
about 1868, up to which time they had 
all worked together. In 1849, at the 
time of the gold fever, Henry Messersmith 
went to the mines in California, where he 
remained eighteen months, meeting with 
very fair success. 

In 1870 Mr. Messersmith died at his 
residence in Benton township, and he was 
deeply mourned in the community, for in 
his death the county, as well as the town- 
ship, lost a thorough business man and a 
most esteemed citizen. In 1846 he had 
married Miss Margaret Anna Sell, of 
Cleveland, and to them 
children- 
six of whom are now living: Louisa, 
born in 1850; Jacob, born in 1852; Mary, 
born in 1855; Henry, born in 1863; Ed- 
ward, born in 1S68, and Charles, born 
in 1870. The daughters are both married, 
Mary living at the old home, and Louisa 
(Mrs. Dentzer) in Cleveland. Mrs. Mar- 
garet Anna Messersmith was born in Prus- 
sia in 1833, and when four years old 
came to this country with her parents, 
who settled in Cleveland. Her opportu- 
nities for acquiring an education were very 
poor, but her thirst for knowledge great, 
and she has walked three miles many a day 
to school that she might in a measure 
satisfy her longing for an education. She 
lived in her native city until her marriage, 
and came to Benton township with her 
husband, where she added her efforts to 
his in securing a home and caring for the 



were born eight 
-five sons and three daughters — 



378 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



children born to them, all of whom have 
now taken their place among the upright 
and progressive citizens of the township. 
Mrs. Messersmith's parents were born in 
Prussia about 1 799, and had a family of 
six children — two sons and four daugh- 
ters. Two years after Mr. Messersmith's 
death the property was divided equally 
between the widow and Conrad Messer- 
smith, and her eldest son took charge of 
the farm until 1894, when he sold out his 
interests to his brothers Edward and 
Charles. The old mill where Mr. Mes- 
sersmith sawed the timber with which he 
paid for his handsome farm and home 
was afterward burned. 

In the gentleman whose name opens 
this sketch, Edward G. Messersmith, we 
have one of the most enterprising young 
men of the times; but in his parents we 
have those who helped to make Benton 
township as beautiful as it now is; they 
were among the early pioneers of the 
county, and by their industry and econ- 
omy carved out one of the finest homes to 
be seen in the township of Benton, or even 
in Ottawa county. "Honor to whom 
honor is due." 



JH. F.-\US, the popular and efficient 
city clerk of Port Clinton, Ottawa 
rounty, is a native of that city, born 
February 22, 1862, and has resided 
there all his life. 

He is a son of Thomas and Artemesia 
Faus, the latter of whom is a daughter 
of Garret Thorne, in his day one of the 
oldest residents of Ottawa county, Ohio, 
having located in Port Clinton in 1828, 
before the county was organized, and 
there resided the long period of sixty-five 
years, or up to his death which occurred 
March 6, 1890, when he was aged eighty- 
seven years. 

When fourteen years old our subject's 
school days closed, and he then entered 
the office of the Ottawa County iCcxi's (D. 
J. Stalter being then proprietor) to learn 



the trade of printer. Here he remained 
about a year, at the end of which time, 
Mr. Stalter having sold out to George K. 
Clark, dur subject began work in the 
office of the Otta'wa County Reporter, and 
there continued some three and one-half 
years; but that journal changing hands, 
he was offered, and accepted, the position 
of foreman in the Neiiis office, which he 
held for fourteen years, or until August, 
1895. In September following Mr. Faus 
purchased of E. H. Bauman his half in- 
terest in the Ottazca County Republican, 
and now in partnership with A. G. Win- 
nie conducts that paper with well-merited 
success. 

Mr. Faus has alwajs been a Repub- 
lican; was elected on that ticket clerk of 
Portage township (in which Port Clinton 
is now situated) four consecutive times 
(although the township has a Democratic 
majority of about seventy-five), he on 
most occasions being the only Republican 
elected, and being elected b)' majorities 
ranging from 2 (the first time he ran) to 
179 — his total term of service as town- 
ship clerk being eight and one-half years. 
In 1980 he was elected city clerk of Port 
Clinton bj' eighty majority and was de- 
feated for re-election in 1892 by a major- 
ity of three in a total of over 500 votes 
(no Republican was elected in the corpo- 
ration that year). In 1894 he was again 
elected city clerk, defeating by seventy- 
nine votes the same opponent who in 
1 892 had defeated him by three votes. 

On June 16, 1886, Mr. Faus was 
married to Miss Nettie Doyen, eldest 
daughter of Hubert and Ellen Doyen, of 
Port Clinton, and they have one child, a 
bright little boy, named Alvin G. Our 
subject is a member of the United Breth- 
ren Church; socially, he is affiliated with 
the Knights of Pythias, and is a charter 
member of Port Clinton Lodge No. 361. 
It may be truly said of Mr. Faus that he 
is a representative self-made man, his 
education having been very limited, 
mostly secured during his experience in 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHWAL RECORD. 



379 



printing offices. He is well-liked, and 
highly spoken of among all classes of 
people. 



PAUL de la BARRE, M. D. Among 
the physicians of Port Clinton 
stands prominent this gentleman, 
who though j'et in the ranks of 
the comparatively later members of the 
profession in the county, has already 
placed himself well in the van. 

He is a native of Prussia, born of 
French lineage November 30, 185 1. at 
Stargard, Province of Pommern, son of 
Earnhardt and Louisa (Rabe) de la Barre, 
the former of whom, a watch manufac- 
turer by vocation, died when about fortj- 
five years old; the latter is yet living. 
They were the parents of seven children, 
Paul being the only one to come to the 
United States. He attended school in 
his native town till his fifteenth year, and 
then entered upon a four-years' appren- 
ticeship at pharmacy. After passing his 
examination as pharmacist he took a posi- 
tion in a drug store in Frankfott-on-the- 
Main, but at the breaking out of the 
Franco-Prussian war, fired with the 
spirit of patriotism, he enlisted in the 
German army, October 2, 1870, as a vol- 
unteer in First Company, Thirty-fourth 
Regiment, Second Army Corps, in which 
he served one year, doing military duty, 
at Strasburg, Vesoul and other places, 
after which he was honorably discharged 
October i, 1871. He then returned to 
his former occupation, serving as clerk in 
a drug store at Mecklenburg-Schwerin 
some live years, and at Schersleben about 
eight months, after which he managed a 
drug store at Hamburg in the neighbor- 
hood of three years. In 1882 he emi- 
grated to America, and served in a drug 
store in New York City about three years, 
after which he moved to Cleveland, Ohio, 
where he studied medicine in the Western 
Reserve University, from which he grad- 
uated in 1S87. He then came to and 



opened an office for the practice of medi- 
cine at Port Clinton, Ohio, in which he 
still continues, and where, on account of 
his rare experience as a pharmacist, his 
ability to converse fluently in English, 
French and German, his faithfulness to 
his patients and his genial, kindly dis- 
position toward all, he has secured a lib- 
eral patronage. The Doctor has a con- 
venient office and a fine residence adjacent 
to the Court House Park. A year or two 
since he purchased an orange grove in 
Florida, where he spends a portion of 
each year. 

On May 15, 1876, at Mecklenburg- 
Schwerin, Germany, Dr. de la Barre 
was married to Helene Bohndorff, daugh- 
ter of an artist, and their children are: 
Marguerite, born February 26, 1877; An- 
na, born June 26, 1878, and Elizabeth, 
born January 2, 1881. In his political 
preferences the Doctor is a Democrat, 
and for the past few years he has been a 
member of the board of education of Port 
Clinton; socially, he is affiliated with the 
I. O. O. F., and F. & A. M. He and his 
estimable wife enjoy the esteem and re- 
gard of a wide circle of friends and ac- 
quaintances. 



REV. SAMUEL T. LANE, retired 
minister of the U. B. Church, 
and formerly a pioneer itinerant 
preacher in Sandusky and Ottawa 
counties, was born in the town of Candor, 
Tioga Co., N. Y., April 15, 1815, a son 
of James and Jane (Colter) Lane, who 
lived on a farm where he for several years 
operated a sawmill. Mrs. Lane b}' a 
former marriage with Samuel Taylor (de- 
ceased) had two children, one of whom 
passed away in childhood, and the other 
grew to maturity, reared a family and 
died near the homestead. James Lane 
died in Tioga county, N. Y. , about the 
year 1875. The children of James and 
Jane Lane were: Samuel T. , Nancy 
Ann, Eliza, Rachel. Charles, Lindley 



38C 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Aaron, and Catharine. Of these Nancy 
Ann married John Vandemark, lived in 
Candor, then moved to Michigan, near 
Ann Arbor, where she died leaving two 
children; Eliza married Albert Barton, of 
Tioga county, where they still reside, and 
have one son living; Rachel married a 
Mr. Goodrich, lives in Oswego, N. Y. , 
and has four children; Charles married 
and had a family near the old homestead; 
Lindley Aaron married, lives near the 
same place, and has two children; Cath- 
arine married a Mr. Burton, and they 
live near Chenang Point, New York. 

The subject proper of these lines was 
raised to hard work in a sawmill and on 
a farm, and in his boyhood began to 
serve a three-years' apprenticeship to the 
blacksmith trade, then after completing 
his term worked about three years longer 
at the same place. He received only 
three months' schooling, with which as a 
starting point he went on acquiring 
knowledge by himself in his spare mo- 
ments, often reading books and papers by 
the dim light of a tallow-dip candle or a 
slut-lamp hanging in the chimney corner 
of a log cabin, or by the flickering light of 
a shell-bark hickory torch in the woods, 
until he found himself capable to teach a 
country school. About this time he mar- 
ried Miss Julia McDonald, by whom he 
had one child; but about two years later 
this wife died, and a year afterward he 
married Miss Lydia Ann Schoonover, of 
Tioga county, N. Y. He then moved to 
Mexico, Wyandot county, where he oper- 
ated a sawmill and remained until his 
second wife died. While living here he 
received exhorting license from the Nf. E. 
Church, and not long afterward was 
given a call to supply preaching on a 
large circuit which included Port Clinton, 
Danbury, Lakeside, and the country 
seven miles up the Portage river, embrac- 
ing twenty-two different appointments, 
mostly at school-houses or log cabin 
dwellings, and requiring one hundred 
miles travel to make one round every 



three weeks. He attended the first 
quarterly meeting in 1850 at Lower 
Sandusky, where Kev. Beatty, his col- 
league, was stationed. Mr. Lane travel- 
ed mostly on horseback, carrying his 
Bible and hymn books in a leather saddle- 
bag. In 1 85 1 he located at Lacarne, 
Ottawa county, and at Port Clinton was 
married to Miss Mary G. King, February 
27, 1851. While living here he superin- 
tended the grading of the Northern Divi- 
sion of the L. S. & M. S. R. R. , for three 
miles west of the Portage river, and a 
year later put in the culverts and cattle- 
guards between Lacarne and Oak Har- 
bor, being in the employ of the railroad 
company about two years. Four years 
after preaching for the M. E. Church he, 
in 1856, joined the U. B. Church, at Flat 
Rock, Ohio, and served as itinerant 
preacher nearlj' thirty years, oruntil 1885, 
when, at the age of seventy he was super- 
annuated. His last circuit was at Rising- 
sun, Wood county, his present home. 

Rev. S. T. Lane's children by his last 
wife were: Sarah, L}dia Ann, Sylvester 
L. , Samuel T. , Nancy, Mary and Eva E. ; 
of these Sarah married James Kleinhans, 
lives at Waterville, Lucas Co., Ohio, and 
has five children; Lydia Ann married John 
Otten, lives at Deerfield, Mich., and has 
five children; S3'lvester L. , unmarried, is 
a publisher, of Brooklyn, N. Y. ; Samuel 
T. married Ada Nowlan, is clerk at the 
" Arlington House," Findlay,Ohio; Nancy 
married Charles K. Beech, lives at Find- 
lay, Ohio, and has two children; Eva E., 
married to Harry C. Hollinshead, a sketch 
of whom follows: 

Harry C. Hollinshead, of the firm 
of Bense & Hollinshead, wholesale and 
retail fish dealers. Port Clinton, and one 
of the leading business men of the city, is 
a native of same, born November/, 1862, 
a son of Robert M. and Lucy (Dickens) 
Hollinshead. 

The father of Harry C. was born in Ot- 
tawa county, Ohio, where he was reared, 
educated and married. He served as 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGBAPniCAL RECORD. 



381 



auditor and recorder of the county for 
some seventeen years, at the end of which 
time he embarked in the wholesale fish 
business with R. Bell & Co., at Port 
Clinton. In i88S he sold out his interest 
in this industry, and moved to Toledo. 
His wife died in i88i at the ag^e of thirty- 
eight years, the mother of six children 
who grew to maturity, namely: Cora, 
wife of Albert B. Orth, of Port Clinton; 
Harry C, of whom we write; Lester, 
assisting his brother in the fish business, 
unmarried; Clara, wife of John Rohr- 
bacher, of Port Clinton; May; and Eva, 
married to Matthew Hilsenbeck, and living 
in Toledo, Ohio. 

Harry C. Hollinshead received his lit- 
erary education at the common schools of 
Port Clinton, after which he attended the 
Spencerian Business College, Cleveland, 
graduating from there in 1886. He then 
accepted the position of bookkeeper for 
George E. St. John, at Port Clinton, sub- 
sequently, in 1 89 1, becoming a member 
of the firm of Dense, Hanlon & Co., fish 
dealers, the name of the firm being 
changed to Bense, Hollinshead & Co., 
in 1893. 

On June 20, 1890, Mr. Hollinshead 
was married at Findlay, Ohio, to Miss 
Eva E.Lane, and one child, Robert Lind- 
ley, was born to them October 2, 1893. 
In his political preferences Mr. Hollins- 
head is a Democrat; socially, he is a mem- 
ber of the I. O. O. F. 



HERMAN H. MYLANDER, county 
treasurer of Ottawa county, by 
virtue of his long residence at 
Oak Harbor, and high position in 
society, is well worthy of a prominent 
place in the pages of this volume. 

A Prussian by birth, he was born in 
the town of Menden, Westphalia, Novem- 
ber 8, 1839, a son of Henry C. and Eliza- 
beth (Kelling) Mylander, both also natives 
of Prussia. In 1854 they emigrated to 
the United States, with a small party of 



German colonists, locating in Ottawa, 
Ohio, where the father died in 1880, the 
mother in 1883. They had eleven chil- 
dren, all born in Germany, four of whom 
survive, viz. : Frederick, residing in Oak 
Harbor; Herman H., subject of this 
sketch; John H., residing in West Dover, 
Ohio, and William H., of Oak Harbor. 

Our subject, as will be seen, was a 
fourteen-year-old boy when he came to 
this country, and as a consequence his 
education was for the most part received 
in his native land. About a couple of 
years he spent at Toledo and Woodville, 
Ohio, as an apprentice to the mercantile 
business, at a salary of four dollars per 
month; but in 1857 he returned to Oak 
Harbor and commenced business on his 
own account, since which time, now a 
period of some forty years, he has been 
continuously identified with Salem town- 
ship and Oak Harbor, and their de\-elop- 
ment. In the year last named he estab- 
lished the first general store in Oak Har- 
bor, at that time a mere village, known 
as " Hartford," and in connection with 
this business he has also been largely in- 
terested and extensively engaged in the 
manufacture of staves and headings, hav- 
ing a factory at Oak Harbor. During 
these forty years Mr. Mylander's line has 
been devoted to an industrious and ener- 
getic business career, and every dollar he 
has accumulated has been invested and 
expended in the building up and develop- 
ment of his town and township. There 
is not a Church in Salem township that 
has not been benefited by contributions 
from Mr. Mylander, and to every public 
enterprise of moment he has always been 
a liberal subscriber. 

On July 22 1859, our subject was 
married, at Oak Harbor, to Miss Sarah 
Troutman, daughter of John and Eliza- 
beth (Heilbach) Troutman, and born in 
Tuscarora, Schuykill Co., Penn., Decem- 
ber 23, 1 841; she came to Ottawa county, 
in 1855, with her parents. This union 
has been blessed with four sons and two 



382 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



daughters, as follows: Henry C, born 
May 22, i860, a prominent hardware 
merchant of Oak Harbor; William H., 
born May 28, 1861, a manufacturer of 
cooperage stock, and having charge of his 
father's business in Sandusky, Lindsay 
and North Creek; Franklin E., born May 
19, 1863, died June 13, 1864; Mary A., 
born November 21, 1864, wife of W. 
Harmon, deputy county treasurer; George 
C, bookkeeper in his father's store at Oak 
Harbor, born March 27, 1869, and Em- 
ma B., born February 16, 1872, for some 
time a teacher in Ottawa county. 

A Republican in politics, Mr. M^-land- 
er has never been an office-seeker; but in 
1894, without any solicitation on his part, 
he was nominated, b}' his part)', as a 
candidate for county treasurer, and on 
November 6 of that year was elected to 
that honorable position, one that he fills 
with characteristic ability and fidelity. 
For twelve years he served as councillor 
of Oak Harbor, and for eight years was 
school director, also filling the position 
of school treasurer for the same length of 
time. He is a man of more than ordi- 
nary business qualifications, to-day ranking 
among the solid men of Ottawa county, 
and enjoying an enviable and well-mer- 
ited popularit}'. He is also highly re- 
spected in the community for his moral 
worth, and many unassuming charitable 
deeds. 



CHARLES I. YORK. This well- 
known attorney at law, who en- 
joys an honorable and lucrative 
practice in his chosen profession, 
is holding an enviable place in the front 
rank of that distinguished array of talent 
which constitutes the bar of Ottawa 
county. 

He is a native of Ohio, born in Green- 
wich township, Huron county, February 
18, 1856. When he was an infant of 
two months his parents, Stephen and 
Hannah York, moved to the adjoining 



township of Ruggles, in Ashland county, 
where for some thirty years they resided, 
at the end of that time returning to 
Greenwich township, and finall}' settling 
in the village of that name. Here the 
father died September 3, 1888, the 
mother on Octolaer 7, 1892, leaving one 
son and four daughters, as follows: 
Charles I., Mrs. Harriet Washburn, 
Mrs. Cornelia Wright and Mrs. LenaSton- 
er, of Greenwich, Ohio; and Mrs. Avetta 
MaCumber, of Lorain, Ohio. The par- 
ents and all the grandparents were born 
in the State of New York, while the great- 
grandparents were of Irish, German and 
French nativity. 

When four years old our subject com- 
menced attending district school near his 
Ashland county home, his first teacher 
being Alvin Griffin, who is now, and has 
been for the past thirty years or so, a 
practicing attorney at law at Norwalk, 
Ohio. At the age of fifteen young 
Charles entered a private school in the 
same vicinity, which he attended two 
years, and in November, 1873, at the ear- 
ly age of seventeen, he commenced teach- 
ing country school, the first step toward 
beginning life for himself. During the 
springs and summers of 1874 and three 
consecutive years Mr. York was engaged 
by the month on a farm, shearing sheep, 
and in other occupations, at intervals, 
when out of work, canvassing for the sale 
of books, at the same time attending pri- 
vate schools in the fall, his winters being 
occupied in teaching. In 1878 he taught 
select schools, his chief duties being to 
prepare the student for the profession of 
school teaching. In 1879, 1880, and up 
to the fall of 1881 he was engaged as 
traveling salesman for a church, school 
and hall furniture industry, teaching 
school in the winter of 1879-80. In the 
fall of 1881 he entered the Law Depart- 
ment of Michigan University, Ann Arbor, 
Mich., where, on March 28, 1883, he re- 
ceived the degree of Bachelor of Laws. 
During vacation in his course, and after 





1 

*> 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



383 



graduation, he continued, until the fail of 
1883, his former occupation of traveling 
salesman. On February 8, 1883, he was 
admitted to practice law in the State of 
Michigan, and on June 5, 1883, while at 
Columbus, Ohio, on business for the firm 
he was traveling for he was admitted to 
the bar by the supreme court of Ohio, 
and has since been admitted to practice 
in the United States courts. In the fall 
of 1883 he entered the law office of H. C. 
Carhart, at Gallon, Ohio, there making 
his debut into the arena of law; but he 
remained there only two weeks, for dur- 
ing the afternoon of December 2, he be- 
gan to take into favorable consideration 
the condition of affairs in Oak Harbor, 
Ottawa county, which he had frequently 
visited in his traveling days, and the re- 
sult of his cogitations was that on the 
following da}' he found himself located in 
that thriving town and engaged in the 
trial of a case before the mayor thereof. 
Here he remained in the practice of his 
chosen profession until July 4, 1892, at 
whicii date he removed to Port Clinton, 
the county seat of Ottawa county, where 
he has continued to reside. 

On October 18, 1S87, at his own 
home in Oak Harbor, which had been 
suitably prepared for a life of domes- 
ticity, Mr. York was married to Miss 
Anna Wilt, of that village, and they par- 
took of their marriage supper at their own 
table. Socially our subject is a member 
in good standing of the F. & A. M., the 
I. O. O. F. and the K. of P. Lodges. He 
believes that men become characterised 
to, and a reflex of, the objects which 
they worship, and holds that man's su- 
preme duty is to worship God, by reason 
of his relation with his Creator, as it be- 
comes revealed to him, through the Sacred 
Scriptures, human reason and natural 
laws, that he might become a susceptible 
character to reflect sunshine and happi- 
ness in his home, in the fraternities of 
men and the society of the world, and be- 
come so spiritually related to his Creator 



as to be enabled to await in perfect peace, 
consolation and faith the eternal destiny 
of the immortal soul. 

At the November election, in 1888, 
Mr. York was elected prosecuting attorney 
of Ottawa county, on the Democratic 
ticket, and at the November election in 
1 89 1 he was re-elected on the same 
ticket, holding that office for two terms, 
beginning on the first Monday of January, 
1889, and ending on the first Monday of 
January, 1895. He is possessed of ex- 
cellent judgment, gifted with enviable skill 
in handling a case, and forcible in his ar- 
guments before a jury, while he is re- 
garded as a useful local counselor and of- 
fice lawyer, critical and accurate in the 
adjustment and preparation of cases. 
Genial and popular, no man stands higher 
in the estimation of the people of the 
county, and his present leading position, 
both as a man and as a lawyer, is a con- 
clusive proof of what pluck, ambition and 
honest endeavor will accomplish. 



GEORGE M. RUDES, the pro- 
prietor of Maple Grove farm. 
Clay township, Ottawa county, 
is one of the oldest of the pioneers, 
and a prominent agriculturist and manu- 
facturer of that township. He has watched 
the progress of the country from a state 
of nature, a wilderness of forest trees and 
underbrush, inhabited by wild animals, to 
its present proud position in the State, 
with fertile fields and comfortable homes, 
and feels that to his strong right arm is 
due in a measure the prosperity and beauty 
of this favored section. 

Mr. Rudes was born in Genesee coun- 
ty, N. Y. , February 4, 1827, a son of 
Ephraim and Hannah (Hudson) Rudes, 
also natives of that State, born of English 
and Welsh descent. They removed to 
Ohio when their son George was but eight 
years old, making the long journey in a 
wagon, drawn by horses, and located in 
Medina county. Here our subject attend- 



384 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ed the common and high schools, and then 
served an apprenticeship at the carpenter 
and joiner's trade, at which he worked for 
several years. He then went to Huron 
county, going into the hotel business, 
which he carried on some three years; 
but, tiring of this, he purchased a farm in 
that county, which he worked for five 
3'ears. He then sold out and came to 
Ottawa county, settling in Clay township, 
where he began manufacturing lumber. 
With keen foresight and good business 
tact, he purchased eighty acres of timber 
land and a sawmill and went to work, cut- 
ting down the trees, often standing knee 
deep in water. He sawed the logs, mak- 
ing them into lumber, for which he found 
a ready sale, and in the course of the 
twelve years in which he carried on oper- 
ations used all the timber on his own and 
the neighboring farms. A part of this 
timber covered what is known as -'Middle 
Ground," in the city of Toledo. In ad- 
dition to the manufacture of lumber, Mr. 
Rudes devoted every spare moment to the 
improvement of his farm, and succeeded 
in bringing it to a high state of cultiva- 
tion. He sawed and dried the lumber 
used in the construction of his dwelling 
and barns, which he built himself, in a 
picturesque spot, and which for beauty 
and design can not be surpassed in Clay 
township. He made many other improve- 
ments upon his land, and has to-day a 
valuable piece of property. In 1866 Mr. 
Rudes sold out his sawmill, and attended 
strictly to his farming operations. In 1873 
he bought a sawmill in Genoa, adding 
thereto a planing-mill, and for ten years 
lived in Genoa, buying also eighty acres 
of timber land in the vicinity of his farm. 
The mill is still in operation, employing a 
number of men, and is successfully con- 
ducted by his son, Heselton F. , who thor- 
oughly understands the business. 

Our subject was married November 9, 
185 1, to Miss Louisa J. Ba.xter, and to 
them eight children have been born (two 
of whom are deceased), a brief record of 



them being as follows: (i) Heselton F. , 
born September 10, 1853, attended the 
schools of Genoa, and was married April 
25, 1878, to Miss Fanny Butheway; they 
have had three children — Guy, born July 
14, 1878, died in 1892; Lester, born in 
1887; and \'erne, born in September, 
1891 ; they reside in Genoa, where he has 
charge of his father's mill. (2) Bribner 
H., born September 15, 1854, in Huron 
county, received his education at Genoa; 
he is unmarried, resides with his parents, 
and is interested in the business of grain 
threshing and well drilling. (3) Carlos 
A., born July 21, 1857, in Clay township, 
attended the schools in Genoa, and was 
married December 9. 1879, to Miss Lillie 
Hatch, daughter of Charles Hatch, of 
Hancock county; they have had five chil- 
dren — Ercell, Harry, Earl (deceased), 
Merrill and Gail. (4) Amy, born De- 
cember 25, 1867, died July 27, 1875. (5) 
George A., born September 30, 1862, in 
Cla\- township, was educated in Genoa; 
he carries on well drilling and threshing; 
he was married in Genoa, December 12, 
1880, to Miss Avis, daughter of Austin 
Tuttle, and seven children have been 
born to them — Albert M., Alice L. , 
Florence, Metta, Howard, Emery, and 
Inez. (6) Minnie M., born September 
I. 1864, is single and resides with her 
parents. (7) Roy C, born May 10, 
1874, is what might be termed a born 
machinist; he is entirely self-taught, 
but seems to have a thorough knowledge 
of all kinds of machines; he tried farming 
for a while, but is now agent for a thresh- 
ing-machine manufacturing company; he 
is single and lives with his parents. (8) 
Metta, born August i, 1876, died July 24, 

1877- 

Ephraim Rudes, the father of our sub- 
ject, was born in the State of New York, 
in 1800, and followed the occupation of a 
farmer. He was married in 1821 to Miss 
Hannah Hudson, who was born in the 
same State, July 16, 1803, and their 
family consisted of seven children as fol- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQBAPUICAL RECORD. 



385 



lows: Sarah A., Amy and Abel (twins), 
Georpe M., Clarinda, Allen H. and Luc}-. 
The father died in 1846, and the mother 
in 1890. The wife of our subject was 
born July 20, 1832, in the State of New 
York, and was one of thirteen children 
born to her parents. She is suffering 
from the effects of a stroke of paralysis, 
which prevents her from performing 
household duties, although her mind is 
clear and active, and she converses with 
ease and intelHgence. She and her hus- 
band, who is a very quiet and unassum- 
ing man, have many interesting incidents 
to tell of the early day in the settlement 
of this State, when they were surrounded 
by dense forests, when neighbors were 
few and far between, and when none of 
the comforts and conveniences of civiliza- 
tion were at hand. Now they are enjoy- 
ing the results of their early toil and hard- 
ships, and the evening of their useful and 
busy lives finds them contented and happy. 
Mr. Rudes has always deeply regretted 
his inability to take part in the war for 
the defense of the stars and stripes, in 
1861-65, owing to chronic rheumatism, 
contracted when a boy and added to 
when clearing his land and preparing his 
lumber for his mill, the ground being very 
wet and marshy. He has been a great 
sufferer from this disease, although always 
a busy man. Mr. Rudes has held the 
office of supervisor for ten years, and has 
been school director for the same length 
of time. He is a stanch Republican, go- 
ing into the ranks of that party on its 
formation. He believes in principles not 
men, and has never been an office-seeker. 
His first Presidential vote was cast for 
Zachary Taylor, who was the Whig 
candidate. 



GEORGE GOSLINE, editor and 
publisher of the bright and influ- 
ential journal of Oak Harbor 
called T/ic Press, was born in 
Canton, Bradford Co., Penn., April 22, 



1852, and is a son of William and Lo- 
rina S. (Fowler) Gosline. The father 
was born in Sussex Vale, Kings Co., New 
Brunswick, Canada, April 10, 1813, and 
died January 8, 1879. The mother was 
born at Lubeck, Me., July 6, 1818, and 
died at Canton, Bradford Co., Penn., 
May 23, 1854. In their family were 
eight children, five of whom survive at 
the time of this writing in the summer 
of 1895: Thomas, who is living in Will- 
amsport, Penn. ; James, a resident of 
Philadelphia, Penn. ; Mary, wife of 
George P. Russell, of Lancaster, Penn. ; 
Edward, whose home is in Carnegie; and 
George, the subject of this review. 

The last named spent the days of his 
boyhood in Williamsport, Penn., and ac- 
quired his education in the public schools 
of that city. On leaving the school 
room he began serving an appenticeship 
to the pririter's trade, and in 1867 re- 
moved to Marshall, Mo., whither his 
parents had gone the previous year. In 
1870, after working in a printing office in 
Marshall for three years, he went to Glas- 
gow, Howard Co., Mo., where he worked 
at his trade for a year. In 1871 he 
moved to Topeka, Kans., where he also 
spent a year, and in 1872 became a resi- 
dent of Huntsville, Randolph Co., Mo., 
but after six months he went to St. Louis, 
Mo. His residence there was of only 
three months duration, and in January, 
1874, he went to Indianapolis, Ind., and 
a month later to Sandusky, Ohio. After 
a brief sojourn in the last named city, 
he went to Port Clinton, Ohio, whence, 
in 1875, he came to Oak Harbor, of 
which place he has since been one of the 
honored and respected citizens. 

Immediately after his arrival here, Mr. 
Gosline began the publication of T/ie 
Press, to which he has since gv 
close personal attention. The journal 
has always been devoted to the interests 
and advancement of the welfare of Otta- 
wa county and vicinity, without regard 
to politics. It is well edited and printed, 



386 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



and enjoys a large advertising patronage 
as well as an extensi%^e circulation. The 
office is equipped with job and cylinder 
presses, steam power is used, and alto- 
gether the paper reflects great credit on 
its enterprising editor and publisher. Mr. 
Gosline ranks among the leading men of 
the county, and in his relations to the 
people as a newspaper man and citizen is 
recognized as one who has contributed 
largely to the material and social advance- 
ment of Ottawa county and tributary dis- 
trict. 

On July 15, 1876, at Toledo, Ohio, 
was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Gos- 
line and Miss Cora Gates, who was born 
at Gates Mills, Ohio, October 9, 1857, 
daughter of Henry and Eunice (Cornwell) 
Gates. Their union has been blessed 
with three children, namely: Georgia and 
Robert (twins), born May 9, 1877, the 
former of whom died October 5, 1879, 
while the latter was for some time suc- 
cessfully engaged in schoolteaching in 
Salem township, Ottawa county, and is 
now studying law in the Ohio State 
University; and Ella Gertrude, born May 
21, I 890. The family is widely and favor- 
ably known in this localitj', and its mem- 
bers hold an enviable position in social 
circles, while Mr. Gosline is recognized as 
one of the most prominent and influential 
citizens of the countv. 



JAMES H. KKAEMER, probate judge 
of Ottawa county, with residence at 
Oak Harbor, is a native of the 
county, born near Oak Harbor March 
18, 1845, a son of Adolphus and Eliza 
(Wea\er) Kraemer. 

The father of our subject was a native 
of Hanover, Germany, where he studied 
medicine and civil engineering, and sub- 
sequently practiced medicine. About the 
year 1830 he came to the United States, 
making his first American home at Lan- 
caster, Ohio, there practicing medicine, 
and in 1832 marrying Miss Eliza Weaver. 



pro- 
was 
and 
was 



In 1833 he removed to Sandusk}' City; 
later to Toledo, Ohio, engaging there in 
mercantile business, and in 1834 he came 
to Oak Harbor, where in 1850 he was 
elected surveyor of Ottawa county, which 
office he held six years. While serving as 
surveyor he began the study of law, and 
in 1856 was elected to the office of 
bate judge, which he held six years; 
next elected prosecuting attorney, 
filled that office also six years. He 
then elected a member of the State Con- 
stitutional Convention, on which he served 
until its labors were completed, after which 
he was re-elected prosecuting attorney, 
which office he was holding at the time 
of his death. He died in August, 1885, 
at the age of seventy-five years. He had 
twelve children, seven of whom died in 
childhood, the following becoming heads 
of families: William L. , Gustavus A., 
James H., Helen H., and Charles R., of 
whom William L. married Miss Mary 
Black, lived at Oak Harbor, and had 
three children; Gustavus A. married Lena 
Stanberry, lived at Texarkana, Ark., and 
had four children; Helen H. married Dr. 
J. A. McKinnon, lived at Oak Harbor, 
where both died, leaving two children; 
Charles R. married Carrie Chestnutwood, 
lived at Oak Harbor, and had three chil- 
dren. 

James H. Kraemer, the subject proper 
of this sketch, passed his youth at Oak 
Harbor and vicinity, attending school 
there until he was eighteen years old, 
later taking a course at the Bryant, Lusk 
& Stratton Business College, Cleveland. 
Afterward he worked on a farm for sev- 
eral years, and from 1S72 to 1875 oper- 
ated a planing-mill at Oak Harbor. 
About the latter year he took charge of 
the Ottawa Exponent, as editor and man- 
ager, and for the past fifteen years has 
been proprietor of that paper. On Jan- 
uary I, 1869, he was married to Miss 
Lottie Earl, daughter of Thomas and 
Mary (Creiswick) Earl, of Cleveland, 
Ohio, and children as follows have been 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



387 



born to thein: De \\'ilton A., Thomas 
E., Maud E., Lloyd E. and Frank. Po- 
litically our subject is a Democrat, and 
has served as mayor of Oak Harbor five 
years, and also as member and clerk of 
the board of education. In the fall of 
1893 he was elected probate judge of Ot- 
tawa county, his present position. So- 
cially he is a member of the I. O. O. P., 
and enjoys the well-merited esteem and 
regard of hosts of friends. 

As an official Mr. Kraemer has won 
the respect of all by his diligent and effi- 
cient performance of the duties devolving 
on him. His father was the founder of and 
gave the land upon which all the churches 
and public schools are located, as well as 
contributing largely to their erection, and 
to every enterprise tending to the advance- 
ment of the town or count\\ His son, 
James H., has labored faithfully in the 
same cause, in the interest of public im- 
provement and good, as evidenced by 
many substantial buildings, and as his un- 
ceasing labors show. 



EDWARD DECKER, mayor of El- 
more, Ottawa county, who by 
trade is a machinist, was born in 
Fremont, Ohio, October 25, 1854, 
and is a son of Samuel and Lydia (Kist- 
ler) Decker, both of whom located in San- 
dusky county, Ohio, at a very early da}-. 
For many years the father worked at the 
cooper's trade in Fremont, and in 1859 
he brought his family to Elmore, where 
his death occured in 1880. His wife still 
survives him, and now at the age of 
seventy years makes her home in Elmore. 
In their family were six children, five of 
whom are yet living: William O., of 
Toledo, Ohio: Mary E., wife of L. M. 
Ham, of New York; Edward, subject of 
this sketch; Elizabeth, a resident of El- 
more; and Harriet W., wife of W. L. 
Reeves, of Toledo. 

With his parents Edward Decker 
came to Elmore, where he acquired his 



education in the public schools, and on 
leaving the school room learned the print- 
ing business, at which he worked for 
about si.x years. He then went to Han- 
nibal, Mo. , where he learned the trade of 
a machinist, residing there for three 
years, on the expiration of which time he 
returned to Elmore, and since 1882 has 
continuously resided here. On Decem- 
ber 25, 1 88 1, he was married at Elmore 
to Miss Mary Hineline, daughter of John 
B. and Rosana Hineline, natives of Penn- 
sylvania, of German ancestry; they were 
early settlers of Sandusky county, Ohio, 
and are now both deceased. To our sub- 
ject and his wife have been born four 
children — John Samuel, Mary Emma, 
James Robert and Paul. 

Mr. Decker has ever been prominent 
in public affairs; for three terms he served 
as a councilman of Elmore; in 1892 was 
elected mayor; and in 1894 was re-elected 
for the term he is at present serving. He 
is a progressive, public-spirited citizen, 
and fills that important position to the 
general satisfaction of all concerned, the 
manner in which the various public inter- 
ests of the city are being managed and 
adjusted by him giving ample evidence of 
the efficiency and good judgment of its 
present head. Politically he is a stanch 
supporter of the principles of the Repub- 
lican party; and socially he is a member of 
Elmore Lodge, No. 462, I. O. O. F. . 
and he and his wife are members of the 
Christian Church, of Elmore. 



JOHN GASSER (deceased), who was 
one of the honored pioneers of Ot- 
tawa county, was born in Berne, the 
capital of Switzerland, September 
23, 1822, and was a son of John and 
Anna Gasser. the former of whom was at 
one time the governor of Switzerland. 

Our subject lived in his native land 
until twelve years of age. and then accom- 
panied his parents on their emigration to 
America, locating in Zanesville, Ohio. 



388 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



The father soon after went to Sandusky 
county, where he purchased a large tract 
of wild land, and there engaged ,in the 
construction of a mill race and mill, the 
first one in the count)'; but ere the work 
was completed death suddenly ended his 
labors. Young John was thus left a mere 
boy to fight life's battles alone. He was 
bound out by his guardian to Judge Jus- 
tus, of Fremont, Ohio, to learn the trade 
of a tanner and currier, being thus em- 
ployed until twenty-one years of age, 
during which time he thoroughly mastered 
the business, becoming an expert work- 
man, and was thus employed until the 
breaking out of the Civil war. 

On May 2, 1849, Mr. Gasser was 
united in marriage with Miss Mary L. 
Sheperd, of Gypsum, Ohio, and in 1853 
they removed to Elmore, where Mr. 
Gasser resumed work at his trade. Mrs. 
Gasser was born near Leesville. Tuscara- 
was Co., Ohio, and in 1S33, when four 
years of age, was brought to Ottawa 
county, then an almost unbroken wilder- 
ness; she has seen deer cross the farm in 
large numbers, and all kinds of wild game 
abounded. She was a resident of three 
counties while living in one house. She 
acquired her education in Gypsum and 
Fremont, and in the latter place met the 
gentleman whom she married. Her 
father, John Sheperd, was born in North 
Carolina, February 13, 1783, and died 
December 19, 1S54. Her maternal grand- 
father was born in \'irginia, about i"66, 
and was a fuller by trade. He wedded 
Mary Long, a highly-educated Quaker 
lady, who engaged in the practice of medi- 
cine, in those early days, in Pennsylvania 
and Ohio, and had been known to ride 
twentj' miles through the wilderness in 
cases of consultation; she was very suc- 
cessful; her sister was a minister of the 
Gospel. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Gasser were born 
five children, three of whom died in in- 
fancy. Louis Edwin, who was born in 
Woodville, Ohio, April 18, 1851, com- 



pleted a course of study in the Normal 
School of Tontogany, Ohio, in 1867, and 
was then employed on the Lake Shore & 
Michigan Southern railroad until his death, 
August II, 1870. Eva Luella, the only 
daughter, was born May 16, 1858, on 
Rice street in Elmore, and in the same 
house was married February 27, 1879, to 
Henry Paffenbach, of Elmore, and in the 
same house in which her two children 
were born; she was educated in the pub- 
lic schools of Elmore, and before reach- 
ing the age of eighteen began teaching; 
she also made a special study of the piano, 
and later taught music with marked suc- 
cess; she died January 26, 1885, leaving 
two children — John Edwin G.,born March 
4, 1880; and Carl Henry, born March 12, 
1 88 1. All who knew her had for her 
only words of praise, and her friends were 
many. 

Mr. Gasser carried on business in El- 
more until 1864, when, on .August 5, he 
enlisted in Company A, One Hundred 
Seventy-seventh O. \'. I., under Capt. 
Turner. About October i he left Cleve- 
land with his regiment, and on the 6th 
arrived at Tullahoma, Tenn. , where, for 
six weeks, the troops guarded the Nash- 
ville & Chattanooga railroad. When 
Hood"s army threatened Nashville, the 
regiment was sent to Murfreesboro, and 
were there twice engaged in battle with 
the Rebel forces under Gen. Forrest. 
Subsequently the regiment was ordered to 
Spring Hill, and assigned to the Twenty- 
third Army Corps. On the march from 
Murfreesboro to Spring Hill John Gasser 
was taken ill, but remained with his com- 
mand which went to Clifton on the 
Tennessee river. On January 17, 1865, 
the regiment embarked on a steamer for 
Cincinnati, and thence went by rail to 
Washington, D. C, where it arrived Jan- 
uary 25. On February 3, it started for 
Annapolis by steamer, reaching Port 
Fisher on the 9th. On the the i6th, Mr. ' 
Gasser passed away, dying of typhoid 
pneumonia, and was buried by his com- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



389 



rades — Baldwin, Carr and Coon. He 
had patriotically given his life for his 
country, which required the sacrifice of 
so many of the brave sons of the nation. 
He was a very loyal, devoted citizen, 
and in his death the community suffered 
a severe loss. An earnest, temperance 
worker, a devoted Christian man, he did 
all in his power to uplift and benefit 
humanity, and had the warmest regard of 
all who knew him. His family lost a 
faithful husband and loving father; but 
the memory of his holy Christian life still 
lingers and is still green in the hearts of 
many friends. His widow is yet living in 
Elmore, an estimable lady, both widely 
and favorably known. 



REV. NATHANIEL B. C. LOVE, 
D. D., the subject of this sketch, 
was born in Rushville, Fairfield 
Co., Ohio. His father was born 
in Donegal, Ireland, of Scotch-Irish par- 
ents. In his childhood he was brought 
from Ireland to Lancaster, Penn., where 
he received a good English education. He 
became a professional teacher, and ex- 
celled in mathematics, teaching in North- 
umberland county, Penn., Cadiz, and 
Rushville, Ohio. He was of the nobler 
type of Irish Protestants, many of whom 
have been among the foremost in educa- 
tion in their adopted country. His par- 
ents were first Episcopalians and after- 
ward Methodists. He died in his seventy- 
ninth year, near Hardin, Ohio. 

Dr. Love was converted in childhood, 
and never forgot his espousal to God, and 
hence never formed those bad habits 
which hinder and embarrass so many per- 
sons for long weary years. His mother 
had the forming of his character. Her 
maiden name was Susannah Force, and 
she came from the Force family of New 
Jersey, a family that has made a noble 
record in Church and State. She was in- 
telligent, possessed great common sense. 



and was a devout Christian. Up to his 
sixteenth year Dr. Love had the advan- 
tages of good common and select schools. 
When about seventeen years he felt im- 
pressed to enter the ministry. He did not 
yield to this call at once, feeling, as every 
true minister always does, his insufficiency 
for this lofty mission; but as he wrought 
in the factory through the day and studied 
art and history at night, the call to the 
ministry became more and more impera- 
tive. About this time he had the advan- 
tages of the city and select schools of 
Sidney, Ohio, taught by Judge Wyman, 
James Linn and Miss Ware. Many of the 
older pupils of those schools have referred 
to them as miniature colleges. 

When only twenty-two years old our 
subject entered the ministry of the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church, and has been a 
prominent member of the Central Ohio 
Conference, filling with marked success, 
and to the full legal term of services, 
many of its leading stations. The cities 
and larger towns of central and north- 
western Ohio have been the scene of his 
labors. When he was twenty-three he 
was united in marriage with Miss Eliza 
Ginn, of Sidney, Ohio. Their oldest 
daughter, Jennie Love, was united in 
marriage with Mr. Ed. Cowdrick, of Na- 
poleon, Ohio, but died in eighteen months, 
leaving a daughter. The second daughter, 
Mrs. Emma Eberly, lives in Perrj'sburg, 
Ohio, a respected lady in Church and 
society. The eldest son, Edwin Ginn 
Love, is in the practice of law in Port 
Clinton, and in his profession is successful 
and popular, having a large practice in 
that city, as well as in the surrounding 
towns and cities. The second son is a 
railroad agent and telegrapher, employed 
on the Wheeling & Lake Erie railroad. 
Lura May Love, the youngest, is the 
teacher of French and Latin in Findlay 
College, which is her "alma mater;" 
she is also a graduate of the Upper 
Sandusky Graded School; she is well and 
favorably known as a mezzo-soprano solo- 



390 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAFHICAL RECORD. 



ist of excellence. The youngest, Arthur 
D. Love, is a boy at home with his 
parents. 

Dr. Love is well known as a writer 
for periodical literature; especially is his 
name familiar to the readers of the West- 
ern Chris tin II Advocate, to whose columns 
he has contributed for manyjears. Dur- 
ing six years, for several Sunday-school 
publications, he wrote notes for lesson 
help, and in his way of opening up and 
illustrating the Scripture he was highly 
appreciated. The same talent which 
qualified him for this work has made 
him eminently successful as a teacher of 
Bible and Normal classes, and he has been 
engaged in that work some sixteen years 
at Chautauqua Assemblies. He has the 
rare gift that few have, the power to 
draw and paint rapidly before an audi- 
ence. His "chalk-talks" before assem- 
blies are immensely popular. He has 
published a work on object-teaching that 
met with a rapid sale, and has received 
the endorsement of many of the best 
educators of the country. A few years 
ago, when Dr. Love was stationed at 
Upper Sandusky, Ohio, he took a great 
interest in the Old Mission Church and 
burying ground. This was the first mis- 
sion of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
The old stone church had fallen into 
ruins, and the burying ground, where 
many converted chiefs and missionaries 
were sleeping in hope of the resurrection 
taught by the Gospel, was a deserted 
common. 

Dr. Love was instrumental in bring- 
ing the matter in form before the General 
Missionary Committee and General Con- 
ference, and the funds were provided for 
restoring the property and preserving it as 
a sacred treasure to the Church, and 
to-day it stands as restored under his 
wise management, and is the Mecca of 
Methodism in her missionary efforts. 
While he was pastor at Port Clinton he 
collected and published a historical sketch 
of all the Methodist Churches in Ottawa I 



count}', which is valuable as a source of 
data. 

He is now connected with the great 
Chautauqua movement, havmg taught for 
several years at Lakeside, and for sixteen 
years connected with various Chautauqua 
Assemblies. For eight years he has been 
superintendent of Island Park Assembly, 
Rome City, Ind. He is a graduate in the 
C. L. S. C., course of study, the C. N. C, 
and the Ohio State Normal, and is the 
friend and promoter of home college 
reading circles. In recognition of his 
talents and scholarship the U. S. Grant 
Memorial University, some years ago, 
conferred its highest honorable degree of 
Doctor of Divinity upon him. 



EG. LOVE, a rising joung attor- 
ney at law of Port Clinton, Ottawa 
county, is a native of Ohio, born 
May 22, 1864, at Crestline, Craw- 
ford county, a son of Rev. N. B. C. Love, 
D. D., and Eliza (Ginn) Love. The 
father was for many years an itinerate 
minister of the M. E. Central Ohio Con- 
ference, also a prominent Sunday-school 
worker, and was for seven j-ears president 
of the Island Park Assembly, of Rome 
City, Indiana. 

Our subject attended the public schools 
of different towns at which his father 
preached until he was seventeen years of 
age, at which time, he went to Ohio Wes- 
leyan University, at Delaware, Ohio, 
where he attended college two years, and 
then, on account of inability of his father 
to furnish funds to enable him to complete 
a college course, he struck out for him- 
self. He worked a couple of years at 
various occupations, about a year as com- 
mon laborer at the Milburn Wagon Works, 
Toledo, Ohio, and then one year as as- 
sistant shipping clerk. Returning home 
at the age of twenty-one. he entered the 
law office of Judge Slalcolm Kelly, at Port 
Clinton, and began the study of law, re- 
maining as a student, in the capacity of 



COMMSMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



391 



the Judge's assistant in his office work, 
for about two years; then for one j'ear at- 
tended the Cincinnati Law College, from 
which he graduated May 23, 1888, with 
the degree of Bachelor of Laws. About 
a month prior to graduation he was ad- 
mitted to practice law in all the courts of 
Ohio. On his return from college after 
the completion of his collegiate course, 
he located at Port Clinton, where he has 
been practicing ever since. In October, 
1892, he was admitted to practice law in 
the circuit and district courts of the 
United States, and has a large practice 
in State and United States courts. In 
June, 1887, Mr. Love married Miss Nettie 
McRitchie, daughter of Judge D. R. Mc- 
Ritchie, of Port Clinton, Ohio, and they 
have two daughters: Helenand Marguerite. 



JOSEPH KINGHAM, M. D. A list 
of the well-known citizens of Ottawa 
county would be incomplete were 
the name of this gentleman omitted, 
for there are probably few so widely and 
favorably known. Not only has he dis- 
tinguished himself in his profession, but 
also as a leader in business circles, having 
built up large commercial interests here; 
and it is only justice to him to state that 
if the town of Rocky Ridge owes its ex- 
istence and present prosperity to an)' one 
man, it is to the personal efforts and busi- 
ness ability of Dr. Kingham. 

He is a native of the county in whose 
welfare and advancement he has borne so 
prominent a part, born December 5, 
1839, at Port Clinton, of English de- 
scent. His boyhood was spent in his na- 
tive town, and there he also received his 
early education, graduating from the pub- 
lic schools in 1854. In 1855 he entered 
the Ohio Wesleyan Universitj', where 
he remained only one term thence 
going to the University at Berca, 
Ohio, where he also studied one term. 
He then commenced clerking for his 

25 



father, continuing thus until 1S63, and 
thereafter for a short time clerked for a 
firm in Fremont, Ohio. In the year 
1863 he began the study of medicine at 
Port Clinton under the direction of Dr. 
Steadman, after about si.\ months remov- 
ing to Sandusky, Ohio, where he studied 
under Dr. Agard until May, 1864, when 
he was called with the hundred-days' men 
of Ohio to service in the army of the Po- 
tomac; he being a member of that body 
was mustered into service in Company I, 
One Hundred and Sixty-ninth O. N. G. 
I., and his company at once went to 
Fort Ethan Allen to guard the city of 
Washington. In September, 1864, he 
was mustered out of service with his regi- 
ment in Cleveland. 

On his return from the army our sub- 
ject at once entered the University of 
Michigan, where he took a thorough 
course in medicine, graduating from that 
institution in 1S66 with the degree of M. 
D. During his University course he also 
attended special medical lectures in the 
summer vacation at Pittsford, Mass. Dr. 
Kingham began the practice of medicine 
at Berlin Heights, Ohio, under adverse 
conditions. His long medical course had 
somewhat impaired his health, so that 
when ready mentally to enter upon his 
chosen profession he was nearly a physi- 
cal wreck. By careful attention to his 
physical condition, however, he gradually 
became stronger and thus better able to 
attend to the now constantly increasing 
calls made upon him. At the end of 
three months the doctor moved to Flor- 
ence, there entering into partnership with 
Dr. Lattin, with whom he remained only 
a short time when he made another 
change, this time locating in Norwalk, 
Ohio, where he practiced four j'ears. 
After leaving Norwalk he went to Bell- 
more, Ind., and there remained until 
May, 1875, the date of his removal to 
Port Clinton, where he continued in his 
professional duties until 1886. At this 
time the Doctor came to Rocky Ridge, to 



302 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



give his attention to his business inter- 
ests there, which had been gradually 
widening during the passing years, and 
they have continued to grow until, at the 
present time, he is extensively engaged 
in numerous enterprises, all of which, 
under his able management, have proved 
profitable to him, and, by giving employ- 
ment to others, have contributed in no 
small degree to the growth of the com- 
munit)-. He is largelj' interested in agri- 
culture, owning several farms in the 
vicinity of Rocky Ridge. In 1878 he en- 
gaged in the manufacture of lime, and in 
1882 erected a sawmill and invested ex- 
tensively in the lumber business; in 1889 
he erected a large grain elevator and 
flouring-mill in Rocky Ridge. He is now 
handling large quantities of wheat, oats 
and corn, and the value of this enterprise 
to the local farming industry can hardly 
be estimated. In 1882, in addition to 
his other business, the Doctor purchased 
a drug store at Rocky Ridge, which 
gradually enlarged until, in 1891, it had 
become a general store. The Doctor's 
business had now become so large and 
complicated, on account of the great 
variety of interests to which he was giving 
his attention, that Mrs. Kingham came 
to his aid, taking her place in the office, 
and for the past live years she has added 
her business ability to that of her husband 
in pushing one of the greatest business 
enterprises in Ottawa count}-. Mrs. King- 
ham attends to the books, keeping an 
accurate account of all receipts and ship- 
ments of grain, and in every way render- 
ing the greatest assistance in conducting 
the extensive business. Nor have we 
yet covered the field of the Doctor's 
business enterprises. In addition to those 
alread}' enumerated he invested as a stock- 
holder in Lake Side, the most elegant 
summer resort on Lake Erie; for many 
years he has been one of the directors of 
the company, and at the time of his mar- 
riage to his presept wife was president of 
the Lake Side Company. 



In 1868, Dr. Kingham was married to 
Miss Mary Ann Partlow, of Bellmore. 
Ind. A few years afterward, while at 
Norwalk, Ohio, Mrs. Kingham's health 
failed, and she gradually became weaker, 
passing away in May, 1880, at Port Clin- 
ton. On August 30, 1882, the Doctor 
wedded his present wife. Miss Ella Sim- 
kins, of Washington C. H., Ohio, the 
marriage being solemnized at the Grand 
Pacific Hotel, Chicago, by the Rev. .Ar- 
thur Edwards, D. D. Mrs. Ella(Simkins) 
Kingham was born at Washington C. H., 
Ohio, in 1857, and spent her girlhood 
days in her native town, from the high 
school of which place she graduated in 
1876. For a time after completing her 
high school course she attended Wooster 
University, and subsequently, for five 
years, she was a teacher in the high school 
from which she graduated. For one year 
she was principal of the high school at 
Muncie, Ind., and at the close of her 
work there she was married to Dr. King- 
ham. Mrs. Kingham's father, Richard 
Simkins, was born in 1831 in New Jersey, 
and her mother, Martha (Kembelj Sim- 
kins, was born in Ohio, in 1S33; they are 
still living at Washington C. H. To them 
were born two children, Mrs. Kingham, 
and Dr. James Simkins, of Clarksburg, 
Ohio. Mrs. Kingham's maternal grand- 
father, Nathan Kembel, was born in 181 1 
in New Jersey. By his first marriage the 
Doctor had five children, two of whom 
are now living: W'illiam and Bernard, at 
present with their uncle, Mr. Jacobs, in 
California. By his present wife he has 
two sons, James Jay and George Richard, 
both living with tlieir parents. 

Dr. Kingham's parents, James and 
Lydia Ann (Knight) Kingham, were born, 
the father in England in 1803, on the 
noted "Farm Colder," in Oxfordshire, 
the mother at Rising Sun, Md., in 18 18. 
They were married in 1836. James King- 
ham followed mercantile pursuits the 
greater part of his life; he died in 1875, 
and the mother now lives with her daugh- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHWAL RECORD. 



3J)8 



ter, Mrs. Jacobs. There were four chil- 
dren in the family, two of whom are 
now living, Dr. Joseph Kingham, and 
Mrs. Jacobs, of California. 



GEORGE W. LONG (deceased), 
who was one of the prominent 
and progressive farmers of Car- 
roll township, Ottawa county, 
was born in Hanover, Germany, Decem- 
ber 29, 1838, and was a son of Henry 
and Christina Long, natives of the same 
country, who, emigrating to this country, 
took up their residence in Erie township, 
Ottawa county, in 1843. The father was 
not long permitted to enjoj' his new 
home, his death occurring the same year. 
His wife survived him about eight years. 
Our subject remained under the 
parental roof until sixteen years of age. 
when he bade adieu to his old home and 
removed to Bureau county. 111., residing 
there for four years. He then returned 
to Erie township, Ottawa county, and in 
1867 took up his residence in Carroll 
township, where his remaining days were 
passed. On November 17, 1862, Mr. 
Long was united in marriage with Miss 
Mary Louisa Meeker, who was born in 
Erie township, Ottawa county, March 
15. 1842, daughter of Chalon and Mar\' 
(Amnions) Meeker, who were pioneer set- 
tlers, and for many years honored and re- 
spected residents of Erie township, where 
they made their home until called to their 
final rest. The father passed away very 
suddenly August 17, 1877; the mother 
died of diphtheria February 19, 1869. 
Their family numbered ten children, six 
of whom are yet living, namely: Amanda, 
wife of Robert McKay, a resident of 
Tuscola, III. ; William, who makes his 
home in Henry county, Ohio; Rachel, 
wife of Robert Stevens, who is located in 
Carroll township, Ottawa county; Mrs. 
Long; Teressa, wife of Thomas Hambly, 
a resident of Rocky Ridge, Ottawa coun- 
ty; and Thomas, who is living in Douglas 



county. 111. To Mr. and Mrs. Long were 
born three children, as follows: (i) 
Amanda Lavina, born October 9, 1864, 
who married Frank S. Foote, now a 
teacher in Toledo; she has one child, 
Edgar p-Qote, born October 12, 1890. (2) 
George Edward, born August 7, 1869, 
living in Carroll township. (3) Sylvanus, 
born April 10, 1881, is still living with 
the mother. 

Mr. Long was killed by the kick of a 
horse. May 7, 1890. He was recognized 
as one of the valued and leading citizens 
of the community, and took quite a 
prominent part in county affairs. He 
was a Republican, but though giving a 
loyal support to the party he was not a 
politician in the sense of office-seeking, 
rather one who favored safe principles 
and good officials, and he capably served 
in many township offices, discharging his 
duties with credit to himself and satisfac- 
tion to all concerned. He made farming 
his life work, and led a busy and indus- 
trious life. Well-known and highly-es- 
teemed by all who knew him, his sudden 
death was mourned by a large number of 
sincere friends. His genuine worth and 
true nobilit}' gained him the respect of all, 
and no one in Ottawa countj' was more 
favorably known. Since his death his 
faithful and devoted wife has managed the 
estate with more than ordinary ability, 
and her excellent care has made it return 
a good income. She is a consistent mem- 
ber of the United Brethren Church, and 
very popular in the social circles of the 
township, where she has a host of warm 
friends. 



DANIEL BROWN (deceased) was 
one of the most progressive and 
influential farmers of Carrol town- 
ship, Ottawa county. His birth 
occurred in Lancaster, N. Y., March 23, 
I Si 5, and he was a son of Joseph R. and 
Ruth (Smith) Brown, who were early set- 
tlers of Erie county, Ohio, where they 



394 



COMMEliORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



passed awa3^ In their family of nine 
children only three now survive: Solo- 
mon, who is residing on the old home- 
stead in Margaretta township, Erie Co., 
Ohio; Diadami, wife of Thomas Persons, 
•of Sisson, Siskiyou Co., Cal. ; and Mrs. 
Martha Newman, a widow, of Barcelona, 
Tulare county, California. 

In February, 1819, Mr. Brown, whose 
name introduces this sketch, removed 
with his parents to Erie count)'. Ohio, 
where he was reared to manhood and re- 
ceived his education. His principal oc- 
cupation through life was farming, 
though for eleven years he was foreman 
of Mr. Heywood's fiouring-mill and saw- 
mill at Venice, Ohio. He located in 
Carroll township, Ottawa county. May 4, 
1866, from which date until his death he 
was a constant resident of that commu- 
nity, where he was widely and favorably 
known. His death occurred at his home 
July 19, 1893, and he was deeply and 
sincerely mourned. 

.'\t Venice, Erie Co., Ohio, June 8, 
1845, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. 
Brown and Miss Melissa I. James, who 
was born in that county, November 24, 
1830, a daughter of Henry and Phcebe 
(Dunham) James, both natives of this 
country, who became early pioneers of 
Erie county; there they resided until 
death, both dying in Venice, the father 
on November 29, 1874, the mother on 
October 7, 1881. To them was born a 
family of si.\ children, three of whom are 
still living, namely: Melissa I., widow of 
Daniel Brown; Rebecca, wife of Charles 
Hiemlich, of Venice, Ohio; and Yeamon, 
residing near Genoa, Ottawa county. 
Nine children came to bless the union of 
Mr. and Mrs. Brown, namely: Phoebe, 
born July 7, 1846, died April 11, 1848; 
Rebecca, born April 3, 1848, now the 
wife of Leman Thompson, of Carroll 
township; Isabel, born November 16, 
1850, now the wife of Roscoe Wise, of 
Curtis, Ohio; Hcnrj', born October 11, 
1852, died October 12, 1853; Martha, 



born March 26, 1854, now the wife of 
Austip L. Carey, of Mount Vernon, Ohio; 
Frank, born August 11, 1856, a resident 
of Carroll township; Rachel, born Feb- 
ruary 14, 1858, making her home in 
Mount \'ernon; James K., born June 8, 
1 86 1, living in Lorain county, Ohio; and 
Alvira, born March 14, 1866, married 
James Clopfenstein, and died February 
22, 1885. 

In his political affiliations Mr. Brown 
was an ardent Republican, but was never 
an aspirant for office, preferring to give 
his time and attention to his agricultural 
duties, and was one of the successful men 
of his da}'. Though enjoying in his 
youth but meagre literar\- advantages, he 
acquired a practical education, and was a 
close observer of men and events. He 
took an active part in all matters relating 
to the welfare of the township and coun- 
ty, and was held in the highest esteem 
by his friends and neighbors. His faith- 
ful wife, who is a well-educated and in- 
telligent lady, still resides in Carroll town- 
ship, where she is surrounded bj' hosts of 
friends. 



GEORGE H. RICE, who during 
his lifetime was a prominent fruit- 
grower and agriculturist of Car- 
roll township, Ottawa county, 
was born April 26, 1826, in Painesville, 
Ohio, son of Isaac and Lucy (Devol) 
Rice, the former a native of Vermont, the 
latter of the Biicke\-e State. She was 
born in Marietta in 1802, and her father, 
Jonathan Devol, was one of the honored 
pioneers of Ohio. 

Isaac Rice was born in Brattleboro. 
Vt., Maj' 7, 1792, and previous to 1820 
removed to the southern part of Ohio, 
where he followed his trade of wagon- 
making. He was married in Marietta in 
1820, and in 1825 removed with his wife 
to Painesville, Lake Co., Ohio, where he 
followed the same business. He built 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHWAL RECORD. 



395 



fifteen of the first stages that ever ran be- 
tween Buffalo and Cleveland. In Feb- 
ruary, 1829, he removed to Danbury 
township, then a part of Huron county, 
now a part of Ottawa county, where he 
spent his remaining days, passing away 
April 14, 1845. His wife survived until 
January 17, 1867. Their family num- 
bered seven children, but only one is now 
living — Mary Ann, wife of D. W. Stew- 
art, a resident of Alton, Illinois. 

George H. Rice acquired his educa- 
tion in the district schools of Danbury 
township, and also in Westfield, Medina 
Co., Ohio, and when his school life was 
ended became a sailor on the lakes. He 
was serving as mate on the steamer 
"Oregon" at the time it was blown up 
on the Detroit river, April 14, 1855. He 
continued on the water until 1882, and 
in connection carried on fruit farming and 
ship and boat building, but for the last 
twelve years, owing to poor health, he 
led a practically retired life. His labors 
were interrupted in 1865 by his enlist- 
ment, on February 14, in Company C, 
Second Ohio Cavalry; after serving for a 
few months at St. Louis he became so ill 
that he was sent home on furlough, and 
the regiment was mustered out of the 
service before his leave of absence ex- 
pired. 

Mr. Rice was married in Westfield, 
Medina county, December 25, 185 1, to 
Miss Celestia P. St. John, who was born 
in Westfield, January 31, 1831, daughter 
of Myron and Philc'na (Allton) St. John, 
natives of \'ermont, who became early 
settlers of Medina county, where they 
spent their remaining days, the father 
dying December i , 1 866, the mother on 
June 9, 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Rice are 
the parents of eight children: Noah 
Lovell, who was born October 17, 1853, 
and is a prominent farmer of Carroll 
township, Ottawa county; Philena L. , 
born November 4, 1856, residing in 
Chicago; Louisa C, born September 2, 
1858, now the wife of C. C. Strong, a 



resident of Chicago; Henry Lincoln, born 
July 28, 1 86 1, died February 21, 1869; 
Mary A., born August 28, 1863, now the 
wife of Aretus Crane, of Chicago ; Dan S. , 
born August 8, 1867; Julia M. W. , born 
June 19, 1871; and George Allton, born 
April 24, 1875; the three youngest are 
at home. The family attend the Baptist 
Church. 

Mr. Rice was one of the oldest pioneer 
settlers of Ottawa count}', and during his 
long residence here ever sustained a repu- 
tation for integrity and good citizenship, 
alike creditable to his judgment and char- 
acter. As one of the men who in an 
early day took part in subduing the wil- 
derness, transforming it into fine farms 
and beautiful homes which the present 
generation enjoy in comparative comfort 
and ease, Mr. Rice is well worthy of 
being represented in this volume. At the 
time of his decease, though he had almost 
reached the honored age of three score 
years and ten, he was a well-preserved 
man, of commanding presence, possessed 
of a vigorous mind, good practical busi- 
ness sagacity, and a reliable memory, as 
to early events. Ofttimes he reviewed the 
changes that have taken place since the 
days of the old open fireplace, and the log 
schoolhouse with its half-barrel seats, 
where he received his rudimentary educa- 
tion, and the twang of the thread as the 
good mother plied her needle by the dim 
light of a tallow candle. These and many 
more of the circumstances connected with 
pioneer life frequently flitted across his 
mind, as he took a retrospective glance 
into the past, recalling the marvellous 
work of the first settlers of Ottawa coun- 
ty, a work in which he always bore his 
part. But his days of hardship and toil 
were crowned by success, and in his de- 
clining years he enjoyed a well-earned 
rest, and the blessings of his home and 
fireside. He was a successful agricul- 
turist, and his farm and orchard, with 
their many improvements and neat ap- 
pearance, speak well in his praise. 



396 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



In politics Mr. Rice was a Republican, 
and he took an active and intellif^ent in- 
terest in local and national affairs. He 
was highly respected by a wide circle of 
friends and acquaintances, and was a 
worthy representative of the pioneers of 
Ottawa county. He passed away at his 
home in Carroll township, June 30, 1895, 
and was laid to rest at Oak Harbor. 



CARL RUH (deceased) was a well- 
known business man and highly- 
respected citizen of Put in Bay 
Island, Ottawa count}-, and in his 
death the community lost one of its best 
residents. He was born in Baden, Ger- 
many, December 31, 1834, and was a son 
of John and Mary (Ackerley) Ruh, who 
were also natives of the Fatherland. 
The}' had a family of seven children, of 
whom Joseph, now a resident of Put in 
Ba}', is the only known survivor. 

The gentleman whose name introduces 
this sketch was reared to manhood in the 
land of his birth, acquired his education 
in its public schools and learned the trade 
of butcher, and tanner of hides. In 1854 
he crossed the Atlantic to America, and 
took up his residence in Sandusky City, 
Ohio, but after a short time removed to 
Put in Bay Island, where he made his 
home for a period of forty-five years, and 
was one of the most highly-esteemed citi- 
zens of that community. During his 
earlier residence here he engaged in wood 
chopping and butchering, but in later 
years his entire time and attention were 
devoted to grape growing, his vineyard 
being one of the finest on the Island. A 
handsome and well-kept residence and 
beautiful grounds, themselves the em- 
bodiment of neatness, indicate the thrift 
and enterprise of him who was the owner. 

Mr. Ruh was married in Sandusky 
City, June 1 1, 1857, to Christina Schmidt, 
a daughter of Frederick and Mary (Brandt) 
Schmidt, the former a native of Baden, 
Germany, born August 10, 1828. Mr. 



and Mrs. Ruh became the parents of two 
children: Herman, born July 18, 1869; 
and Marie L. , born February 24, 1S71. 
The mother of this family came with her 
parents to America in 1854, and since 
1855 has resided continuously on Put in 
Bay Island — a most estimable lady, one 
who has many warm friends in the com- 
munity. 

Mr. Ruh efficiently filled the office of 
school director of Put in Bay for twelve 
years, was also township trustee for one 
term, and served in other local offices, 
discharging his duties with a promptness 
and fidelity that won him high connnen- 
dation. He was a man of broad and 
liberal views, charitable to a fault, and 
his hearty support and co-operation were 
given to all worthy enterprises calculated 
to benefit the community. His life's la- 
bors were ended May 11, 1895, and in 
his death Put in Bay lost one of her most 
valuable citizens, his wife a loving and de- 
voted husband, and his children a kind 
and indulgent father. His career was 
above reproach, and he left to his family 
not only a good property but the priceless 
heritage of an untarnished name. 



JOHN SIEGRIST (deceased), who 
was one of the earliest settlers on 
Middle Bass Island, Ottawa county, 
and a prominent grape grower, was 
born in Bavaria, Germany, May 2, 1825, 
and v\'as a son of Leopolt and Kate (Har- 
mond) Siegrist. 

John Siegrist was educated in his na- 
tive land, engaged there in fruit growing, 
and learned the trade of stonecutter. 
About 1850 he left Germany for America, 
and coming to Ohio located in Sandusky, 
Erie county, where he resided for some 
years, and worked at his trade of stone- 
cutter. Afterward he removed to Kelley's 
Island, and engaged in grape growing, in 
1866 removing to Middle Bass Island, 
where he continued in the same occupa- 
tion. In Sandusky on October 24, 1853, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



397 



Mr. Siegrist was united in marriage with 
Margaret Stoess, and they had nine 
children, as follows:- Mary, born July 
24, 1854, died March 28, i860; Elizabeth, 
born August 31, 1856, died March 14, 
i860; Magdalena, born July 15, 1858, 
died March 12, i860; Conrad, born 
January 14, i860, died August 12, 1861, 
Margueretta, born March 19, 1862, is the 
wife of Peter Lonz; Louisa, born July 8, 
1863, is the wife of Jacob Scherer, resid- 
ing in Sandusky; Lizzie, born March 18, 
1865, died December 7, 1870; Anna, 
born August 20, 1867, died September 2, 
1868; and Emma, born October 28, 1869. 
Mrs. Siegrist's parents, Godfrey and 
Louisa Stoess, were born in Germanj-. 

After removing to Middle Bass Island, 
in 1866, Mr. Siegrist resided there up to 
the date of his death, January 5, 1882. 
His widow died January 30, 1893. 



PETER F. LONZ, a grape grow- 
er on Middle Bass Island, Otta- 
wa count}', was born March 5, 
1857, in Sandusky, Erie Co., 
Ohio, son of Peter and Mary (Werber) 
Lonz, who were born, respectively, in 
Prussia and in Baden, Germany; both are 
still living, having their home in San- 
dusky. 

Peter F. Lonz was reared to man- 
hood and educated in Sandusky, and has 
been engaged principally in agricultural 
pursuits since boyhood. In 1876 he came 
to Middle Bass, and has since been a con- 
tinuous resident thereof, engaged in grape 
growing and wine making. On April 13, 
1882, Peter F. Lonz was united in mar- 
riage with Margueretta Siegrist, and they 
have had four children, three of whom 
are now living, namely; Cora Rosa M., 
born August 31, 1884; George F. A., 
born January 12, 1887; and Louisa Anna, 
born January 15, 1889. Mrs. Lonz is a 
daughter of John and Margueretta Sie- 
grist. 

Mr. Lonz has served as a school direct- 



or two terms. In his political views he is a 
Democrat. He is well-known in Put in- 
Bay township, and throughout the county 
generally, has held many offices of trust, 
and in all of them has performed his duty 
with fidelity. He is a man of more than 
ordinary ability, and has made good use 
of his opportunities, possessing sterling 
honesty, which has characterized his con- 
duct throughout life, and has won for him 
a high place in the esteem and confidence 
of his fellow men. 



DAVID JAMESON (deceased) was 
for fifty years one of the promi- 
nent and progressive residents of 
Danbury township, Ottawa coun- 
ty. His birth occurred in New York City, 
November 22, 1817, and he was a son of 
Andrew and Esther (Fowler) Jameson, 
the former a native of Scotland, the lat- 
ter of Connecticut. His father, who was 
a dry -goods merchant of New York City, 
died there when our subject was quite 
young. 

In 1822 tbe mother with her family 
removed to Bloomingville, Ohio, where 
they resided until 1834, when they 
located on Johnson's Island. At the end 
of ten years they came to Danbury town- 
ship, Ottawa county, making a location 
at Bay Shore, where they resided for 
about six years, and where the mother 
passed from this earth in 1850. Our 
subject then removed to the present 
homestead farm now occupied by his 
wife and family, and from that time up 
to his death, which took place January 3 1 , 
1 894, he was a continuous resident of 
that section of the township. Most of 
his time was passed in fishing, his farm be- 
ing attended to by hired help. He also 
commanded a freight steamer on Lake 
Erie, and owned several sailboats which 
he used in the pursuit of his business. 

Mr. Jameson was twice married, his 
first union being with Miss Almira Mea- 
cham, and to them were born four chil- 



308 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



dren, three of whom are still living — 
Lorena, wife of Frederick Johnson, of 
Danbury township; John B., a resident 
of Lakeside, Ottawa county; and Will- 
iam, a resident of Danbury township. 
On December 12,1855, Mr. Jameson mar- 
ried Miss Eli/iabeth Tynan, who was born 
in Danbury township, March 2, 1839, 
and is a daughtor of ^^'illiam and Marjja- 
ret (Johnson) T}nan, the former a native 
of Ireland, the latter of Ohio. Her father 
was among the early settlers of Danbury 
township, and for many years was fore- 
man of a stone quarry at Marble Head. 
He also engaged in the quarry business 
in his own interest for several years, be- 
sides being one of the leading agricultur- 
ists of the county. The mother of Mrs. 
Jameson is now the widow of Gavin 
Watson. 

Ten children were born to the union 
of Mr. Jameson and his second wife, 
namely: (i) Howard E., born October 
26, 1857, is a resident of Lakeside, Ot- 
tawa county, and by his marriage with 
Miss Dora Newton has two children — 
Hazel May and Russell H. (2) Delia M., 
born May 2, 1859, became the wife of 
Durell Battle, and died February 17, 1884, 
leaving a daughter — Delia Elizabeth, who 
was born on the 14th of that month, and 
now makes her home with her grand- 
mother, Mrs. Jameson. (3) Luella T., 
born January 17, i860, is the wife of M. 
W. Pettibone, of Lakeside, Danbury 
township. (4) Lucy A., born November 
15, 1 86 1, is the wife of M. H. Beebe, of 
Cleveland, Ohio. (5) Minnie A., born 
February 10. 1863, is at home. (6) Cora 
Lillian, born March i, 1866, is the wife 
of Alfred M. Morton, of Cleveland. (7) 
Genevieve was born December 12, 1867. 
(8) Benjamin Mead was born September 
26, 1872, and makes his home in Dan- 
bury township. (9) Flora Belle was born 
February 13, 1874; and (lO) Ernest R. 
was born June 13, 1877. 

During his early life Mr. Jameson was 
connected with the United Brethren 



Church; but after his removal to his late 
residence in Danbury township he became 
a consistent member of the Methodist 
Church, and contributed liberally of his 
means to church purposes and charities. 
For sixteen years prior to his death he 
was unable to do active business, and for 
five years was a constant but patient suf- 
ferer. He was a self-made man in every 
respect, having from small beginnings 
made a complete success in life, and ac- 
quired an enviable record for fair and 
honest dealing. He was a man of excel- 
lent judgment and sound common sense, 
while his unswerving personal integrity 
and the general rectitude of his life gained 
for him a favorable reputation in the 
community where he was best known. 



JOHN WICKLIFFE LOCKWOOD, 
who is numbered among the leading 
business men of Ottawa county, is 
extensively engaged in farming and 
fruit growing, and also operates a large 
plaster quarry. 

He was born June 23, 1827, on the old 
homestead farm in Portage township, 
which is still his place of abode, and is a 
son of Col. Samuel M. and Gertrude 
(Doughty) Lockwood. His father was 
born in Stamford, Conn., and his mother 
in New York Cit}'. About the year 18 18 
the)' took up their abode in Danbury 
township, Ottawa Co. , Ohio, and in 1821 
removed to Portage township, where the 
Colonel engaged in agricultural pursuits, 
and conducted a plaster quarry until a 
few years previous to his death, when he 
retired from active business life. He was 
one of the earliest settlers of the county, 
and erected the first stone residence in 
Portage township. He won his title of 
"Colonel" by serving in the New York 
State Militia during the war of 181 2. A 
prominent and influential citizen, he was 
recognized as a leader in the community 
in which he lived; was honored with elec- 
tion to the State Legislature on several 





Jy/^~s^^ n e^^^^'<^^-'^^'<^—t?~-ry i 



/ 'I 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



399 



different occasions, and was also State 
coinmissioncr of the Mad River & Lake 
Eric railroad, the first road built in Ohio, 
and the second west of the Alleghanies. 
He passed away in Sandusky City in 1 848. 
He was twice married, his first wife being 
Mar\' Doughty, a sister of the mother of 
our subject. They had four children, 
only one of whom is now living, Edward 
J. Hy the second union there were seven 
children who reached mature years, and 
those of them who survive are John W. , 
Gertrude Ann (wife of F. F. Smith, of 
Chicago), and Emeline fliving with her 
brother). 

John W. Lockwood was reared to 
manhood on the old home farm, and like 
many another boy who has made his life 
work a success obtained his education in 
the old log school house near his home. 
With exception of a few years spent on 
Sandusky Bay, in connection with a ferry- 
boat in which he was interested, he has 
always lived in Portage township, and his 
occupation has been farming, fruit grow- 
ing and plaster quarr3ing. He is a thor- 
ough-going business man, upright and 
honorable in all transactions, and the neat 
and thrifty appearance of his place indi- 
cates his careful supervision. He raises 
a fine variety of fruits, wherebj' not a 
little is added to his income, and success- 
fully operates one of the largest quarries 
in the county. 

At Port Clinton, June 20, 1850, Mr. 
Lockwood was married to Miss Elizabeth 
Smith, who was born in November, 1827, 
daughter of Henry V. and Catherine 
(Fralick) Smith, natives of New York, and 
later residents of Portage township. Both 
have now departed this life. Mr. and 
Mrs. Lockwood had a family of eight 
children, of whom one died in infancy; 
the others are Ida, wife of R. W. Gill, 
who is living at Lakeside, Ohio; Herbert 
D , on the old homestead; Horace A., a 
resident of Victor, Colo. ; Gertrude, wife 
of John Hclberg, a prominent merchant 
of Port Clinton; Imogene E. , wife of W. 



H. Althoff, editor of the Port Clinton 
Dciiiocrat : Alfred H., of Toledo; and 
Stanton W., at home. 

Mr. Lockwood has efficiently tilled the 
office of township trustee at intervals, 
serving altogether more than twenty 
years, and has been honored with other 
positions of public trust. He has always 
voted the Republican ticket, and has been 
an earnest supporter of interests calcu- 
lated to prove of public benefit, lending a 
helping hand to all worthy enterprises. 
Such a man is well worthy of representa- 
tion in this volume. 



IMMER C. MOORE (deceased) was 
a farmer and fruit grower of Erie 
township, Ottawa county, and a 

Union soldier in the war of the Re- 
bellion. He was born in Port Clinton, 
Portage township, Ottawa county, August 
21, 1841, and was a son of Cyrus and 
Esther H. (Knight) Moore, who were 
among the early settlers of Port Clinton, 
and afterward removed to Erie township. 

Cyrus Moore died December 7, 1871: 
his widow, Esther H., is still living at 
the age of seventy-eight years. Thej' 
had a family of se\en children, as follows: 
Eleanor E., wife of I. K. Gibbons, re- 
siding at Gypsum, Ottawa county; Im- 
mer C, subject of this sketch; CelinaS., 
wife of Richard B. Moore, of Oketo, 
Kans. ; Lucinda F., wife of Nathan Pier- 
son, of Carroll; Abigail E., wife of Brin- 
ton Hoopes, residing in Toledo; Robert 
B. ; and Mary A. , wife of James Snider, 
of Erie township. 

When but a youth Immer C. Moore 
accompanied his parents to Erie town- 
ship. He was reared a farmer's boy, re- 
ceived his education in the district schools, 
and was employed for a number of years 
in sawmills in Ottawa county, also rail- 
roading for a short time; but the latter 
part of his life was spent in agricultural 
pursuits. He served as a private in Com- 
pany C, Forty-tirst O. V. I., from Octo- 



400 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ber, 1864. until the close of the war. In 
Adrian, Mich., September 21, 1876, Im- 
mer C. Moore was united in marriage 
with Mary E. Dubach, and they had five 
children, their names and dates of birth 
being as follows: Laurence D., January 
27, 1878; Mabel, July 31, 1879; Grace, 
August 13, 1880; Gertrude, August 16, 
1883; and Harold, February 23, 1887. 
Mr. Moore was a Republican in politics. 
The family attend the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church. Inimer C. Moore died April 
8, 1895. 



ADDISON RICHARDSON 
D O L P H is one of the extensive 
and progressive farmers of Ot- 
tawa county, one who thoroughly 
understands the scientific side of farming, 
and a man who not only understands that 
certain things must be done, but knows 
why they must be done. 

Although he is one of the younger 
agriculturists of the community, he yet 
ranks among the most prominent. The 
record of his life is as follows: He was 
born in Ashtabula county. Ohio, August 
12. 1866, and when six years of age was 
brought by his parents to Ottawa county, 
the family locating upon the farm where 
he now lives. He is a son of Aaron and 
Lavina (Richardson) Dolph, prominent 
people of Elmore. He obtained his early 
education in the district schools of Ottawa 
county, afterward attended the high school 
of Elmore, and completed his literary 
course in the Ohio Wesleyan University, 
after which he returned to his father's 
home and aided in the cultivation of the 
farm for two years. 

On Eebruarj- 7, 1888, Mr. Dolph mar- 
ried Miss Kate Kelsej', of Toledo, Ohio, 
who was born March 26, 1866, in San- 
dusky, this State. She is a daughter of 
Capt. Ira and Susanna (Smith) Kelsey. 
who, during her early girlhood, removed 
to Toledo, where she was educated. She 
made a special study of instrumental 



music, became quite proficient in that art, 
and for two 3ears taught music in Toledo. 
Her father was born in New York, April 
1, 1833, and for many years engaged in 
teaching. He subsequently went to Cali- 
fornia, where he mined with excellent 
success. On September 26, 1861, he 
wedded Miss Susanna Smith, of Mere- 
dith, Ohio, and when President Lincoln 
issued his call for 75,000 volunteers, he 
was among the first to respond, re-enlist- 
ing on the expiration of that term. He 
served as a member of Company I, Sixty- 
eighth O. V. I., until the close of the war, 
and was wounded at the battle of Gettys- 
burg. \Mien the country no longer needed 
his services, he became a resident of To- 
ledo, and there made his home until Au- 
gust I, 1 88 1, when he was drowned in 
the Maumee river. His wife, who was 
born in Greene county, N. J., February 
7, 1836, acquired the greater part of her 
education in the public schools of Fre- 
mont, Ohio. On September 9, 1888, she 
became the wife of Edward Upton, and 
they now reside in Toledo. 

Mr. and Mrs. Dolph began their do- 
mestic life upon the farm which has since 
been their home — a rich and fertile tract 
of 260 acres of the finest farming land 
that can be found in the State. They 
have two children: Lovina Belle, born 
September 9, 1889; and Anna Gertrude, 
born April 2, 1893. The parents are nine- 
teenth-century people in every sense of the 
term — educated, hospitable, genial and 
possessed of the true enterprising progres- 
sive spirit of the West. Each year Mr. 
Dolph sows about fort)' acres in wheat, 
and in 1891 from thirty-eight acres had a 
yield of 1,447 bushels, while in 1894 he 
raised 1,700 bushels on forty acres. His 
corn crop usually averages about fifty-five 
bushels of shelled corn to the acre, and 
the yield of oats has been as high as six- 
ty-five bushels per acre. He keeps 
abreast, if not in the lead, of the times in 
every particular. He believes in and 
practices the rotation of crops, and also 



COMMEMORATIVE BJOOUAPUWAL RECORD. 



401 



plans to Rive each field what he terms a 
rest in each rotation. He also changes 
seed grain, and before using it makes a 
special test of it by purchasing and sow- 
ing a couple of bushels, then makes a 
careful study of the crop, not only as to 
the yield, but also as to the weight and 
color, its adaptability to the soil, etc. If 
all is satisfactory he then uses what he 
has harvested as seed for the next year, 
and thus raises his own seed grain. If it 
proves other than what he hopes, it is at 
once discarded and another variety tried. 
Mr. Dolph follows this plan not only in 
regard to wheat but also oats and pota- 
toes, and his products, being of superior 
quality, always bring the highest market 
price. The ground is always carefully 
prepared for his grains, and careful 
thought and study, the result of deep re- 
search, is always applied to his work. 
He also raises considerable stock of high 
grades, being full-blooded, and in his 
shipments receives the highest market 
price. He now has on hand full-blooded 
Durham cattle and Clydesdale horses, 
and is the possessor of some of the finest 
stock that can be found in the State. 
His chickens are of the white Plymouth- 
Rock breed, and in his care of these mem- 
bers of the feathered tribe he displays 
the same painstaking effort that char- 
acterizes his other work. In all of his 
labors he is intensely scientific, at the 
same time practical, and belongs to that 
class of progressive, cultured men who 
have made the business of farming of 
equal importance to that of any other 
pursuit in life. 



FREDERICK A.ALLYN (deceased) 
was born in New London, Conn., 
November ii, 1809, and became 
one of the valued residents and 
prominent farmers of Erie township, Ot- 
tawa county. His loss to the community 
was a matter of sincere regret. His par- 
ents, Frederick and Cynthia (Williams) 



Allyn, were also natives of the Nutmeg 
State. He began to write his own biog- 
raphy, but death prevented the comple- 
tion of this task. He wrote: "I was 
born in North Gaston, now called Led- 
yard, New London, Conn., and left there 
March 31, 1834, going to Lycoming coun- 
ty, Penn., on the west branch of the 
Susquehanna river, and staid there eight 
months. I then went to Coventing town- 
ship. Portage Co., Ohio, arriving there 
December 9, 1S34; left there January i, 
1835, and came to Lower Sandusky (now 
Fremont); next I went to Riley township 
and lived there two years. In June, 1835, 
I removed to Erie township, Ottawa Co. , 
Ohio, where I purchased 120 acres of 
land, and in 1837 commenced cutting wild 
grass. I was married April 13, 1838, [.'J 
to Rebecca Laforce, who died February 
12, [.'] 1859, and was married again No- 
vember 6, 1862." 

Here the writer laid down his pen 
never to resume it again, but he is well 
entitled to a more extended mention in 
this work devoted to the honored pioneers 
and best citizens of Ottawa county. He 
acquired his education in his native State, 
and when quite a young man left home to 
make his own way in the world. Going 
to Pennsylvania, he worked as a farm 
hand for several years, and on leaving the 
Keystone State, he removed to what was 
then called Upper Sandusky, Ohio. From 
1835 up to the time of his death he was 
an esteemed resident and leading farmer 
of Erie township, Ottawa county, taking 
an active interest in all that pertained to 
the welfare of the community, and doing 
all in his power for its advancement and 
progress. He was united in marriage with 
Mrs. Rebecca Miscner Laforce, who was 
born February 20, 181 1, and died Febru- 
ary 14, 1859, leaving one son, George 
Williams, who was born March 24,1838, 
and lives in Elmore, Ohio. For his sec- 
ond wife, Mr. Allyn wedded Mrs. Sarah 
(Adams) Falley, who was born October 
19, 1825, in Erie county, Ohio, and was 



402 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the widow of Francis Falley. By the 
second marriage was born, September 19, 
1863, one son, Charles Lester. Mr. Allyn 
passed away at his home in Erie town- 
ship, April 24, 1 89 1, and his death was 
deeply and sincerely mourned. He had 
lived an honorable life, and all who knew 
him respected him for his sterling worth. 
In his political views he was a Republican. 

Ch.^rles L. Allyn was born and 
reared on the old homestead farm which 
is still his place of abode, and his educa- 
tion was obtained mostly in the schools 
of Port Clinton. At an early age he be- 
came familiar with all the duties of farm 
life, and has since been identified with 
the agricultural interests of his native 
county, being one of the enterprising and 
progressive farmers of Erie township. He 
was married, at the home of his wife's 
parents in Erie township, February 3, 
1887, to Miss Emma Belle Sharpe, who 
was born in Cleveland, Ohio, January 29, 
1868, daughter of Leonard and Elizabeth 
(Bailey) Sharpe. Her father died July 
26, 1892; her mother is now a resident of 
Lacarne. To this union were born four 
children, two of whom are living: Fred- 
erick Leonard, born April 19, 1888; and 
Myrtle Belle, born September 12, 1891. 
The parents attend the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, and in his political views 
Mr. Allyn is also a Republican. 

George W. Alljn, son of Frederick A. 
Allyn by his first wife, was married Au- 
gust 18, 1859, to Esther K. Gamble. 
Their only daughter, Clara Edna, was 
born July 16, 1862, and died in Novem- 
ber, 1879, aged seventeen years. They 
have two sons: George W. , born Feb- 
ruary 12, 1872, and Andrew Frederick, 
born September 16, 1874. 



CARL BUDDENHAGEN (deceas- 
ed) was in his lifetime one of the 
extensive grape growers of Middle 
Bass Island, Ottawa county, of 
which locality he was one of the earliest 



settlers. He was born September 16, 
1 819, in Mecklenburg, Germany, and 
was a son of John and Hannah Budden- 
hagen, who were born in Germany and 
died there. 

Carl Buddenhagen was reared to man- 
hood and received his education in his 
native land, where he also learned the 
trade of a stone-mason. He was married 
in Germany, in 1845, to Maria Wardo, 
who was also born in Mecklenburg, and 
they had eleven children, five of whom 
are living, as follows: Caroline, wife of 
Peter M. Schnoor, residing at Oak Har- 
bor, Ottawa county; Wilhelmina, wife of 
Nicholas Fox, of Put in Bay, Ottawa 
county; Louisa, born December i, 1859, 
wife of J. H. Brady, living on Middle 
Bass Island; Anna, the wife of H. J. 
Sloat, residing at Milan, Ohio; and Carl 
Frederick, residing at Sandusky, Erie 
county. 

In 1853 Mr. Buddenhagen embarked 
for America, came to Ohio, and settled 
in Sandusky, Erie county, where he fol- 
lowed his occupation of mason some 
twelve years. About 1862 he removed to 
Middle Bass Island, and was engaged in 
grape growing. He was a continuous 
resident from the date of his settlement 
until his death, which occurred March 
21, 1872, and was intimately connected 
with all the early historj' of the Island. 
Surrounded by an intelligent and inter- 
esting family in his home, Mr. Budden- 
hagen was a devoted husband, and a kind 
and indulgent father. Among men he 
was genial and companionable, manly 
and fearlessly independent in character 
and thought, and consistent throughout. 
His social standing was high, his integrity 
incorruptible, and his memory will long 
be revered by those who knew him. 

J. H. Bkadv, who married Louisa 
Buddenhagen, was born in the Province 
of Ontario, Canada, went to Chicago, 
111., when a j'oung man, and later re- 
moved to Toledo, Ohio, where he fol- 
lowed his occupation, that of contractor 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



403 



and builder, and whence, in 1874, he 
came to Middle Bass Island. On No- 
vember 8, 1875, l^s ^^''is united in mar- 
riage with Louisa Buddcnhagen, and they 
have had eight children, whose names 
and dates of birth are as follows: May E., 
August 8, 1876; Ella Anna, May 30, 1878; 
Alma Belle, December 3, 1879; Lillian, 
October 5, 1882; Carl P., November 15, 
1884; Walter, September 12, 1886; J. 
Bertram, June 10, 1888, and Louis, Oc- 
tober 30, 1893. A few days after his 
marriage Mr. Brady removed to Toledo, 
where he resided for three years. In 
1878 he returned to Middle Bass, has 
since been a continuous resident of the 
Island, and is now extensively engaged in 
grape growing. He is Democratic in his 
political views, is a member of the I. O. 
O. F. at Sandusky, and the familv are 
connected with the Protestant Episcopal 
Church. 



JOHN H. REHBERG (deceased), 
who was connected with the earliest 
history of Middle Bass Island, Ot- 
tawa county, and was one of the 
extensive grape growers there, was born 
in Mecklenburg, Germany, January 15, 
1827, and was a son of John and Chris- 
tina Rehberg. Mrs. Rehberg died in the 
Fatherland, and John Rehberg on Middle 
Bass Island, Ohio, December 22, 1880. 
Our subject was reared to manhood 
and educated in Germany, where he fol- 
lowed the butcher business, and in 1853 
came to America. At Mecklenburg, 
Germany, in the spring of 1848, he was 
united in marriage with Sophia V'arrnke, 
who was born in Mecklenburg August 10, 
1825, and they had a family of fifteen 
children, nine of whom are yet living, as 
follows: Henry, born December 4, 1849, 
now residing on Point Pelee Island, 
Canada; Caroline, born September 16, 
1854, wife of Henry Engel, residing in 
Michigan; William, born .April 15. 1857; 
living on Catawba Island, Ottawa Co., 



Ohio; Frederick, born February 21, 1859, 
residing at Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga Co., 
Ohio; Lena, born May 18, i860, wife of 
Andrew StoU, living on Kelley's Island, 
Erie Co., Ohio; Sophia, born November 
13, 1 86 1, wife of Charles Fisher, also of 
Kelley's Island; John, born April 30, 
1864, a resident of Put in Bay, Ottawa 
county; Augusta, born July 14, 1867, 
and Edward, born August 22, 1872. 

Having come to America in 1853, 
John H. Rehberg resided for about three 
years in Chicago, Ills., removed to Cedar 
Point, Hamilton Co., Ohio, where he 
lived two years, and then returned to 
Chicago, whence, about six months later, 
he removed to Indiana, where for six 
years he was engaged in agricultural pur- 
suits. In the latter part of the year 1864 
he removed to Middle Bass Island, and 
was a continuous resident of the Island, 
and closely identified with its progressive 
interests until his death on May 4, 1888. 

For twenty-one years he held the 
office of school director, and also numer- 
ous other township offices, all of which he 
efficiently filled. He took a great interest 
in educational matters, and was ever fore- 
most In promoting the welfare of the 
island. He was loved and revered in life, 
and in death many marks of respect were 
shown him by sorrowing friends and 
neighbors. Sadly they bore him to his 
last resting place, and. as the island 
breezes chant their requiem o'er his grave, 
loving hearts will entwine and bedew with 
tears an imperishable garland to his 
memorv. 



SAMUEL KUESTHARDT, editor 
of the Ottaica County Zcitung, 
published al Port Clinton, Ottawa 
county, was born in Arnsburg, 
Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, February 6, 
1855, and is one of the best known and 
most highly-respected citizens of the 
county in which he now resides. 

He is the son of G. C. and Elizabeth 



404 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHWAL RECORD. 



(Wollenhaupt) Kuesthardt. His father 
was born in Rambach, Hesse Cassel, 
Germany, in 1804; was educated in the 
teachers' seminary at Beuggen; followed 
the profession of a teacher throughout his 
life, and for many years had charge of a 
reform school. He died in April, 1875, a 
consistent member of the Lutheran 
Church. His first wife was Marie Wol- 
lenhaupt, bv whom he had one child, 
Marie, who lives in California. The sec- 
ond wife of Mr. Kuesthardt. and the 
mother of our subject, was born in Harle, 
Hesse Cassel, German}', in 1826, came to 
America in 1875, and died in California 
April 5, 1894, the mother of seven chil- 
dren, all of whom lived to manhood and 
womanhood: Christiana, died at the age 
of twenty years; Magdalena, wife of Rev. 
Julius Klopsteg, lives at Henderson, 
Minn. ; Tabitha was married in Germany 
to Gustav Brobst; our subject comes 
ne.\t; Anna is married to Julius Ulber, an 
artist, now of California; Hermina is the 
wife of Andrew Peterson, and lives in St. 
Paul, Minn. ; G. W. lives in California, 
where he follows the trade of a carpenter, 
and is also engaged in fruit raising. 

Samuel Kuesthardt attended school at 
the theological seminary in Melsungen, 
Germany, from which he w-as a graduate 
in 1874. He then came to America and 
took a practical course at the schools of 
Mendota, 111. He was the assistant min- 
ister for one year in a church in Toledo, 
Ohio, and in the fall of iS76was ordained 
the pastor of a church at Custer, Wood 
Co. , this State. At this time he preached 
to six different churches. He remained 
at Custer until 1881, in the fall of which 
year he received a call to Fair Haven, 
Mich., where he remained until 1887. 
He was then attacked with inflammatory 
rheumatism, from which he suffered 
greatly, and, being obliged to seek a 
change of climate, went to Louisiana and 
settled in Calcasieu Parish, where he took 
up a homestead and timber claim, 32 5 acres 
in all. His health rapidly impro\ed. and 



he spent a couple of months in that place, 
while there preaching at Lake Charles. 
He then returned to Toledo, Ohio, and from 
there came to Rocky Ridge, in Ottawa 
count)', where he founded a congregation, 
and built the first Lutheran church in the 
place. This was a frame building, which 
soon after was burnt down, and they then 
erected one of brick. He preached at 
Rocky Ridge for two and a half years. In 
September, 1890, Mr. Kuesthardt gave 
up preaching, and the following New 
Year (1891) took charge of the Otta'tK'a 
County Zcituuf;, then published at Oak 
Harbor, and in 1893 he removed the 
paper and his family to Port Clinton. In 
politics he is a Democrat, and his paper 
is printed in the German language. It is 
a newsy, well-conducted journal, and is 
popular with the German citizens. 

Mr. Kuesthardt was married in Toledo, 
Ohio, April 19, 1877, to Miss Marie 
Kuehn, of that city, and they have had 
nine children (seven of whom are living): 
Paul; Martha; Samuel; Marie; Laura; 
Ernest, who died in Louisiana: Lydia, 
who died when four years old; Hans and 
Phyllis. 



ALPHONSE COUCHE (deceased), 
for many years a prominent lum- 
ber dealer and grain merchant of 
Port Clinton, Ottawa county, was 
a native of France, born in the town of 
Chinon. old Province of Touraine (now 
Department of Indre et Loire), February 
14, 1833. His father was born in 1789, 
and died in 1859; his mother was born 
in 1794, and died in 1838. 

Our subject received a good education 
at his home, and succeeded in passing an 
examination for entrance into the College 
of Arts and Manufactures in Angers, 
securing the bursary which admitted him 
to the School on payment of a small sum; 
but the Revolution of 1848 caused the 
institution to be closed about twelve 
months. For a couple of years he fol- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPUICAL RECORD. 



405 



lowed the business of commission mer- 
chant in Paris, purchasing- <joods for the 
South American trade, which first sug- 
gested to him the idea of migrating to one 
or other of the English colonies. Pro- 
ceeding to London, England, he remained 
there a year, familiarizing himself with 
the language and gaining some msight 
into general business. In 1856 he came 
to New York, and there remained until 
the breaking out of the Civil war, when 
he returned to France, but two years 
later once more came to the United 
States, again locating in New York. In 
1 864 he moved west to Ohio, and in Otta- 
wa county erected a sawmill on the banks 
of the Portage river, a few miles east of 
Oak Harbor, where, until 1873, he did an 
extensive business in the manufacture of 
lumber; then removed his main plant to 
Port Clinton, continuing, however, to op- 
erate a sawmill at Rocky Ridge and Crane 
Creek. In the Rocky Ridge branch of 
the business he had two partners from 
1880 to 1889 in the persons of John. 
Mitchell (who was interested only in the 
Rocky Ridge mill) and J. Lecluze (who 
was a partner in all the businesses of Mr. 
Couchc, and acted as bookkeeper). In 
addition to sawing and manufacturing 
building material they bought and dealt 
extensively in pine lumber of various 
kinds, also in coal and wood. Mr. 
Couche erected grain elevators at Port 
Clinton and at La Carne, where he bought 
and shipped grain. His largest operations 
were in the purchase of walnut and other 
hard woods from the Northern and South- 
ern States, which, for about fourteen 
years, he exported to different countries of 
Europe. He was the first shipper of 
" Birdseye Maple," from America to 
Europe. From the year 1886 up to the 
time of his death Mr. Couche was in the 
habit of spending his winters in France, 
going there in the fall and returning in 
the spring. 

During his residence at Port Clinton 
he was one of the most substantial con- 



tributors to the prosperity and growth of 
the town, paying out many thousands of 
dollars in wages every year, and keeping 
many workmen employed. In all his 
business affairs he was honest, just, and 
prompt, and enjoyed the confidence and 
esteem of all who knew him. July 30, 
i8gi, he suffered from a stroke of paral- 
3'sis of the brain which deprived him more 
or less of the use of his mental faculties, 
and occasioned his death December 19, 
same year. 

On December 15, 1877, Mr. Couche 
was married at Tours, Province of Tour- 
aine, France, to Miss Antonie Cartier, 
daughter of Francois and Pauline (Tros- 
seau) Cartier, the former of whom was a 
manufacturer of champagne wine, and 
children as follows blessed their union: 
Jane Marie Pauline Alice, born October 
3, 1878; Marie Madeleine Alphonsine, 
born April 23, 1880; and Frank Alphonse 
Antoine, born January 24, 1883. Were 
Mr. Couche asked during his busy life- 
time for the secret of his success, he 
would no doubt have defined it, from his 
own e.xperience, as hard work, availing 
itself of fair opportunities. 



AUGUST SCHMIDT (deceased), 
who was among the earliest set- 
tlers of Middle Bass Island, Ot- 
tawa county, and who during his 
long residence here was extensivel}' en- 
gaged in grape growing, besides following 
contracting and building, was born in An- 
halt, (jermany, October 7, 1825. 

The father of August Schmidt died 
before his son was born, and the mother, 
Rosamond Schmidt, died when August 
was about tw'ehe years of age, conse- 
quently verj' little is known regarding their 
history. When but a youth August 
Schmidt went to Berlin, and there grew 
to manhood, receiving his education, and 
learning the trade of a stone mason. In 
1852 he came to America, and settling in 
Detroit, Mich., resided there and near 



406 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



there for about twelve years, engaged in 
contracting and building. On January 
17, 1854, Mr. Schmidt was united in mar- 
riage, at Detroit, with Christina Mueller, 
who was born in Hesse, Germany, May 
26, 1830, and they had si.\ children, five 
of whom are still living, as follows: Au- 
gust, born December 27, 1855, now re- 
siding in Sandusky, Erie Co., Ohio; Eliza- 
beth (Mrs. E. Wehrlei, born .May 13, 
1S59, lately living on Middle Bass Is- 
land, at present (December, 1895) a resi- 
dent of Sandusky; Katharine, born Sep- 
tember 29, 1861. Charles, born Septem- 
ber I I, 1863, and Emil G., born January 
3, 1866, all three also living in Sandusky. 
In 1864 Mr. Schmidt removed to Mid- 
dle Bass Island, where he resided up to 
his death, which occurred February 10, 
1886. Mrs. Schmidt at present resides 
in Sandusky, Erie county, and the vine- 
yard is rented out on shares. Mrs. 
Schmidt attends the German Evangelical 
Church, while of the children some at- 
tend the Presbyterian Church, the others 
the Congregational. 

THOMAS E. KIRKBRIDE. A his- 
tor}- of the growth and spread of 
the commercial interests of San- 
dusky county — and they are 
neither few nor unimportant — could not 
well be written without containing an 
account of the enterprises with which the 
name of this gentleman is intimately as- 
sociated, and a sketch of who.se business 
career is here presented. 

As one of the most successful business 
men in Sandusky county, and one of the 
greatest oil producers in the State of 
Ohio, if, indeed, not the greatest, it is the 
more proper that Mr. Kirkbride should 
be conspicuously represented in this work; 
and although a resident of Toledo, where 
his family reside, he has kindly consented 
to have his personal history and portrait 
inserted within the pages of this Bio- 
graphical Record. 



A native of New York State, Mr. 
Kirkbride was born in Ogdensburg De- 
cember 26, 185S, and is a son of Joseph 
and Sarah Jane (Nugent) Kirkbride. X^e 
father at present lives at Findlay, Ohio, 
and has been interested in the oil industry 
since 1866. When he was nearing the 
age of eight years our subject's parents 
removed to Tidioute, Warren Co., Penn., 
and here he received his education and 
hp.d his home until he was about twenty- 
one years old, at which time he entered 
the oil fields. His first venture was as 
wooden-tank builder, then in rig building, 
pipe-line work, diilling; in fact, engaging 
in every detail of the business, and there 
is no branch thereof with which he is not 
thoroughly conversant "from A to Z. " 
In 1 890, disposing of his interests in Penn- 
sylvania oil fields, Mr. Kirkbride removed 
with his family to Fostoria, Ohio, remain- 
ing there, however, but a short time, for 
it was not long before he entered the 
arena of the Ohio oil fields, about one 
mile from where the present village of 
Gibsonburg now stands, by purchasing 
the Blousey farm of forty acres, on which 
there were already three wells, to which, 
by drilling, he soon added two more. 
Shortly afterward he and his brother, J. 
W. Kirkbride, bought eighty acres of oil 
land in the Rollersville field, where they 
have put down si.x wells. This completed, 
the brothers entered Wood county and pur- 
chased a iio-acre farm of C. R. Rosen- 
dale, also si.x acres of Clark Earle, mak- 
ing a total in that neighborhood of 116 
acres, whereon they drilled fourteen wells. 
They also piped gas from their gas well at 
West Millgrove to Hatton, Wood county, 
supplying that town with both fuel and 
light. Their oil territory became, in 1S91, 
still farther increased by the purchase of 
120 acres of land at Pemberville, they 
finishing a well already commenced on 
this property, making what is known to 
oil men as a "mystery," for not being 
operated the outside world became of the 
opinion that the "territory" was poor. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPUWAL RECORD. 



407 



This gave the Kirkbrides a chance to buy 
all the surrounding land, some thousand 
acres in extent, and here they drilled fif- 
teen wells, forming at the same time 
what is known as the Alphonso Oil Co. 
Just prior to this our subject leased sev- 
eral hundred acres in Perry township. 
Wood count)', where a number of gas 
wells were drilled, which to some extent 
supply the city of Toledo with gas. 

Mr. Kirkbride next invested in a half 
interest in the Damschroeder property of 
175 acres, and here they drilled a dry 
hole. This property they still hold, be- 
lieving it to be a good oil country. Mr. 
Kirkbride purchased twenty acres of the 
Graver farm, on which he put down five 
wells, and then followed an unique and 
remarkable experience in his oil business 
well worthy of record. A certain well 
seemed to contain nothing but water, and 
many a speculator turned his back on it 
and derided it; j'et Mr. Kirkbride believed 
it would ultimately yield oil, and for eight 
weeks he pumped incessantly, but got 
nothing except water for his pains, during 
which time he and the well were the butt 
of many a jest. However, at the end of 
about two months, oil began to manifest 
itself, and the well all at once commenced 
to produce oil at the rate of 100 barrels 
per day, and in less than two more months 
not only paid for all the labor expended 
on it, but also for the cost of the twenty 
acres of land. This was the first attempt 
in the county, by any oil producer, to ex- 
haust the water and ultimately reach oil. 

The Kirkbride oil territory was next en- 
larged by the purchase of the George Mil- 
ler farm of eighty acres which they held 
an entire year before drilling. They 
leased surrounding property, and on the 
Morgan farm drilled a test well which pro- 
duced 300 barrels per day; this was also 
made a "mystery" well until some 700 
acres adjoining could be secured by lease. 
With everything in their own hands they 
now put down twelve wells on the Miller 
farm, also three on the Morgan farm, and 

26 



at the end of one year they leased the 
Benjamin Jones farm in Sandusky county, 
as well as the Myers farm. On the lat- 
ter they drilled three wells, one of them, 
which " came in " November 9, 1894, be- 
ing the first large well drilled in the county, 
producing 1,400 barrels per day for nine- 
teen days! Six days after this well "came 
in," or November 15, 1S94, Mr. Kirk- 
bride completed the largest oil well in the 
world, known as the " Kirkbride Gusher. " 
This was on the Jones farm, about five 
miles west of Gibsonburg. When the 
Trenton rock was pierced, in boring, the 
well began to throw up a column of oil 
some 200 feet high, so that houses and 
land were covered with oil, deep ditches 
along the roads being filled to overflow, 
and still the oil continued to flow. Mr. 
Kirkbride believes that when the well 
started, and for some time thereafter, it 
must have produced at the rate of 60,- 
000 barrels per day, running at full flow. 
It took them four hours to get the well 
under control and the tanks erected, but 
of course they could not get the oil away 
as fast as the well would produce it. 
Gradually declining in yield, at the end of 
some four months the production was less 
than one thousand barrels per day, and 
the once Mammoth has dwindled down 
to an humble twenty-barrel-per-day well! 
Last, not least, Mr. Kirkbride bought 
twenty-seven acres of land from Henry 
Schmucker, in Woodville township, on 
which he has five wells, one of which is 
in one respect like the great well we have 
just given an account of, in being what 
Mr. Kirkbride calls a "crevice well." 
This produces lOO barrels per day, but had 
to be pumped for two weeks before any- 
thing except water came. At this writ- 
ing (November, 1895) Mr. Kirkbride owns 
and leases about ten thousand acres of oil 
territory, and is operating, in all 200 wells. 
He attributes his great success to two 
things, to-wit: First — he thoroughly un- 
derstands every detail of the business; 
and. Second — he keeps out of the Ex- 



408 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



changes; — in a word he gives his time and 
attention exclusively to the production of 
oil and not to speculation therein. 

. On January 5, 1880, Mr. Kirkbride 
was married to Miss Mary A. Edwards, 
and six children have blessed their union, 
their names and dates of birth being as 
follows: Joseph Edward, February 23, 
1 881; Margaret Mabel, July 31, 1883, 
died January 12, 1887; Thomas F., June 
24, 1885; Mary Alice, December 25, 1887; 
Annie Geneva, August 14, 1889; and 
James William, October 21, 1891. Mrs. 
Kirkbride was born, in 1857, in Liverpool, 
England, daughter of Thomas and Mar- 
garet fMolland) Edwards, the former of 
whom (now deceased) was a sergeant in the 
English army, and the latter is now a 
resident of Boston, Mass. Mrs. Kirk- 
bride received her education in her na- 
tive city, whence she emigrated to Nova 
Scotia, later moving to Boston, Mass. In 
1890 Mr. Kirkbride took up his residence 
n Toledo, where on Coliingwood avenue 
he has an elegant home, he himself being 
the designer and architect of the building. 
He and his amiable spouse are noted for 
their hospitality, geniality and cordiality, 
and live in the unqualified esteem and re- 
spect of a wide circle of friends and ac- 
quaintances. 



185: 
James 
" Ina,' 



NATHAN DODGE (deceased), who 
was a carpenter and a farmer by 
occupation, and one of the most 
popular citizens of Middle Bass 
Island, Ottawa county, was born in 
Gainesville, N. Y., December 15, 1822, 
and was a son of Elijah and Lorena 
(Thayer) Dodge, who were both born in 
New York State. 

When Nathan Dodge was but a youth 
his parents removed to Carlisle, Ohio, 
where he grew to manhood, received his 
education, and learned the carpenter's 
trade, which he followed until later in 
life, he removed to Wisconsin, locating 
in Windsor, Dane county, and there for 



seventeen years engaging in agricultural 
pursuits. On August 3, 1847, Nathan 
Dodge was united in marriage in Strongs- 
ville, Ohio, with Mary I. Carpenter, 
daughter of Caleb and Susan (Haines) 
Carpenter, and born in Strongsville, Ohio, 
June 4, 1826. They have had eight 
children, six of whom are living, as fol- 
lows: Ellen Maria, born July 13, 1848, 
now the widow of L. R. Webster, and re- 
siding on Put in Bay Island, Ottawa 
count}'; Jennie, born April 9, 1850, wife 
of James H. Crowley, residing in St. 
Louis, Mo.; Louis C. , born April 15, 
living on Middle Bass Island; 
E., who is captain of the steamer 
born February 17, 1854, and re- 
siding in Put in Bay Island; Emma C, 
born April 30, 1856, wife of Louis Edli- 
son, and residing in Los Angeles, Cal. ; 
John B., born March 22, 1858, a resident 
of St. John's, Mich.; Edith L. , who be- 
came the wife of Robert L. Harris, and 
passed away at Nordhoff, Cal., March 6, 
1894; and Harvey C, deceased at the 
age of five years. 

About 1865 Mr. Dodge removed to 
Middle Bass Island, where he resided dur- 
ing the remainder of his days, dying Oc- 
tober 9, 1870. He was a man of high 
moral qualities, and his character was be- 
yond reproach. His kindness of heart 
and unselfish generosity were proverbial 
wherever he was known, none appealing 
to him in vain in a worthy cause. Many 
instances of his acts of kindness might be 
cited, showing his characteristic regard 
for the happiness of others. His great 
industrv, unquestioned integrity, and un- 
impeachable moral character won for him 
hosts of friends, who with his widow and 
sorrowing family mourn their loss. 



ANDREW SCHIELE (deceased) 
was a native of Wurttemberg, 
Germany, born in 1819, where he 
passed the days of his boyhood 
and youth. The public schools there af- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIGORAPHICAL RECORD. 



409 



forded him his educational privileges, and 
he there also learned the trades of both 
baker and blacksmith. Thinking to ben- 
efit his financial condition by crossing the 
Atlantic to the New World, he bade adieu 
to his native land in 1850, and sailed for 
the United States, locating in Toledo, 
Ohio, where for fifteen years he worked 
at the baker's trade, also keeping a restau- 
rant. In 1865 he took up his residence 
on Put in Bay Island, where he spent 
his remaining days. He here de- 
voted his time and energies to the culti- 
vation of a vineyard and the manufacture 
of wine, and did a good business, becom- 
ing one of the well-to-do residents of the 
community. 

Mr. Schiele was married in Toledo 
October 7, 1851, to Justina Kirnberger, 
born in Wurttemberg, Germany, June 21, 
1830. The}' became the parents of ten 
children, five now living, their names and 
dates of birth being as follows: Louis, 
July 2, 1856; Robert, December 26, 
1858; Frank, September 15, i860; An- 
drew, February 8, 1862; and Edward, 
February 22. 1869, all still living in Put 
in Bay. The father of this family was 
called to his final rest April 29, 1880, and 
many friends mourned his death, for he 
was a highly-respected man, recognized 
as one of the prominent residents of the 
community. He was a member of the 
Roman Catholic Church, to which his 
widow also belonged. 

Andrew Schiele, Jr., was born in 
Toledo, Ohio, and when a child of two 
and a half years was brought by his par- 
ents to Put in Bay Island. He was edu- 
cated in the district schools, and since 
leaving the school-room has followed the 
business in which his father engaged, that 
of fruit growing and wine making. He 
is an enterprising, thrifty young business 
man, carefully managing his interests, and 
in his undertakings is meeting with good 
success. He was married April 25. 1893, 
to Marguerite Duennisch, a daughter of 
Christian and Elizabeth (Beck) Duen- 



nisch, who were natives of Germany. 
Her father is now living in Venice, Erie 
Co., Ohio, where her mother died in 
1886. Mrs. Schiele was born at that 
place, July 27, 1869, and by her marriage 
has become the mother of one child — 
Elsie Marie, born November 17, 1894. 
Mr. and Mrs. Schiele are well-known 
people of the community, and their friends 
are many. Our subject is now serving 
his second term as township trustee, to 
which position he was elected by the Re- 
publican party. He and his wife attend 
the Lutheran Church. 



GAVIN WATSON (deceased) was 
for over forty years one of the 
honored and respected citizens of 
Danbury township, Ottawa coun- 
ty, where his widow still makes her home. 
He was a native of Scotland, born in 
Glasgow, January 19, 1822, and was a 
son of James and Margaret Watson, who 
were also natives of that country. He 
was reared to manhood, educated and 
learned the trade of stone cutting in his 
native land, where he remained until 
1850, when he came to America. After 
residing in New York for a short time, he 
removed to Fort Wayne, Ind., remaining 
thereuntil the spring of 1851, at which 
time he became a resident of Danbury 
township, Ottawa county, and here con- 
tinued to make his home until his death, 
which occurred January 3, 1892. For 
some time after locating in the township 
he worked at his trade, but later was 
principally engaged in farming, which he 
carried on with good success. 

On June 3, 185 1, in Danbury town- 
ship, Mr. Watson was married to Mrs. 
Margaret Tynan, widow of William Tynan, 
and daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth 
Johnson. They became the parents of 
five children, three of whom are still liv- 
ing: John, born June 10, 1855, makes his 
home in Chicago, 111. ; William, born 
August 25, 1857; and Margaret, born 



410 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



July 19, 1863, married January 13, 1886, 
to Henry Baxter, of Danbury township, 
and has one child — Pearl, who was born 
March 20, 1889. By her former marriage 
Mrs. Watson was the mother of two chil- 
dren, namely: Elizabeth, now the widow 
of David Jameson, and making her home 
in Danbury township; and Jane, who is 
an invalid and lives with her mother. 

During his residence of over forty 
years in Danbury township, Mr. Watson 
won the esteem and confidence of all with 
whom he came in contact, and was num- 
bered among the valued citizens of the 
community. His character was beyond 
reproach, and his many virtues and pleas- 
ant ways gained him a host of friends. 

WiLLi.AM W.'\TsoN, since the death of 
his father, has assumed the management 
of the farm, on which he has made many 
good and useful improvements. He is a 
live, progressive business man, highly es- 
teemed as a friend and neighbor. 



CHARLES H. HOUTS. This gen- 
tleman, who is one of the oldest 
pioneers of Ottawa county, and a 
prosperous agriculturist and fruit 
grower of Clay township, has also a rec- 
ord as a soldier in the late Civil war of 
which he may well be proud. The par- 
ticipants in that struggle for the preser- 
vation of the Union are growing percep- 
tibly fewer as the years roll on, and it 
will not be long ere none are left to tell 
the story. We who hear it from the lips 
of those who took an active part in its 
victories and defeats are fortunate indeed. 
Mr. Houts was born in Scott town- 
ship, Sandusky Co. , Ohio, August 1 1 , 
1842, son of John and Rhoda (Schroggy) 
Houts, the former of whom was born in 
18 1 3, in Pennsylvania, and the latter in 
Columbiana county, Ohio. When seven 
months old he was brought to Ottawa 
county, and in his boyhood he attended 
the public school at Port Clinton, after- 
ward assisting his father in the work upon 



the farm. When the call for men for 
three-years' service in the Civil war was 
made, the patriotic youth responded by 
enlisting January 4, 1864, in Company G, 
One Hundredth Ohio Infantry, under the 
command of Col. Patrick Sleaven. He 
was in many bloody battles, where he 
saw thousands of men dying on the field, 
and learned from e.xperience the horrors 
of war. Among the notable engagements 
in which he took part were: The battle 
of Rocky Face Ridge, Ga. , May 5 to 9; 
Resaca, Ga., May 13 to 16; Dallas, Ga., 
May 27 to June 4; Kenesaw Mountain, 
Ga., June 9 to 30; Utay Creek, where 
they lost one hundred men, August 6; 
Atlanta, Ga., July 29 to September 2; 
Columbia, Tenn., November 24 to 28; 
Franklin, Tenn., November 30, and 
Nashville, Tenn., December 15 to 16, all 
in 1864. In all these engagements Mr. 
Houts was so fortunate as not to receive 
even a scratch, although his comrades fell 
all around him, and indeed throughout 
the whole campaign he enjoyed the best 
of health, with the exception of an attack 
of measles which kept him in the hospital 
for a week or two. He received his dis- 
charge after brilliant victories at Salis- 
bury, N. C, on July 17, 1865. 

After his return from the army Mr. 
Houts sailed on Lake Erie and Lake 
Huron for six years. He then took up 
the trade of a carpenter and joiner, at 
which he worked six years, during three 
of which he was in partnership with Sam- 
uel Wisner, under the firm name of Houts 
& Wisner, carrying on the business of 
contractors and builders at Port Clinton. 
Subsequently he engaged in farming, 
working for six years on a farm near Port 
Clinton, after which he came to Clay 
township, rented a farm, and worked 
thereon for five more years. By hard 
work and frugality during all this time 
he managed to save enough money to buy 
a farm of his own, and in 1888 purchased 
eighty acres of land near Clay Center, 
which was partly under cultivation. Here 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPmCAL RECORD. 



411 



he went to work with a will, spending 
every spare moment in beautifying the 
place. He rebuilt the dwelling house and 
all the barns, and made other needed im- 
provements, and to-day is enjoying the 
fruit of his labors in a pleasant, comfort- 
able home. 

Mr. Houts was married, December 31, 
1868, at Port Clinton, to Caroline P., 
daughter of J. R. Heim, a merchant of 
that place, and they have one child, John 
Richard, born October 17, 1S70. He was 
educated in the public schools of Clay 
township, and worked on the homestead 
farm for several years. He was married 
December 20, 1893, to Lillie M., daugh- 
ter of Frederick Sutton, Esq., of Martin, 
where the couple now reside. 

John Houts, the father of our subject, 
was born near Strasburg, Penn., and 
came to Ottawa county when quite young, 
locating near Port Clinton. Here he was 
married in 1836 to Rhoda Schroggy, and 
to them five children were born, as fol- 
lows: Henry, born in 1841, died when 
quite young; Charles H., our subject, 
born in 1842; Mary A. born in 1844, is 
the widow of William Britten, who was 
killed in a stone quarry at Marble Head 
(she has three children); James, born in 
1846. at Port Clinton, is married and lives 
in Michigan (he has two children); one 
died in infancy. The mother of our sub- 
ject was one of the first school teachers 
in Port Clinton. She died therein 1848. 
In 1853 the father married again, taking 
for his second wife Amanda Mommeney, of 
Port Clinton, and five more children were 
added to the family, viz. : John, who is 
an engineer on a vessel on Lake Erie; 
Rosie, deceased; William, who lives in 
one of the Western States; Clara, living 
in Kansas; and Ida, married and living 
in Cleveland. Mr. Houts passed peace- 
fully away at the home of his son Charles, 
in Clay township, March i 1, 1894, at the 
ripe old age of eighty-one years and two 
months, beloved and respected by all who 
knew him. 



J. R. Heim, the father of Mrs. Charles 
Houts, was born at Baden, Germany, 
March 4, 1821, and came to this country 
when a young man, living for some years 
at Plasterbed, this State. He then re- 
moved to Port Clinton, where he was 
engaged in the hotel business for a num- 
ber of years, subsequently buying a farm 
near Port Clinton, on which he lived until 
his death, which took place January 4, 
1886; his wife preceded him to the bet- 
ter land, dying May 7, 1869. Mr. Heim 
was married in 1847 to Pauline Moos, 
and they became the parents of twelve 
children, their names and dates of birth 
being as follows: Caroline, November 7, 
184S, now the wife of our subject; John 
R., born January 26, 1850; Adam, March 
30, 1852, died March 30, 1S92; Christine, 
February 17, 1854; Maria B.. September 
12, 1855; Magdelena, September 26, 1857; 
Catherine P., July 11, 1859; August, Au- 
gust 9, 1861; William C., March 11, 
1863; Edward C, February 22, 1865; 
Clara E. J., March 14, 1867; and Chris- 
toph L. , May 7, 1869, died September i, 
same jear. 

Our subject in politics is a stanch 
Democrat, and an admirer of President 
Cleveland. He was a trustee of Clay 
township for several years, and a school 
director and member of the board of edu- 
cation at Genoa. He was clerk of the 
board for two years, and held the office 
of trustee three years in Portage town- 
ship. Socially, he is a member of the 
Grand Army of the Republic, and also of 
Clay Lodge, F. & A. M., at Genoa. He 
is a man of influence, well liked, both in 
public and private life. 



STULL BROS (J. H. and Will- 
i.-\M W.), former merchants and 
manufacturers, Fremont, Sandus- 
ky county, were born in Rice 
township, Sandusky county, Ohio, sons 
of Jacob and Katie (Rang) Stull. 



41: 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Jacob Stull, Sr. , was born in Hatmat, 
Alsace (France), and came with his par- 
ents to America when fourteen years old, 
locating in Waj'nesburg, Penn. Eight 
years later he, with his parents, brothers, 
sisters, and others migrated by wagon to 
Rice township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
a distance of several hundred miles. 
Katie Stull was born in Baden, Germany, 
and came with her parents to America, 
settling in Rice township, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio. In 1837 she and Jacob Stull were 
married. Both are now deceased, she 
having died August 25, 1866, at the age 
of forty-five years, five months, four 
daj's, he dying February 4, 1873, aged 
fifty-eight years, one month, twenty-nine 
days. They were respected and loved by 
all who knew them, and their remains 
now rest in Rice township. They had 
five children: Christina, Mary, Sarah, 
Jacob H. and William \V. Of these 
Christina married Joseph Lambert, in 
1865, and now resides in Rice township; 
the names of their children are: Emma, 
Rutherford, Pearly and Homer. Mary 
married Hugo Gross, in 1866, and died 
March 11, 1888; he lives near Lansing, 
Mich. ; the names of their children are: 
Emma, Ida, Clara, George, Frank, 



Ollie and Arlin. 
Diedler, in 1871, 
Ohio; the names 
Laura, Florence, 
Irvin. Jacob H. 



Sarah married J. H. 
and lives in Fremont, 

of their children are: 
Lillie, Jennie, Ivin and 
married Julia Flora, in 



1886, and lives in Fremont; they have 
one child, Arlin. William W. also re- 
sides in Fremont, Ohio. In 1868 Jacob 
Stull, Sr. , married his second wife, and 
they had one child, Emma, who in 1894 
married Rev. Will M. Waller, and now 
lives in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Stull Bros. (J. H. & William W.), 
the subjects proper of this sketch, were 
quite young when their parents died. 
Jacob H. staid for a time with his sister 
Sarah, and William W. with his sister 
Mary. After this, their time was occupied 
serving on farms, canvassing and attend- 



ing school. In this manner those young 
lives passed away their precious time of 
their early "teens," being steadily en- 
gaged in the rugged discipline of labor, 
battling with Nature for subsistence. 
They afterward attended the Fremont 
High School, and later the Port Clinton 
Select School. Subsequentlj- Jacob H. 
attended the College at Oberlin, Ohio, 
and William W. the Ada Normal School, 
Ada, Ohio. After having acquired suffi- 
cient mental discipline, they entered the 
profession of teaching, and Jacob H. pur- 
sued that for nine terms in the country, 
and William W. for seven terms. They 
then embarked in the retail grocery busi- 
ness in Fremont. Ohio, under the firm 
name of Stull Bros. They were engaged 
in this business for three years. While 
doing this they encountered a difficulty in 
the usual method of keeping accounts, 
and set to work to devise something bet- 
ter; the result of which was the now well- 
known "Simple Account File," which 
the}' invented and patented, the patent 
having been taken out in May, 1886. 
Having unlimited faith in their invention, 
they sold out their mercantile business 
and commenced the manufacture of the 
" File." This new enterprise, at its be- 
ginning, was not a success — rather uphill 
work — but they continued in the business. 
Jacob H. was then chosen manager of the 
concern, while William W. was chosen 
their traveling agent. During the sum- 
mer months he traveled over Ohio, Indi- 
ana and Pennsylvania by wagon, and the 
balance of the time in other States by rail, 
selling Files and appointing agents. At 
the expiration of three years, owing to 
the increase, of the business, he was 
obliged to stay at home. Their business 
continued to increase, until, by their push 
and business ability, the\' extended the 
sale of the File to all parts of the United 
States. In 1891 they sold the right to 
" manufacture and sell " the File west of 
the Mississippi river, and in 1892 the 
territory east of the Mississippi river. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



413 



These two sales netted them a handsome 
sum. 

Stull Bros, in rehgious connection, are 
members of the M. E. Church, and in 
poHtics they are Repubhcans. 



JOSEPH DEGROFT (deceased), who 
was one of the prominent and pro- 
gressive agriculturists of Madison 
township, Sandusky county, and one 
of its early settlers, was born in Cumber- 
land count}-, Penn., November 25, 1814, 
and was a son of Joseph Degroft, a na- 
tive of the same county, who died when 
our subject was only a year old. 

Our subject received but a limited ed- 
ucation in the schools of his native town, 
and worked at different kinds of employ- 
ment from the early age of twelve years 
until he reached manhood. He received 
at first only forty cents per day for his la- 
bor, and continued working in this way 
until 1850, when with his family he came 
to Ohio, locating in Madison township, 
where he purchased eighty acres of land, 
all covered with timber. His first work 
here was to build a house, and he erected 
a log cabin upon the site from which he 
cut away the trees in order to make room 
for the building. He began life in true 
pioneer style here, and from the wilder- 
ness developed a highly-cultivated farm. 
He first planted corn and wheat, and con- 
tinued the work of improvement with the 
aid of his sons until he became the owner 
of one of the most valuable farming prop- 
erties in this section of the county. Often 
before roads were constructed he had to 
carry on his back to Peinberville a sack 
of corn and wheat which he had ground 
into grist in order that the family might 
have food. He also traveled through the 
woods and over the muddy roads to Fre- 
mont — a distance of twenty miles — lead- 
ing his horse, and there did his milling 
and marketing. He would then not 
reach his home until after midnight; but 
the pioneer days with their hardships 



passed, the log cabin was replaced by a 
substantial frame residence, barns were 
erected and the work of improvement 
carried forward until he became the own- 
er of a model farm and the possessor of a 
handsome competence. 

Mr. Degroft was married on New 
Year's Day, 1849, in Cumberland county, 
Penn., to Mary Chambers, and of the ten 
children born to them, seven are still liv- 
ing: (i) Mathew, born March 7, 1840, in 
Cumberland county, was educated in the 
public schools of this localit\', and here 
follows farming; he is married and has six 
children. (2) John, born November 5, 
1 84 1, in Cumberland county, was edu- 
cated in Madison township, Sandusky 
county, and with his family resides on a 
farm in Michigan. (3) Joseph, born June 
5, 1845, in Pennsylvania, is a contractor 
and builder, and resides on the homestead 
with his mother. (4) Shannon, born Oc- 
tober 14, 1847, in Cumberland county, 
Penn., is married and has three children; 
he followed agricultural pursuits in Mad 
son township, Sandusky county. (5) 
Thomas, born November 25, 1850, in 
Madison township, was for some years 
engaged in the practice of medicine, but 
is now in the railroad business in Cali- 
fornia. (6) Catherine, born May 4, 1855, 
in Madison township, is the wife of 
Charles Sohnley, of Toledo. (7) Lewis 
is an honored citizen of Sandusky county. 
Alfred and Charles both died in infancy, 
and one girl also died in infancy. 

The mother of this family was born in 
Cumberland county, Penn., September 
17, 1822, and is a daughter of Thomas 
Chambers, a blacksmith, of the Keystone 
State. In 1850 she came with her hus- 
band to Sandusky county, and shared with 
him the trials and hardships of p ( nee 
life in the woods of Madison township. 
She also assisted him in every way to 
make a home for the family, often aiding 
him in cutting down the trees, and in 
planting crops, going to the field at three 
o'clock in the morning. Her devotion to 



414 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



her family entitles her to the greatest 
credit. She is now over seventy-three 
years of age, and looking back over the 
past recalls many interesting incidents of 
pioneer life in Ohio. She still transacts 
her business and attends to the duties of 
her house, and is now engaged on negotia- 
tions for leasing her land for oil prospect- 
ing purposes. 

Mr. Degroft was trustee of his town- 
ship for several years, and was for a long 
period school director, taking a deep in- 
terest in the cause of education and every- 
thing calculated to benefit the county. 
After a long illness of sixteen months he 
passed peacefully away, April 27, 1892, 
and a faithful wife and loving children 
mourned the loss of a kind father and 
devoted husband. He was ever ready to 
extend a helping hand to the poor and 
needy, and considered no sacrifice too 
great that would enhance the happiness 
of hi.s family, to whom he left an untar- 
nished name. His widow still resides on 
the old home place, where she is enjoying 
the reward of earnest toil. 



EBEN ROOT, a well-to-do farmer 
of Sandusky township, Sandusky 
county, was born January 16. 
1843, in Erie county, Ohio, near 
Milan. The Root family is of F"rench 
origin, but the first definite history we 
have of this branch of the family is that 
of Caleb Root, grandfather of our sub- 
ject, who was born in Connecticut, and 
migrated to Milan, Erie Co., Ohio, in 
pioneer days. He was a farmer by occu- 
pation, and died there August 13, 1843, 
aged seventy-three j'ears. His children 
were: Hiram, Jirah, Lucy. Anna, Ly- 
man and Perry, the last named being the 
father of our subject, born on the day of 
Perry's victory, in 181 3, and hence was 
named after that naval officer. 

Perry Root grew to manhood in Erie 
county, on a farm, received the ad- 
vantages for education offered by the 



common schools, and became a noted 
stock dealer at an early day. Oit No- 
vember 6, 1839, he married Miss Celia 
Hardy, a native of New York State, and 
he died July 23, 1869, his wife passing 
away in March, i 880. 

Their children were as follows: Eliza- 
beth, born September 6, 1840, mar- 
ried November 26, 1862, Robert Wil- 
cox, of Erie county, Ohio; Lucy Ann, 
born October i, 1841; Eben, our sub- 
ject; Sarah A., born May i 1, 1845, mar- 
ried John G. Balcom, June 15, 1870, at 
Milan, Ohio; John O., born .\pril 20, 
1847, married Sarah Fairchild, Decem- 
ber 17, 1874; Lucy, born in October, 
1841, died September 27, 1861; Savory 
Perry, born July 11, 1849, died May 6, 
1850; Carleton Perry, born October 5, 
1857, died March 18, 1873. 

Our subject spent his boyhood and 
youth in Erie county, near Milan, and at- 
tended the common schools. On May 2, 
1864, he enlisted in Company F, One 
Hundred and Forty-fifth Regiment, O. 
N. G., and served one hundred days, be- 
ing discharged August 24, 1864, at Camp 
Chase, Ohio. While a young man he 
went west, and on the trip met and mar- 
ried on October 9, 1867, Miss Jemima B. 
Fell, who was born in Liddisdale, Scot- 
land, October l, 1847, and came to 
America with her parents when four years 
old. They settled in Stark county, Illi- 
nois, where our subject and she were 
married. The children born to this 
union were Sarah Isabella, born March 
3, 1 871; Carrie Elizabeth, born October 
8, 1873; Walter Fell, born March 11, 
1875; David Perry, born December 20, 
1879, died January 18, 1881; and Bessie 
Alberta, born December 13. 1881. Mr. 
and Mrs. Root settled in Sandusky coun- 
ty soon after their marriage, and subse- 
quently lived two years in Erie county, 
after which they returned here and have 
since made Sandusky township their 
home. Mr. Root owns 230 acres of land 
which he operates to the best possible 






^^^i/^ '\yi^r^o'-. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



415 



advantage, and in addition to his farm- 
ing interest deals largely in live stock, 
handling a large number of sheep. He 
is a Democrat in politics, and is one of 
those citizens who, in an unassuming way, 
benefit the conmiunity in which they live 
and make a success of life. 

Some remarkable facts in regard to 
accidental deaths in the family and among 
relations may be noted: Our subject's 
father. Perry Root, was killed by a kick 
from a horse; his stepmother was acci- 
dentally burned to death; his wife's father 
was killed by a runaway, in Scotland; 
one of his mother's sisters married a man 
by the name of Morgan, who, falling on 
the ice, broke his skull and died from the 
results; one of Morgan's sons was killed 
by accident; our subject's uncle Jirah fell 
from a wagon and was killed; and his 
uncle Hiram was killed by a team run- 
ning away, while hauling lumber; and 
grandfather, Caleb Root, was killed by 
being thrown from a load of hay. 



'ILL! AM A. MUGG, the lead- 



ing landowner and farmer of 



U w York township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, and vice-president of the 
First National Bank of Clyde, is of the 
third generation from the earliest settle- 
ment and development of northwestern 
Ohio. And as he stands to-day, a leader 
of the men about him, so, too, in the 
two preceding generations, were his 
father and grandfather men of renown 
and note in their respective spheres, 
though perhaps in a somewhat different 
way. \Villiam A. Mugg has inherited the 
pioneer strength of character. His mind 
is keen and he appreciates a witticism. 
His good-natured retort is sharp, and 
stranger or friend is welcomed at his 
home and treated with that old-time 
jovial hospitality that is becoming rare in 
these so-called degenerate da}S. 

Mr. Mugg was born in Milo, Yates 
Co., \. v., December 13, 1827, .son of 



John B. and Susan (Wheeler) Mugg, and 
grandson of Elder John Mugg. But 
years before his birth his father and his 
grandfather had already become identi- 
fied with the interests of York township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio. It was in 1822 
that Elder John Mugg, a native of Mary- 
land, came with his family from New 
York State to the vast solitudes of north- 
western Ohio. His parents had died 
when he was a child, and he was bound 
out and reared among strangers. How- 
ever, he obtained the rudiments of an 
education, and became a preacher of the 
Baptist Church. When he came to Ohio 
he purchased 400 acres of government 
land, but as soon as the cabins for himself 
and family were built, and the rude 
houses made comfortable, he began his 
labors as a pioneer preacher, a task then 
quite different from the ministeriai duties 
of to-day. Elder Mugg was a man of 
small stature, and his weight was less 
than one hundred pounds; but he was 
filled with nervous force, and with a 
love for his fellow men. He was an 
enthusiastic Churchman. On horseback, 
with saddlebags supplied with medicines, 
he wended his way along Indian trails 
through the forested swamps from settle- 
ment to settlement, bringing to the lone- 
ly pioneer the refreshing and cheering 
words of the Gospel. His value to the 
mental, moral and physical welfare of the 
early settler, immersed in solitude, can 
scarcely be appreciated at the present 
da}-. He brought words of cheer and 
comfort wherever he went, and the 
pleasant memories Df his visit lingered 
long after he had departed. He carried 
the current news of the day from cabin 
to cabin, and to the sufferers from the 
malignant fevers that were then so com- 
mon he brought both medicinal and 
spiritual good. Once, to a neighbor who 
had stolen corn from him, he remarked: 
" I feel sorry for you, neighbor. I don't 
care for the corn. If you had asked me 
for it the corn would have been yours." 



416 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



His gentle, forgiving, Christian spirit 
made Eider Mugg a man who was widely 
beloved. He organized the Freewill 
Baptist Church, the pioneer religious or- 
ganization of York township, and lived 
to the good old age of ninety-six years, 
amidst the peope to whom he had minis- 
tered for many years. His remains were 
interred in Wales Corners cemetery, in 
York township, where many of his fellow 
pioneers also rest. He was the father of 
seven children, as follows: Thomas, who 
moved to Indiana; John B., father of 
William A. ; Marcus, who became a min- 
ister and moved to Michigan, where he 
died; Jesse, who died in Indiana: William, 
who died in early manhood; Mary (after- 
ward Mrs. Bennett), of Indiana; and Harriet 
(Mrs. Colvin), who died in York township. 

John B. Mugg was born in 1801. He 
came with his father to York township in 
1822, having j)reviously married Susan 
Wheeler. A year later, after the birth of 
his eldest child, Charles, he returned 
with his family to Yates county, N. Y. , 
and remained there twelve years. In 
1836 he again came west, and lived in 
York township until his death, which oc- 
curred December 31, 1880, when he was 
aged seventy-nine years, four months and 
twenty-seven days. His wife, who was 
born in 1807, died March 3, 1880. Nine 
children were born to John B. and Susan 
Mugg: Charles, who died in Missouri; 
Wheeler, who died in York township; 
William A., subject of this sketch; John 
who died in New York; a child who died 
in infancy; Elizabeth, who died in young 
womanhood; Marietta, who died in girl- 
hood; George, a resident of Dundee, 
Mich., and Alice, who died in childhood. 

William A. Mugg was a child when 
his father returned from New York to the 
pioneer Ohio home. He remembers well 
the trip on the lakes, and the journey 
overland to the old farmstead near Wales 
Corners, which still forms a part of the 
extensive estate of Mr. Mugg. In those 
days the driftwood had not yet been 



cleared from the swamps. The pools 
were full of water, and fish were abundant 
on every hand. Mr. Mugg remembers 
that many times in his boyhood he has 
skated in winter all the way from the old 
homestead to Sandusky Bay. The young 
men of fifty years ago propelled skiffs 
over lands that are now some of the most 
fertile field in Ohio. Indians were numer- 
ous in those days, and game abounded. 
But educational facilities were few. 
While Mr. Mugg did not receive a finished 
literar\' education, he learned what was 
better still — the value of thrift and econ- 
omy. After he was of age he worked 
five years for his father, at $200 per year. 
Then in 1854 he married Miss Phebe S. 
Russell, who was born April 2, 1833. 
Her father, Norton Russell, was born in 
Hopewell, Ontario Co. , N. Y. , June 15, 
1 80 1, of parents who had shortly before 
moved to the New York wilderness from 
Massachusetts. Young Russell was bound 
out, and was diligently engaged during 
his youth in clearing the pioneer land of 
western New York. In October, 1S21, 
he came to Ohio with three other young 
men, William McPherson, James Birds- 
eye and Lyman Babcock, all of whom 
became prominent pioneers of Sandusky 
county. They walked almost the entire 
distance from New York — -400 miles. Mr. 
Russell was the eldest of five children, and 
his sisters and brother were as follows: 
Rowena, who married George Swarthout, 
and settled near Penn Yan, N. Y. ; Cyn- 
thia, who married William McPherson, 
and became the mother of the martyred 
Gen. James B. McPherson; William, who 
married Elizabeth Beach; and Lydia, 
wife of Lester Beach. Norton Russell 
entered the S. E. Quarter of Section 7, 
York township, and was married .April 
13, 1825, to Miss Sibyl S. McMillen, 
daughter of Samiiel and Poll)- McMillen, 
who emigrated from their old home near 
the White Mountains, N. H., to Ohio, 
and became early pioneers of Green Creek 
township, Sankusky county. Samuel and 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



417 



Poll)' McMillen had the following seven 
children: Sibyl (Mrs. Russell); Samuel; 
Henry; Rachel, who married Isaac May; 
Sally, who married Joseph George; Nancy 
who married Isaac May, and Luther. Nor- 
ton and Sibyl Russell were the parents of 
seven children, as follows: John N. and 
William M., of Clyde; Charles P., of York; 
Phebe S. ; Sarah R. (Mrs. Bell), of Clyde; 
Mary M. (Mrs. J. W. Taylor), of Sabine 
Parish, La., and Belle R. (Mrs. Collverj, 
of Cleveland. Norton Russell is still, at 
this writing, living with his daughter, 
Mrs. Mugg, and is the oldest living 
pioneer of this section. His wife, who 
shared with him the toil and privation of 
a long and eventful life, died December 
1 8. 1887, aged eighty years. 

Nine children have blessed the mar- 
riage of William A. and Phebe S. Mugg, 
a brief record of whom is as follows: 
Nina, born December 31, 1857, is the 
wife of James Ungerman; they reside 
in New Richland, Minn., and have four 
children — Carl, Nellie B., Hazel and 
Vera. Clarence M., born January 14, 
1859, married Laura Carr, and is the 
father of two children — Ethel and Wayne. 
N. Russell, born March 31, 1861, married 
Maggie Matthews, and they have two 
children — Madeline and Maurice. Mabel, 
born April 26, 1863, died in 1S83. Alice, 
born September 10, 1865, is the wife of 
A. R. Pickett, of Clyde, and has two 
children — Harold and Gladdon. Moina, 
born March 12, 1868, is the wife of N. 
Greenslade, of Bellevue, and the}' have 
one child — Russell M. Amy B., born 
February 19, 1870, is one of the popular 
young ladies of this section, devoted to 
her parents and the home. James G., 
born October 14, 1872, was married Jan- 
uary I, 1895, to Anna Needham, of York 
township. Florence, born May 25, 1877, 
is attending school. 

Mr. and Mrs. Mugg started .in life 
with only about such means as the average 
young couple of that day possessed, but 
their success has been marked. If the 



accumulation of a large estate, and the 
rearing of a numerous and honorable 
family is aught of satisfaction, while still 
in the meridian of life, then Mr. and Mrs. 
Mugg should be among the happiest 
of mortals. The landed property of Will- 
iam A. Mugg exceeds in quantity that of 
any other individual in Sandusky county. 
The finger of Time has touched them 
lightly. If Mrs. Mugg is as young as she 
looks, she is yet in the high noonday 
of life. She is an active member of the 
Grange, and deservedly prominent in the 
social affairs of the township. Mr. Mugg 
possesses a hardy constitution which he 
has never abused, but which through 
proper physical exercise he has maintain- 
ed in its maximum degree of health. In 
politics he is a pronounced and uncom- 
promising Republican. In the commer- 
cial and financial spheres he takes high 
rank. He is a master of the science of 
finance, and was one of the organizers, 
and is now vice-president, of the First 
National Bank of Clyde. 



SM. TERRY, pioneer, farmer, 
banker and author, is one of the 
best-known citizens of Clyde, San- 
dusky count}', and he is a repre- 
sentative of one of the earliest and most 
patriotic families in Sandusky county. 
He has been artisan and fruit farmer. 
He established the Farmers and Traders 
Bank, and alone conducted its manage- 
ment for four years when he organized th 
First National Bank as its successor, and 
became its cashier. He possesses a literary 
skill of a high order, and to the natura 
beauty and strength of his poetic senti- 
ment is added a peculiarly facile and gifted 
rythm. 

Mr. Terry was born in Townsend 
township, Sandusky county, August 23, 
1838, son of Jerry and Mary T. (Bonnell) 
Terry. Jerry Terry was born in New 
Hampshire March 21, 1801, son of Julius 
Terrv, who was born in the same State 



418 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in 1762, and in 1 808 migrated with his 
family from New Hampshire to Living- 
ston county, N. Y. There Jerry was 
married, September 12, 1824, to Mary T. 
Bonnell, who was born March 2, 1S05. 
Soon afterward Jerry and Mary Terry 
moved to Townsend township, Sandusky 
county, and founded a home in the wil- 
derness, entering land at $1.25 per acre 
at a time when there was not a tree cut 
within two miles of where they settled. 
From the wilderness he carved out a fer- 
tile farm, and by industry and persever- 
ance acquired, as the years went by, a 
good home with pleasant surroundings. 
In 1872 he retired from the farm and re- 
sided in Clyde until his death, which oc- 
curred September 26, 1877. His devoted 
life partner died July 24, 1874. The 
father, Julius Terry, had also come to the 
pioneer Ohio home, and died here July 
16, 1843. To Jerry and Mary Terry 
nine children were born — seven sons and 
two daughters. Of the sons five enlisted 
in the Civil war. and three of the five were 
killed in battle. The children were as 
follows: T. C, born July 8, 1825, who 
was postmaster at Nevada Mills, Ind. , 
and died July 20, 1894; Henry G., born 
June 24, 1827, who enlisted under Col. 
Gibson, and was killed at Dallas, Ga. ; 
Mary C, born July 23, 1829, now Mrs. 
Alfred George, of Bowling Green; J. H., 
born September 26, 1831, who enlisted 
and served in a Michigan regiment, now 
a farmer in Missouri; W. C, born March 
29, 1834, a furniture dealer at Clyde; 
George J., born April 2, 1836, who en- 
listed in the Forty- ninth O. V. I., and 
was killed at Dallas, Ga. ; S. M., subject 
of this sketch; Isaiah, born March 23, 
1 841, who enlisted in the Forty-ninth 
O. V. I., and was killed at Stone River; 
and Beulah E., born March 14, 1846, 
now widow of Joseph Kenny, of Clyde. 

S. M. Terry grew to manhood on the 
pioneer farm of his father, attended the 
primitive log-cabin schools, and saw the 
gleam of civilization enter the wild 



land and gradually broaden until the 
mists and deep recesses of savagery were 
gone forever. When the transformation 
scene was ended, peaceful, happy, pros- 
perous homes had come. In his youth 
Mr. Terry completed a course at Pough- 
keepsie (N. Y.) Business College, and at 
the age of twentj'-five he left the farm 
and learned the trade of carpenter and 
builder. Subsequently he entered the em- 
ploy of the old Clyde Banking Co., and 
had been connected with that institution 
seven years when his health broke down. 
He went to New York State and took 
charge of his father-in-law's fruit farm on 
the Hudson river, under the new con- 
ditions of life regaining his health and 
strength. Returning to Clyde he in 1886 
established the Farmers and Traders 
Bank, which was later reorganized as the 
First National Bank of Clyde, with a 
capital of $50,000. Mr. Terry was 
elected cashier and held that position 
until February, 1895, when he sold his 
interest in the institution and retired from 
active business life. Under his manage- 
ment the bank was conducted on conser- 
vative principles, but with the most ad- 
vanced business methods. In politics 
Mr. Terry is a Republican. He is a Royal 
Arch Mason, and was initiated into the 
lodge in i860. Mr. Terry was married 
to Miss Mary Ettie Coe, who was born 
near Fairfax Courthouse, \'a., and is a 
lady of many charms and accomplish- 
ments. Mr. and Mrs. Terry have a mu- 
tual penchant for travel, and have visited 
noted or historic places in all parts of the 
United States. 

As a recreation from business cares 
Mr. Terry has quite happily wooed the 
Muses, and the products of his "gray- 
goose quill" have attracted considerable 
attention. Several of his more ambitious 
poems have been printed in pamphlet 
form. The poetical address read before 
the One Hundred and Si.xtj'-ninth O. V. 
I., at Dalton, June 3, 1891, abounded in 
patriotic allusion, with intermittent 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



419 



gleams of wit and humor. His *' Remin- 
iscences of Pioneer Life in Townsend 
Township " abounds in good things. The 
verse does not lag, but the limpid stream 
of thought moves smoothly on, and de- 
tached fragments fail to do justice to or 
properly represent the whole. As a 
specimen of his rare touch of melody the 
following extract from "A Lay Discourse 
on the Higher Criticism " is offered: 

No mortal thouglit can count the cost or damages compute. 
Of him who holds the Bible up, its teachings to dispute. 
And heaven grant that this poor heart may never wear the 

stain 
Of causing any doubting soul one single tinge of pain. 

No finite mind can comprehend the infinite design. 

Or gather all the hidden pearls from that eshanstless mine ; 

And be it far from erring man, imperfect at the best, 

By stretch ol human intellect God's purposes to test. 

The Bible stands the test of time, its teachings ne'er grow 

old. 
The truth shines out on every page like diamonds set in gold. 
Without it, humaa destiny jn darkness lies concealed ; 
With it, life immortal most gloriously revealed. 

The statutes that on Sinai were deeply carved in stone, 
Have, on the page ef legal lore, throughout the ages shone, 
And vain the test of human skill to formulate the taw, 
That does not from that fountain source its strength and wis- 
dom draw. 

The prophecies, the golden link that binds the old and new. 
The logic of the world's events has demonstrated true. 
And science stands in dread dismay, as law's imperial sway. 
Unites with prophets and declares this world must pass away. 

The heavens like a parchment scroll shall be together rolled. 
The elements shall melt with heat, the prophets long foretold, 
And deepest scientific search in nature's forces sees 
The agencies that must, anon, enforce these dread decrees. 

The higher critics act a part, if wc but read aright, 
That shadows forth the coming on of that impending night ; 
For Holy Writ has plainly taught that in the latter days. 
The Lord's elect would fall away to follow Satan's ways. 

That heresies of dumning sorts, would innovate the Church. 
And men forsake the bidden way, and after pleasures search. 
Yea, e'en deny the Lord of light with heady self-conceit. 
And while they sought to lead the fiock, would fill a scorner's 
seat. 

The man that hath an eye to see, or hath an ear to hear, 

Must see in modern day events a crisis drawing near; 

And men may scoff and men may scorn, and all the world 

ignore. 
Yet God hath said it draweth nigh; yea. standeth at the door. 

The star that led to Bethlehem the wise men of the East. 
Is shining out in heaven's dome with brilliancy increased ; 
And Christian rule ia moving on with banners all unfurled, 
And Anglo-Saxon Israel must subjugate the world. 



The Law. the Prophets, and the Cross, all firmly bound in 

one, 
The substance of the Trinity, of Fatiier, Spirit, Son. 
The Alpha and Omega, the Logos, Life and Light, 
That sweeps two vast eternities with majesty and might. 

My faith accepts the risen Christ, the Bible I revere. 
A Father's care, a Brothers love, 1 fee! are always near. 
I stand amazed before the Cross. I cannot understand, 
But then I see a bleeding side, and touch a wounded hand. 

I am the Way, the Truth, the Life, come unto Me and live, 
I hear my Lord and Savior say, I freely all forgive. 
I cannot, do not longer doubt, my soul with rapture cries, 
I know that my Redeemer lives, that fully satisfies. 

That sacred Word, a treasure mine enshrined upon my heart. 
And while this transient breath remains I'll never with it 

part. 
It's been our light in ages past, our solace and our stay, 
When tempest tossed, amid its gloom, to guide our weary 

way. 

Its promises will stand secure when scoffers are no more, 
And he whose faith is anchored there 'twill safely pilot o'er; 
And when the breakers gather round, and tempests sweep the 

sky. 
We need not fear the raging storms, deliverance is nigh. 

It tells us whence, and what, and where, and shows the 

mighty Arm 
That wields the scepter over all and gives to life a charm, 
And manifests a Father's love surpassing human thought, 
And estimates immortal souls through sacrifices wrought. 

It throws the light that lifts the clouds that hover o'er the 

tomb. 
And from the faithful trusting heart it dissipates all gloom, 
And opens wide the pearly gates to show a Father's face 
And out-stretched arms to welcome home with tenderest em- 
brace. 

The weary pilgrim on his way, oppressed with wordly care, 
May turn a leaf and ever find a consolation there, 
And on the mount, or in the vale, all shadows disappear, 
For on that page, in love's own light, he reads his title clear. 

When I behold the wondrous grace in man's redemption 

shown. 
And estimate the heritage unworthily I own, 
I count my intellect as naught, and crucify my pride, 
Accept by faith God's Covenant, and in that grace abide. 

The Bible, tike a guiding star, has led me on the way. 
And scattered all the doubt and gloom with everlasting day, 
And now I wait the Fathers will to bid his angel come 
To bear my weary spirit on to its eternal home. 

In youth it guides our wayward steps from sin'salluring ways, 
And scatters seeds of golden grain, to yield in other days, 
And later on when troubles come, it steadies human life. 
And gives us strength to overcome in many a doubtful strife. 

'Twill be our stay in waning years, when near the journey's 

end. 
And when the night of death appears our last best earthly 

friend. 
And when we touch the river's brink and hear the boatman's 

oar, 
Redemption's theme will be our song forever, ever more. 



420 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Enrapturing thought: The Lord be praised! That Bible 

stands alone. 
The grandest book of grandest thoughts this world has ever 

known ; 
Between its lids, would man obey, the balm of healing flows, 
To settle all earth's differences and mitigate its woes. 

Upon the Cross where cruel hate its torturing nails has driven, 
A dying Saviour cries aloud, " Forgive, and be forgiven! " 
And underneath that crimson flow all cruel passions fall. 
And peace expands her golden wings where Christ is all in all. 

That smitten Rock is pouring forth its living waters pure; 
There's manna in this wilderness the humblest may secure; 
That Word divine, the fiery cloud for Israel's faithful guide. 
And Miriam's shout " We've been redeemed," resounds from 
yonder side. 

Yea, though the sea before us lies, and Satan's hosts draw 

nigh, 
Through faith the frowning waters part to leave athway 

dry ; 
And God's command to forward go. fresh confidence inspires, 
And promised triumphs realized, transcend all fond desires. 

In grateful praise these lips employ, and joy o'erwhelms the 
soul, 

As Providence directs the way to yon celestial goal ; 

By faith we mount the shining stair, where Jesus sits en- 
throned, 

And view the mansions there prepared for those He hath 
atoned. 

Eye hath not seen, no ear hath heard, nor heart of man con- 
ceived, 

The glories that awaiteth those who have in Him believed; 

The sun may fade in sombre night, and light of stars grow 
pale, 

But Christ the Christian's Light and Life can never dim nor 
fail. 

Eternal life, that priceless pearl transmitted from the cross. 
Can never find a recompense in any wordly dross, 
And science doth not yet unfold or solve that mystery, 
That love divine and boundless grace have rendered full and 
free. 

That Word, the all iiervading Light, can make these temples 

shine. 
And fill the soul with joy and peace akin to that divine. 
And melt away the locks and bars that doth the future seal. 
And in a risen, living Christ, eternal life reveal. 

My brother, take that Holy Book, and as you turn its leaves, 
Remember it hath treasures rare for him that well believes. 
But to the doubting, scoffing soul that reads from base desire, 
'Twill ever prove a stumbling block, an all-consuming fire. 

Abiding firmly in the Law, with Prophets well in view. 
The central Light of history the student may pursue. 
And all the royal tore of earth will cast its diadem. 
Upon the brow of Israel's King, the Child of Bethlehem. 

Hail, glorious Prince of Righteousness! Thy sceptre rule the 

earth. 
Thy word be taught till every soul shall know and feel its 

worth. 
And o'er this world from pole to pole, the troubled nations 

rest. 
Till hope is in fruition lost, forever with the blest. 



"All hail the power of Jesus' name, let angels prostrate fall. 
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all." 
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him at[ 

creafurts here below. 
Praise him above, ye heavtnUj host, praise Father, Son and 

Holy Ghost." 
Amen ! Amen I So let it be, on earth as reigns above, 
When man shall meet his fellow man, with charity and love, 
And truth and mercy join their hands and sweetly dwell to- 
gether. 
And righteousness and peace unite, embrace and kiss each 
other. 

The inherent patriotism and religious 
zeal of Mr. Terry's nature is manifest in 
all his work. He has been for years a 
leading teacher in the M. E. Sunday- 
school, and the influence which he wields 
at Clyde is directed unmistakably to- 
ward the higher and better life. 



ADAM BRUNTHAVER. Promi- 
nent among the hardy pioneers 
of Sandusky county, who, with 
hearts of oak, muscles of iron, and 
nerves of steel, subdued the dense forests 
of the Black Swamp, and cleared up the 
country for the purposes of agriculture, 
is the subject of this sketch, and as such 
he deserves honorable mention in this 
volume. 

Adam Brunthaver, Patriarch of the 
Brunthavers of Green Creek, and Ball- 
ville townships, Sandusky Co., Ohio, was 
born near Greensburg, Westmoreland 
Co., Penn. His father was a native of 
Alsace, France, who served as a soldier 
in the capacity of teamster, under the 
First Napoleon, and subsequenty emi- 
grated to America, where he was em- 
ployed by the United States Government 
to drive cattle through the wilderness, 
from Pennsylvania to the military post at 
Detroit, Mich. He was always on friendly 
terms with the Indians, learned to con- 
verse with them, and served with his 
party as interpreter. When passing those 
Indians who were allies of the British, he 
would represent to them that he was 
driving cattle for the '* Great P*ather, " 
the King of England. A full record of 
his life can not here be given. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



421 



Our subject, Adam Bruuthaver, was 
reared on a farm, learned the trade of 
cooper, became a soldier in the war of 
1812, and about the year 1828 made 
several visits to the Sandusky region, 
where he bought a quarter section of land 
of William Sn\-der, at $1.25 per acre, 
and arranged with Joseph Hawk to build 
a log cabin for him on the spot now oc- 
cupied bj' his grandson William, as a 
place of residence, in Green Creek town- 
ship. He was married, in Pennsylvania, 
to Miss Mary Ridenhour, and first settled 
in Fairfield count}', Ohio. In 1S35 they 
moved to Sandusky county, and the fam- 
ily for many years occupied the log cabin 
which Mr. Hawk had erected for them. 
Mrs. Mary Brunthaver died in the fall of 
1835. Of their children: Sally, wife of 
John Purdy, of Ballville township; Esther, 
wife of ^[r. Bowman, of Fulton county, 
Ohio; Henry, who married Miss Emma 
Cook, now residing at Clyde, Ohio; Mary, 
wife of Caleb Clink, of Woodville, Ohio; 
Christena, wife of Luther Van Horn, of 
Portland, Mich. ; John, who married Miss 
Matilda Scouten, and settled in Green 
Creek township; Elizabeth, wife of Jona- 
than Spohn, of Green Creek township; 
and Leah, wife of Enos Osborn, of Ball- 
ville township. 

In 1839 Adam Brunthaver married 
Mary Smith, daughter of Adam Smith, 
who had settled in Green Creek township, 
in 1824. The children by this marriage 
were: Louis, who married Miss Loraine 
Forgerson; Martin, who married Hannah 
Smith; Margaret, wife of Bert Rathbone; 
Lucinda, wife of John Duesler; Minerva, 
who died single; Adam, who married Miss 
Olive Potter; Delilah, wife of Norton 
Young; William, who married Miss Ann 
Smith; and Martha, wife of Owen Maurer. 
These families reside in Green Creek and 
Ballville townships. 

The death of Adam Brunthaver, Sen., 
occurred April 28, i860, at the age of 
seventy-five years. He was buried in 
Long's graveyard, now known as Mount 



Lebanon U. B. Cemetery, in Ballville 
township. To this place the remains of his 
first wife were removed from the pioneer 
Kernahan burial place. Mr. Brunthaver's 
widow married, in 1861, Rev. Israel 
Smith, of Fremont. In 1867 they moved 
upon a farm in Ballville township, bought 
by them jointly. Mr. Smith died in 1885, 
and his widow has since that time occu- 
pied the Smith homestead, which she had 
secured by the proceeds from the Brun- 
thaver homestead. 



P 



ETER BRUNTHAVER, a farmer 
of Ballville township, Sandusky 
county, was born in Fairfield 
county, Ohio, February 9, 1823, 
a son of Adam and Marv (Ridenhour) 
Brunthaver. At twelve years of age he 
came with his parents to Sandusky coun- 
ty, where he learned the trade of carpen- 
ter, at which he wrought in Lucas, W'ood 
and Sandusky counties for upward of 
twenty years. At Perrysburg, Ohio. July 
4, 1847, he married Miss Mary Jane Cook, 
who was born March 2, 1827, in Richland 
county, Ohio. Several 3'ears after their 
marriage they settled on a farm east of 
Fremont, where he became one of the 
substantial farmers of Ballville township. 
He was a trustworthy, reliable man, a 
Democrat in politics previous to the Civil 
war, later a Republican. He and a part 
of his family were members of the U. B. 
Church. His death occurred April 6, 
1891, that of his wife April 8, 1893, and 
they were buried in Mt. Lebanon U. B. 
Cemetery. 

The children of Peter and Mary J. 
Brunthaver were: (i) Charles E. Brunt- 
haver, born April 16, 1848, in Lucas 
county, who married Miss M. A. Merrald, 
November 16, 1870; she died November 
I. 1873, leaving two children — Edward, 
born September 14. 1871, and Clara, 
born May 29, 1873, the latter of whom 
died at the age of ten years; Charles E. 
Brunthaver has been a clerk in the W'ar 



422 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Department, at Washington, D. C, for 
upward of twelve years. (2) Lucinda 
Jane Brunthaver, born September 29, 
1849, in Wood county, who married 
Charles Dawley, a farmer of Green Creek 
township, Sandusky county, June 20, 
1872; she died August 30, 1883; their 
children were: Willis W., born February 
20, 1874; Nellie, January 23, 1876; and 
Hazel, November 16, 188 1. (3j Ellen 
E. Brunthaver, born May 30, 185 1, in 
Sandusky county, married Henry Bennett, 
December 25, 1871; she died March 24, 
1882, leaving three children — Clarence 
A., born October 26, 1872; George Henry, 
February 19, 1877; and Fanny A., Oc- 
tober 18, 1878. (4) Samuel Willard 
Brunthaver, born August 18, 1853, mar- 
ried Miss Ann Norton, June 9, 1883. (5) 
Orrin James, who will be more fully 
spoken of presently. (6) Frank P. Brunt- 
haver, born January 16, 1862, was brought 
up on a farm, educated in the home dis- 
trict and the Fremont city schools, took 
a course in the Medical Department of the 
Western Reserve University, Cleveland, 
Ohio, and, after practicing medicine at 
Maumee City about three jears, took a 
course at the Post Graduate Medical 
School and Hospital, in New York City; 
he was married, November 27, 1884, to 
Miss Mary E. Smith, of Sugar Ridge, 
Wood county, Ohio, and their children 
are — Carrie L. , born August 4, 1888; 
Merine A., April 14, 1890; and an infant 
son. (7) Minnie E. Brunthaver, born 
October 22, 1863, married Silas Stroh- 
man, a farmer, of near Tinney, Ohio, 
May 27, 1885, and their children are — 
Edna E. , born March 9, 1886; Cora M., 
December 17, 1S89; and Mildred E., 
September 5, 1893. (8) Clarence W. 
Brunthaver, born March 12, 1867, died in 
childhood. 

Orrin James Brunthaver, born June 
20, 1859, was reared on a farm, learned 
the carpenter's trade of his father, attend- 
ed the Fremont High School and the Fos- 
toria Normal School, read law for some 



time with the firm of Everett & Fowler, 
Fremont, became administrator of his 
father's estate, and since 1893 has been 
emplo}-ed in the Railroad Postal Service 
between Cleveland, Ohio, and Syracuse, 
N. Y. He was married at Fremont, Sep- 
tember 24, 1893, to Miss Carrie E. 
Sn3'der, who was born February 23, 1871, 
at Hudson, Mich., and they have one son 
— Harry Allen, born October 30, 1894. 



M 



ARTIN SEIPLE, one of the 
leading farmers and stock rais- 
ers of Madison township, San- 
dusky county, is a native of 
Pennsylvania, born May 20, 1849, in 
Williams township, Northampton county. 
John and Susanna (Unangst) Seiple, 
parents of our subject, were also natives 
of Northampton county. In 1864 they 
removed to Scott township, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio, where the father purchased 
300 acres of land, and carried on farming. 
In their family were ten children: Ed- 
ward (deceased), who during his life fol- 
lowed farming, and whose widow resides 
at Helena, Sandusky county; Valentine, a 
farmer, butcher and stock dealer, who 
died in Pennsylvania; Thomas, a farmer, 
living on the old homestead: Eva A., wife 
of \\'illiam Schrantz, an agriculturist, who 
operates half of the old home farm; Au- 
gust, deceased; John, who was a member 
of the One Hundred and Fifty-third P. 
V. I., and was killed at the battle of 
Gettysburg; William, who died of brain 
fever, in Pennsylvania; Adam, a retired 
farmer living in Helena, Ohio; Martin; 
and one who died in infancy. The par- 
ents are both now deceased. 

Henry and Sarah (Wagner) Seiple, 
parents of John, were born, the former 
September 29, 1776, the latter April 4, 
1780; and both died in 1863, he on Jan- 
uary 12, she on October 16. They had 
a family of five sons and three daughters, 
viz. : John (father of Martin Seiple), 
Henry, Conrad, David, Joseph, Sarah 





^^ 








^^^BK S^^^IF ^^^^^^^^^^^^^K 


If 


B \ ^^^^^KBr 




1^^P7^/ 




COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



423 



(who married Samuel Johnson, of Allen- 
town, Pcnn.), Katy (who married Henry 
Hildibrand, of Bethlehem, Penn.), and 
Julia (who married Henry W'oodring, of 
Carroll, Iowa). 

Mrs. Susanna (Unangst) Seiple, moth- 
er of our subject, was the daughter of Val- 
entine and Elizabeth (Morgan) Unangst. 
\'alentine Unangst was born July 27, 
1769, and died August 23, 1857, aged 
eighty-eight years. Elizabeth (Morgan) 
Unangst was born in 1754 and died in 
1824, aged seventy years; her mother, 
Mrs. Elizabeth Morgan, was born April 
23, 1727. Valentine Unangst had an 
only sister. Eve Ahn Unangst, who was 
born June 24, 1764, and died November 
15, 1S57. 

Martin Seiple attended school in his 
native county up to his si.xteenth year, 
when he removed with his parents to 
Ohio, and located in Scott township, 
Sandusky count)-, on a farm of 300 acres. 
Here he continued his education for a 
short time, and then entered upon his 
business career, working upon his father's 
farm until 1867. He had in the mean- 
time saved from his earnings some capi- 
tal, with which, he now purchased eight)' 
acres of land on which stood a small 
frame house. It took many years of hard 
toil to place the tract under its present 
high state of cultivation, and to add the 
improvements that we to-day find, in- 
cluding an excellent frame residence, 
barns and outbuildings, which are models 
of convenience, a tine orchard and other 
general improvements. He also has ten 
oil wells upon his land, which are owned 
and operated by the Buffalo Oil Com- 
pany, in which Mr. Seiple owns stock; he 
is also engineer in helping to pump in the 
same. He is one of the most progressive 
men in Madison township, and good man- 
agement and business ability have placed 
him in a substantial position. 

In .August, 1869. Mr. Seiple was mar- 
ried, in Medina, Ohio, to Ruby K. Bow- 
man, daughter of Daniel and Caroline 

27 



Ohio; Alice, wife 

farmer of Medina 

follows the same 

Frelena, wife 

agriculturist of that 



Bowman, of Medina county, the former 
born in 1817 in Pennsylvania, in which 
State he acquired his education, and for a 
time carried on farming there. Subse- 
quently he removed to Medina county, 
Ohio, where, in 1842, he married Miss 
Caroline Ross, a native of Vermont, and 
by their union were born fourteen children, 
nine of whom are living: Levi, a fanner 
of Michigan; Ja)ett, wife of Jesse Jacobs, 
an agriculturist in Michigan; Ruby, who 
was born September 12, 1850; Walter, 
a resident of Medina, 
of George Moulton, a 
county; Charles, who 
pursuit in Medina county; 
of Lewis Abbott, an 
county; Edelia. wifeof Elsworth Gilbert, 
who operates a farm in Medina county; 
Orson, who resides in Lorain, Ohio; 
Mary, John, Joshua and George, all de- 
ceased, and one who died in infancy. Mr. 
Bowman died in 1879, in Medina county, 
where his widow is still living. Mr. and 
Mrs. Daniel Bowman were in James T. 
Garfield's (afterward President) audience 
when he used to preach in John Bowman's 
barn in Medina county. 

Grandfather Christopher Bowman was 
born about 1783 in Germany, and he 
and his wife both died about the same 
time, in 1858, and were buried in the 
same grave in Lafayette township, Medina 
county; they had a family of fourteen 
children, three of whom are now living. 
Mrs. Seiple's maternal grandfather Ross 
was born about 1783, his wife, Susan 
Ross, in 1799. They were the parents 
of ten children, of whom are now living: 
Mrs. Caroline Bowman (mother of Mrs. 
Seiple), Charles, Mrs. .Almeda White (of 
Michigan), and Mrs. Elizabeth Newens 
(of Cleveland). 

To Mr. and Mrs. Seiple have been 
born five children — two sons and three 
daughters — of whom John D., born June 
4, 1872, was educated in the public 
schools of Madison township, Sandusky 
county, and is now attending the Normal 



424 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



University, at Ada, Hardin Co., Ohio; 
when quite young he suffered from diph- 
theria, and afterward from spinal fever, 
which left him a cripple. Chloa, born 
on the old home farm in April, 1874, was 
educated in her native township, where 
she was married April 7, 1894, to Corne- 
lius Burgher, an oil driller, by whom she 
has one child. Caroline S., born Sep- 
tember 13, 1877, also obtained her educa- 
tion in Madison township. Pearl, born 
August 2,' 1 88 1, and Orson, born June 
8, 1888, are still with their parents. 

Mr. Seiple is pre-eminently a public- 
spirited citizen, taking a deep interest in 
everything that tends to benefit the town 
and county generally. He is a warm 
friend of the cause of education, has 
several terms served as school director, 
and does all in his power for the advance- 
ment of the public schools. He is a 
popular and highly esteemed man. In 
politics he is a stanch Republican, and 
he and his family are adherents of the 
Reformed Church, attending service in 
Helena. 



FRANK H. SMITH, one of the 
youngest successful and prosper- 
ing residents of Gibsonburg, San- 
dusky county, e.xtensively engaged 
in the oil business, was born in \'enango 
county, Penn., August 16, 1865, son of 
Abraham and Sarah (Smith) Smith, the 
parents not by blood related. 

Abraham Smith was born in 1830 in 
Venango count}-, Penn., and followed the 
trade of blacksmithing. He died April 9, 
1883. The mother, Sarah Smith, was a 
native of Franklin, Venango Co., Penn., 
and died in 1873. They reared the fol- 
lowing family of seven children: Leah, 
who married J. B. Wilson, and lives at 
Gibsonburg; Laura, wife of C. B. Neely, 
of Venango; My ram, a resident of Free- 
port, Ohio; Frank H., subject of this 
sketch; Clara, wife of Geo. Bloodheart, 
of Gibsonburg, Ohio; Cora, who married 



George Speck, of Pemberville, Ohio, and 
P. A. , a contractor of Gibsonburg. 

Frank H. Smith was a lad of only 
fourteen years when he left home and 
drifted to the oil fields of McKean, which 
attracted him. He secured employment 
in the oil business at once, and has ever 
since been engaged in it successfully, fol- 
lowing the oil fields of Pennsylvania con- 
tinuously until 1890, when he came 
to Ohio, and has here continued the 
same pursuit. He obtained his start 
as a drill contractor of oil wells. About 
four j-ears ago he became interest- 
ed in leasing oil lands in Sandusky coun- 
ty. He was first with the firm of Smith 
& Dohn, a firm which has undergone 
various changes, and to whom he sold 
many leases when parti}' developed. Mr. 
Smith is now interested in a 200-acre 
lease along the Pennsylvania railroad, 
three miles north of Gibsonburg, where 
he has twenty-nine wells producing, and 
the venture has been a marked financial 
success. The leased land produces over 
12,000 barrels of oil per month. On 
February 9, 1895, Mr. Smith and his part- 
ner, Mr. John Shertzer, purchased the 
Gibsonburg electric light plant, paying 
the sum of $4,500 therefor, and holding 
this until July 10, of the same year, when 
they sold to a Pittsburg firm for $5,500. 

On September 23, 18S6, Mr. Smith 
was married in Pennsylvania to Miss Liz- 
zie Lusher, and has two children: Arthur 
D. and Roscoe M. Mrs. Smith was born 
May 5, 1864, in Rockland township, Ve- 
nango Co., Penn., where she resided un- 
til her marriage. Her parents George 
and Charity (Jacobs) Lusher, were also 
natives of Pennsylvania, born October 8, 
1 83 1, and May 30, 1834, respectively, 
and they had a family of eight children, 
viz. : Andrew married a MissGilmore, and 
has four children; Bell lives at home; 
Miles married Maggie Shoper, by whom 
he has four children, and lives near Gib- 
sonburg; Maggie is Mrs. J. Watson, of 
Pennsylvania; Emma became the wife of 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



425 



H. Davis, of Cleveland; Lizzie is Mrs. 
Smith; Perry, unmarried, is employed by 
Mr. Smith in the oil fields; Harry is at 
home. The paternal grandfather of this 
family, Jonathan Lusher, was born in 
Pennsylvania March i", 1812, and died 
December i, 1S84; he married Eliza 
Smith, born about 181 5, and they had a 
family of fourteen children. The mater- 
nal grandfather, Jacob Jacobs, also had a 
family of fourteen children. Mr. Smith 
owns a pleasant home in Gibsonburg, and, 
financially, he has prospered far beyond 
his years. He is recognized as one of 
the ablest and most successful young bus- 
iness men of Sandusky county. 



CA. MINER, a prosperous and 
highly successful business man of 
Clyde, Sandusky county, was 
born at Ithaca, N. Y. , January 
5, 1825, son of Avery and Emma (Eddy) 
Miner. 

Avery Miner, a large-hearted and 
enterprising man of affairs, was born of 
English ancestry March 10, 1774. He 
accumulated considerable wealth at Lan- 
sing, N. Y. . but at this point his generos- 
ity was his ruin. Becoming surety for 
some acquaintances who proved unequal 
to the task of meeting their obligations, 
the property of Avery Miner was taken 
in satisfaction. Thus bereft of fortune, 
he went Ithaca in 1835 at the age of 
sixty-one years; then came west, where 
capital seemed less essential to success, lo- 
cating at Huron, Ohio, where he paid $3 
for a broken-down stage horse, and in a 
wagon that corresponded with the steed 
began to keep a meat market. He pros- 
pered as a butcher, and followed that 
business until his death, which resulted 
from blood-poisoning. May 13, 1854. 
A neighbor had requested Mr. Miner to 
conduct the autopsy of a fine cow that 
had died of some unknown ailment, and 
in the dissection Mr. Miner accidentally 
cut his left hand. A Dr. Burdick, who 



was present, predicted serious results, 
and the prediction slowly came true. 
Gradually he lost the power of his hand, 
but he survived six or seven years before 
death ensued. Nearly thirty years later 
the son, C. A. Miner, met Dr. Burdick, 
and the latter at once inquired as to the 
result of the accident, so deeply had it 
impressed him. Avery Miner was a 
powerful man, physically. In politics he 
was a Whig. Emma (Eddy), his wife, 
was born March 23, 1797, at Great 
Bend, Penn. They were married Febru- 
ary I, 1 816. After her husband's death 
she resided in Huron, Toledo, and finally 
in Clyde until her death, which occur- 
red December 8, 1874. Avery and Emma 
Miner had three children, as follows: G. 
P., born July 16, 1817, for many years 
a resident of Huron and Milan, and who 
died at Monroeville; William H., born 
August 29, 1828, unmarried, who resided 
for years in Clyde, and died July 16. 
1895, at Toledo. 

C. A. Miner, the subject of this sketch, 
attended the schools of Ithaca, Huron 
and Milan, Ohio, and his youth was 
closely associated with the stock business. 
He was reared to business in his father's 
meat market, and early in life commenced 
shipping cattle to New York and other 
Eastern cities by boat, afterward by rail, 
lifting the steers into the boats by means 
of tackle fastened to their horns. For 
nearly twenty-five years Mr. Miner fol- 
lowed the cattle business at Huron very 
successfully. He bought a farm which he 
used as a pasture and shipped hogs, cat- 
tle and horses extensively. In 1859 he 
moved to Clyde, purchasing a half section 
of land, a portion of which is now within 
the corporation limits. He was married, 
November 22, 1855, to Mary E. Miller, 
who was born at Ballston, N. Y. , Ma\' 9, 
1 82 1. She died January 4, i860, a de- 
voted Christian woman, enthusiastic and 
faithful in Sunday-school and all Chris- 
tian work. Both she and her husband 
were active teachers in the Presbyterian 



420 



COMyrEMORATTYE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Sunday-school at Huron, and Mr. Miner 
now has an elegant Bible which was 
presented to him by the school at Huron. 
He remained on the farm only one j-ear 
after his wife's death. He then sold his 
Cl3'de farm and purchased an interest in 
a foundry and machine shop at Sandusky. 
Gas from the foundry proved injurious to 
his health, and two years later he sold 
out and removed to Toledo, Ohio; for 
one year he traveled through the West. 
He then took care of his mother's farm at 
the Junction at Toledo for two years. 
Returning to Clyde he bought a ware- 
house, and for some years was engaged 
in the grain business, and a grocerj', after- 
ward handling general produce. For 
some years Mr. Miner has led a retired 
life, which he has well merited after his 
active and prosperous business career. 
The second and present wife of Mr. Miner 
was Miss Maria Veletta Stark, who was 
born in Fremont February 6, 1842, and 
whom he married May 17, 1877. To 
this marriage have come two children: 
Charles L. , born November 25, 1880, and 
Helen, born September 8, 1S83. 



CHARLES T. MOORE. The 
great ancestor of the Moore fam- 
ilies with which our subject is 
connected was Samuel Moore, 
who emigrated from Dalkeith, Scotland, 
about the year 1760, and settled in New 
Jersey. 

His son, David Moore, grandfather of 
our subject, moved from Huntington 
county, Pennsylvania, to Ross county, 
Ohio, in 1814, and from Ross to San- 
dusky county in 1818. He built and oc- 
cupied a double log cabin on the west 
bank of the Sandusky river, about half a 
mile southwest of the present village of 
Ballville. A short distance below that 
he built a gristmill and a sawmill which 
were patronized by the early pioneers for 
many miles around. His death occurred 
December 24, 1829, and was caused by 



an accident in falling at night from the 
attic in the mill to a lower story. His 
wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth 
Davis, remained on a farm in Ross coun- 
ty, where she died July i, 1826. Their 
children were: Eliza (Justice), Sarah 
(Fields), George, James and John Moore, 
all of whom came to reside in Sandusky 
county. George Moore returned to Ross 
county in 1830, and settled near Chilli- 
cothe, where he died in 1850. John 
Moore was for many years a miller at 
Ballville, and died there in 1876. 

James Moore, father of our subject, 
was born in Huntingdon count}-, Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1806, came to Ross county in 
his boyhood and to Sandusky county at 
the age of si.xteen, where he assisted his 
father on the farm and in the mill. After 
his father's death he became his successor 
in the mill, and carried on a flourishing 
business at wool carding. He was an 
I enterprising and public-spirited citizen, 
and contributed largel)' toward the build- 
ing of the Fremont & Fostoria plank 
road, and the Lake Erie and Louisville 
(now the L. E. & W.) railroad. During 
the Civil war he was untiring in his 
efforts to aid the government in putting 
down the Rebellion, and perhaps no other 
man in the county did more to encourage 
the enlistment of soldiers, assist the fam- 
ilies of absent soldiers, or relieve the 
wants of the widows and orphans of those 
who lost their lives in the service. 

James Moore was married, in 1832, 
to Miss Harriet Patterson, who was born 
May 17, 1 8 10, in Syracuse, N. Y. , daugh- 
ter of Reuben and Eunice (Danforthj 
Patterson, who came to Ohio in 18 16, to 
Lower Sandusky in 1818, passed their 
first winter here in the old block house of 
Fort Stephenson, and settled on the 
Whittaker Reserve. James Moore died 
December 6, 1873, from an accident that 
happened to him in his mill. He was 
' buried in Oak W'ood Cemetery. His 
I widow resides on a part of the old home- 
' stead. Their children were: Orvin 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPnWAL RECORD. 



427 



was drowned in Sandusky 
eiglit years old; Juliette 



Moore, who 
river when 
Moore, who married William Rice, a mer- 
chant of Fremont, whose sketch is given 
elsewhere; LeRoy Moore, a sketch of 
whom follows; Celiette Moore, who died 
at the age of fifteen years; Manville 
Moore, sketch of whom follows; Charles 
T. . the subject proper of this sketch; 
Celia Moore, wife of John C. Fisher, now 
living near Rollersville, Ohio, whose chil- 
dren are- — Claud, Guy, Webb, James, 
Clara, Maud, Blanche, Lester, Bruce and 
Brice; Oriette Moore, wife of John G. 
Speller, whose children are — James M. 
and Alice, living at home in Ballville 
township. 

Charles T. Moore was born in Ball- 
ville township, and spent his youth on a 
farm and in his father's mill. He at- 
tended the Ballville village and the Fremont 
city schools, and the State University at 
Ann Arbor, Mich. His vacations were 
spent in assisting his father in the mill un- 
til he was twenty-four years of age. He 
is at present living on the old Moore 
homestead, carries on dairy farming and 
runs a milk wagon to Fremont. He mar- 
ried Miss Jennie H. Huber. daughter of 
Lewis and Mary Jane Huber, farmers, 
near Springfield, 111., and the children 
born to this union were: Mabel, who 
died, aged one year, and Julia and Huber, 
at home. 



CAPTAIN LE ROY MOORE, late 
of Clyde, Ohio, was born in Ball- 
ville township, Sandusky county, 
Ohio, December 28, 1836, a son 
of James and Harriet (Patterson) Moore. 
From the time when he was out of the 
district school until near the outbreak of 
the Civil war he assisted his father in a 
tlouring-mill near the village of Ballville, 
attended the Fremont city schools, and at 
Oberlin College two years. In the fall 
of i860 he went to school at Ann Arbor, 
Mich., and remained until the spring of 



1861, when he came home intending to 
return to school and complete a full 
course of study. Touched with patriotic 
ardor to serve his country, he responded 
to Abraham Lincoln's call for troops, and 
on October 8, 1861, enlisted at Colum- 
bus, Ohio, as a recruiting officer, with the 
rank of second lieutenant, and speedily 
raised the requisite number of men to form 
Company F, Seventy-second Regiment, 
O. \. I., of which he became captain on 
the 4th of January, 1862. Two years 
later he veteranized at Memphis, Tenn., 
and took an active part in the battles of 
Pittsburg Landing, the siege of Corinth, 
the battle of Jackson and the siege of 
Vicksburg. After various other encount- 
ers with the enem\-. the regiment was 
sent to Guntown, Miss., on what is known 
as the Sturgis raid, where he shared the 
fate of many other brave men in being 
taken prisoner. He was held by the Con- 
federates at Macon, Ga., at Charleston 
and Columbia, S. C, and at Raleigh and 
Goldsboro, N. C. He was paroled for 
exchange and entered the Union lines at 
Wilmington, N. C, March i, 1865. At 
one time he was detailed to run a mill for 
the purpose of grinding corn to supply 
Gen. Grant's army, cut off b\' Van Dorn, 
at Holly Springs. During three years 
and five months he served his country 
with distinction, and was honorably dis- 
charged at Annapolis, Md., March 5, 
1865. On his return home his health 
was much impaired, but as soon as he 
was able to work he resumed his place in 
his father's mill, and afterward became 
one of the proprietors of the same. 

Capt. Le Roy Moore married, Novem- 
ber 9, 1869, Miss Mary J. Dawley, daughter 
of Elisha and Sarah N. Brush) Dawley, 
of Green Creek township, Sandusky coun- 
ty. In 1876 they moved to Pemberville, 
Wood county, where he went into milling 
on his own account. Being much af- 
flicted with rheumatism, resulting from 
e.xposures during army life, and having 
been granted a soldier's pension, he gave 



428 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



up milling and retired to Clyde, Ohio, 
where he established his permanent resi- 
dence. His death occurred June 29, 
1888. He was buried with military hon- 
ors in McPherson Cemetery. His family 
continued to reside in Clyde until 1894, 
when they removed to Fremont. The 
children of Capt. Le Roy and Mary J. 
Moore were, Blanche A., born September 
20, 1 870, now official stenographer of the 
court of common pleas, of Sandusky 
count}', and James K., born February 22, 
1878, now at home in Fremont, Ohio. 



M 



ANVILLE MOORE. Among 
the patriotic young men of San- 
dusky county, who sacrificed 
their lives on the altar of their 
country during the Civil war, the subject 
of this sketch deserves honorable men- 
tion. 

Born and reared on the historic banks of 
the Sandusky river, made famous by deeds 
of heroism on the part of the early settlers 
in repelling foreign invaders and their 
Indian allies, he early learned those les- 
sons of patriotism and devotion to the 
cause of hutiian liberty which inspired 
him in manhood to make the sacrifice 
which has rendered his name immortal. 
His youth was spent at home in perform- 
ing his every-day duties faithfully and 
well, on the farm and in the mill, and in 
attendance at the village school; yet he 
was ambitious to rise above the dull 
routine of daily toil. Leaving home he 
attended several terms at Oberlin College, 
where he intended to complete a course 
of study. When Abraham Lincoln called 
for troops to put down the Rebellion, he 
left school, and in April, 1861, responded 
to the first call, by enlisting as corporal 
in Company G, Eighth Ohio Regiment. 
After a three-month's service he re-en- 
listed and served with his comrades, chief- 
I}' in Western \'irginia. He was at the 
battles of Winchester, Antietam, Fred- 
ericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettys- 



burg. In the last named engagement he 
was mortally wounded, July 3, 1863; he 
was taken to a hospital in Baltimore, 
Md., and died soon after. His remains 
were taken home by his father, and with 
fitting services were laid to rest in Oak 
Wood Cemetery. His age was twenty- 
five years. 

On June 22, 1885, Post No. 525, De- 
partment of Ohio, G. A. R., was organ- 
ized at Fremont, and on the 30th day of 
the same month the name of Manville 
Moore was unanimously adopted as the 
name of the Post. On November 30, 
following, a life-sized portrait of Man- 
ville Moore, drawn by his cousin, Milton 
J. Justice, was presented by his relatives 
to the Post, in their new hall over the 
First National Bank, on which occasion 
appropriate and touching remarks were 
made by Dr. J. B. Rice, T. F. Heffner 
and Col. Frank Sawyer, each testifying 
to the noble character and faithful serv- 
ices of comrade Manville Moore. 



LOUIS MYROSE (deceased) was 
born in Hanover, Germany, De- 
cember 18, 1822, and was a son 
of Fred and Mary (Taulker 1 Myrose, 
farming people, who came to America in 
1836, settling on a thirty-seven-acre tract 
of timberland. 

In the days when the parents of Louis 
Myrose were pioneers, extensive farming 
in that section was out of the question, 
as the settlers could clear but enough to 
raise the necessaries of life, and scarcely 
that, having no very effective tools, with 
which to till the land. McCormick self- 
binders, sulky plows, and other similar 
aids to agriculture were slow to come. 
Mr. Myrose lived with his parents until 
their death, after which, on No\ ember 21, 
1847, he was united in marriage with 
Angeline Freyer, and they became the 
parents of five children, as follows: Julia 
(now deceased) married Fred Sielscott, 
and had seven children — Louisa, Mary, 



COMMSMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



429 



Caroline, John, Louis, Einnia and Dora; 
Louisa married Andrew Radeloff, and had 
eleven children — Mary, Emma, Harmann, 
Fredrick (deceased), Julia, Augusta, An- 
drew, Louis, \^'i]liam, Carl and Clarence; 
Frank, born October 6, 1853, and now 
livinpf on a farm near Lemoyne, in Wood 
county, married Mary A. Harmeyer, No- 
vember 7, 1888, and three children have 
been born to them — Carrie, Henry and 
William; John Henry, born February 
24, 1856, died April 17, 1856; and Anna 
Mary, born December 22, 1864, married 
May 3, 1 888, to \\'illiam Harmeyer, and 
they have three children — Edward, Emma 
and Dora. 

The parents of Mrs. Louis Mj'rose, 
Frank and Glasia (Hartman) Freyer, 
came from Hanover, Germany, to Amer- 
ica in 1S35, and located in Wood county, 
Ohio, where the father died March 2, 
1883, having lived to the ripe old age of 
eighty-one years. The mother died Feb- 
ruary 22, 1895, at the age of ninety-three 
years and twenty days. Mrs. Myrose is 
one of eight children, three of whom are 
still living — one son and two daughters. 

In 1 89 1 Mr. Myrose and his wife 
moved to Woodville, Sandusky county, 
and bought a home, where, as a result of 
the hardships he had encountered, he 
died on November i, 1894; he had al- 
ways been a very active and industrious 
man. Politically, he was a strong Dem- 
ocrat, and in religious faith he was an 
ardent worker in behalf of the Lutheran 
Church. His faithful wife still survives, 
in the enjoyment of fairly good health, 
and lives to see live great-grandchildren. 



PAUL KROHN, general merchant, 
Woodville. Sandusky county, was 
born in Prussia, Germany. July 
16, i860, a son of Gustave and 
Carolina (Pfalkenthalj Krohn. His father 
was born in the same place March 14, 
1832. He is an officer in the employ of 
the German Government, now acting in 



the capacity of inspector of prisons. He 
served twelve years in the German army, 
and received the commission of lieutenant. 
He has been connected with the govern- 
ment in an official capacity all his life. 
Our subject's mother died at the age of 
forty-eight. Both parents were members 
of the Reformed Church. They had 
three children: Max and Oscar, both of 
whom died young, and Paul, of whom 
this sketch is written, who is their only 
living child. 

Our subject grew up in Germany un- 
til about twenty-one \'ears old, attending 
the common schools, and subsequently 
the college at Frankfort. He has a cer- 
tificate for one year's service in the Ger- 
man army. He entered the mercantile 
business as a clerk in Berlin, Prussia, and 
was there four years, after which, in 1881, 
he started for America. He landed in 
New York City, thence proceeded directly 
to Chicago, having only about $50 in 
money when he reached that city. He 
found sufficient employment to sustain 
himself there, and remained about two 
months, after which he came to Fremont, 
Ohio, and was employed in the Light 
Guard Band as musician. He has had a 
good musical education, but only studied 
it for pleasure, never having intended to 
follow it as a profession. He remained 
in Fremont one 3'ear, when he went to 
Genoa, Ottawa county, working there in 
the stave factory and gristmill about a 
year and seven months, and playing in 
the band. He then came to Woodville, 
and was engaged as clerk in a dry-goods 
store for two years, when he quit that and 
went to Toledo. He sold goods on the 
road about eight months, and played in 
the Toledo City Band, which line he fol- 
lowed some eight months when he re- 
turned to Woodville to work for his former 
employer as clerk. With him he remained 
about a year and a half, and then bought 
out the business and January i, 1889, be- 
came successor to H. Rancamp, who is 
now in business in Toledo. Mr. Krohn 



430 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



has made the mercantile business a great 
success, and operates not only his house 
in Woodville, but also a second store at ; 
Dunbridge, Wood Co., Ohio, which he | 
opened in Maj', 1894, and is conducted 
through a clerk, but supervised by him- 
self. 

In October, 1891, Mr. Krohn married 
Carrie Frank, of Mansfield, Ohio, who 
was born September 21, 1868, and they 
have one child, Helen Esther. Our sub- 
ject is a Democrat in his political affilia- 
tions, and socially, he is a member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 



GEORGE ELLITHOKPE, one of 
the most prosperous, progressive 
and extensive fruit growers and 
shippers, of Catawba Island town- 
ship, Ottawa county, is the senior mem- 
ber of the firm of George Ellithorpe & 
Son. He is a native of Ottawa county, 
born November 21, 1830, at Marble 
Head, Danbury township, which at that 
time was a part of Huron county. 

His parents were Henry and Elizabeth 
(Neal) Ellithorpe, the former born in New 
York, August 6, 1800, and the latter in 
Vermont, July 6, 1805. The paternal 
grandparents of our subject, Samuel and 

— — (Owens) Ellithorpe, were of 

English and Scotch lineage. He is the 
eldest in a family of five children, four 
still li\ing, and now residing in Catawba 
township, where they are honored and 
highly esteemed citizens. The others 
are Cyrus, born October 15, 1832; Rus- 
sell, September 22, 1834; and Emiy, July 
8, 1839, now the wife of Clark Neal, a 
prominent fruit grower of Catawba Island. 
George Ellithorpe was reared amidst 
the surroundings of a comfortable home, 
and received such a limited education as 
the youths of that day were able to obtain 
at intervals during the winter months 
when they could be spared from the 
duties pertaining to farm life. A portion 
of his time has alwa\s been devoted to 



agricultural pursuits, but during the spring 
and autumn seasons, for thirty-two years, 
he also engaged in fishing on Lake Erie. 
During the seasons from 1869 to 1872 in- 
clusive, he was master and part owner of 
the steamers "Clinton" and " B. F. 
Ferris," which then plied between San- 
dusky City, Put-in Bay and Catawba 
Island. In 1872 he retired from the 
steamboat business, since which time he 
has devoted his entire attention to fruit 
growing and shipping his products, mostly 
to Eastern markets, where they find a 
ready sale at remunerative prices. 

At Sandusky City, Erie countj', Ohio, 
November 21, i860. Mr. Ellithorpe mar- 
ried Miss Ann Eliza Moore, who was born 
in Portage township, Ottawa county, Oc- 
tober 16, 1835, and is a daughter of Na- 
thaniel B. and Fidelia (Dewelle) Moore, 
who were among the earliest settlers of 
that township. A familj- of children were 
born of this union, of whom F"rank, the 
eldest son, born February 2, 1863, was 
killed by a runaway team while at work 
on his farm. May 28, 1895, and left a 
widow; socially, he was a member of O. 
H., Perry Lodge, F. &A. M.. the Knights 
of Pythias and the National Union. The 
other members of the family are Ora \'., 
born Februar}' 14, 1866, and died Octo- 
ber 5, 1871; George Henry, born June 8, 
1869; Walter James, born April 13, 
1872; Addison Kelly, born May 4, 1874; 
Elsie R., born December 28, 1876; and 
Ira v., born August 21, 1879. 

In his political views Mr. Ellithorpe is 
an ardent supporter of the Republican 
party, but in no sense an office seeker. 
At different intervals during his most use- 
ful and well-spent life, he has efficiently 
filled almost every township office at the 
disposal of his constituents, and for a 
period extending over twenty-one years, 
has continuously been a member of the 
board of education, of which body he at 
present holds the honorable position of 
president. He is past master and a char- 
ter member of O. H. Perry Lodge. No. 




.^-^^-^r-'^t^^^^rr^lw-— ^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPIIICAL RECORD. 



4:u 



341, F. & A. M., of Port Clinton; be- 
longs to Sandusky City Chapter, No. 72, 
R. A. M. : Port Clinton Lodge, No. 341, 
Knights of Pythias; and Catawba Island 
Lodge, No. 2783, Knights of Honor. He 
is one of the trustees of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, of which his family are 
also members, and contributed liberally 
to the construction and maintenance of 
the house of worship. 

The character of Mr. EUithorpe is too 
well known among the citizens of Ottawa 
county to need eulogy from our pen, 
which at the best would fail to do him 
justice and award that credit which is due 
to such an active progressive citizen and 
promoter of the welfare of his county. 
He uses every means within his power to 
promote the comfort of his home and the 
happiness of his family. In business life 
he is honored for his unswerving integrity 
and faithfulness to detail, and throughout 
the county and State his character stands 
above reproach. 



JOHN F. BAUMAN, retired farmer, 
with residence in Fremont, San- 
dusky count}', was born March 23, 
1827, in Wayne county, Ohio, a son 
of John W. and Mary (Fry) Bauman, the 
former of whom was born in Lancaster 
county, Penn., in 1794, where his father 
and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Bau- 
man, lived and died. 

John W. Bauman afterward removed 
to York county, Penn., thence to Wayne 
county, Ohio, where he remained about 
ten years, and in 1844 moved to Jackson 
township, Sandusky county, and there re- 
mained a year, after which he located 
permanently in Loudon township, Seneca 
county. After the death of his wife he 
broke up housekeeping and lived with his 
children, his death occurring at the home 
of his daughter, Mrs. Sarah Tucker, in 
Bellevue, Ohio, and his interment taking 
place in Bellevue cemeter)'. 



The children of John W. and Marj' 
Bauman were: Elizabeth, wife of Daniel 
Sloan, a farmer of near Warsaw, Ind. 
(she died August 2, 1895, leaving a fam- 
ily of eleven children); John F. Bauman, 
our subject; Aima, wife of Joseph Arnold, 
a farmer of Barry county, Mich. ; Mary, 
wife of George Stebbins, a blacksmith, of 
Peru, Huron county, Ohio (she died in 
1883); Sarah, wife of John Tucker, a 
blacksmith, formerlj- of Bellevue, Ohio 
(they now reside at Greenville, Montcalm 
Co., Mich.); Jacob Bauman, unmarried, 
was a soldier in the regular army before 
the Civil war, and served, later, as a vol- 
unteer in the Third Ohio Cavalry, until 
his death, which occurred in Georgia; 
Susan, wife of -Solomon Good, a farmer 
of Coldwater. Mich, (she died leaving two 
children); Solomon Bauman, unmarried, 
a farmer and e.\-soldier, who died in Greene 
county, Ind. ; Lucinda, wife of John 
Turner, a blacksmith, of Barry county, 
Mich., where they both died; David, who 
died in childhood; twins that died in in- 
fancy: Delilah, wife of William Durn, 
a farmer of Wood county, Ohio; and 
twins that died in infancy, February iS, 
1847, the mother dying at the same time. 

John F. Bauman grew to manhood in 
Wayne county, Ohio, where he worked as 
a farm laborer, and attended common 
schools in the winter seasons. In his 
youth he learned the business of gelder, 
which he has followed about fifty years 
with good success both professionally and 
financially. His father followed the same 
occupation forty years, and his grand- 
father forty-five years. Our subject came 
to Jackson township at the age of twenty- 
one years. On May 30, 1850. he mar- 
ried Miss Harriet E. W'inters, daughter of 
Jacob W^inters, of Jackson township. In 
185-2 he went to California with a Betts- 
ville company of fifteen men, the part}' 
taking the overland route, with o.xen, 
mules, horses and prairie-schooner wag- 
ons. They started from Independence, 
Mo., May 2, 1S52. arriving in Portland. 



432 



COMMEMORATIVE BWOBAPEICAL RECORD. 



Oregon, August 14, of the same year, and 
soon after entered the gold mines. 

Mr. Bauman's first mining claim was 
at Long Gulch, on a mountain side, and 
his next was in a valley. He had good 
success as a miner, and remained at the 
business two years, then returning to 
Sandusky county and following farming. 
He next bought a farm of 160 acres in 
Seneca county, north of Fostoria, and 
lived there two years; then sold it and 
bought several tracts in Washington town- 
ship, Sandusky county, amounting in all 
to 340 acres, most of which he has sold 
to his children, reserving one hundred 
acres for himself in Section thirty-five, as 
a residence. He is extensivelj' and favor- 
ably known, and has held the office of 
justice of the peace. The children of 
John F. and Harriet E. Bauman were: 
Alice, wife of Charles Burgett, liveryman 
(they have one son — Clarence); Emma, 
wife of A. J. Doll, son of Samuel Doll, a 
farmer (they have two sons — John and A. 
J.); Sarah, wife of Calvin Biddle, super- 
intendent of the S. Doll & Co. Gas 
Company, Fremont, Ohio (they have one 
daughter — Hattie); Jerome J., a livery- 
man, whose place of business is opposite 
"Ball House," Fremont (he married Flor- 
ence Lease, and they have one daughter. 
Lulu). 



JOSEPH FONCANNOX, who resides 
in Green Springs, Sandusky county, 
is a representative of one of the 
honored pioneer families of Ohio, 
that have been identified with the history 
of the State since it was on the frontier. 
He was born in Tiffin, Seneca Co., 
Ohio, November 22, 1833, and is a son of 
Joseph and Marj' fPoorman) Foncannon. 
The father was born in Mifflin count)-, 
Penn., in 1793, and having arrived at 
years of maturity wedded Miss Poorman, 
a native of the same State. Removing 
to Perry county, Ohio, they settled on 
Honey creek, a mile and a half south of 



Tiffin; but when they took up their resi- 
dence there no other white settler lived 
in the locality, their nearest neighbor 
being at Upper Sandusky, twenty-one 
miles distant. They experienced all the 
hardships and trials of frontier life, and 
were actively identified with the develop- 
ment and upbuilding of the count}'. The 
father secured this land from the govern- 
ment and transformed it into a good farm 
upon which he made his home until 
within four years of his death, when he 
went to live with his daughter in Henry 
county, Ohio. In politics he was a 
Democrat. He held membership with 
the Reformed Church, and erected a fine 
house of worship in Tiffin, making the 
brick himself. When a young man he 
had learned the cooper's trade, but dur- 
ing the greater part of his life carried on 
agricultural pursuits. During the war of 
1 8 1 2 he was drafted for service in Perry's 
fleet, but as he could not go sent a substi- 
tute; his death occurred in 1S75; his wife 
died in Tiffin, Seneca Co., Ohio, when ■ 
past the age of seventy-five years. 

The family were as follows: John, 
who was a farmer in Henry county, Ohio, 
and died at the age of seventy-five years; 
Michael, who is living in Tiffin, Seneca 
county; Mary, wife of Joseph Coon, a 
resident of Henry county; Doward, a 
farmer, who died at the age of fifty-two; 
H. Jackson, who makes his home in 
Tiffin, Seneca county; Jefferson, who died 
at the age of thirty-three years; and 
Oliver, who is living in Fort Wayne, 
Ind. Upon the old home farm Joseph 
Foncannon spent his boyhood antl youth, 
and the educational privileges which he 
received were those afforded by the com- 
mon schools of the neighborhood. He 
aided in the arduous task of developing 
wild land, and experience has made him 
familiar with the history of pioneer life. 
At the age of twenty-five he was united in 
marriage with Miss Eugenia R. Marshall, 
who was born m Zanesville, Ohio. They 
have three children: Minnie, now the 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



433 



wife of Walter Huber, a resident of Green 
Creek township, Sandusky county, by 
whom she has three children, Fred, 
Hazel and Bernice; and Robert and Belle, 
at home. 

Upon his marriage Mr. Foncannon 
located in Tiffin, Ohio, but after si.\ 
months came to Green Springs and en- 
gaged with the Green Springs Sawmilling 
Compan\', with which he was identified 
for about fifteen years. He then became 
interested in a sash, door and blind factory, 
carrying on business along that line for 
twelve years, when, in 1879, he pur- 
chased his farm, and has since devoted his 
energies to agricultural pursuits. He has 
led a busy and useful life, and belongs to 
that class of American citizens with their 
progressive ideas, who promote the public 
welfare, while advancing individual pros- 
perity.- He has ever been deepl}- inter- 
ested in the welfare and upbuilding of the 
community in which he resides, and has 
been an important factor in its advance- 
ment. 



JOHN HETER, an enterprising farm- 
er of York township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born December 13, 1825, 
in Wayne county, Ohio, a son of 
John and Salome (Freese) Heter. 

John Heter (i), the great ancestor 
from whom the Heter families in this 
country are descended, emigrated from 
Bavaria, Germany, to America, about 
the year 1735, landing at Philadelphia; 
he had seven sons, five of whom are 
named Sebastian, Jacob, Isaac, Daniel 
and John (2). Isaac was killed by the 
Indians near Huntingdon, Penn. After 
their arrival the sons were bound out for 
a term of service to a man who paid their 
passage money, a debt which had been 
incurred by the long and tedious sea voy- 
age. John Heter (2), who was a farmer, 
settled in Berks county, Penn. He 
was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, 
with the rank of captain. He had 



three sons, John (3), Adam and Jacob. 
John Heter (3) was, like his father, a 
soldier in the Revolutionary war. He 
moved to Center county, Penn., when 
his son John (4) was only two years 
old. He removed, later, to Berks coun- 
ty, same State, where he died. He had 
seven children: Adam, Jacob, Cath- 
arine (Ritter), Barbara (Ish), Rebecca 
(Ulsh), Maria (Romig), and John (5). 
All of these e.xcept the last named lived 
and died in Pennsylvania. 

John Heter (5) was born in Berks 
county, Penn., in 1794, being the sev- 
enth child in his father's family. By 
trade he was a hatter, working in the 
towns of Snyder and adjoining counties. 
He was a soldier in the war of 18 12 un- 
der Capt. Narr Middlesworth and Gen. 
Smythe, of Virginia, and served at Black 
Rock, on the Niagara river, receiving a 
pension, and a patent for forty acres of 
government land, for his services. He 
married in Union (now Snyder) coun- 
ty, Penn., Miss Salome Freese, who 
was of German descent. In August, 
1825, he removed to Waj'ne county, 
Ohio, where he engaged in clearing land 
and farming, and in March, 1829, he re- 
moved to Oak Openings, of Thompson 
township, Seneca Co., Ohio, in which 
region, at that time, there were more 
wolves than sheep, and more Indians 
than white people. An Indian trail 
crossed his farm near his residence. He 
entered land at $1.25 per acre, and 
bought at second hand, at different times, 
eighteen eighty-acre lots of wild land, 
some of which he cleared and improved, 
some of which he gave to his children, 
and some of which he sold. He was a 
peaceable, quiet unassuming man, a kind 
neighbor and agood citizen. He brought 
up his sons to habits of industrj-, econ- 
omy and thrift. He was quite fond of 
music, and took delight in listening to 
the martial tunes of two ingeniously con- 
structed musical clocks which he had 
bought of a Frenchman. Military pa- 



434 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



rades of State militia where held on his 
farm about the years 1835-1840, when 
Jacob Bunn was captain and Jacob Wales 
first lieutenant. He and his wife and 
some of the children were members of 
the Lutheran Church, and he donated an 
acre of land to the joint societies of the Lu- 
theran and German Reformed Churches 
for the erection of a church building and 
for cemetery purposes. About the year 
1S62 he removed to Bellevue, where his 
wife died in 1864, and he followed her to 
the grave in 1881. Both were buried in 
the Reformed cemetery at Bellevue, 
Ohio. 

A brief record of the children born to 
John and Salome (Freese) Heter is as 
follows: (i) George Heter, a farmer, 
married Miss Hannah Kern, and lived 
near Flat Rock, Ohio, until 1878, when 
he retired to Bellevue, Ohio, where he 
died in 1892. (2) William Heter, a farmer, 
married Elizabeth Decker,livedin Thomp- 
son township until the spring of 1865, 
and then removed to Blue Springs, Neb., 
where he died in 1891. (3) Maria Heter 
married Elias Weiker, a farmer of Thomp- 
son township, where she died in 1859. 

(4) Jacob Heter, a farmer, married Miss 
Lucetta Gamby, and until the spring of 
1 878 lived in Seneca county, thence re- 
moving to near Sterling, Rice Co., Kans. 

(5) Elizabeth Heter died when two years 
old. (6) Sarah Heter married William 
Shock, a farmer of York township, San- 
dusky county, where they lived until 1875, 
in that year removing to Fall City, Neb., 
where she died in 1893. (7) John Heter 

(6) is the subject of this biography. (8) 
Magdalena Heter married Henry Shock, 
a farmer of Thompson township, where 
she died in 1856. (9) Levi Heter, now a 
retired farmer, living at Bellevue, Ohio, 
married Mary Shock. (10) Eli Heter, a 
farmer of Thompson township, married 
Miss Susan Sherck, and, after her death. 
Miss Margaret German, (i 1) Adam Heter, 
a farmer, married Miss Selina Korner, and 
in 1870 removed to Highland, Kans. (12) 



Eliza Heter married Philip Cupp, who 
for a number of years was a farmer in 
Thompson township, and is now engaged 
in the coal business, at Bellevue, Ohio. 

John Heter (6) spent his earlj' life in 
the wilds of Thompson township, Seneca 
Co., Ohio. Some of his plajmates were 
Indians. His school privileges were very 
limited for there were then no summer 
schools, and as soon as he was old enough 
to work he had to help his father and 
brothers in clearing land, chopping wood, 
making rails, building fences, husking corn, 
threshing grain with the flail, or, in the 
winter seasons, by the tramping of horses, 
and in other work connected with pio- 
neer farming. He attended winter school 
onl}' when hindered from work by inclem- 
ent weather, but he has given his chil- 
dren opportunities for a liberal education. 
He has followed farming all his life, but 
he has learned to combine with it what 
is called "head work, "and he has lived 
upon and improved twenty-two different 
farms, most all of which he sold at a 
profit. He has also dealt in real estate. 
He has lived in Seneca, Sandusky. Erie 
and Wyandot counties, Ohio, and in 
Michigan, and he now has his home two 
and one-half miles west of Bellevue. In 
politics he was first a Whig, then a Re- 
publican, but he is not a partisan; he has 
held various township offices. Mr. Heter 
belongs to the Farmers' Alliance. He is 
a man of few words, sound judgment and 
strict integrity, qualities which have as- 
sisted him greatly on the road to success. 

On April 15, 1847, John Heter mar- 
ried Miss Lovina Harpster, who was born 
in Wayne county, Ohio, April 24, 1829, 
daughter of John and Eva (Hartman) 
Harpster. They became the parents of 
ten children: (i) Sarah Heter, who mar- 
ried George W. Hoch, of Bellevue, Ohio, 
and whose children are — .\ddie Hoch 
(who married Amnion Kern}, Olga Hoch, 
Deiton Hoch 1 bookkeeper in the Ohio 
Cultivator Works, at Bellevue), Willis 
Hoch and Gladys Hoch; (2) Eva Heter, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



485 



who lives at home; (3) EUza Heter, who 
married George Setzler, and removed to 
Blackstone, Sumner Co., Kans. ; (4) Charles 
F. Heter, a farmer, who married Malinda 
Mook, and whose children are — Edith, 
Duwane, Merlon and Lawrence; (5) 
George W. Heter, a farmer, living in Pea- 
body, Kans., who married Clara Acker, 
and has one son — Harry John ; (6) Edith 
Heter, who is a teacher, and lives at home; 

(7) Amanda S. Heter, who lives at home; 

(8) Adelaide E. Heter, married to Worrallo 
W. Whitney, of Montville, Geauga Co. , 
Ohio, who is a teacher in the Chicago 
city schools (their children are — Adell and 
Lois); (9) Irvin John (7), a farmer of York 
township, who married Mayme Scanlan; 
and (10) Janette B. Heter, a teacher in 
the Chicago city schools. 



CHARLES HASELBACH, of 
Kingsway, Rice township, San- 
dusky county, is one of the most 
prosperous and enterprising farm- 
ers in the township. He was born De- 
cember 1 8, 1847, snd is a son of Philip 
and Elizabeth : Bingle) Haselbach, who 
were born in German}', in 1820 and in 
iSiQrespectiveh'. 

Philip Haselbach, who is a farmer and 
weaver by trade, came with his family to 
America when his son Charles was a child, 
landing in New York. Going thence to 
Sandusky city, Erie county, he remained 
six months, then located in Washington 
township, Sandusky county, and remained 
seven years in the woods. It was a wild 
country, not ditched and full of swamps 
and marshes; but they cleared the land, 
brought it into a good state of cultivation, 
sold it at a profit, then removed to Rice 
township, and bought a farm of 120 
acres, where he still resides. In politics 
he is a Democrat. In religious affiliation 
he is a Lutheran, as was his wife, who 
died in 1890, in Rice township. They 
were the parents of eight children, two of 
whom died in infanc\-. The following 



named grew^ to maturity: Charles is the 
subject of this sketch; Katie, now Mrs. 
Truckemiller, resides in Ottawa count}-, 
Ohio; Caroline married Peter Garner, 
and they reside in Sanduskj' township; 
Philip lives on the old homestead in Rice 
township; Sophia married Adam Garn, 
and they reside in Ottawa countv, Ohio; 
and Peter is a farmer in Ottawa county. 
The family are all members of the Lu- 
theran Church. 

Charles Haselbach came to Ohio with 
his parents in his boyhood. He received 
only a limited education, his knowledge 
of the English language being imperfect 
and school facilities poor. He cleared 
land and chopped and hauled cordwood 
for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern 
railway in the days when wood was used 
for fuel b\- the railroads, and thus learned 
the lessons of industry and the value of it 
early in life. He remained with his par- 
ents until after the age of twenty-one, 
and after a time was united in marriage 
with Miss Rosa Locher, who was born in 
Germany in 1852, and came to America 
with her parents when a child. 

After his marriage Mr. Haselbach and 
his wife settled in Ottawa county, Ohio, 
where he bought forty acres of land 
heavily timbered. Instead of locating 
upon this land, he rented a farm in San- 
dusky countj', had his fortj' acres cleared, 
bought another fort}', then sold and traded 
that property, and came to Rice town- 
ship, where he purchased sixty acres. 
Selling this land, he bought his present 
fine farm of 1 2 i 4-5 acres, at the rate of 
one hundred dollars an acre. He and his 
wife are the parents of five children, as 
follows: Ida, born in January, 1872, mar- 
ried John Overmeyer, a school teacher, 
in Lindsey, Sandusk}' county; Edward, 
born November 5, 1874, and Katie, No- 
vember 7, 1876, are now at home; Will- 
iam, who was born in 187S, was killed, 
when quite a lad, by a fall from a tree; and 
Lizzie was born September 16, 1881. 
Mr. Ha.selbach is a Democrat in politics. 



436 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



He is engaged in general farming, has done 
a great amount of fencing and clearing 
land since he bought his present home, is 
out of debt and verj' successful. Realizing 
fully how limited were his own earlj' edu- 
cational advantages, he has given his chil- 
dren the benefit of the best schools in the 
vicinity. 



NELSON T. BALDWIN, a pop- 
ular pioneer of Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky county, and one 
who by his honest hard work in 
the past years won his way to the hearts 
of his countrymen, was born in Cortland 
county, N. Y., July 15, 1820, son of Eb- 
enezer and Rachel (Chaffa) Baldwin, and 
the grandson of Ebenezer Baldwin, Sr. 
The grandfather was born in Vermont 
August 7, 1772, and there married Susan- 
nah Rollins, a native of the same State, 
who was born July 19, 1771. In 1809 
he migrated with his wife, daughter and 
two sons, to Cortland county. New York. 
One of these sons, Ebenezer Baldwin, 
Jr., was born in Vermont April 13, 1792. 
He was married in New York State, 
April 12, 181 1, to Rachel Chaffa, who 
was also a native of Vermont. In 1822 
Ebenezer Baldwin came with his family 
to Ohio. For three years he lived in 
Salem, Columbiana county, then in 1825 
he moved to Geauga county. Here the 
wife of Ebenezer Baldwin, Sr. , died July 
5, 1825. Six years later, in October, 
1 83 1, the Baldwin and Chaffa families 
came together to Sandusky county, and 
settled in the " Black Swamp," as it was 
then known, in Woodville township. 
There were then only five families in the 
township. Here Ebenezer died of cholera 
in 1834, aged forty-three years; here too 
his father died, in December, 1839, aged 
sixty-seven years. To Ebenezer and 
Rachel Baldwin were born ten children — 
seven sons and three daughters; one 
daughter still lives in Woodville township. 
Nelson T. Baldwin in his infancy 



seemed to have only a small chance for 
life and success, for at the age of five 
weeks he weighed only five pounds, two 
ounces, but in time he developed brawn 
and strength, and now tips the scales at 
238 pounds. His j'outh was spent in the 
pioneer home of Woodville, and at the 
age of nineteen, December 25, 1839, he 
married Catherine E. Boose. She was 
born in Ohio, June 27, 1821, and moved 
with her parents to the " Black Swamp" 
in 1830. Her mother died August 25, 
1846, and her father February 14, 1847. 
At the age of twenty Mr. Baldwin learned 
the carpenter and blacksmith trades, and 
he put up the first frame shop in Woodville 
township. For about eight years he fol- 
lowed his trade, then bought land, and 
with his own hands cleared sixty acres. 
His property now consists of 130 acres of 
valuable land, situated in the heart of the 
oil fields of Ohio. 

To the marriage of Nelson T. and 
Catherine E. Baldwin six children have 
come, as follows: (i) Lemuel, born No- 
vember 9, 1840, died July 30, 1841. (2) 
Philinda. born May 14, 1842, married 
Oscar Billings, of Ottawa county, and has 
nine children. (3) Warren, of Ashland, 
Saunders Co., Neb., born March 6, 1844, 
married Matilda Widner, and has one 
child, Seymore B. (4) Sarah, born June 
I, 1846, married Fred Voekle, of Ottawa 
county, and has one child. (5) William 
B., a farmer of Woodville township, born 
July I, 1852, married Etta Feddersen, 
who was born May 16, 1852, and eight 
children have blessed their union, their 
names and dates of birth being as follows: 
Henry, September 13, 1877; Bertha, 
March 26, 1882; Ferdinand, November 
20, 1883; William, September 30, 1885; 
Orville, January 8, 1888; Grover, June 6, 
1890; Philinda, December 25, 18 — , died 
January 19, 1892; Leo, April i, 1894. (6) 
Cecil, born July 26, 1855, died Septem- 
ber 5, 1866. After the death of his wife 
Nelson T. Baldwin was united in marriage 
to Miss Christina Schnakenberg, who is 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



437 



one of five children, and whose brothers 
and sisters are as follows: Alice, who 
died in 1888, wife of William York, and 
mother of one child; Maggie, wife of 
George Meyers, of Ottawa county, and 
mother of one child; Tillie, born Decem- 
ber 13, 1874; and John, born October 23, 
1878. In 1891 Mr. Baldwin retired from 
active life. He leased some of his land 
in 1892 for oil privileges, and several wells 
have been put down, most of them prov- 
ing valuable producers. His son, Will- 
iam B., now operates the farm. 



WILLIAM E. LAMBERT, who is 
engaged in carrying on a suc- 
cessful merchant-tailoring busi- 
ness in Clyde, Sandusky county, 
was born in Oberlin, Ohio, November i i, 
1862, and is a son of James and Eliza- 
beth (Brice) Lambert. The paternal 
grandfather, John Lambert, was born in 
Somersetshire, England, and by occu- 
pation was a farmer. He came to Amer- 
ica about 1852, and after residing for a 
time in Henrietta, Lorain county, Ohio, 
removed to Oberlin, where his last days 
were passed. In religious faith he was a 
Baptist. Born in 1800, he died in 1882, 
at the advanced age of eighty-two years. 
His wife, who was also a native of Eng- 
land, departed this life in Oberlin at the 
age of ninety-three. 

James Lambert was born in Somerset- 
shire, England, May i, 1830, and in his 
native land learned the trade of a mer- 
chant tailor. At the age of nineteen he 
crossed the Atlantic to America and fol- 
lowed his trade at various places, after 
which he went west to Pike's Peak, during 
the gold excitement at that place. A 
year's residence in the West sufficed him, 
and he returned to Oberlin, Ohio, where 
he had previously carried on the tailoring 
business, and where he soon built up a 
good trade. During his residence there 
he was united in marriage with Miss 
Brice, daughter of John Brice, also a na- 



tive of England, who came to America 
when his daughter was a maiden of thir- 
teen summers. He died in Oberlin, Ohio, 
in 1890, at the very advanced age of 
eighty-one years. Mrs. Lambert was one 
of a family of thirteen children, and was 
seventeen years of age at the time of her 
marriage. The young couple began their 
domestic life in Oberlin, where they re- 
sided until 1865, when they came to 
Cl3'de, but removing to other places sub- 
sequently, did not make a permanent lo- 
cation here until 1869. Mr. Lambert es- 
tablished business as a merchant tailor 
and dealer in ready-made clothing. In 
his political views he was alwa3'S a Re- 
publican; socially, he was connected with 
the F. & A. M., Blue Lodge; in his re- 
ligious belief he was a Methodist. He 
was a man of the strictest integrity and 
sterling worth, an honorable, upright citi- 
zen, one that any community might be 
glad to number among its members. Mrs. 
Lambert was born in Lincolnshire, Eng- 
land, in September, 1840, and still sur- 
vives her husband, her home being in 
Clyde. In their family were three chil- 
dren, Byron Lambert, who was born in 
i860, and died in 1864; Carrie, who was 
born in 1863, and died in 1866; and Will- 
iam E. 

The subject proper of this sketch was 
reared in Clyde, and completing the pre- 
scribed course was graduated from the 
high school in the class of 1881. He 
then learned the trade of merchant tailor- 
ing with his father and entered into part- 
nership with him, this business connection 
continuing until the latter's death. He 
now enjoys a good trade, for he turns out 
an excellent class of work, and his earn- 
est desire to please his patrons hasgained 
him their confidence, good will and patron- 
age. He was united in marriage with Miss 
Ona Fish, who was born December 8, 
1867, and throughout the community the 
young couple have many friends who hold 
them in high esteem. Mr. Lambert is a 
stanch supporter of the Republican party; 



438 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



socially he is a member the F. & A. M., 
Blue Lodge, and Chapter, R. A. M. Re- 
ligiously he is connected with the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church. He is looked 
upon as one of the rising young business 
men of Clyde, is progressive, enterprising 
and industrious, and will no doubt mai<e 
a success of life. 



CAPTAIN WILSON S. MILLER 
is one of the native sons of Ot- 
tawa county, and a citizen of 
whom the coilimunity maj- well 
be proud. He was born in Portage 
township May 9, 1839, son of Henrj- J. 
and Susan (Wonnell) Miller, the former 
of whom was born in Zanesville, Ohio, 
May 18, 1 81 2, and died November 12, 
1874; the latter was born July 25, 1817, 
and is still living. 

Capt. Miller's paternal grandfather, 
William Miller, was born in Columbia 
county, N. Y. , of Irish parentage. He 
removed to Ohio, about the time it came 
into the Union as a State, settling in 
Zanesville; he married a Miss Barnes, a 
lady of Scotch ancestry. The maternal 
grandparents were natives of Maryland, 
and coming to Ohio about 1828 settled in 
Portage township, Ottawa count}', where 
thov passed their remaining days. 

The old home farm was our subject's 
place of abode during his childhood and 
youth. He obtained his early education 
in the district schools, and then entered 
Berea (Ohio; College, where he studied 
during the fall and spring terms, and 
taught in the winter for three years. His 
labors in that direction, however, were 
interrupted in 1861 by his response to 
President Lincoln's first call for 75,000 
volunteers. At the expiration of two years' 
service he re-enlisted as a veteran for three 
years more, and served with Company I, 
Fortj-first O. \'. I., faithfulh' performing 
the duties which fell to him, and valiantly 
defending the old Hag and the cause it 
represented. His meritorious service won 



him promotion from the ranks to the 
place of second sergeant, then orderly 
sergeant, after which he was made first 
lieutenant and subsequently commissioned 
captain of his company, in which capac- 
ity he served until the close of the war. 
He was also placed on the roll of honor 
established bj* Gen. Rosecrans. He 
participated in the battles of Shiloh, 
Stone River, Missionary Ridge, Franklin 
and Nashville, the Atlanta campaign and 
others, and during his four j'ears of serv- 
ice made a militarj- record of which he 
may justly be proud. After his muster- 
out from the army on November 27, 
1865, Capt. Miller returned to his home 
farm, and on December 18, 1866, was 
married to Miss Mary E. Boggs, of El- 
more. Her father, Moses Boggs, was 
born in Nova Scotia, January 18, 1807, 
and became one of the pioneers of Harris 
township, Ottawa county. His wife. 
Mary, was born in Clark county, Ohio, 
April 28, 1 8 14, and was a daughter of 
Joseph and LethaHall. They were mar- 
ried April 6, 1834, and to them werr 
born two children — Mary E. (Mrs. Miller 
and George W. Moses Boggs was a son 
of James Boggs and Mary O'Brien, who 
moved with their family from Nova Scotia 
to Hamilton county, Ohio, thence in 
1824 to Ottawa county. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. 
Miller purchased a farm one mile west of 
Elmore, living there until 1870, when he 
sold that place and purchased the farm 
on which he now resides, one mile east of 
Elmore. It is one of the finest farming 
properties in the county, comprising 175 
acres of highly-cultivated land, supplied 
with good buildings, and all modern im- 
provements which indicate the progres- 
sive farmer of the nineteenth century. 
Four children came to bless the home: 
Bert F., born February 8, 1868; Walter 
B. and Jessie L. (twins), born December 
21, 1870; and Mary B.,born October 26, 
1 874. The eldest was educated at Hiram 
College and Butler University, and is now 




/f^-/te^ 



COMMEIIORATIVE BTOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



439 



a lawyer of San Francisco, Cal. ; he was 
married March 17, 1894, to Esteila 
Thomas, of that city. Walter was edu- 
cated in the Elmore schools, and at Hiram 
College, and is now aiding his father in 
the labors of the farm. Jessie was edu- 
cated in the Elmore schools and in Hiram 
and Berea Colleges. The youngest daugh- 
ter, Mary B., was graduated from the 
schools of Elmore in 1893, and finished 
her education in Hiram and Bethany 
Colleges. The mother of this family 
died April 27, 1878. 

On November 17, 1881, Mr. Miller 
married Miss \'ictoria N. Paddock, of 
Ashton, 111., who was born in Ogle coun- 
ty, 111., December 19, 1 840. Her father, 
Riley Paddock, was born in Clark county, 
Ohio, in 1810, and died in 1S87. He 
married Eliza Snoddy, who was born in 
Kentucky August 31, 18 10, and they had 
four children, all yet living. Their daugh- 
ter, Mrs. Miller, was educated in Rock 
River Seminary, in Illinois, taking a three- 
years' course there in literature and music. 
When twenty-five years of age she re- 
moved to Ashton, 111., where her mar- 
riage was celebrated. She is a lady of 
culture and refinement, and shares the 
high regard in which her husband is held. 

In addition to his large farming inter- 
ests Mr. Miller is extensively engaged in 
fruit raising, and has on his farm twenty- 
five hundred fine peach trees, twelve 
hundred plum trees, twelve hundred pear 
trees, and considerable smaller fruit. 
This branch of his business yields him a 
good income. He keeps on hand fine 
grades of stock, making a specialty of the 
breeding of polled Shorthorn cattle, has 
shipped cattle to nearly every State in 
the Union, and has done much to raise 
the grade of stock in Ohio. His stock is 
registered in both the American Shorthorn 
and Polled Durham Herd Books, and he 
is vice president of the Polled Durham 
Breeders Association of America. He is 
one of the enterprising, wide-awake 
farmers and stock raisers, and is recog- 

28 



nized as a leader in his line of business. 
He is a contributor to various agricultural 
journals, especially on subjects pertain- 
ing to stock. In politics he is a Repub- 
lican, and an enthusiastic worker in the 
interest of his party. His entire life has 
been passed in Ottawa county, and he is 
known as a straightforward, honorable 
business man, systematic in his methods, 
and possessed of excellent executive 
ability. He has won success through his 
own efforts, and to-day is numbered 
among the substantial as well as leading 
agriculturists of the community. As a 
citizen he is true to every duty, and all 
who know him respect him. 



JOHN H. WIGLAND, a prominent 
citizen of Riley township, Sandusky 
county, wasborn Dacember 2, 1839, 
and is a son of John B. and Cath- 
erine Wigland. 

John B. Wigland was born in Ger- 
many June 3, 1810, came to America in 
1837, and settled in New York, where he 
carried on a livery stable. In the same 
year, 1837, in New York, he was united 
in marriage with Catherine Harkin, and 
they had four children, namely: Lizzie, 
born July 31, 1840, married Lewis Web- 
ber, and died in 1862, the mother of two 
children; John H., of whom we write; 
and Catherine and Joseph, who died young 
and were buried in Riley township. Af- 
ter a time Mr. Wigland sold out his livery 
stable and went to Michigan. Later he 
settled in Fremont, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
worked on the railroad for one year, 
saved his money and bought forty acres 
of land, all hea\-ily timbered, which cost 
him $250. All this he cleared himself. 
Deer were plentiful in those times, and 
could daily be seen feeding around the 
cabin. Here he lived until his death, 
which occurred July 8, 1890, and he was 
buried in Riley township. 

John H. Wigland is a carpenter, and 
worked at his trade for several years, until 



440 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



the lime of his marriage, after which he 
bought a farm of forty acres in Riley 
township, and built himself a house, 
which cost him $i,8oo. He was united 
in marriage with Catherine Manner, and 
they have had nine children, named as 
follows: William, Lizzie, Mary, John, 
Rose, Annie, Nora, Frank and Catherine. 
Mr. Wigland was drafted for the army in 
1864, but sent a substitute. He is a 
natural mechanic, and still works at his 
trade, and carries on general farming, giv- 
ing special attention to wheat, oats and 
corn. In religion he is a Catholic, in 
politics a Democrat, and has held the 
office of supervisor for ten years. 



WILLIAM SCHOCH, retired farm- 
er, now a resident of Fremont, 
Sandusky county, was born in 
Snyder county, Penn., October 
18, 1832, a son of Daniel and Mary 
(Romich) Schoch, who were both of Ger- 
man descent. 

Daniel Schoch was born in Pennsylva- 
nia, where he worked at the blacksmith's 
trade. In 1835 he moved to Seneca 
county, and two years later came to Riley 
township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, where he 
followed farming, and died at the age of 
sixty-two years. The mother of our sub- 
ject was born in Pennsylvania, and de- 
parted this life in Sandusky county, at the 
age of eighty-one. The father was a 
member of the Lutheran Church, the 
mother of the Reformed Church. The)' 
had eleven children, as follows: Michael 
(a farmer), Daniel (who operated a saw- 
mill), Henry (a farmer), Samuel (a farmer), 
and Edward, are all five now deceased; 
William, our subject, comes next; then 
Frederick; after them, Lydia, wife of H. 
Swarm; Elizabeth, wife of A. Stein; 
Catharine, wife of J. Parker; and Mary 
Ann, wife of C. Livingston. 

William Schoch, the subject proper of 
there lines, attended the country schools, 
and was reared to manhood in Riley town- 



ship, on his father's farm. On April 22, 
i860, he married Miss Lena Shoemaker, 
who was born in Germany, July 12, 1837, 
and their children are: (i) Lydia Ann, 
born September 7, 1861, was married to 
Charles Hirt, which union was blessed 
with one son — Willie. Mr. Hirt dying 
after the birth of his son, his widow was 
married to E. S. P. Bingman, by whom 
she had two children — Vergie and War- 
ren. (2) Emma J., born December 28, 
1862, who married Francis Earl, and they 
have three children — Ada, Lena and Myr- 
tle. (3) William, born March 21, 1S64, 
and died at the age of sixteen. (4) 
George Samuel, born November 9, 1868, 
married Clara Martin, and they have one 
child — Maud M. (5) Charles Frederick, 
born March 6, 1870, married Ella Thurn, 
and they have three children — Lester, 
Ray, and Mable. 

Mr. Schoch, our subject, was for many 
years one of the substantial farmers of 
Riley township, where he still owns land. 
He recently retired to Fremont, where 
he bought town lots, and where he now 
resides. 



JOSEPH A. STOUT. Our national 
prosperity is largely upheld by the 
integrity, frugality and virtue of 
large numbers of the citizens of the 
Republic. Among those who by their 
praiseworthy example have been an en- 
couragement and a help to others, and 
whose work has contributed its mite to 
bring forth the rich inheritance locked up 
within a fertile soil, and to conserve the 
forces of the nation, is the worthy subject 
of the brief sketch here given. He was 
born August 11, 1847, and is a son of 
Jonathan and Elizabeth (Gilbert) Stout. 

Jonathan Stout was born September 
18, 1S20, and early trained in those cor- 
rect principles so well exemplified in his 
own life and in that of his son. He was 
united in marriage with Elizabeth Gilbert 
who was born in 1826. Working by the 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



4At 



day, he saved his money with an eye to 
larg:er results in the future, and finally 
bought land, for a home in Riley town- 
ship, Sandusky county, where other re- 
solute and persevering? men have also laid 
the foundations of a competence. 

Joseph A. Stout worked by the month 
on the farm, saved his money, as had his 
father before him, and bought forty-six 
acres of valuable land in Riley township, 
to establish a home upon it, and by its 
cultivation gain a livelihood, and more. 
On October lo, 1871, he was united in 
marriage with Clara Daniels, and they 
have five children, as follows: Maria, born 
August 4, 1S73, married Frank McCleary 
on November 18, 1891, and they have 
had one child (they live in Riley town- 
ship); Bertha was born March 13, 1880; 
Isaac, December 19, 1881; Emma, July 
■ 5, 1886; and Jessie, July iS, 1888. Mr. 
Stout carries on general farming, not 
depending upon the success of one crop, 
or one line of agriculture or stock raising, 
alone. He is a Democrat, in politics, and 
has been repeatedly honored by his fel- 
low citizens with public office, having 
served as trustee three years, as constable 
two years, as school director three years, 
and as supervisor five years. He is well 
and favorably known in the community, 
is much liked and very popular. The 
family attend the United Brethren Church. 



CASPER FOOS, retired farmer and 
a resident of Millersville, Jackson 
township, Sandusky county, was 
born February 20, 1826, in Al- 
sace, France (now Germany), a son of 
Casper and Mary fXoeppe) Foos. The 
parents of our subject came to America 
in 1842, and settled near Rochester, N.Y., 
where the father's death occurred in 1882, 
when he was aged seventy-eight years; 
the mother died seven years later at the 
age of eighty-four years. Mr. P'oos was 
a member of the Roman Catholic Church, 
and in politics he was a Democrat. 



Casper Foos, the subject proper of 
these lines, who was one of a family of 
nine children, remained at home until his 
nineteenth birthday, when he started out 
for himself. He worked at different 
places, and at various employments for 
two years, and then secured a paying po- 
sition in a distillery, where he was em- 
ployed seven years, saving his earnings. 
In 1855 he moved to Jackson township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, and there bought 
forty acres of land, and engaged in farm- 
ing pursuits. Five years later he bought 
one hundred acres more, where he now 
resides. 

^ On April 25, 1849, Mr. Foos married 
Miss Adeline Horchelar, of Rochester, 
N. Y., daughter of John H. Horchelarj 
now deceased, as is also her mother. 
The children of Casper and Adeline Foos 
were as follows: Martin (i), Mary, An- 
thony, John, Louis and Martin (2). In 
politics Mr. Foos is a Democrat, and has 
held several offices, being popular and 
well-liked in the community. In religious 
faith he is a member of the Catholic 
Church. 



CLARENCE L. BOWLUS. The 
use of steam and electricity as 
motive powers for the conveyance 
of passengers in masses, and the 
use of bicycles for individual transit, have 
made vast inroads upon the domain of 
liverymen, yet the busy public can not 
yet afford to do wholly without the serv- 
ices of the noble horse in connection with 
an easy carriage, especially on country 
roads, and those who cater to the public 
in this line of business deserve their share 
of liberal patronage and recognition. As 
a rising young man of enterprise and 
push, prepared with latest livery outfits 
to acommodate the traveling public, in 
Fremont and vicinity, we present the 
subject of this sketch. 

Clarence L. Bowlus, liveryman, whose 
place of business is opposite the "Ball 



442 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



House," Fremont, was born in Sandusky 
township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, January 
'3. '875, a son of Warren A. and Caro- 
line R. (Engelman) Bowlus. Warren A. 
Bowlus was born in the same locality, 
August 25, 1850, a son of Henry Bowlus, 
■who was born September 27, 1810, and in 
1828 came with his father, Henry Bowlus, 
Sen., from Middletown \'alley, Freder- 
ick Co., Md., to Sandusky county, Ohio, 
where the latter entered 320 acres on the 
borders of Muskallonge creek, in Sandusky 
township, which he made his permanent 
residence. The father of Henry Bowlus, 
Sen., and the great ancestor of the many 
Bowlus families in Sandusky county, was 
Nicholas Bowlus, who, in 1735, at the 
age of five years, came to America, and 
lived and died in Frederick county, Md., 
where many of his descendants still re- 
side. 

Our subject was reared on a farm, and 
educated in the common schools and in 
the Fremont High School. He brings to 
his chosen vocation the freshness and 
vigor of early manhood, which betoken a 
successful business career. 



IVI 



ORITZ A. GESSNER, a pros- 
perous farmer of Riley town- 
ship. Sandusky county, was 
born July 24, 1863, a son of 
Dr. Louis and Elizabeth Gessner, old 
residents of northern Ohio. 

Dr. Louis Gessner was born in Ger- 
many April 6, 1804, studied medicine, 
graduated in Switzerland, and practiced 
in Germany. Coming to this country, 
he first engaged in the practice of his 
profession in Buffalo, .N. Y., coming to 
Fremont, Ohio, in 1838. On July 8, 
1858, Dr. Gessner was united in marriage 
with Elizabeth Lhair, who was born in 
Germany March 17, 1825, and they had 
four children, as follows: Ida, born 
October 8, 1859, married William Nich- 
ols, and they live in Sandusky county; 
Laura, born Februar)' 24, 1861, married 



Louis Balsixer, and they had seven chil- 
dren (she died March 9, 1890, and was 
buried in Ballville township); Moritz A. 
is the subject of this sketch; and Minnie, 
born September 10, 1867, married Charles 
Marks (they have had three children, and 
live in Riley township). In 1861 Dr. 
Gessner discontinued the practice of medi- 
cine, and moved to Riley township, 
where in 1838 he had bought 160 acres of 
land, giving five dollars an acre for it. 
Here he made his home the remainder of 
his life. 

Moritz N. Gessner received a com- 
mon-school education, and worked for his 
father until the death of the latter, who 
left him eighty acres of land. On Janu- 
arj- 13, 1886, in his twenty-third year, 
our subject was united in marriage with 
Christina Baker, who was born Novem- 
ber 2, 1866, and they have had two chil- 
dren — Louis F. , born March 24, 1887, 
and Gertie S.. born October 16, 1888. 
Mr. Gessner is a member of Fort Ste- 
phenson Lodge No. 225, A. F. & A. M. In 
religious connection he is a member of 
the Lutheran Church; in politics he is a 
stanch Democrat, and on April i, 1895, 
was elected trustee of Riley township. 



JOACHIM MEYER. Among those of 
foreign birth who have become prom- 
inent in agricultural circles in San- 
dusky county, is numbered this gen- 
tleman, a native of German}', who was 
born on the 29th and baptized on the 30th 
of July, 1836. He is a son of John Meyer, 
who died two months before his son's 
birth, and in consequence our subject 
knows but little concerning his ancestral 
history. The father was a sheep raiser 
and farmer, and the family was not in 
very affluent circumstances, so that Joa- 
chim was earl}- forced to earn his own 
living. As soon as he had attained a 
sufficient age he began work as a farm 
hand, and was thus employed for a num- 
ber of years in Germany, there continu- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



443 



ing his labors until 1867, when, with his 
wife and mother, he came to America, 
sailing from Hamburg on the 14th of Oc- 
tober. His brother had come to the 
United States the year previous, and lo- 
cated in Fremont, Sandusky Co., Ohio. 

After three months' sailing on the 
ocean, Joachim Meyer and family landed 
at New York City, and after a few days 
there passed, came to Sandusky county, 
where he has since made his home, cover- 
ing a period of about twenty-eight years. 
He had no capital, at that time, but de- 
termined to succeed he eagerly worked at 
anything that he could find to do which 
would yield him an honest living. By in- 
dustry and frugality he at length acquired 
some capital, and with it purchased the 
farm on which he now resides. He began 
its cultivation, placed acre after acre under 
the plow, and has now one of the best farm 
properties in that section, the rich and 
fertile fields yielding to him a golden tri- 
bute in return for the care and labor which 
he bestows upon them. 

In November, 1866, Mr. Meyer was 
united in marriage with Miss Dora Witten- 
burg, who was born on the 28th and bap- 
tized on the 30th of July, 1838. She 
was a most estimable lady, also a native 
of Germany, in which country her parents 
died. Mr. Meyer has a family of five 
children — one son and four daughters: 
Mary, who was born on the ocean, is the 
wife of Mr. Banard, of Fremont, and they 
have two children; Albert is at home; 
Sophia is married to Ed. Smitke, and re- 
sides in Fremont; Louisa makes her home 
in the same place, and Emma completes 
the family, which is well and favorably 
known in the locality where they live. 
Mr. Meyer was a member of the German 
army, in Mecklenburg Schwerin, serving 
as a dragoon from the year 1857 to 1863. 
The first three years were spent in the 
garrison at Ludwigslust, one of the chief 
cities of Mecklenburg, the remaining three 
years were spent at his home, but subject 
to be called into military ranks and do 



military service at any time; hence not 
until the year 1863 did he receive a dis- 
charge from military duty, and such hon- 
orable discharge was granted on the 24th 
of October, 1863. He is a member of the 
Lutheran Church, and by his ballot sup- 
ports the Democracy. He leads a busy 
and useful life, and with his family shares 
the high regard of their friends. 



JOSEPH E. BOOP, a well-to-do 
farmer of Sandusky township, San- 
dusky county, was born in New Ber- 
lin, Union Co., Penn., January 6, 
1 85 1 , a son of Samuel and Hannah (Spet- 
ler) Boop. They had a family of thirteen' 
children, Joseph being the youngest one 
now living. 

When he was si.x years old his parents 
sent him to school, and at the age of 
eight years his uncle, William Watson, 
wished to have the lad with him on the 
farm, in the capacity of chore boy, to 
do work such as driving cows to the 
fields, feeding chickens, and riding the 
drill to plant corn, which was Joseph's 
first e.xperience of farm life. In the fall 
of that year he became anxious to go 
home and see his parents, and his uncle 
thought it would be better on account of 
the boy being thereby enabled to attend 
school. In the fall of 1859 his father and 
mother made a trip west, visiting relatives 
in that part of Ohio, then known as the 
' ' Black Swamp, " and returned home after 
being satisfied with their visit. They 
were so well pleased with the country 
that they concluded at once to make 
their home in Ohio, so, on March 20, 
i860, Joseph and his parents, and the 
other members of the family, landed in 
Fremont (known in earlier days as Lower 
Sandusky), settling on eighty acres of 
land lying four miles west of Fremont, 
known as the "Baldwin farm." The 
parents lived on that farm five years, then 
sold it, and located on a farm of 1 1 1 acres 
nearer to Fremont, along the Maumee 



444 



COMMEiiORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



pike. After Joseph landed in Ohio his 
school days were but few, as his father 
needed his help very much. During the 
Civil war of 1861-65, Joseph and his 
brother would be out in the fields plow- 
ing, and when they would hear of a train 
of soldiers coming through from Indiana 
or Michigan, they would tie the horses to 
the fence and run to Fremont to see the 
"boys in blue," and hear them shoot 
"old Betsy Croghan." 

Joseph well remembers his early boy- 
hood days, of how he would help to log, 
burn brush, and get the land ready 
for the plow. In the j'ear 1861 Joseph 
was working for Charles Reorick at 
four dollars per month, and after hav- 
ing served the required time — ten months 
— he went home, and in 1869 he 
worked for Edward Deemer on a farm, 
receiving $17 per month. Returning 
home, he in the year 1872 hired out 
again on a farm to Henry Bowlus, for 
nine months at $23 per month, if satis- 
faction was given. After nine months 
had e.xpired he returned home again to 
assist his aged mother, his father having 
died in the fall of 1872. In 1874 he 
again hired to Warren Bowlus, and on 
October 20, 1874, he set out on a trip to 
California, in company with his mother, 
to visit a brother who had gone there in 
1 85 I . There they remained three months, 
at the end of which time his mother de- 
sired to return, and on the way back they 
visited relatives in San Francisco, Wis- 
consin, Illinois, and Iowa. They settled 
in Sandusky township. 

On the 1 6th day of November, 1876, 
Mr. Boop married Miss Elizabeth Faust, 
who was born in Washington township, 
Sandusky county, Ohio, October 16, 1857. 
She died September 15, 1891, the mother 
of five children: Emma G., Irvin T. , 
Ada P., Vernie May and Edith V. For 
his second wife, our subject married Feb- 
ruary 16, 1892, Miss Mary Mehle, also a 
native of Sandusky township, born May 
19, 1862, a daughter of Frederick and 



Sophia (Smith) Mehle, who both lived in 
Sandusky township. Mr. Boop is one of 
the prosperous men among the younger 
element in his township, owns a well-im- 
proved farm, and he and his wife are 
genial and sociable. In politics he is a 
Republican, and in religious faith is a 
member of the Reformed Church. 



SOLOMON EMCH, a successful 
farmer, was born in Woodville 
township, Sandusky county, Jan- 
uary 19, 1854. He remained at 
home until his twenty-first birthday, then 
worked out by the day, being employed 
at different places for about si.\ years, un- 
til the time of his marriage. 

On March 18, 1880, Solomon Emch 
married Caroline Schreiner, who was 
born in Troy township, \\'ood county, 
September 24, 1859, and they have be- 
come the parents of three bright children 
— Bertha, born December 5, 1880; Eddie, 
born December 15, 1882, and Charles, 
born March 27, 1889. After his marriage 
Mr. Emch rented a farm from his cousin, 
which he worked for about eleven j'ears. 
He then bought forty-five acres which 
cost him $4,200. In 1894 he leased his 
land to an oil firm, and they put down 
three wells, which are in operation daily. 
Mr. Emch is very popular, is an honest, 
upright man, has always worked hard and 
saved his mone}-, is a good manager and 
provides well for his famih'. 



EDWARD SCHWARTZ, funeral 
director and embalmer, Fremont, 
Sandusky county, was born at 
Williamsville, Erie Co., N. Y., 
January 26, 185 1. His father, Joseph 
Schwartz, was born in Alsace, France, in 
1816, came to America in his youth, lo- 
cated in western New York, married Miss 
Theresa Batt, and worked at shoemaking 
and farming. About the year 1853, he 
removed to Ballville township, Sandusky 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHWAL RECORD. 



445 



Co., Ohio, where he bought a farm, 
whereon he spent the remainder of his life 
in agricultural pursuits. His death oc- 
curred in 1859. Our subject's mother, 
who was also a native of Alsace, born in 
1831, came with her father, Joseph Batt, 
in her childhood, to the New World. In 
crossing the Atlantic Ocean they were one 
hundred days at sea, their ship having 
been driven about by adverse winds and 
disabled by storms, so that they were 
obliged to put into the harbor of Cork, 
Ireland, for repairs. The family settled 
on a farm in western New York, where the 
parents lived to celebrate their golden 
wedding, surrounded by a numerous pos- 
terity, and died a few years later at an 
advanced age. 

The children of Joseph and Theresa 
Schwartz were: (i) John, who died in 
childhood; (2) Joseph Schwartz, Jr., born 
February 29, 1844, in Lancaster, Erie 
Co., N. Y. , who came with his parents to 
Ballville township, Sandusky county, 
when nine years of age, grew up to farm 
work, attended country schools, enlisted 
in Company A, One Hundred and Eleventh 
Regiment, O. V. I., in the spring of 1862, 
served during the war, and was honorably 
discharged, February 10, 1865; on May 
12, 1868, he married Miss Veronica 
Schmittuz, of Fremont, and they have si.x 
children ; Mr. Schwartz is a leading member 
of various social orders in Fremont, and 
has held positions of honor and trust; 
he is secretary of the Fremont Water 
Works, and of the German Aid Society; 
he is an official member of Eugene Raw- 
son Post, No. 34, Department of Ohio, 
G. A. R. , and of S. A. J. Snyder Com- 
mand, U. V. U. (3) Magdalena M. 
Schwartz became the wife of John Snyder, 
a farmer and carpenter, now living at 
Charlotte, Mich. (4) John Schwartz, a 
blacksmith, married Miss Magdalen 
Feuerstein, and resides at Williamsville, 
N. Y. (5) Mary A. Schwartz died in child- 
hood. (6) Edward Schwartz is the sub- 
ject proper of this sketch, (j) Frank X. 



Schwartz, an engineer, married Miss 
\'eronica Brunier, of Fremont, and re- 
sides at Lima, Ohio. (8) Louis Schwartz, 
a blacksmith, married Miss Elizabeth 
Epp, and resides at Fort Wayne, Ind. 
(9) William H. Schwartz died in child- 
hood. (10) Mary C. Schwartz, wife of 
Joseph Neinhaus, a laborer at Buffalo, 
N. Y., died in 1886. 

Our subject, Edward Schwartz, made 
his home with his parents until the death 
of his father, in 1859, when he went to 
live with his uncle, John Daul, proprietor 
of a brewery at Williamsville, N. Y. , 
where he attended school. Three years 
later he returned to Ohio, and lived with 
his mother about four years. About the 
year 1866 he came to Fremont, and be- 
gan to work at cabinet-making. In 1869 
he went to Buffalo, N. Y. , where he re- 
mained about four years, thoroughly learn- 
ing his trade. In 1873 he returned to 
Fremont, and soon after went into part- 
nership with his brother in the furniture 
business, on State street. In 1878 he 
sold out, and has since that time confined 
himself exclusively to undertaking and 
embalming, in which particular line he 
e.xcels. He was one of the first men in 
the State of Ohio to take up this art as a 
profession, having graduated from the 
Embalmers' School at Cincinnati in 1883. 
He was elected third vice-president of the 
Ohio State Undertakers' Association, in 
1893, and now holds the position of first 
vice-president of the same. He is also a 
member of various social organizations, 
in some of which he holds official posi- 
tions. He is exalted ruler of Fremont 
Lodge, No. 169, B. P. O. Elks; president 
of Edna Council, No. 64, N. U. ; treas- 
urer of Dickinson Tent, No. 21, K. O. 
T. M. ; and treasurer of Onoka Tribe, 
No. 140. I. O. R. M. 

Edward Schwartz was married May 
iS, 1874, to Miss Mary Eichel, of Fre- 
mont, who was born in Ottawa county, 
Ohio, July 2, 1854, daughter of Louis and 
Elizabeth Eichel, natives of Germany, 



446 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



and their children are: Edward L. , steno- 
grapher at the " Boody House," Toledo, 
Ohio; Frances M. E. , assistant book- 
keeper at the Christy Knife Works, Fre- 
mont, Ohio; Hilda C., and William H., 
at home attending school. 



SAMUEL T. WOOD, the popular 
and efficient sheriff of Ottawa 
county, was born in Seneca coun- 
ty* Ohio, February 28, 1841, and 
is a son of David and Patience (Rolfe) 
Wood, both natives of Greene county, 
N. Y., the father born May 25, 1803, the 
mother born March 7, 1806, and died in 
Seneca county, Ohio, March 8, 1848. 
The father passed away in Clay town- 
ship, Ottawa county, August 10, 1888. 
They were the parents of ten children, 
six of whom still survive, namely: Dor- 
cas, wife of T. P. Taylor, who is living 
in Genoa, Ohio; Mercy, wife of John 
Tiplady, who is living in Clay township, 
Ottawa county; Samuel T. ; Louisa, 
wife of William Armstrong, of Genoa, 
Ohio; Felinda, wife of Albert Sponable, 
a resident of Hastings, Mich. ; and Francis 
v., who is located in Fremont, Ohio. 
The second in the family of ten children 
was Mary J., who married Michael Tomp- 
kins (now deceased), and died in Genoa, 
Ottawa Co., Ohio, November 13, 1876; 
Elizabeth A., the third one of the chil- 
dren, died at Genoa, October 24, 1854; 
and George, the eighth child, born in 
September, 1846, died ininfancj*. 

■ Our subject was educated in the dis- 
trict schools of his native county, and his 
boyhood was passed upon the old farm 
amidst the surroundings of a comfortable 
home and the care of kind indulgent par- 
ents. When about thirteen years of age 
he removed to Clay township, Ottawa 
county, with the family, and continued to 
aid in the farm work until after he had 
attained to manhood, when he began 
farming in his own interest. For over 
forty years he was an honored and re- 



spected resident of Clay township, where 
his agricultural pursuits by their success 
proved his energy and perseverance, 
while the high estimation in which he 
was held by the people of the county 
bore its tribute to his sterling qualities 
and upright, honorable principles. On 
November 6, 1894, he was elected sheriff 
of the county on the Republican ticket, 
and, abandoning the pursuit he had so 
long followed, he on January 7, 1895, 
took possession of the office, removing 
his family to Port Clinton. 

In Fremont, Ohio, September 28, 
1865, Mr. Wood married Maria E. Jones, 
a native of Ohio, who was born in Pick- 
away county, January 29, 1842, a daugh- 
ter of Noah and Ruth Jones. Her moth- 
er still survives at the advanced age of 
ninety-one years, and resides with our 
subject in Port Clinton, being probably 
the oldest living resident in Ottawa coun- 
ty, and undoubtedly one of the most in- 
telligent and interesting old ladies, having 
a most remarkable memory for dates and 
events. She was born in Pendleton coun- 
ty, Va., June 20, 1804, and is a daughter 

of Uriah and Catherine (Loother) , 

who were also natives of Virginia. In 
1805 the mother and children removed to 
Pickaway county, Ohio, and six months 
later was joined b}' the husband, who at 
the time of the first removal was serving 
as sheriff of Pendleton county. Here he 
passed away in 1812. His widow con- 
tinued to reside in Pickaway county, 
Ohio, until 1850, when she removed to 
Fairfield county, this State, where her 
death occurred in 1858. In 1826 the 
mother of Mrs. Wood was married to 
Noah Jones, and to their union came nine 
children, as follows: Benjamin F. , born 
July 14, 1827, now living in Findlay, 
Ohio; Uriah, born August 28, 1829, now 
residing in Columbus, Ohio; Rebecca, 
born March 28, 1832, now the wife of 
W'illiam Adams, of Lithopolis, Ohio; 
John W., born August 10, 1834. is living 
at Burnips Corners, Mich.; Daniel W., 




<Z:J'^>L'^i.^nyLyUyf.cJ "^^^^-T^ , 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



447 



born May 3, 1837, is living in Genoa, 
Ohio; Samuel, born June 27, 1839, died 
August 3, 1846; Maria E. is the wife of 
our subject; Noah, born May 14, 1844, is 
located in Toledo; and Nelson A., born 
August 17, 1846, died June 19, 1880. 

The union of Mr. and Mrs. Wood has 
been blessed with si.\ children, as follows: 
Alonzo, born July 6, 1866, died in infancy; 
Mary and Martha (twinsj, born August 
10, 1 87 1, and died in infancy; Charles, 
born July 7, 1875; Lizzie, born Decem- 
ber 27, 1872, died March 6, 1876; and 
Nelson J., born March 18, 1879. 

Mr. Wood manifested his loyalty to 
the government during the Civil war by 
joining Company A, Fourteenth O. V. I., 
September 5, 1861. He served for three 
years, participating with his regiment in 
numerous skirmishes, and some of the 
most important battles of the war. At 
the battle of Chickamauga, he was taken 
prisoner by the Confederates, and for 
forty-three days was held as a captive in 
the Smith tobacco-house prison, opposite 
the renowned Libby Prison, in Richmond, 
Va. At the expiration of that time with 
a number of others he was removed to a 
prison in Danville, Va., where he was 
held until February 21, 1864, when he suc- 
ceeded in making his escape, and reach- 
ing the lines of the Union army at Browns- 
town. For twenty-one days he was trav- 
eling toward the Northern army, and en- 
during untold hardships before he reached 
his destination. He was then granted a 
thirty-days' furlough, which he spent in 
visiting his family, rejoining his regiment 
at Ringgold, Ga. . and with his command 
participating in the Atlanta campaign. At 
the capture of Jonesboro, five days after 
the expiration of his term of service, he 
was seriously wounded, and when hos- 
tilities ceased was sent to the hospital. 
Fourteen days later he was honorablj' 
discharged, returning to his home in Clay 
township, Ottawa county. He had been 
a faithful soldier, always true to his duties 
and the cause of the Union arms. 



Mr. Wood is a member of Clay Lodge, 
No. 584, I. O. O. F., and Elliott Wyman 
Post, G. A. R. He is an active worker 
in the ranks of the Republican party, and 
in the discharge of his official duties has 
won the commendation of all concerned. 
The family attend the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, of which he and his estimable 
wife are consistent members. 



HENRY GERMAN, the efficient 
manager and superintendent of 
the Gypsum Plaster Mills and 
Carielea Farm, Portage town- 
ship, Ottawa county, was born in the 
town of Tyrone, Steuben Co., N. Y. , 
April 3, 1832, and is a son of Andrew 
and Hannah (Force) German, the former 
a native of Dutchess county, N. Y. , the 
latter of Steuben county. Both were of 
German lineage, and the mother was 
also of French descent. The paternal 
grandmother of our subject was a grand- 
daughter of Governor Winthrop, the first 
governor of the Colony of Massachusetts. 
Andrew German was engaged in agricul- 
tural pursuits in Steuben county, N. Y. , 
and there spent the greater part of his 
life, passing away in 185 1. His widow 
with seven of her children removed to 
Ohio in 1857, locating in Margaretta 
township, Erie county, whence, in i88o, 
they went to Sandusky county, where the 
mother departed this life in 1882. 

Henry German acquired his education 
in the district schools of his native coun- 
ty, and his boyhood days were spent at 
farm work, while during his early man- 
hood he was engaged in milling and engin- 
eering. After locating in Erie county, he 
followed agricultural pursuits in the town- 
ship, where the family took up their abode 
until 1880, when he removed to Townsend 
township, Sandusky county. There, in 
association with his son-in-law, Henry 
Brown, he purchased a sawmill, which he 
operated in connection with his agricul- 
tural pursuits until 1884, when he en- 



448 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



tered upon his present position as man- 
ager and superintendent of the Gypsum 
Plaster Mills and Carielea Farm. He 
still makes his home in Sandusky coun- 
ty, where he is also extensively engaged 
in fruit farming. He is now manager of 
one of the largest limestone quarries and 
mills, and also one of the most e.xtensive 
fruit farms in his section of the State, 
and his duties are performed with faithful- 
ness that is well indicated by his long 
continuance in office, covering a period 
of more than eleven consecutive years. 

On January lO, 1852, in Steuben 
county, N. Y. , Mr. German was joined 
in wedlock with Miss Lydia A. Howe, 
daughter of Joseph Howe, and to their 
union two children were born — Eva, 
wife of H. E. Brown, who is living in 
Townsend township, Sandusky county; 
and Lyman, who died in infancy. The 
family attend the Universalist Church, and 
the members of the household occupy an 
enviable position in social circles, while 
their home is noted for its hospitality. 
Mr. German is a Republican in politics, 
and is a man of broad views, keen and 
quick perceptions, sterling integrity and a 
spotless reputation — qualities which have 
secured him the unlimited confidence of all 
with whom he has come in contact. 
While still making his home in Sandusky 
county, he also takes an active interest 
in the welfare of Ottawa county, and 
well deserves representation among the 
leading men of his locality.^ [Since the 
above was written, Mr. German has re- 
signed his position in Ottawa county, and 
gone back to Sandusky county. — Ed. 



RICHARD B. SONOCRANT, a 
leading and representative citizen 
of Ottawa county, ex-superintend- 
ent of the Ottawa County Infirm- 
ary, was born in Lucas county, Ohio, 
July 27, 1845, son of John and Matilda 
(Mommoney) Sonocrant, the former a 
native of Monroe, Mich., of French an- 



cestry, the latter a native of Port Clinton, 
Ohio, of French and Scotch ancestry. 
They were highly-respected residents of 
Carroll township, Ottawa county, for 
forty-three years, but in 1893 moved to 
Lucas county, where they now reside. 
Their family consists of six children, viz.: 
Peter, residing in Canada; John N. , of To- 
ledo, Ohio; Richard B. ; Elizabeth, wife 
of A. G. Renner, of Locust Point, Ohio; 
Jennie, wife of Gabriel Dubrie, also of 
Locust Point; and Samuel E., a resident 
of Lucas county. 

Our subject is one of the wide-awake, 
pushing men of his day, and has filled 
several important positions in life. His 
primary education was received in the 
public schools of Carroll township, Ottawa 
county, his early boyhood being spent in 
assisting in the care of the farm. At the 
age of seventeen years he left the paren- 
tal abode, and started out in life as a sail- 
or, sailing on Lakes Erie and Michigan 
for upward of six years, experiencing 
many of the hardships and dangers inci- 
dent to a sailor's life. In 1870, having 
left his vessel, he engaged in the fishing 
industry for one year; then purchased a 
farm, which he cultivated for about seven 
years, after which he sold it, and in 1878 
embarked in mercantile pursuits at Locust 
Point, Ohio, shortly afterward opening a 
branch at Trowbridge, Ottawa county. 
In 1883 our subject transferred the busi- 
ness to Clarksfield, Huron county, but re- 
turned to Locust Point one year later. In 
1885, having disposed of his mercantile 
business, and being recognized as a man 
of sound judgment and excellent business 
qualifications, Mr. Sonocrant was ap- 
pointed to the position he so efficiently 
filled for some ten years, and in this in- 
cumbency, as in all his business enter- 
prises, he proved a success. On June 
26, 1895, he leased the "Lake House" 
at Port Clinton, which he has re-modeled 
and re-fitted. He is a genial landlord, 
well calculated to merit and hold a good 
patronage, and is enjoying a fair trade. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



449 



Mr. Sonocrant was united in marriage 
at Locust Point, July i6, iS/r, with Miss 
Hetta Pierson, a daughter of Alfred and 
Mary (Lindley) Pierson, natives of New 
Jersey, and for many years prominent res- 
idents of Carroll township, Ottawa coun- 
ty, the former of whom is now deceased 
and the latter is still residing in that town- 
ship. To this union have come seven 
children, as follows: Ora M. and Cora 
M. (twins), born August 5, 1872, the lat- 
ter dying October 6, 1S76; Alfred Byron, 
born July 20, 1874; Elsie L., born April 
2, 1876; Burgert H., born September 18, 
1879, died June 15, 1884; Eber R. , born 
August 20, 1881 ; and Vida A., born April 
13, 1884. Politically Mr. Sonocrant uses 
his right of franchise in the support of the 
Democratic party. Socially he is a mem- 
ber of Oak Harbor Lodge No. 735, L O. 
O. F., and of the K. of P. 



E 



DWARD A. POWERS, county 
auditor of Ottawa county, is num- 
bered among the native sons of 
Ohio, his birth having occurred 
in Woodville, Sandusky county, April 7, 
1861. 

His father, Charles A. Powers, was 
born in New York in 18 19, and was of 
Irish descent. He married Lydia A. 
Banks, who was born in Ontario, Canada, 
August 24, 1829, and was descended from 
English ancestry who settled in New York 
at an early day in the history of this coun- 
try. Coming to Ohio, Charles A. Powers 
engaged in merchandising for many years, 
carr}ing on the business in Woodville and 
in Elmore. In 1869 he removed to Per- 
rysburg, where he retired from active 
business life and passed away in July, 
1 87 1. He was numbered among the pio- 
neer settlers of Sandusky county of 1837; 
was one of its enterprising and successful 
business men for over thirty years, and 
did much toward promoting its growth 
and prosperity. He represented that 
county in the Legislature in 1859, and 



honorably filled various positions of trust. 
His widow now resides in Pawtucket, 
R. I., with her younger son. Her mother, 
Mrs. Warriner, nee Banks, is also yet liv- 
ing at the advanced age of eighty-six 
years. 

To Charles and Lydia Powers were 
born eight children, seven of whom are 
living, one having died in infancy: Helen 
A. , wife of Gustavus Jaeger, a resident of 
Elmore; George P., who is residing in 
Marshalltown, Iowa; Charles A., living at 
Ardniore, Ind. Ter. ; James F. , of Cali- 
fornia; Edward A., subject of this sketch; 
John L., of Carroll, Iowa; and William 
H., who is located in Pawtucket, Rhode 
Island. 

When Edward A. Powers was eight 
years of age he removed with the family 
to Perrysburg, where he acquired his edu- 
cation in the public schools. Subse- 
quently, in 1876, he entered the hard- 
ware store of Gustavus Jaeger, at El- 
more, as a salesman, and remained in 
his employ for two years, when, on the 
expiration of that period, he began teach- 
ing school. He was employed for two 
winter terms in Harris township, Ottawa 
county, and in the summer continued to 
work in the hardware store. In 1880 he 
bought out a mercantile establishment at 
Webb, Wood Co., Ohio, and successfully 
conducted that business until the spring 
of 1883, when he removed to Genoa, 
where he followed the same pursuit. He 
has also erected a spacious elevator there, 
and is engaged in the grain business and 
in stock buying, still retaining an interest 
in the store. On November 6, 1893, Mr. 
Powers was elected auditor of Ottawa 
county, and took possession of the office 
on September 10, 1894. He is discharg- 
ing his duties with a promptness and fidel- 
ity that wins him high commendation. 
He has also efficiently served as township 
clerk for two years, and was a member of 
the school board some five years. In his 
political views he is a stanch supporter of 
the Democratic party, and takes a deep 



450 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



interest in everything that pertains to its 
growth and success. 

Mr. Powers was united in marriage in 
Elmore, Ohio, on the 2d of May, 1883, 
with Wilhehiiina Georgii, daughter of 
Otto and Frederica (Jaeger) Georgii, and 
a native of Prairie du Chien, Wis., born 
in January, i860. Mr. and Mrs. Powers 
have an interesting little family, number- 
ing the following children: Charles A., 
born March 25, 1885; Helen Gertrude, 
born August 2, 1887; and Alice Permelia, 
born November 7, 1891. The family at- 
tend the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
and Mr. Powers is a member of Genoa 
Lodge, No. 433, F. & A. M., of Genoa, 
and Fort Meigs Chapter, No. 29, R. A. 
M., of Toledo. He is also connected 
with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows of Genoa. As well as being one of 
Ottawa county's most capable public 
officers, he is known as one of the most 
enterprising business men of Clay town- 
ship, and few, if any, residents of that 
township have taken a more active part 
in its upbuilding or done more toward its 
prosperity than Edward A. Powers. 



WILLIAM H. FRY, a well-known 
citizen and ex-postmaster of 
Oak Harbor, Ottawa county, 
was born in Baden, Germany, 
May, 23, 1848. His parents Andrew and 
Katherine (Schlenker) Fry, emigrated to 
America in 1850, locating in Sandusky 
county, Ohio, whore the father engaged 
in agricultural pursuits and resided until 
his death, which occurred in 1858. The 
mother was afterward married to Chisto- 
pher Lammale, and at present resides on 
the old homestead in Sandusky county. 
The family consisted of five children, 
four of whom still survive, viz. : Rosana, 
wife of William Schrenfeldt, a resident of 
Sandusky county; William H., the sub- 
ject of this sketch; Emma, wife of Simon 
Crane, of Hamler, Henry Co., Ohio; 
Christian, wife of John Speildiner, a resi- 



dent of Conneaut, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, 
and Andrew, who died in 1893. 

William H. Fry, subject proper of 
this sketch, received his early education 
in the public schools of Sandusky county, 
subsequently taking a course in the Bry- 
ant & Stratton Business College, of 
Chicago, on leaving which he accepted a 
position as clerk in a general store at 
Rocky Ridge, Ottawa Co., Ohio. In 
1874 he entered into the employ of H. H. 
Mylander, of Oak Harbor, as salesman, 
and was also with George Deel, of the 
same place, for one year, at the expiration 
of which time he engaged in the grocery 
business for himself. In 1885, having 
received the appointment of postmaster 
of Oak Harbor, Mr. Ery disposed of his 
grocery store and efficiently filled the po- 
sition four years. After his retirement 
from official life, in 1890, he opend a res- 
tuarant at Oak Harbor, which he still 
continues to carry on. Besides filling the 
position of postmaster, Mr. Fry has serv- 
ed four years as township clerk, also one 
year as corporation clerk, and as a serv- 
ant of the public he has proved himself a 
thorough business man, discharging his 
various duties with a painstaking fidelity 
that won for him the respect and esteem 
of the entire community in which he re- 
sides. Our subject also saw considerable 
service as a soldier during the Civil war. 
On December 12, i863,he enlisted in Com- 
pany D, Twenty-third O. V. I., and with 
his regiment participated in thirteen im- 
portant engagements. At the battle of 
Winchester, Va., he was wounded and 
taken prisoner by the Confederates, and 
for seven months was confined a prisoner 
in Danville, Lynchburg and Libby pris- 
ons; after being paroled from the latter 
prison he received his discharge at Camp 
Chase, Columbus, Ohio, June 20, 1865, 
on account of disability, and returned 
home. Mr. Fry is a member of the G. 
A. R., George Field Post No. 195, Oak 
Harbor. 

On June 20, 1878, our subject was 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



451 



united in marriage at Oak Harbor, with 
Miss Alice Deel, a daughter of George 
and JuHa M. (Koch) Deel, and to this 
union were born five children, all of whom 
survive, viz. : William, Mildred, Roland, 
Ursie and Erma. In his political views 
Mr. Fry is a stanch Democrat; socially 
he is a member of Oak Harbor Lodge 
No. 495, F. & A. M. The family are 
members of the Lutheran Church. 



GEORGE O. MOMENY, retired 
merchant and hotel-keeper of Oak 
Harbor, Ottawa county, whose 
parents ranked among the promi- 
nent pioneers of Sandusky county, Ohio, 
and who himself is a native as well as 
one of the oldest living residents of the 
section of the State to which this volume 
is devoted, first saw the light of day in 
Fremont, October 24, 1822. 

Joseph Momeny, father of our subject, 
is a native of Canada, while the mother, 
who bore the maiden name of Catherine 
Gonia, was born in Monroe, Mich., and 
both were of French descent. The for- 
mer served as a soldier in the war of 1812, 
and was sent by Gen. Harrison with dis- 
patches to Gallipolis, on the Ohio river. 
On the close of the war he took his fam- 
ily and, accompanied by a neighboring 
family of the name of Beaugrant, made 
his way across the country with one horse 
from Monroe, Mich., to Ohio. They left 
on account of the Indian ravages. He 
was well known and on friendly terms 
with the Indians, however, and therefore 
his party was not molested, though they 
witnessed the death of several other set- 
tlers at the hands of the savages. The 
party landed at Presque Isle, at the head 
of Maumee Bay, and continued their 
journey to the mouth of the Huron river, 
where they remained until the winter of 
181 3. The following spring they pro- 
ceeded on their way to Sandusky county, 
and located where now stands the city of 
Fremont, but at that time the site was an 



unbroken wilderness. Joseph Momeny 
worked at the baker's trade, and contin- 
ued his residence in this section of the 
State up to the time of his death, which 
occurred in 1837. His faithful wife 
passed away in 1834. They had a family 
of eight children, of whom George O. is 
the only one now living. 

Our subject's boyhood days were 
passed in Sandusky county amidst the 
wild scenes of pioneer life, and with the 
family he shared in many hardships and 
dangers of which the present generation 
have little realization. Like other chil- 
dren of pioneer parents, he received very 
limited educational privileges, pursuing 
his studies in an old log schoolhouse with 
half barrels for seats. The strictest dis- 
cipline was maintained by a stern school- 
master, who believed that "to spare the 
rod is to spoil the child." In early life 
Mr. Momeny was initiated into farm labor, 
and became familiar with the arduous 
task of developing wild land that had 
hitherto been untouched by the plow. 
Subsequently he entered upon a clerkship 
in a general store, but his labors were in- 
terrupted in 1846 by his enlistment in 
the United States army. He was assigned 
to Company C, Fifteenth Regiment, com- 
manded by Capt. James A. Jones, of Nor- 
walk, Ohio, and Col. George W. Morgan. 
He served for one year, and September 
13, 1846, was so severely wounded in the 
left arm as to necessitate the amputation 
of that member at the shoulder. In con- 
sequence he was detained in the hospital 
for nine months, and on becoming con- 
valescent was discharged in the City of 
Me.vico, whereupon he returned to his 
home in Fremont, Ohio. 

During the succeeding five years Mr. 
Momeny was a tollgate-keeper on the 
Western Reserve and Maumee road, and 
in 1852 was appointed lighthouse-keeper 
at Port Clinton, efficiently filling that po- 
sition for three years. In 1855 he em- 
barked in general merchandise there, car- 
rying on his store until 1858, when he 



452 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



emigrated westward, locating in Hanni- 
bal, Mo., where he was again engaged in 
general merchandising for three years. 
In 1861 he returned to Port Clinton, and 
re-engaged in mercantile pursuits for a 
year, when he removed to the country, 
and devoted his time and energies to pur- 
chasing furs. His residence in Oak Har- 
bor dates from 1866, and for seven years 
he was proprietor of a hotel and grocery 
store. Since 1873 he has been engaged 
in fruit growing, but is now practically 
living retired. 

Mr. Momeny has been twice married. 
He first wedded Miss Angeline Guj-ett, 
but afterward separated, and later he was 
married at Oak Harbor, in February, 
1866, to Miss Hester La Jenness, who 
was born in Monroe, Mich., January 14, 
1856, a daughter of Henry L. and Delia 
La Jenness, residents of that place and 
natives of Canada. Three children have 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Momeny: 
George H., born September 22, 1878; 
Mary Louise, born January 6, 1880; and 
Alverretta, born November 26, 1890. 
Mrs. Momeny and the family attend the 
Roman Catholic Church. In his political 
views Mr. Momeny is a stalwart advocate 
of the Democracy, and has served as a 
member of the town council of Oak Har- 
bor, and for four years was a member of 
the school board, acting for three years as 
its president. His fellow townsmen rec- 
ognize in him a citizen who is devoted to 
the welfare of Oak Harbor, and who in 
all possible ways will promote its inter- 
ests. His career has been that of an 
honorable, straightforward business man, 
and no one is more worthy of the esteem 
in which he is held than is George O. 
Momeny. 



GUY P. RAFFERTY, an enterpris- 
ing citizen and successful manu- 
facturer, of Oak Harbor, Ottawa 
county, was born at Easton, 
Northampton Co., Penn., September 16, 



1846, to Michael and Margaret (Clem- 
men) Rafferty, the former of whom was a 
native of New York, the latter of Schuyl- 
kill county, Penn. The family consisted 
of twelve children— three deceased and 
nine yet living — namely: John, Mary 
(Mrs. Peter Magee) and Sarah, all three 
deceased; and Hannah E. (wife of T. A. 
Hineline), residing in Sandusky county, 
Ohio; Feli.x, a prosperous farmer of near 
Fremont, Sandusky county; Jacob F., of 
Easton, Penn. ; Margaret (Mrs. George 
Brown), of Fremont; Ellen (wife of S. B. 
Snyder), also of Fremont; Michael H., 
residing in Creighton, Knox Co., Neb.; 
Guy P., the subject proper of this sketch; 
James A. .residing in Fremont; and Mary, 
wife of Alfred Stierwalt, a prosperous ag- 
riculturist of Sandusky county. The 
parents have both long since passed away, 
each at a good old age, and are now 
peacefully awaiting the resurrection morn. 
Guy P. Rafferty, whose name intro- 
duces this sketch, remained at home with 
his parents for the first eight years of his 
life, then going to live with his sister in 
Ohio, near Fremont, and remaining with 
her until the age of fifteen years, when 
he returned to his old home at Easton, 
Penn. His primary education was re- 
ceived in the public schools of Fremont, 
to which place his parents removed in 
1863, and after leaving school he appren- 
ticed himself to the trade of stone and 
brick mason. On finishing his term of 
apprenticeship Mr. Rafferty started out in 
life as a builder and contractor, in Sandusky 
and Ottawa counties, and being a thorough 
business man, well acquainted with all the 
minute details of his trade, he proved very 
successful. In 1879 he moved to Oak 
Harbor, and engaged extensively in the 
manufacture of brick and tile, and has 
since been an honored and respected resi- 
dent of that town. In 1880 he was elect- 
ed a justice of the peace, which office he 
still continues to fill in an efficient man- 
ner; he is also president of the board of 
education, and has served two terms as a 



COMMEMORATIVE BTOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



453 



member of the Oak Harbor council. Mr. 
Rafferty has made a complete success as 
a business man, and fully merits the re- 
spect and good opinion of his fellow citi- 
zens. 

On March 25, 1879, our subject was 
united in marriage with Auzurella J. 
Yates, born at Green Spring, Seneca 
Co., Ohio, May 28, 1857, a daughter of 
Dr. Porter and Mary L. (Williams) Yates. 
This union has not been blessed with any 
children, but they have an adopted son, 
named Bert Yates Rafferty. In his polit- 
ical views Mr. Rafferty is an ardent sup- 
porter of the Democratic party. Socially 
he is a member of Oak Harbor Lodge No. 
516, K. of P. Mrs. Rafferty is a member 
of the Disciple Church, and of Rathbone 
Sisters, Portage Temple. 

Dr. Porter Yates, a retired physician, 
father of Mrs. Guy P. Rafferty, now re- 
siding with his son-in-law at Oak Harbor, 
was born in Hartwick, Otsego Co., N. Y. , 
February 18, 181 8, to George and Eliza- 
beth (Harrington) Yates, both natives of 
New York State. Dr. Yates' boyhood 
days were spent in New York State, 
where he received his preliminary 
education; subsequently he commenced 
the study of medicine and surgery 
under the preceptorship of Dr. S. Brow- 
nell, a medical practitioner of Butter- 
nuts township, Otsego Co., N. Y. , with 
whom he remained three years, at the ex- 
piration of that time removing to Chautau- 
qua county, N. Y. , where he continued 
his studies for about two j'ears with Dr. 
Ellsworth, teaching school during the 
winter months. In 1850 Dr. Yates en- 
tered the Medical College at Cleveland, 
and on graduating from that institution 
commenced practice in Green Spring, 
Seneca Co., Ohio. In 1862 he enlisted 
in the United States army as surgeon, and 
was assigned to hospital service at Brand's 
Hospital, in Farmington, Tenn. Besides 
attending to his hospital duties, he also 
served as surgeon to the One Hundred 
and Twenty-fifth and One Hundred and 



Twenty-eighth Regiments, O. V. I., his 
duties being very arduous. In July, 1865, 
he was mustered out at Columbus, Ohio, 
and on receiving his discharge proceeded 
to Port Clinton, Ottawa county, where 
he engaged in the practice of his profes- 
sion and was a resident of that town until 
1875, in which year he removed to Green 
Spring, Ohio. In 1882 Dr. Yates be- 
came a resident of Oak Harbor, and has 
since lived a comparatively retired life, his 
health having been seriously impaired 
during his service in the army. 

Dr. Yates was united in marriage, at 
Clymer, Chautauqua Co., N. Y. , June 8, 
1847, with Miss Mary L. Williams, a 
daughter of Alva and Silva Williams, and 
to their union came four children, viz.: 
Florence, born October 6, 1848, at 
Wattsburg, Erie Co., Penn., died at 
Benton, Ohio, June i, 1850; Everett E., 
born at Benton, October 23, 1850, died 
at Toledo, Ohio, February 19, 1875; 
Auzurella J., born at Green Spring, Ohio, 
May 28, 1857, wife of Guy P. Rafferty; 
Edward Van Ness, born at Green Spring, 
June 21, 1859, residmg in Sandusky, 
Ohio. Mrs. Yates passed away at Green 
Spring, November 24, 1882. Dr. Yates 
is a member of George Field Post, No. 
168, G. A. R., at Oak Harbor, is affili- 
ated with the Masonic Fraternity, and 
was a member of Monticello Lodge, at 
Clyde, Ohio, but is not now connected 
with any lodge. In recognition of his 
valuable services rendered, his name has 
been inscribed on the monument erected 
at Cleveland to the heroes of the war. 



WILLIAM G. WINSTONE is a 
practical and prominent farmer 
and fruit grower of Portage 
township, Ottawa county, liv- 
ing on the lake shore road. A native of 
England, he was born in Warwickshire, 
May 12, 181 1, and is a son of William 
and Fannie Winstone, who were natives 
of the same country. In their family 



454 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



were fourteen children, our subject being 
the only one to come to this country. 
He received no school privileges, for at 
the early age of seven years he began to 
earn his own living; but he was endowed 
by nature with a bright mind, and, culti- 
vating powers of observation and reten- 
tive memory, he has learned in the school 
of experience lessons which have made 
him a well-informed man. Through 
much of his life he has followed bridge 
and railroad building. 

The year 1850 witnessed his emigra- 
tion to America, and he soon located in 
Cleveland, Ohio, whence in December, 
of the same year, he came to Portage 
township, where he has since resided, 
while to-daj" he ranks among the oldest 
and most respected citizens of Ottawa 
county. He has been twice married, his 
first union being with Mary Kelig and the 
wedding celebrated at Stratford-on-Avon 
in 1843. They became the parents of 
three children, of whom two survive, 
namely: Stephen, a resident of Lorain, 
Ohio; and Lucy Ruth, wife of John 
French, who is living in McMinnville, 
Tenn. The mother of these was called 
from earth in 1859, and in 1861 Mr. 
Winstone was united in marriage with 
Mrs. Fannie Russell, widow of Reuben 
Russell. Again Mr. Winstone was de- 
prived by death of his wife, this lady 
dying May 12, 1886. By her first hus- 
band she had four children, of whom 
George, a resident of Toledo, Ohio, is the 
only survivor; the others were Mrs. Jane 
McAlby and James, who died January 3, 
1876, leaving a widow and si.\ children, 
two of whom — Clara and Bert — reside 
with Mr. Winstone; some years later 
their mother became the wife of Anthony 
Lafer, and now resides in Sandusky City. 
Her other children were George, of San- 
dusky county, Ohio; Alice, wife of Ora 
Golden, a resident of Martin's Point, Erie 
Co., Ohio; Fannie, wife of Phineas Dun- 
ham, of Sandusky City; and Nellie, wife 
of Theodore Schrader, of Vickery, Ohio. 



In his political views Mr. Winstone 
has been a faithful supporter of the Demo- 
cratic party, and in his religious principles 
he is an adherent of the Universalist 
Church. He is public spirited and enter- 
prising, and readily endorses an}' project 
calculated to stimulate the development 
and prosperity of the township and 
count}'. He is a kind-hearted man, ex- 
pressing his generous nature in kindliness 
to his friends and in substantial assistance 
to the needy. In all the relations of life 
he has been trustworthy, constant and 
honest, and his habits of industry and 
application have enabled him to secure a 
handsome and comfortable home in which 
to spend his declining years, while a com- 
petence surrounds him with the neces- 
saries and many of the luxuries of life. 
His home is ably presided over by his 
granddaughter, Clara Russell. Prompt 
and decisive in action, practical and 
steadfast in purpose, industrious and 
painstaking, he is a man of judgment and 
probity, held in the highest esteem by a 
large circle of friends and acquaintances. 



DH. BITTINGER, proprietor of a 
steam sawmill and stave factory, 
at Woodville, Sandusky county, 
was born January 4, 1849, in 
Ashland county, Ohio, son of George and 
Mary (Kidwell) Bittinger. 

George Bittinger was born February 
10, 1 80S, in Franklin county, Penn., and 
came with his father, Daniel Bittinger, to 
Ashland county, where the family settled, 
the father following farming and weaving. 
Here both parents died, the mother at 
the age of eighty, the father at the age of 
sixty-six. Their children were: SusAn, 
Catharine Polly, Betsey, Barbara, Sarah, 
Daniel and George. George Bittinger 
was reared in Franklin county, Penn., 
and remained at home up to the age of 
eighteen. He became a farmer, and sell- 
ing out his interests in Ashland county 
moved to Richland county, Ohio, where 




Q) ^ ^^^ ^^Zi 



id 



COMMEyfORATIVE BTOORAPffTCAL RECORD. 



455 



he died in 1894. He was a Democrat 
politically, and he and his wife were 
members of the Evanj^elical Lutheran 
Church. She is still living, at Mansfield, 
at the age of eighty-five. They had nine 
children: James, who lives in Richland 
county, Ohio; George, who lives in Huron 
county; Margaret, deceased wife of Sam- 
uel Steel, of Tiffin, Ohio; Ellen, now re- 
siding at Mansfield, Ohio, who married 
for her first husband E. C. Walker (who 
lived in Ottawa county), and for her second 
wedded Daniel Black; Hettic Ann, mar- 
ried to I. P. Walker, who lives at Mans- 
field; Mary Jane, who married George 
Steele, of Mansfield; Hattie Alice, de- 
ceased wife of I. P. Walker, who after- 
ward married her sister, Hettie Ann; D. 
H., our subject; and John L. , of Bowling 
Green, Wood county. The mother's peo- 
ple were from Virginia, of English de- 
scent. 

D. H. Bittinger was reared in Ashland 
county to the age of nine years, when he 
removed to Richland county, there work- 
ing on a farm and at the carpenter's and 
cooper's trades, having early manifested 
a peculiar aptitude for mechanical work. 
On January 7, 1869, he married Miss 
Sarah C. Low, who was born in Ashland 
county November 16, 1849, and they 
have six children living, viz. : Otis E. 
(at home), Ella Urettah, Mary Christina, 
George McClellan, Flora Bell and Daniel 
Cleveland. After working as a carpenter 
at Mansfield a few years Mr. Bittinger 
came, in 1872, to Sandusky county, and 
worked the first four years as journey- 
man. He then embarked in the cooper- 
ing business, which he has followed al- 
most exclusively for fifteen years, manu- 
facturing, from the rough logs, flour, lime 
and meat barrels, etc., which he sells to 
W. H. Bruns and H. Rancamp. He does 
cooper work, head sawing, making vats, 
and in fact all kinds of work in that line, 
employing from fifteen to twenty men. 
He is also carrying on an extensive and 
constantly increasing lumber business. 

29 



He is a Democrat, politically, and a 
member of the I. O. O. F. He was 
elected mayor of the village, but resigned 
on account of ill health. 

ISfrs. Bittinger is a daughter of Samuel 
and Christina (Deeter) Low, and was 
born in Ashland county, of which her 
maternal grandparents were pioneers; her 
paternal grandparents were pioneers of 
Richland county. Samuel Low died 
when his daughter Sarah (Mrs. Bittinger) 
was a child; Aiis. Low is still living, in 
Ashland county, Ohio. They were the 
parents of two children — Sarah C. (Mrs. 
D. H. Bittinger) and Mary Elizabeth 
(wife of John Bittinger, of Wood county, 
who is a brother of our subject). Mr. 
and Mrs. D. H. Bittinger have a fine 
home in Woodville, in which community 
they are highly respected, and Mr. Bit- 
tinger is one of the influential men of the 
village in wH^h he lives. 



JACOB BURGNER. The ancestor 
from whom sprang the Burgner 
families in America, with which our 
subject is connected, was a native of 
Switzerland, who lived near one of its 
beautiful lakes, in view of the snow- 
capped mountains, breathed the pure air 
of liberty, and in early manh(jod sought 
his fortunes in the New World. 

In the year 1742 three brothers — 
David, Christopher and Peter Burgner — 
carpenters by trade, emigrated from the 
vicinity of Berne, Switzerland, and after 
a long sea voyage on the brigantine 
"Mary," from Rotterdam, landed in 
Philadelphia, and settled in Lancaster 
county, Penn. Peter, the youngest, and 
the ancestor above referred to, was then 
about twenty-three years old. They each 
brought from the Fatherland a large Ger- 
man Bible, printed at P'rankfort-on-the- 
Main, 1574, in which they kept brief 
family records. Peter's Bible has de- 
scended by inheritance to the subject of 
this sketch, and is still, 1895, in a good 



456 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



state of preservation. It may be seen in 
a glass case in Birchard Library, Fre- 
mont, Ohio. About the year 1759 Peter 
Burgner married Salome Burkhardt, and 
established a permanent home in Lan- 
caster county. Their children were David, 
Elizabeth, Mary and Jacob. For many 
years he lived in a log house, the roof of 
which was thatched with straw. His oc- 
cupation was that of building houses and 
bank barns after Swiss models. 

Jacob Burgner, grandfather of our 
subject, was born in 1769, and first 
learned the trade of carpenter. About 
the year 1800 he married Mary Conrad, 
and they lived in Cocalico township, Lan- 
caster Co., Penn., where he learned the 
trade of blacksmith, and procured his sup- 
plies of iron from Valley Forge. In the 
spring of 1806 he moved to Franklin 
count}', Pcnn., where he kept a black- 
smith shop on the public road, near what 
is now the Richmond Furnace railroad 
station. In 1812 he removed to Stark 
county, Ohio, west of Massillon, and a 
year later settled in F"ranklin township, 
now a part of Summit count}', on a tract 
of 320 acres of government land, where 
he followed blacksmithing and farming 
the rest of his life. His death occurred 
January 7, 1S44, when he was seventy- 
five years of age; his wife died in 1843, 
aged sixty-four. Their children were 
Salome, Peter, John, Jacob, David, Sam- 
uel, George, Elizabeth, Anna, Daniel and 
Mary, all of whom but two became heads 
of families, and all are now (1895) dead 
except Daniel, who is a farmer, near 
Falls City, Nebraska. 

Peter Burgner, father of our subject, 
was born in Lancaster county, Penn., in 
1803, came with his father's family to 
Ohio in 181 2, and grew to manhood in 
the vicinity of Clinton, Summit county, 
following farming, and working several 
years in the construction of the Ohio and 
Erie canal. In 1830 he married Miss 
Catharine Hollinger, daughter of Jacob 
IloUinger, and for a short time operated 



a sawmill near Clinton. In 1831 he moved 
to the "Oak Openings," in Thompson 
township, Seneca county, Ohio, and set- 
tled upon a farm of 160 acres, four miles 
southwest of Bellevue. Here he cleared 
away the forest and raised heavy crops of 
grain and grass. He had been accustom- 
ed to plow among stumps with ox-teams 
and cut grain with a hand sickle, but was 
among the first to use improved methods 
and implements. In 1844 his wife and in- 
fant son died, leaving him with a family 
of six children: Jacob (our subject), 
David, Samuel H., Joseph H., Mary and 
Elizabeth, of whom only the eldest son 
and the two daughters are now living. 
Three years later he married Miss Sarah 
Schoch, with whom he lived seven years; 
there were no children by this union. In 
August, 1854, the second son and second 
wife died of cholera. In April, 1862, he 
married Miss Sarah Decker, sold his farm 
and bought another adjoining hers and 
her mother's, about one mile south of his 
old home. Here the three lived together 
about thirteen years. His wife died in 
January, 1875, and he soon after sold his 
farm and went to live in the family of his 
daughter Mary, wife of Henry Biechler, 
at York Center, Sandusky county. He 
died January 16, 1878, at the age of 
seventy-five. He had been a member of 
the Christian Church at York Center 
about forty years. His third son. Dr. 
Samuel H. Burgner, of Bellevue, Ohio, 
was a graduate of Jefferson Medical Col- 
lege, Philadelphia, Penn. ; he died in 1 866, 
leaving a daughter, OrielleE., an orphan, 
who was reared in the family of her uncle, 
Jacob Burgner; she attended the Fremont 
High School, graduated from Obcrlin 
College in 1883, taught school two years 
in Chicago, 111., and a year and a half 
in the Obcrlin public schools. She mar- 
ried in 1888 Mr. S. M. McKee, of Grand 
Rapids, Mich., and now lives on a large 
farm near Portland, Mich. Mr. Burg- 
ner's fourth son, Joseph, who was a 
teacher, died unmarried at the Burgner 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



457 



homestead in 1862. The youngest daugh- 
ter, Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Maurer, a 
farmer, lives near Monticello, White Co., 
Indiana. 

Jacob Burgner, teacher and steno- 
grapher, Fremont, Ohio, was born in 
Thompson township, Seneca Co., Ohio, 
November 5, 1833. He grew up to hard 
work on his father's farm and attended 
the pioneer district schools. At the age 
of seventeen he began to teach country 
schools in the winter seasons in his own 
township. Between the years 1852 and 
1859 he attended several teachers' insti- 
tutes, four terms of school at the Seneca 
County Academy, under Prof. Aaron 
Schuyler, the mathematician, and four 
years at Otterbein University, Wester- 
ville, Ohio, from which latter institution 
he graduated with the title of B. S., in 
June, 1859. He paid nearly all his ex- 
penses while at school by his own earn- 
ings. On September 8, 1859, he was 
married, near Flat Rock, Ohio, to Miss 
Rebecca M. Miller, daughter of Isaac 
Miller, then living at Tuscola, Mich. 
During the following school year he 
taught the East Grammar School at Fre- 
mont, Ohio, and the ne.xt year taught the 
Maumee Grammar School under J. W. 
Hiett, superintendent. Returning to 
Fremont he taught the Fremont High 
School one year under Rev. E. Bushnell 
(now of Adelbert College), superinten- 
dent, and he next served as superintend- 
ent of the Port Clinton and Green Spring 
Union schools. 

In the fall of i 862 Mr. Burgner bought 
a farm of fifty acres three miles southeast 
of Fremont, where for health and profit 
he followed farming in the summer, 
teaching country school in the winter 
seasons for twenty years. In the spring 
of 1864 he enlisted in Company H, One 
Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment O. 
\. I., and served about four months as a 
soldier, at Fort Ethan Allen, Va. He 
was afterward elected justice of the peace 
of Ballville township, which office he held 



six years. Having learned phonography, 
in 1853, at Seneca County Academy, and 
kept in practice, he now found it conven- 
ient to furnish verbatim reports of public 
assemblies for the county papers, and of 
legal testimony for the court and bar of 
Sandusky county, during the intervals 
that could be spared from farm work. A 
mere enumeration of his voluminous work 
in this line during the last forty years 
would be tedious. In the spring of 1885 
he reported the proceedings of the Gen- 
eral Conference of the United Brethren 
Church, at Fostoria, Ohio, when that 
Church was rent in twain on the ciuestion 
of granting Church membership to per- 
sons who belonged to secret societies. 
He had been a member of that Church 
for thirty-six years, and was a decided 
" liberal." 

In the fall of 1885 Mr. Burgner's 
family, at the urgent solicitation of his 
niece, Orielle, removed to Oberlin. Ohio, 
for educational purposes, leaving him 
alone on the farm. After finishing up 
his farm work, a few months later, he 
sold his live stock and farm produce, 
rented his farm to a neighbor and joined 
his family at Oberlin. Here, in ill health 
and under many perplexing difficulties, he 
spent four busy years in writing the His- 
tory and Genealogy of the Burgner 
Family in America, a book of 200 pages, 
containing 1,500 personal names, and 
illustrated with portraits and family trees. 
The work was copyrighted and published 
in 1890, and found a ready sale among 
relatives. Not finding enough to do in 
the line of shorthand and typewriting to 
occupy all his time in Oberlin, Mr. Burg- 
ner changed his place of business back to 
F"remont, Ohio, his family remaining in 
Oberlin. During the past year he has 
assisted in preparing sketches for this 
volume. Mr. Burgner is a charter mem- 
ber of Manville Moore Post, G. A. R., 
secretary of the One Hundred and Sixty- 
ninth O. V. I. Regimental Association, 
stenographer and assistant secretary of 



458 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



the Sandusky County Pioneer and His- 
torical Society, and a teacher of short- 
hand and typewriting in Odd Fellows' 
Block, Front street, Fremont. He and 
family are members of the Second Con- 
gregational Church, Oberlin. In politics 
he has always been a Republican. 

The children of Jacob and Rebecca 
M. Burgner were Mary Alice, who died 
in infancy; Sarah Katharine, now teaching 
her fifth year in the Oberlin public schools; 
Linnaeus Peter, student at the State 
University, Minneapolis, Minn. ; and 
Louis Elvero, a student at Oberlin Col- 
lege. 



ISAAC MILLER. In writing sketches 
of the pioneer farmers of the Black 
Swamp it has been the usual custom 

to select those who have made a 
financial success in life, and who have 
lived to reap the rewards of their toil in 
rich farms, fine residences and large bank 
accounts. Yet it is not always the 
bravest soldiers who survive a battle and 
return to tell of the victory won. In the 
battles of life many brave boys must fall 
through no fault of their own; so also it 
is a well-known fact that many honest, 
hard-working, persevering, intelligent pio- 
neers, after an heroic struggle against ad- 
verse circumstances, were obliged to give 
up their farms, abandon their plans for 
the acquisition of wealth, and in poverty 
and comparative obscurity seek the higher 
and nobler consolations of Christianity. 
As a man of noble character and kind 
disposition, one who was universally es- 
teemed, who bore the reverses of fortune 
with manly fortitude, and tried by pre- 
cept and example to make the world bet- 
ter for his having lived in it, we give place 
to the subject of this sketch. 

Isaac Miller, farmer and carpenter, 
was born in Schuylkill county, Penn., 
April 1 6, 1806, son of Jacob and Mar- 
garet (Moser) Miller. His paternal grand- 



father, John Miller, who was an English- 
man, married a Miss Bauman, and their 
children were Jacob, Christian, Henry, 
Mrs. J. Shafer and Mrs. Cramer. His 
maternal grandfather was Michael Moser, 
a Welshman, who married Miss Catha- 
rine Wiseman (born on the Atlantic 
Ocean), and their children were Michael, 
Isaac, George, Margaret, Daniel and 
Mrs. Hepner. The children of Jacob 
Miller, father of our subject, were Sam- 
uel, Michael, William, Isaac, Reuben, 
Jacob, Rebecca and Charles. Our sub- 
ject grew to manhood on a farm near 
Orwigsburg, Penn., where he obtained a 
very limited common-school education 
and learned the trade of a carpenter. On 
August 7, 1827, he married Miss Mary, 
daughter of Abraham and Mary (Faust) 
Seltzer, of the same neighborhood, and 
in the spring of 1828 removed to Dela- 
ware county, Ohio. Here two children 
were born to them, Abraham F. and 
Reuben A., the first of whom died in 
childhood. In the spring of 1830 they 
removed to Sandusky county, Ohio, and 
settled in the wilds of Jackson township, 
on Wolf creek, nearthesite of Bettsville. 
Here was born their eldest daughter, Re- 
becca M., now wife of Jacob Burgner. 
In 1832 the family removed to Scott 
township, and settled on an eighty-acre 
tract of land since owned by John Hum- 
mel. This was on the edge of what was 
then known as Mud Creek Prairie, near 
the present site of Miliersville. Here 
they lived and toiled about ten years, 
trying to clear up a home, drain the prai- 
rie and carry on farming, laboring under 
very adverse circumstances. Bad roads, 
poor crops, sickness from fever and ague, 
and doctor's bills were constant draw- 
backs. Here the family was increased by 
the birth of WeslejJ., Susannah, Amelia, 
Hannah and Sarah, of whom only the 
first and the last two named grew to ma- 
turity. Their log-cabin home was often 
visited by the pioneer preachers of the 
United Brethren, Methodist and Albright 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



459 



denominations, and was for some time 
used as a place of worship. 

In his anxiety to remove the stagnant 
water from the prairie, Mr. Miller allowed 
his zeal to get the better of his judgment. 
With commendable enterprise and public 
spirit he got the promises of his neighbors 
to aid him in the construction of a seven- 
mile ditch to drain Mud Creek prairie; 
but when the job was completed and the 
June freshets came it was found that their 
engineering was at fault and the ditch did 
not answer its purpose. The crops of 
corn were all drowned out as before, and 
some of the neighbors refused to pay 
their shares of the cost of the ditch. The 
debt now fell so heavily on Mr. Miller 
that he was obliged to lose his farm. In 
the spring of 1842 he bought eighty acres 
of partl\-improved land in York town- 
ship of George Donaldson, for which he 
again went in debt. Here by dint of 
hard work he succeeded in clearing land 
and raising a crop of wheat the second 
year. The price of wheat was then 50 
cents a bushel at Sandusk)' City, his best 
market; and so an.xious was he to make a 
payment on his farm that in the fall of 
1843 he hauled his wheat twenty miles to 
that market for that price; if he had 
waited till the following spring he could 
have had $1.50 per bushel. But other 
misfortunes were in store for him. In 
the log-cabin home on this farm was born 
his youngest daughter, Minerva, now wife 
of Mr. Henry Hitchcock, a farmer in 
Nebraska, and a few months later Mrs. 
Miller died — from illness contracted by 
watching at the bedside of the wife of a 
neighbor, A. Dixon — leaving him with 
five children. His eldest daughter then 
kept house for him. When Mrs. Dixon 
recovered she took Mr. Miller's youngest 
daughter to raise, as she had no children 
of her own. Failing to receive the finan- 
cial aid from a Pennsylvania friend which 
had been promised, and which was his 
due, Mr. Miller was again obliged to sell 
his home. He next bought a house and 



lot at Flat Rock, Seneca county, where 
he tried to keep his children together and 
send them to school, while he worked at 
his trade as carpenter or shingle-maker. 
In 1850 his sons Reuben and Wesley en- 
gaged in the lumber business in Tuscola 
county, Mich. A year later Mr. Miller 
joined them, and for a number of years 
conducted a sawmill at the village of Tus- 
cola, to which his sons rafted the logs 
cut each winter in the pine forests above 
on the Cass river. He also kept a board- 
ing-house for the mill-hands, being as- 
sisted by his daughters. After a few 
3'ears of flourishing business Mr. Miller's 
partner in the sawmill, who also kept a 
general supply store, failed, and Miller's 
property was taken by his partner's New 
York creditors. Such was the law. In 
1852 Mr. Miller married Mrs. Hannah 
Griswold, of Tuscola, and soon after re- 
tired from the lumber industry to live on 
her farm near by. This was a welcome 
home for both their children (Mrs. Miller 
also having children by her former hus- 
band) for several years, a sort of lumber- 
men's headquarters. Mrs. Miller died in 
1873. Mr. Miller remained to manage 
the farm about two years, then relin- 
quished his life lease and retired from 
business altogether. In 1 876 he attended 
the Centennial Exposition at Philadel- 
phia, and spent several months visiting 
among friends in Pennsylvania. In 1877 
he lived for a season at the home of his 
daughter, Mrs. J. Burgner, near Fremont, 
Ohio, and afterward lived in the family of 
Mr. John Rinebolt, in Jackson township. 
In the spring of 1882 he took up his per- 
manent residence at the home of his 
daughter Hannah, wife of Morgan Ster- 
ner, at Bristol, Ind. , where he died Sep- 
tember 3, 1885, and was buried in the 
village cemetery. 

Isaac Miller in early life became a 
member of the Lutheran Church; but on 
moving to the Black Swamp, west of 
Lower Sandusky, and coining under the 
influence of the pioneer traveling preach- 



460 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



ers, he united with the Evangelical Asso- 
ciation, and became one of its most zeal- 
ous and consistent members for many 
years. In 1850 he united with the M. E. 
Church at Flat Kock, Ohio, and adhered 
to that faith during the rest of his life. 
He was a great friend of children, and 
established a number of pioneer Sunday- 
schools in destitute neighborhoods. In 
politics he was first a Whig, then a Re- 
publican, and finally a Prohibitionist. 
His two sons were soldiers in the Civil 
war, serving in the Third Michigan Cav- 
alr)'. His eldest son, Reuben A., living 
in Wisconsin, has for many j'ears been a 
professional pine-land hunter; his other 
son, Wesley, has valuable interests in 
some gold mines near Idaho Springs, 
Colo. His daughter Sarah, deceased, 
was the wife of Dr. Samuel H. Burgner, 
of Bellevue, Ohio. Though unfortunate 
in his financial ventures, as the world 
looks at it, Mr. Miller gave to his children 
a more precious legacy than wealth in the 
practical exemplification of an exalted 
Christian character. 



I 



HENRY FRY, farmer, Ballville 
township, Sandusky county, was 
born in Prussia, Germany, May 
3, 1813, a son of Lambert and 
Mary (Shoetler) Fry, natives of Germany. 
Lambert Fry, born in 1775, was a cab- 
inet-maker by trade, and also kept a 
grocery store; he died in 1859 at the age 
of eighty-four. Their children were: (i) 
Lambert, Jr., born September, 1803, 
died in 1849; (2) Mary, deceased in in- 
fancy; (3) John, born February 28, 1810, 
retired farmer, Ballville township; (4) 
our subject; (5) Mary, born September i, 
1 8 19, who married Lambert Speller, in 
Germany, and whose children are: John, 
Henry, Augustus, Fred, Lissette and 
Wilhelmine, all of whom have died, ex- 
cept two, and are buried in Oak Wood 
Cemetery. 

Our subject grew to manhood in the 



German Fatherland. He emigrated to 
America March 26, 1834, landing in Bal- 
timore on the 1st of July following, hav- 
ing been forty-two days at sea. On the 
I ith of April their ship was wrecked on a 
sand-bar, during a terrible storm, but 
Mr. Fry managed to keep on the wreck, 
and with several others subsisted on the 
contents of a keg of rum which they 
found in the wreck. They were out in 
the sea from Thursday until Saturday be- 
fore they were rescued by small boats pro- 
cured from shore by the efforts of the 
second mate and two seamen. Mr. Fry 
was the onlj' passenger who saved all his 
clothes. Many died from the effects of 
exposure, and thirty-one out of one hun- 
dred and fifty were drowned. After 
reaching land Mr. Fry had the choice of 
his passage money back or passage on 
another ship. He chose the latter, and a 
few days later engaged passage on the 
"Neptune," Capt. Williamson, with 164 
passengers, in which he made the voyage 
in safety. Mr. Fry made friends with 
the captain, and received special favors 
from him during the voyage. After land- 
ing in Baltimore he remained there only 
three days, then walked to Cumberland, 
Md. , where he worked at his trade of 
cabinet-making, and then started on foot 
to meet his cousin, Philip Fry, in Ohio, 
walking nearlj' all the way. He subse- 
quently came to Ballville township, San- 
dusky count}-, and worked for Samuel 
Treat. He put up several buildings for 
Mr. Treat, and then assisted in building 
a gristmill for James Moore. For the 
latter he worked five years at one dollar 
per day. In 1837 he went to Logans- 
port, Ind., remained there one year and 
built canal locks. On his return to Ball- 
ville township he married, September 4, 
1 84 1, Miss Abigail Rideout, daughter of 
John and Sarah (Randall) Rideout. 

John G. Rideout was born in Augusta, 
Maine, of English parents. Sarah Ran- 
dall was born in Connecticut, and after 
their marriage they removed to Ross coun- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



461 



ty, Ohio, and in 1825 to Ballville, San- 
dusky Co., where they resided until their 
death. The names and dates of birth of 
their children are as follows: William, 
February 10, 1819; David, May 6, 1821; 
Abigail, April 30, 1823; Ebenezer. April 
I, 1825; Margaret, March 6, 1827; 
Horace, December 22, 1829; Elizabeth, 
November 4, 1831; Alice, January 28, 
1833. Abigail (Rideout) Fry was born in 
Ross county, Ohio, and came with her 
parents to Ballville, Sandusky county, in 
1825, where she has resided for more than 
seventy years, and has seen the country 
grow from a wilderness, inhabited by In- 
dians and infested with wolves, to its pres- 
ent beautiful and prosperous condition. 

Henry Fry and his brother John 
bought a farm of 190 acres, where they 
lived together about eight years, after 
which Henry moved to a piece of 160 
acres, which he had bought some 3'ears 
before, and which has been his place of 
residence since 1850. He lives about five 
miles south of Fremont, was a Whig and 
is now a Republican in politics, and is 
much esteemed wherever known. 

The children of Henry and Abigail Fry 
were: John Lambert, who died in infancy; 
Cynthia J., born March 9, 1843; and 
Amelia S., born April 18, 1846. Cynthia 
attended school at Oberlin College about 
three years, and was married June 14, 

1865, to Dr. Robert H. Rice, whose 
sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. 
Amelia also attended school at Oberlin 
College, and was married December 26, 

1866, to Elias B., son of John and Eliza 
(Rutter) Moore, of Ballville. 

Elias B. Moore attended school at 
Oberlin College, and at the outbreak of 
the Rebellion, enlisted in the Seventy- 
second Regiment, O. \'. ,1., was appoint- 
ed sergeant of Company F, with many 
others was taken prisoner at the battle of 
Guntown, Miss. . and for manj- months 
suffered the horrors of Andersonville and 
other Rebel prisons. After the close of 
the war he was engaged in business in 



Fremont, was twice elected treasurer of 
Sandusky county, and afterward with 
his family removed to Fort Wayne, Ind. , 
where they now reside. Their children 
are Abbie, Mabel, Elias, Henry and 
Ruth. 



LOUIS A. DICKINSON, the pres- 
ent postmaster at Fremont, San- 
dusky county, was born in that 
cit\' May 16, i860, a son of Abner 
J. and Louise P. (Mitchener) Dickinson. 
Abner J. Dickinson was born in New 
York State May 13, 1 8 1 7, a son of Alpheus 
and Martha Dickinson, whose family con- 
sisted of seven sons and three daughters: 
Rodolphus, Rodolphus, Alexander, Al- 
pheus, Obid, Martha, Sarah (Mrs. David 
Beard, of Greene, N. Y. ), Satira (Mrs. 
George Grant, of Fremont), Champion, 
and Abner J. Louise P. Mitchener, moth- 
er of our subject, was born in Lancaster 
county, Penn. , December 23, 1815, the 
eldest of the seven children of Ryner and 
Lj'dia Mitchener, viz.: Louise P., Hon. 
Charles H. (late of New Philadelphia, 
Ohio), Mrs. Ann French, Mrs. Rachel 
Bartlett, Lydia, Mrs. Margaret Evans, 
and Mrs. Henrietta R. Dickinson (wife 
of Hon. E. F. Dickinson, a nephew of 
Abner J.), all of whom were reared and 
educated among the Society of Friends. 
The father of Louis A. came to Ohio at 
the age of twenty-one, and six years 
later settled in Lower Sandusky (now 
Fremont), where for many years he was 
engaged in general mercantile business. 
In politics he was a Democrat, and in 
1S54-56 he represented his county in the 
General .Assembly of the State of Ohio. 
During the Civil war he entered the ranks 
of the Union army, and died May 28, 
1863, at Camp Triune, Tenn. His 
widow now resides at No. 316 S. Arch 
street, Fremont. To them were born 
three children: Martha J., deceased wife 
of James H. Fowler, an attorney at law, 



462 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



of Fremont; Charles J., who died in 
•1874; and Louis Abner. 

Louis A. Dickinson was reared in 
Fremont by his widowed mother, was 
educated in the city schools, and gradua- 
ted from Fremont High School at the 
age of seventeen, taking the combined 
Latin and English four-years' course in 
three years. At the age of twenty-two he 
was elected county sur<'e3-or of Sanduskj' 
county on the Democratic ticket, and 
served in that capacity for six years. In 
1887 he was elected to the city council 
from the First Ward, and in 1889 was 
appointed city civil engineer, which po- 
sition he held until February 25, 1895, 
when he was appointed, by President 
Cleveland, postmaster of the city. He 
is a member of Brainard Lodge, No. 
336, F. & A. M., and of Fremont Lodge, 
K. of P. In 1886, he married Frances 
H. Mitchener, of New Philadelphia, Ohio, 
and to this union were born two daughters: 
Christine M. and M. Louise. Mrs. Dick- 
inson died in Fremont, August 9, 1890. 



RICHARD HAGEL, a progressive 
merchant of and the efficient post- 
master at Gypsum, Ottawa county, 
is a native of Ohio, born in Plaster- 
bed, Portage township, Ottawa county, 
March 26, 1862. 

He is a son of Louis and Wilhelmina 
(Hartenfelt) Hagel, both of whom were 
natives of Germany, and are now resi- 
dents of Plasterbed. The father was 
born in Baden, Germany, October 17, 
1828, and is a son of Andrew and Eliza- 
beth Hagel, who spent their entire lives 
in the Fatherland. He was there edu- 
cated and learned the trade of a stone- 
mason. Crossing the broad Atlantic to 
America in 1852. he resided for two years 
in Newark, N. J., and in 1854 came to 
Portage township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, 
where he engaged in farming and quarrj-- 
ing. In 1856 he removed to Carroll 
township, same county, where he pur- 



chased land, and for two years carried on 
agricultural pursuits. In 1858 he sold 
his farm and removed to Plasterbed, 
which has been his place of continuous 
residence since. His wife was born in 
Saxony, Germany, November 9, 1832, 
and was a daughter of Frederick and 
Hannah Hartenfelt. With her parents 
she emigrated to America in 1852, and 
they lived in Erie township, Ottawa Co., 
Ohio, until called to their final rest. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hagel were married 
June 15, 1S56, in the town which is still 
their home, and their union was blessed 
with ten children, six of whom are liv- 
ing: John, born March 26, 1857, and 
residing at Plasterbed; Emma, born De- 
cember 27, 1858; Richard; Sarah, born 
January 18, 1872, now the wifeof George 
Austin, of Plasterbed; William, born Feb- 
ruary 1 1, 1864, now residing in the same 
place; and Annie, born April 27, 1878. 

Our subject acquired a fair English 
education in the district schools of Port- 
age township, Ottawa county, and when 
his school life was ended entered upon 
his business career as a clerk in the store 
of Charles C. Peet, of Gypsum. He has 
since been connected with mercantile in- 
terests. For nine years he was emploj-ed 
in that capacity, during which time he 
became familiar with merchandising in 
every detail, and the experience thus ac- 
quired well fitted him for his own career 
along this line. In 1884, after the death 
of his employers, he purchased of the ad- 
ministrators the store, and has since been 
sole proprietor. He has a well-appoint- 
ed establishment, carries a large stock of 
goods, and is doing a flourishing business. 

Mr. Hagel was married in Gypsum, 
November 23, 1892, to Miss Hannah E. 
Hess, a daughter of Christian and Paulina 
(Warner) Hess, both of whom were na- 
tives of German}', residing in Gypsum. 
Mrs. Hagel was born at Plasterbed, Feb- 
ruary 20, 1869, and is an estimable lady, 
having many friends. Socially, our sub- 
ject is connected with Port Clinton Lodge, 




L^'c^^^^a^ ^ -^-, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



463 



No. 361. K. of P.. and O. H. Perry 
Lodge, No. 627, I. O. O. F. In politics 
he is a stalwart Republican, and has ably 
served as postmaster at Gypsum since 
1884. He attends the Methodist Church, 
and is interested in everything pertaining 
to the welfare and upbuilding of the com- 
munity. He has served as treasurer of 
the Island & Gypsum Fruit Co. Mr. 
Hagel is one of the progressive j'oung 
business men of the county, and by thrift 
and energy has raised himself to an im- 
portant position in the community; by 
fair dealing and perseverance has built up 
a large and rapidly-increasing mercantile 
business which ranks him among the 
solid commercial men of his locality. 
In 1 89 1, finding his quarters too small, he 
erected the spacious store which he now 
occupies. 



w 



J. ALESHIRE. The subject 
of this sketch, who is the edi- 
tor and proprietor of the Gib- 
sonburg Derrick, is recognized 
as one of the leading business men of San- 
dusky county, and his paper shows evi- 
dence of his ability as a journalist, it be- 
ing a readable, newsy sheet, fully up to 
the times, and an acceptable visitor in 
homes throughout that section of the 
State. 

Mr. Aleshire is a son of William and 
Sarah (Ewing) Aleshire, the former of 
whom was born October 19, 18 14, in Vir- 
ginia, where he grew to manhood, coming 
thence to Ohio, where, in Meigs county, 
he was married. He was a farmer 
by occupation. In 1846 he went to 
Fulton county. 111., and there remained 
a year or two, afterward removing to 
Hancock county, that State, where he 
spent the remainder of his life, dying Oc- 
tober 3, 1890, shortly after his wife, who 
passed away July 17, that year. For 
twenty years he was engaged in the hotel 
business. Mr. and Mrs. Aleshire were 
the parents of ten children, of whom 



three left their home at the call for loyal 
men during the war of the Rebellion, and 
served their country well and faith- 
fully, one finding an early grave in the 
Sunny South. The record of this large 
family is briefly given as follows: San- 
ford, who was a soldier in the One Hun- 
dred and Eighteenth Illinois Infantry, 
during the Civil war, is deceased; Virgil, 
who served four years in the same regi- 
ment, and was wounded in Vicksburg, is 
also deceased; Mary, who married Thomas 
Swan, lives at Granger, Mo. ; Orlando, 
who was in the Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, 
died at Napoleonville, La. ; Margaret is 
the wife of Uriah Ashcraft, and lives at 
La Harpe, 111. ; W. J. is the subject of 
this biograph}'; E. E., who is an attor- 
ney at law, resides in Stanberry, Mo. ; 
Albert is carrying on a hotel and livery 
business in Burnside, 111. ; Henry died in 
early youth; O. E. received an e.\cellent 
education, and at one time was superin- 
tendent of schools at Buchanan, Mich., 
throughout which State he became well- 
known owing to his oratorical powers and 
other good qualities, and was sent to the 
Legislature; growing tired of politics, he 
went to Chicago, where he engaged in 
business, and he has since made his resi- 
dence in that city. 

The subject of this sketch was born 
February 15, 1849, in Hancock county, 
111., and grew to manhood in that State. 
He received a collegiate education, and 
turned his attention to teaching, follow- 
ing that occupation, for which he was ad- 
mirably fitted, for nineteen consecutive 
\'ears. During the last twelve years of 
this time he was principal of schools in 
four different towns. In 1889, Mr. Ale- 
shire decided to combine newspaper work 
with teaching, and purchased the Good 
Hope Torpedo, which he carried on for 
three and a half years. Selling out this 
paper he came, in 1892, to Gibsonburg, 
and purchased the Derrick, of which he 
is editor and proprietor. When he took 
hold of the paper, it was a seven-colum n 



464 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



folio, which he changed to an eight-col- 
umn and then six-column quarto. The 
paper is independent in politics, and has 
a good circulation. 

Mr. Aleshire was married November 
30, 1882, to Miss Mary McClung, who 
was born April 22, i860, in Pike county, 
111., and they have two children, Oscar 
and Harry. Mrs. Aleshire is the daugh- 
ter of George and Nancy (Wayfield) Mc- 
Clung, the former of whom was a native 
of Virginia, and served through the Civil 
war. Two children were born to them — 
Mary (now Mrs. Aleshire), and Martha 
(Mrs. Charles Kennedy, of Quincy, 111.). 
Socially, Mr. Aleshire is a member of the 
F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F. 



CAPTAIN W. E. GILLETT, town- 
ship and corporation clerk, and 
ex-officio clerk of the school board 
of Green Creek township, San- 
dusky county, is one of the leading citi- 
zens of Clyde. His birth occurred in 
Groton township, Erie Co., Ohio, on the 
4th of September, i860, and he is a son 
of William and Elizabeth (Hearson) Gil- 
lett, both natives of Lincolnshire, Eng- 
land, where the father was born in 1833, 
and the mother in 1835. The father is 
a son of John Gillett, with whom he came 
to America when quite small, locating 
near Sandusky, Erie Co., Ohio, where he 
grew to manhood. His parents both died 
in Sandusky count}', where for about ten 
years William Gillett conducted a shoe 
store, but he now makes his home in 
Bellevue, Ohio. 

In this vicinity the Captain spent the 
days of his boyhood and 3'outh, no event 
of special importance occurring during 
that period. His education was com- 
pleted in the high school of Clyde, and on 
the farm he assisted in the labors of the 
fields. At the age of twenty-one he be- 
came a drug clerk, and later entered a 
grocery store. For about eight years he 
was with his father in the shoe business, 



being a member of the firm of Gillett & 
Sons. Since that time he has mostly 
filled official positions, being secretary of 
the water-works, and, while holding the 
office of township and corporation clerk, 
was also connected with the electric light 
plant. 

Eleven years ago Capt. Gillett joined 
the McPherson Guards as a private, was 
later promoted to sergeant and then to 
first sergeant, afterward to lieutenant, 
and finally to captain of his company, 
which position he now fills. He has had 
charge of his company during the recent 
strikes in the coal mines, and on several 
other occasions where they were called to 
aid civil authorities. 

Capt. Gillett was united in marriage 
with Miss Ida Day, of Sandusky, Ohio, 
and to them has been born a daughter, 
Edna. The Captain is one of the most 
popular men in Clyde, and is spoken of as 
a probable man for future honors in San- 
dusky county. He is enterprising, ener- 
getic and progressive, and takes a deep 
interest in everything pertaining' to the 
welfare of the community, where he is so 
widely and favorably known. In politics 
he is a Republican, and is a stalwart sup- 
porter of its men and measures. Socially, 
he belongs to the Rojal Arcanum. 



STEPHEN D. TERRILL. This 
well-known farmer of Green Creek 
township, Sandusky county, and 
for many years a successful busi- 
ness man of Clyde, has made the most of 
his opportunities. Instead of yearning 
for the distant and unattainable, he has 
cheerfull}' and resolutely done the work 
that lay before him, and by diligence and 
steadiness of purpose he has demonstrated 
by his success in life the golden value of 
those sterling qualities. 

He was born in Chenango county, 
N. Y. , June 26, 18 18, son of Elias and 
Hannah (Hickox) Terrill, sterling Presby- 
terians. Elias Terrill was born of Scotch 






COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



465 



parentage in Waterbury, Conn., August 
7, 1775, and was married May 6, 1798, 
to Hannah Hickox, born July 2, 1781. 
He was a cooper, and followed his trade 
in his native town until about 1S15, when 
with his family he moved to Pitcher, 
Chenango Co., N. Y. , where he died 
August 14, 1835, his wife surviving until 
November 6, 1856. They were the par- 
ents of the following twelve children: 
Irene, who in 1817 married Solomon En- 
sign, and reared a family in New York, 
where she died; Julia M., who in 1S19 
married James Hinman, reared a family, 
and died in New York City; Beulah S., 
who married Harry Chandler, and died in 
Bellevue, Ohio; Susan H., who married 
Amos Leonard, and died in the West; 
Lenora, married in 1 831 to J. R. Freeman, 
and died in Schenectady, N. Y. ; Elias 
G., who married Penina Dimmick in 

1834, and died in Pennsylvania; Shelby 
\V., married to Mary Ann Ruddock in 

1835, and died in Pitcher, N. Y. ; Jo- 
s'ah R., who went to Ogdensburg, N. Y., 
and was never heard from afterward; 
Stephen D., subject of this sketch; Nancy 
Judson, married Asa Ensign, and died in 
New York; Samuel N., who died in Cali- 
fornia; and Eunice Celestia, who married 
Henry Warner, and lives in New York. 
The mother lived to see all her twelve 
children married, and all were living when 
she died. 

Stephen D. Terrill, at the age of fif- 
teen, left the home of his parents and 
came to Ridgeville, Lorain Co., Ohio, to 
live with his sister. Two years later he 
went to Cleveland, and for two years en- 
gaged in teaming. He then drove team at 
Vermilion for over two years, and engaged 
in the manufacture of potash at Republic 
for about the same period. For a season 
he was second engineer on the old steam- 
er "Columbus," on Lake Erie, and after 
making potash at Milan during the fol- 
lowing winter he there purchased a black- 
smith shop in the spring of 1842, hired a 
blacksmith and learned the trade. He 



was married, June 4, 1843, to Martha 
Norton, born in Vermilion, Ohio, July 18, 
1825, daughter of Leonard and Mary 
(Bartow) Norton. Leonard Norton was 
born July 11, 1798, and died in July, 
1845. He was a Universalist in religious 
belief, and in politics a Democrat. His 
father, David Norton, a member of the 
Church of England, came to America 
from Thruxton, England, and was twenty- 
four weeks on the voyage. Mary Bar- 
tow, wife of Leonard Norton, was born 
in New York State in 1 796, and died in 
i860; she was a member of the Baptist 
Church. Leonard and Mary Norton had 
nine children, as follows: A child who 
died in infancy; Mary Ann, who married 
Peter Chance, and is now deceased; 
Leonard, who died young; I^orin, who 
died at Milan, aged thirteen years; Mar- 
tha, wife of Mr. Terrill; John G., engag- 
ed in real estate at Toledo; Alfred, who 
died in Pennsylvania, aged forty years; 
Adeline, wife of Myron Mills, of Milan; 
Eliza J., who married George W. Hayes, 
and died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

After his marriage Mr. Terrill re- 
mained in Milan until 1854, when he 
came to Clyde. He here followed his 
trade for a while, then engaged in cabinet 
making, and later operated a sawmill. 
About a year ago he removed to the farm 
in Green Creek township which he now 
occupies. He had seven children, three 
of whom died young, and those who lived 
to adult age were (i) Stephen H., born 
October 31, 1844, who enlisted in the 
One Hundred and Si.xty-fifth O. V. L, 
and died March 5, 1865, after his return 
home. (2) John G., born January 6, 
1847, a stationary engineer at Chicago, 
who is married to Mary Youman, and has 
three children — Gertrude, wife of Henry 
Denhart; Bessie A., a graduate of the 
Chicago Conservatory of Music, and Nel- 
lie, a graduate of a business college at 
Chicago. (3) Alfred N., born September 
6, 1854, now in charge of an extensive 
sawmill at Portland, Oregon. (4) Charles 



466 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



D., born August 24, 1856, killed May 6, 
1873, by accident, in a sawmill in Toledo. 
Mr. Terrill has been a member of the 
Clyde board of education. He has been 
a lifelong Democrat, first voting for Mar- 
tin Van Buren and every Democrat can- 
didate for Presidency since. His wife is 
a member of the Universalist Church. 



JOHN T. SIVALLS, the courteous 
and popular postmaster at Wood- 
ville, Sandusk}' countj^ where he is 
a well-known and highly-respected 
citizen of several years' standing, is a na- 
tive of the city of New York, born August 
22, 1828. He is of English descent on 
the paternal side, his grandfather Sivalls 
having come from England to America, 
settling in New Rochelle, Westchester 
Co., N. Y. , where he died. 

James Sivalls, father of John T. , and 
of the same nativity, followed the occupa- 
tion of grocery merchant in New York, 
and died there in 1837 at the age of fifty- 
two years. He was twice married, and 
by his first wife had two children — George 
and Franklin — both of whom died in New 
York; by his second wife, Cornelia 
(Lewis) he had five children, namely: 
Carolina, who married DeWitt Brinhap, 
and died in New York in April, 1894; 
William, who also died in New York; 
John T. , the subject of these lines; Tracy, 
now a resident of Chicago, 111. ; and Ben- 
son, who went to California, and has 
never since been heard of. 

As will be seen, our subject was nine 
years of age at the time he was bereaved 
of his father, and he then left his native 
city for Ithaca, N. Y. , where he lived 
with an uncle a few years, attending 
school and learning the trade of shoe- 
maker. From there he moved to Ashta- 
bula county, Ohio, and then after a short 
time returned to Ithaca, remaining there 
some eighteen months, all the time fol- 
lowing his trade. This brings us now to 
1846, the year of the breaking out of the 



Mexican war; and our subject, then a lad 
of barely eighteen summers, fired with 
militar\- enthusiasm and patriotic ardor, 
proceeded to New York, where he en- 
listed in Company E, Third Light Artil- 
lery, commanded by Brev. Maj.-Gen. 
Sherman, and attached to the army under 
Gen. Zachary Taylor. He served twenty- 
two months, participated in the battle of 
Buena Vista, and, receiving an honorable 
discharge in New Orleans, at once re- 
turned northward. For a time he moved 
from place to place, looking for work — in 
Rochester, N. Y. , remaining one year; 
then in Toledo, Ohio; later in Maumee, 
same State. He worked on the Wabash 
canal about three months, after which, in 
1 849, he located in Wood county, mak- 
his home with a family by the name of 
Truax, whose acquaintance he had formed. 
In 1849 he came to Woodville, where 
he followed his trade some time, then 
worked on the canal five seasons; after 
which he bought a farm in \N'oodville 
township, on which he lived five years, 
cultivating and improving it. In 1861 he 
moved into the town of Fremont, same 
county, but shortly afterward again lo- 
cated in Woodville, and here continued 
his trade until 1863, in which year he en- 
listed in Companj^ C, Third Regiment, 
O. V. C. He served in the Western com- 
mand about twenty- two months, was 
honorably discharged at Columbus, Ohio, 
and returned to Woodville, where he re- 
sumed his trade, in connection with which 
he also sold sewing machines some ten or 
twelve 3'ears. On June 23, 1851, he was 
married to Miss Mary Truax, of the family 
above referred to, and a native of Penn- 
sylvania, born in Bedford countj" in 1830, 
to which union eight children were born, 
a brief record of whom is as follows: 
Abner, Benson and Caroline died at the 
ages of ten, twenty-four and four years, 
respectively; Stilwell is now following the 
trade of cooper in Woodville; John mar- 
ried Susan Moore, and has three children 
R , Ralph and Frank; Mary is assist- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



467 



ant postmaster at Woodville; James is a 
cooper by trade at Findlay, Ohio; and 
Ralph, who was also a cooper, was so 
seriously injured on July 2, 1895, in Find- 
lay, Ohio, that he died on the following; 
day, at the age of twenty-four years. 

Mr. Sivalls is a Republican in his 
political preferences, and during President 
James A. Garfield's administration, was 
appointed postmaster at Woodville, con- 
tinued under President Harrison and 
President Cleveland, and still occupies the 
position. In church connection he is a 
member of the United Brethren Society; 
in secret society matters he is a member 
of Elmore Lodge, No. 462, I. O. O. P., 
and socially no one in the county enjoys 
more fully the esteem and confidence of 
the community at large. 



CAPTAIN CHARLES L. DIRLAM, 
the efficient and capable post- 
master at Clyde, Sandusky coun- 
ty, is a native of Massachusetts, 
born in Berkshire county, March 2, 1831, 
and is a son of Sylvenus and Mary (Clark) 
Dirlam. 

The father was born in Massachusetts 
in 1790, there followed farming and car- 
pentering until coming west on the ist of 
June, I S3 1, when he located on a farm in 
Sandusky county, three miles from Clyde. 
This place he improved and cultivated up 
to the time of his death, in 1884. His 
wife, who was born in Berkshire county, 
Mass., died at the age of fifty-eight 
years. In their family were nine chil- 
dren: Hiram, a resident farmer of Berk- 
shire county, Mass. ; James, who makes 
his home in Indiana; Curtis, who lives in 
Carroll county, Iowa; Joseph, who died 
at the age of ten years; Louise, wife of 
Myron Tuttle, of Indiana; Harriet, wife 
of L. Craig; Louis, a resident of Sandusky 
county, Ohio; D. Dirlam, in Mansfield, 
Ohio; and Charles L. The paternal 
grandfather was a Hessian soldier, sent 
to this country to assist the British in 



subduing the Colonies during the Revol- 
utionarj' war, during which he was 
wounded. Later he deserted, becoming 
a resident of Massachusetts, and during 
the war of 18 12 fought against the British 
troops. 

In the usual manner of farmer lads 
the boyhood and youth of Charles L. 
Dirlam were passed, aiding his father in 
clearing and developing the land. Later 
he learned the brick layer's and mason's 
trades, at which he worked until the 
breaking out of the Civil war, when he 
became a member of Company A, 
Seventy-second O. V. I., being assigned to 
the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Army 
Corps under Gen. McPherson. The first 
battle in which he was engaged was at 
Shiloh, which was followed by the Vicks- 
burg campaign, and with his regiment he 
participated in all the important engage- 
ments in the Mississippi Valley. At Gun- 
town, Miss. , he was taken prisoner, was 
sent to Mobile, Ala. , thence to Macon, Ga. , 
from there to Charleston and Columbus, 
S. C. ; on reaching Charlotte, N. C, he 
managed to escape, but was re-captured, 
after which he was confined in Libby 
prison. As his term of service had e.\- 
pired at the time of his exchange, he re- 
turned home. He had entered the army 
as a private, but at the time of being made 
prisoner was holding the rank of captain, 
which he had gained b}' meritorous con- 
duct on the field of battle. He has ever 
been a loyal and patriotic citizen, and in 
his defense of the Union was a fearless 
and valiant soldier. 

In 1858 Capt. Dirlam married Miss 
Mary Gale, born in Sandusky county in 
1832, and by this union there are three 
children: Jay C. , a miner at Seattle, 
Wash., married and has one child, Clyde; 
Staneberry, a house painter of Denver, 
Col., married and has one son, Charles; 
and John, the youngest of the family, 
still with his parents. On his return 
from the South at the close of the war 
the Captain resumed work at his trade in 



468 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



his vicinity. In 1891 he was appointed 
postmaster at Clyde, which office he is 
still holding, and has ever given the best 
of satisfaction. For forty years he has 
made his home in Clyde, where he is 
widely known and universally respected. 
In politics the Captain is a steadfast ad- 
herent of the principles formulated by 
the Republican party; socially he is a 
member of Edon Post, No. 55, G. A. R. , 
in which he takes an active interest. 



SAMUEL STORER, farmer and 
fruit grower, of Green Creek town- 
ship, Sanduskj' county, was born 
at Westbrook, near Portland, 
Maine, January 22, 1807, son of Joseph 
and Charlotte (Ivnight) Storer. 

Joseph Storer was also born in the 
" Pine Tree State," the year of his birth 
being 1776. His father was a Revolu- 
tionary soldier, and died of smallpox; his 
wife was a Miss Graves, who was born at 
Broad Cove, Maine, about 1720, and died 
at the age of ninet3'-nine years. The 
grandfather of Joseph Storer was sup- 
posed to be of Irish birth. Joseph Storer 
was a ship and house carpenter by trade, 
and he served in the war of 18 12. In 
181 5 his home was burned, and in re- 
building he became involved in debt. 
Thinking to better his circumstances in 
the West, and also wishing to keep his 
boys from going to sea, he came to Ohio 
in 1 8 17, and settled in Zanesville. He 
left Portland in May, that j'ear, accom- 
panied by his eldest son, George, and 
Samuel, then a boy of ten years. On 
reaching Zanesvillehe found employment 
at his trade, and in a year saved money 
enough to send for his family, so, purchasing 
a wagon and team, he hired a man to drive 
to Maine for them. The driver went as 
far as Connecticut, where he appropriated 
the team to his own use, and, as a conse- 
quence, the family was obliged to wait 
another year before coming west. Joseph 



Storer remained at Zanesville ten years, 
and while there he and his partner, John 
Wilson, built the great wooden bridge 
across the Muskingum river. In 1827 he 
moved to Cleveland, and there followed 
his trade of ship carpenter for many 
years. He died in Green Creek town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., in 1867. In poli- 
tics he was a Whig and a Republican, and 
in religious belief a Methodist. His wife, 
Charlotte Knight, was born in Broad 
Cove, Maine, in about 1777, and died in 
1 85 1. The children of Joseph and Char- 
lotte Storer were as follows: Eliza, who 
married Joel Chapman, and lived in 
Cuyahoga county to the age of eighty-five 
years; George, still living in Cleveland at 
the age of ninety-three years; Joseph, 
who died in Brooklyn village January 11, 
1894, aged eighty-nine years; Samuel, 
subject of this sketch, now (1895) aged 
eighty-nine years; Webster, now eighty- 
six years old; Hester, wife of Harris Brain- 
ard, of Cuyahoga count\^ 

Samuel Storer attended the schools 
of Zanesville, served an apprenticeship of 
six years to the trade of tanner and cur- 
rier, and followed it for thirty-five years 
at Brooklyn village. In the fall of 1862 
he sold out, and in the spring of 1 863 
moved to the farm near Clyde, which he 
still occupies and which he had purchased 
in 1857. Mr. Storer was married in 1831, 
to Miss Sarah J. Fish, who was born near 
Cleveland, October 11, 181 1. She was 
the daughter of James Fish, who, in 181 1, 
migrated from Groton, Conn., to Ohio, 
with an ox-team, and settled in the woods 
near Brooklyn village (now Cleveland). 
His wife was a weaver, and supported the 
family at the loom while he cleared the 
farm. Mr. Fish lived to the age of nine- 
ty-three years. The seven children born 
to Samuel and Sarah Storer were as fol- 
lows: (I) Sarah S., born in 1835, was 
married in i860 to Ira H. Pool, who in 
July, 1862, enlisted in the army and died 
in Nashville hospital in July, 1864; she 
has two daughters: Bessie, wife of Will- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



4G0 



ard Pcrin, of Green Creek township, and 
mother of four children — Ethel, Cecil and 
Gaylord and Gladys (twins); and Irene, 
wife of Ira Conistock and mother of three 
children — May, Ruth and Clara. (2) 
Miranda, wife of William Cunningham, of 
Clyde, has five children: Harry; Edna; 
Lizzie, wife of A. W. Wilds; Nellie, wife 
of William Wallace, of Lorain, and May, 
wife of Har\ey Cook, of Fremont, and 
mother of two children — Iva and Mabel 
L. (3) James, who served throughout 
the war in the artillery department, and 
is now secretary and treasurer of the 
Geo. Worthiiigton Co., wholesale hard- 
ware, Cleveland; he married Emma 
Schneider, of Cleveland, and had three 
children — May, Winifred, and James (de- 
ceased). (4) Mary, who wedded Robert 
Clapp, of Clyde (now deceased), and be- 
came the mother of one child — Irving; 
she is now the wife of George Lee. (5) 
Charles, of Green Creek township, mar- 
ried Lucinda Rathbun and has five chil- 
dren — Allie, Bessie, Mary, James and 
Carrie. (6) Etta, wife of Morris L. Huss, 
of Green Creek township, and mother of 
two children — Ruth and Dwight. (7) 
Benjamin is now deceased. Mrs. Storer, 
the faithful and devoted wife and mother, 
passed away in 1889. She had been for 
many years a consistent member of the 
M. E. Church, and that religious society 
at Clyde has had no heartier or more in- 
fluential supporter than Mr. Storer, who 
subscribes liberally to the Church and its 
missionary societies. He first joined the 
church in 1822, and has ever since lived in 
conformity with its teachings and pre- 
cepts. He is a man above reproach in 
his community, and a good citizen. When 
operations on the Ohio canal were com- 
menced July 4, 1824, Mr. Storer be- 
longed to an artillery company at Zanes- 
ville, which was ordered to Licking Sum- 
mit to be present at the celebration on 
that occasion. Gov. Clinton, of New 
York, and Gov. Trimble, of Ohio, lifted 
the first spadesful of earth in the construc- 



tion of that work. This, Mr. Storer says, 
was his first and only experience in mili- 
tary service. 



ISAAC AIGLER, a retired agricultur- 
ist of York township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, is worthy of credit for untiring 

energy and exemplary character, and 
to him honor should be rendered. His 
farm is a model one. The same marked 
care shown by his wife in the arrange- 
ment of her house, Mr. Aigler is renowned 
for in the appointment of his premises. 

Amos Aigler, the father of the subject 
of this sketch, was born in Pennsylvania, 
December 11, 181 5, and in 1839 was 
united in marriage with Armina Bobb, 
who was born in 1819, also in Pennsylva- 
nia. They had two children: Isaac, the 
older child, born in Union (now Snyder) 
county, Penn., August 23, 1840; and 
Eliza, now the wife of William Hummel, 
of York township. Mrs. Aigler died in 
1844, and two years later Mr. Aigler mar- 
ried Mrs. Eliza Aigler, widow of his 
brother, and they had five children, 
namely: James, late of Bellevue, Huron 
county, Ohio, now deceased, and Matilda 
L. , wife of J. D. Harpster, a Kansas 
banker (they were twins); Henry, of York 
township, deceased; J. P., a real-estate 
agent, of Kansas; and Clara, wife of Al- 
len Kern, a farmer of York township. In 
1848 the family came to Thompson town- 
ship, Seneca county, and next year moved 
to York township, where Mr. Aigler 
bought eighty acres of land. Here he 
lived for many years, and then, thinking 
he had well earned a vacation, moved to 
Bellevue, where he lives retired. 

Isaac Aigler was but eight years old 
when his father came to Ohio. His school 
life ended shortly after that, and he had 
to rise early and work late as, forty years 
ago, life on the farm was not lightened by 
iinproved machinery as at present. In 
1 86 1 he enlisted in Company D. Fiftieth 
Ohio National Guards, for f\\c years. 



470 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPniCAL RECORD. 



A^ain, on Ma}- 2, 1864, he enlisted in 
Company I, One Hundred and Sixt}'- 
ninth O. V. I. He served in Maryland 
and Virginia, defending Washington dur- 
ing the summer of 1864, and was dis- 
charged September 4, 1864. On March 
5, 1868, Mr. Aigler was united in mar- 
riage with Susan Close, who was born 
August 16, 1847. 

The parents of Mrs. Aigler, George 
and Mary (Moyer) Close, came to Ohio 
in 1856. They had eleven children, as 
follows: Austin, a Kansas farmer and car- 
penter; Eliza, widow of LaFayette Han- 
num, of Perrysburg, Ohio; Marguerite, 
wife of J. K. Frederick, of Mauniee, 
Ohio; Melinda, who is married to C. P. 
Deyo, of Belle vue; Henry, who is in the 
milling business at Venice, and resides in 
Sandusky City; Joseph W., a Bellevue 
banker; Susan, Mrs. Aigler; George W. , 
a banker at Berlin Heights; Cloyd, a 
farmer, of Michigan; Charles C, a livery- 
man in Fremont; and Jay F., a Kansas 
lawyer. Mr. Aigler has a fertile farm of 
108 acres, on which he grows principally 
grain, also some fruit. For many years 
he affiliated with the Republican party; 
but upon the organization of the People's 
party he at once embraced that doctrine, 
being the first man in York township to 
openly advocate the Omaha platform. He 
is one of the best known Populists in the 
country, and for several years has served 
on various county committees. 



Wn.LIAM REHBERG. Promi- 
nent among the old settlers and 
esteemed residents of Middle 
Bass Island, Ottawa county, is 
found the gentleman whose name intro- 
duces this sketch. He was born in Meck- 
lenburg-Schwerin, Germany, January 10, 
1825, son of John and Christina (Bohn- 
dorff) Rehbcrg, who were both born in 
Germany. 

William Rehberg was educated, reared 
to manhood and learned the trade of ma- 



chinist in his native land. On January/, 
1849, in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Ger- 
many, he was united in marriage with 
Louisa Stevens, who was born in Mamaro, 
and they have had seven children, three 
of whom are now living, namely: Mary, 
born January i, 1850, now the wife of 
John Runkle, of Middle Bass Island; 
Herman, born June 2, 1857, and residing 
on Middle Bass Island; and Ida, born July 
3, 1863, wife of A. Smith, Jr., of San- 
dusky, Erie county. 

In 1849 Mr. Rehberg left the Father- 
land for America, and after his arrival in 
this country resided at Niagara Falls for 
a few months, then came to Ohio and 
located in Wyandot count}', where he was 
engaged in the gunsmith business for two 
years. He then removed to Sandusky, 
Erie county, and for two years was occu- 
pied in fishing, in i856removing to Middle 
Bass Island, of which locality he has since 
been a continuous resident and one of its 
most progressive citizens, doing more, 
perhaps, than any other settler toward the 
progress that has been made on that beau- 
tiful island, and the growth of its material 
interests. Mr. Rehberg was the first pur- 
chaser of land on the island, and imme- 
diately after his purchase agreed to im- 
prove this part of the township by clear- 
ing and cultivating the land, and erecting 
substantial houses and other buildings. A 
few years afterward he began the cultiva- 
tion of grapes, and later entered upon the 
business of wine making, in which he has 
since continued, his vineyard now being 
one of the largest and best cultivated on 
the island. In 1869 he built his large 
wine cellar, in 1879 his spacious Middle 
Bass Club hall, used for the accommoda- 
tion of the club. He is owner and master 
of the fine steamer " Leroy Brooks," part 
owner of the steamer " Secord, " which 
plies between Port Clinton and the islands 
during the summer months, and is also a 
stockholder in the Sandusky Fish Com- 
pany. 

In his political views Mr. Rehberg is 




>^ /IM^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



471 



an active member of the Democratic 
party. He was the first trustee of Put in 
Bay township, and has also efficiently 
filled many other township offices. He 
is a member of Science Lodge No. 50, 
F. & A. M., of Sandusky, Erie county, 
and was a member of Erie Commandery 
No. 22, Sandusky, Ohio, but resigned in 
189s; is a member of Commodore Perry 
Lodge L O. O. F., of Put in Bay; and a 
charter member of Guttenberg-Hin Lodge 
No. 91, Druids, Sandusky. Few men 
have come more in contact with the grow- 
ing interests of Put in Bay township, and 
none have commanded more completel)' 
the respect and confidence of the com- 
munity than William Rehberg. He has 
risen by his own individual efforts, and 
may justly be styled a self-made man. 
Of gentlemanly demeanor, he always 
meets his associates, both in social and 
business circles, with a cordial and friendly 
bearing; as a public man he has dis- 
charged with painstaking fidelity the du- 
ties of ever)' position in which he has 
been placed, and enjoys the respect and 
esteem of the people he has so faithfully 
served. 

In 1882, after an absence of forty- 
three years, Mr. Rehberg paid a visit to 
his native land and town, and after pleas- 
antly sojourning there for some si.\ months 
with relatives and friends, returned to the 
United States and to Middle Bass in the 
fall of the same year. At the present 
time (December, 1895) he is in Florida, 
building a cottage in an orange grove. 



RICHARD BOYD STEVENSON 
holds an honored and revered 
place in the hearts of his fellow- 
citizens of York township, San- 
dusky county. He has passed the seventy- 
fifth milestone of his life, and is thus 
linked by memory to a past generation. 
Coming as he did when a lad of tender 
years to the " Black Swamp," he has 
witnessed the conversion of a swampy 

30 



jungle into a region as fair and fertile as 
the sun has ever shone upon. Gifted with 
a memory remarkably acute and vivid, he 
is an unquestioned authority upon the 
early history of York and neighboring 
townships. And blessed as he also is 
with a keen judgment of men and events, 
and with a kindly feeling for humanity, 
he ranks as an oracle among all who know 
him. 

Mr. Stevenson was born in Frederick 
county, Md., January 10, 1820, son of 
Dr. Matthew and Jane (Gilson) Steven- 
son. Dr. Stevenson was born in Fred- 
erick county, Md., in 1777, and his father, 
James Stevenson, who was of Scotch 
origin, emigrated from the North of Ire- 
land to Pennsylvania, married a Miss 
Buchanan fa relative of President Buchan- 
an), near Carlisle, Penn., and removed 
across the Maryland line, buying land on 
the foot hills between Emmittsburg, Md., 
and Gettysburg, Penn. Here he lived a 
farmer, of the old Presbyterian faith, 
until his death. His children were as fol- 
lows: Matthew; William, who died near 
Clyde, Ohio; Martha, who married and 
lived in Cayuga county, N.Y. ; Jane, after- 
ward Mrs. Knox; Abigail, who married 
and lived in New York State; Elizabeth 
and Mary. Matthew studied medicine 
and for a time practiced in Gettysburg, 
where his uncle, Dr. Buchanan, was also 
a practitioner. Later Dr. Stevenson 
practiced near Youngstown, Westmore- 
land Co., Penn. He v^'as a man of 
thorough classical education, and his son, 
Richard B., still has many of his books 
written in the Latin tongue. He also 
possessed high scientific attainments. The 
latter he was obliged sometimes to call 
into requisition. Thus in Westmoreland 
county the good people saw phosphor- 
escent lights move slowly to and fro, and 
in terror believed them to be spirits from 
the other world until Dr. Stevenson dem- 
onstrated to them the earthly origin of 
the lights. 

Jane Gilson, the wife of Dr. Steven- 



472 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



son, was born in Pennsylvania in 1789. 
Her mother was a Miss Boyd, member of 
a family who settled in an early day 
among the Indians at Carlisle, Penn. 
During the French and Indian wars the 
entire family was captured save the 
father, who at the time was absent from 
home. In a neighboring schoolhouse the 
teacher and all the pupils were massa- 
cred. Grandmother Boyd was killed by 
the Indians, because she was too old to 
be taken into captivity, and also an in- 
fant. The other Boyds were carried 
back into the wilderness. One of the 
boys, the grandfather of Dr. Stevenson's 
wife, was given to a "good Indian," and 
it was his duty to wait upon an enfeebled 
old warrior chief. Three years later he 
was returned to Carlisle. All the other 
members of the family, except one boy, 
were restored after seven years of cap- 
tivity. 

After the death of his father. Dr. 
Stevenson returned to Frederick county, 
Md., and remained there until his migra- 
tion to Ohio. He came with his family 
in a three-horse wagon to Tiffin, and later 
to Sandusky county, arriving June 3, 
1830, at the farm in York township still 
owned by the subject of this sketch and 
other heirs. The land had been entered 
by Mr. Birdseye in 1822, and from him 
purchased by Dr. Stevenson. The latter 
did not practice medicine in Ohio, but 
followed farming until his death, in 1849. 
In politics he was a Whig, and in relig- 
ious faith a Presbyterian early in life, but 
later a Methodist. His wife, who had 
nobly braved the toils and privations of 
pioneer life, survived until 1877. Dr. 
Matthew and Jane Stevenson had eleven 
children, as follows: James G. D., who 
lived at Buffalo, N. Y. ; Thomas W. B., 
of Fayette county, Iowa; G. H., for some 
years a resident of California; Nancy 
Jane, who married W. Gurley; Richard 
Boyd, subject of this sketch; Lucinda, 
born September 15, 1822, a maiden lady, 
who cared for her parents in their declin- 



ing years, and who now lives at the old 
homestead with her brother, Richard B. ; 
John W., of Sandusky City; M. A. and 
B. W. (twins), the former a resident of 
Chicago, and the latter a farmer of York 
township; Joseph F. , who died in 1852, 
aged twenty-two years; Mary E. , born 
August 19, 1832, the only child of the 
family born in Ohio, unmarried and living 
with her brother and sister on the old 
homestead. 

The occupants at the old farmhouse, 
around which cluster many fond memo- 
ries, are thus Richard Boyd Stevenson 
and his two unmarried sisters — Mary E. 
and Lucinda. Like them he has re- 
mained single. The home is one of the 
landmarks of the revered past, and in the 
eyes of the community for many miles 
about it is doubly revered because of the 
high standing of its owners. The Misses 
Stevenson are renowned for their ladj'- 
like and reserved manners, and for their 
liberal culture. They have been reared 
in the M. E. Church. In politics Mr. 
Stevenson is a Republican. With his 
accustomed public spirit and generosity, 
he has dedicated to public use a spring of 
remarkable freshness and coldness, which 
gushes from the earth a short distance in 
front of the Stevenson home. Around it 
he has built a stone house, and the passer- 
by is ever welcome to enter and slake his 
thirst at ' ' the coldest spring and purest 
water in northern Ohio." 



ROBERT L. RIFE, a leading citi- 
zen of York township, Sandusky 
county, has amassed one of the 
largest landed holdings for many 
miles around by his superior business 
sagacity and enterprise. He began his 
farming career in a small way, and added 
to his acres gradually from time to time, 
obeying the cardinal principle of success 
in life by keeping expenses within his in- 
come. He is yet a young man, and a na- 
tive of York township, born April 27, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



473 



1846, son of Michael and Mary (Long- 
well) Rife. 

It is a family of pioneer stock. Mich- 
ael Rife was born in Frederick county, 
Md., February 15, 18 14, a son of Daniel 
and Elizabeth (Zumbrund) Rife. Daniel 
Rife was the son of a German emigrant 
who had settled in Maryland. Like his 
father he was a member of the Lutheran 
Church. He continued to live in Mary- 
land many years after his marriage to 
Elizabeth Zumbrund, but in 1S32 he 
migrated with his wife and ten children — 
three sons and seven daughters — to San- 
dusky county. These children were as 
follows: Susan, who married Chester 
Kinnej', of Green Spring; Michael, father 
of Robert L. ; Daniel, a farmer of Clyde; 
Julia Ann, who married John Hamlin and 
moved to Steuben county, Ind. ; Eliza- 
beth, of Bellevue; Mary and Sarah 
(twins), the former of whom married 
Aaron Bartlett of Fulton county; Sophia; 
John, of York township; and Frances. 
The township was practically uncleared 
and largely unsettled when Daniel Rife 
became a resident in 1832, and he en- 
gaged in the serious work of making a 
home for himself in the wilderness. He 
met with success, and his descendants are 
among the most highly-respected citizens 
of the county. He died at the age of 
fifty-seven j'ears, his wife surviving to the 
age of seventy-six. 

Michael Rife, the eldest son, was 
eighteen when he came to Sandusky coun- 
ty, just the right age to be of most value 
to his father in the pioneer life. For 
seven years he labored at home. Then 
on New Year's Day, 1839, he married 
Mary Longwell, a young lady who had 
been orphaned from infancy, and whose 
parents were among the first victims of 
an unhealthy climate in York township in 
its early days. She was born in Berlin 
township, Delaware county, November 
9, 1 82 1, only daughter of Robert and Lu- 
cinda (Butler) Longwell. They were 
married February 2, 1821, and in 1823 



journeyed to a new pioneer home. Mr. 
Longwell brought his goods in an o.x- 
wagon, while his wife carried the child 
Mary in her arms and rode horseback. 
After one brief year of married life in the 
new land the family was destroyed. Mrs. 
Longwell died September 17, 1824, aged 
thirty-two years, her husband, who was a 
native of Kentuckj', five days later, aged 
thirty years. The mother was one of a 
numerous family; she was born in Lenox 
township, Berkshire Co., Mass. Her 
brothers and sisters were: Sarah; Lydia, 
Rebecca, Persus, Thankful, Jethrone, 
Daniel, David, Levi, George, Cornelius 
and Mar}'. The orphaned child grew up 
among relatives in Sandusky and Dela- 
ware counties. After his marriage to her 
in 1839 Michael Rife began housekeeping 
in York township. Currency was scarce 
in those days, and to procure the small 
amount of money needed to pay taxes 
was a difftcult matter. Mrs. Rife raised 
chickens and produce of various sorts, 
but the prices they commanded would in 
this day discourage any agriculturist. 
Michael Rife was in politics a Republican. 
He was industrious and economical, and 
accumulated a highly-improved farm of 
400 acres upon which he lived in comfort 
during his declining years until his death, 
which occurred January 2, 1894. His 
widow is at this writing still living on the 
old homstead on the North Ridge, York 
township. Four children were born to 
Michael and Mary Rife, f i) Eudora Ann, 
born March 30, 1841, married October 
16, 1862, to Robert Zuel, of Townsend 
township, who was born in New York 
State October 29, 1831; thej' have four 
children: Mary, born October 20, 1863, 
married to Robert Asher, and living in 
Kansas, near Kansas Cit\'; Sarah, born 
October 22, 1S65, married to William 
Range, and the mother of five children — 
Charles, Frank, Fred, Bessie and Harry; 
Hattie, born August 25, 1869, married 
to W. Gursuch, and living in Wallace 
county, Kans. ; and George, born March 



474 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPEICAL RECORD. 



4, 1877, a farmer of Johnson county, 
Kans. (2) Sarah Fideha, born September 
7, 1842, is the wife of WilHam L. Rich- 
ards, of York township. (3) Robert L. 
is the subject of this sl<etch. (4) Charles, 
born February 20, 1848, died March 24, 
same year. 

Robert L. Rife grew up in York town- 
ship, and at the age of twenty-three, 
on September i, 1869, married Miss Maria 
Dimock, who was born in Brownhelm 
township, Lorain county, August 4, 1849. 
After marriage they settled on a small 
place, and modestly began farming. It 
can be said that Mr. Rife has a genius 
for the noble art of husbandry, for he has 
prospered almost beyond measure, and 
he is to-day one of the most substantial 
farmers of Sandusk}' county. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Rife have been born five chil- 
dren: Charles, Fred, Emmet, Gertrude 
and Homer. Charles, the eldest, mar- 
ried Hattie Wyatt, and has two children — 
Beatrice and Ellis. Fred married Miss 
Christena Knoblow, and has one child — 
Helen. 



SAMUEL FOUGHT, one of the 
honored pioneers of Sandusky 
county, has made his home in 
Washington township since the 
•days when this locality was a frontier 
settlement, when the work of progress and 
civilization seemed hardly begun, when 
homes were widely scattered, and when 
many of the now thriving towns and vil- 
lages had not j'et sprung into existence. 
In the work of progress and advancement 
he has ever borne his part, and his name 
is inseparably connected with the history 
of the county. 

Mr. Fought is a native of Ohio, born 
in Perry county, December 3, 1831, and 
is a son of Michael and Elizabeth (Kline) 
Fought, who removed from Pennsylvania 
to Ohio in the days when it was hardly 
safe to venture far from their log cabin, 
for the wolves were then more numerous 



in Sandusky county than are the cattle 
to-day. They located upon a fortj'-acre 
tract of land about two miles from the 
present home of our subject, and there 
spent their remaining days, both reaching 
an advanced age. The father passed 
away at the age of eighty-one, and 
the mother was called to her final 
rest at the age of eight\--three. In his 
political relations he was a Democrat, and 
both were members of the Lutheran 
Church. Their family numbered eleven 
children, of whom Pegg\- became the wife 
of J. Cunningham, by whom she had four 
children, and after his death married G. 
Heverland, by whom she had one child; 
Sally married J. Hetrick, and both are 
now deceased; Solomon, Nancy and 
Michael are also deceased; the other 
members of the family are Betsy, William, 
Powell, Polly, Samuel and Levi. 

Our subject was a young child when 
his parents located in Sandusky county, 
and when he became old enough to attend 
school he was sent to the only one in the 
township, about fi\e miles from his home, 
and that distance he was compelled to 
walk. He lived with his parents until 
1848, when, at the age of seventeen, with 
the money that he had saved from his 
earnings, he purchased seventy acres of 
land in Washington township, and took 
up his residence thereon. It is located 
on what is termed the pike, and is one of 
the most valuable tracts in the township. 
Here he is successfully engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits, and his place is under a 
high state of cultivation, and well improv- 
ed with the accessories and conveniences 
of a model farm. 

On October 5, 1843. Mr. Fought was 
married to Miss Susan Klotz, daughter of 
David Klotz, a farmer of Pennsylvania, 
in whose family there were seven children: 
Philip, Katie, Susan, John, Martin, 
Samuel and David. The father died at 
the age of sixtj^-three, the mother at the 
advanced age of eighty-six. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Fought have been born eight chil- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



47& 



dren — six sons and two daughters — name- 
ly: Nancy, born December i6, 1844, now 
the wife of Fred Gillard; Lucy, born Jan- 
uary 15, 1847, now the wife of Frank 
Arnett, a carpenter of Fremont, Ohio; 
Absalom, born May 11, 1S50; William, 
born February 23, 1852, and is engaged 
in carpentering in Fremont; Freeman, 
who was born January 13, 1854, and re- 
sides in Hessville, Ohio; Levi, who was 
born August 5, 1856, and follows milling 
in Fremont; Franklin, a resident of Lind- 
sey, Ohio, born May 31, 1861; and David 
E. , born August 25, 1864, now a contrac- 
tor of Toledo, Ohio. Mr. Fought is a 
stalwart Republican in politics, and has 
filled the office of school director, taking 
a deep interest in the cause of education, 
of which he is a warm friend. He belongs 
to the United Brethren Church. 



ALBERT E. RICHARDS (better 
known as Bert), who is engaged 
in the publication of the Farmers 
Reporter, of which he is editor 
and proprietor, has spent his entire life 
in Sandusky county, his birth having oc- 
curred in Townsend township, November 
2, 1862. He is a son of Archibald and 
Marj' (George) Richards. His father was 
born near New London, Conn., in 1812, 
and when a young man he came to the 
West, taking up his residence in Sandusky 
county, where he carried on agricultural 
pursuits and succeeded in amassing a com- 
fortable fortune. In politics the elder 
Richards was a Democrat until after the 
division came on the slavery question, 
when he became a stalwart Republican. 
His death occurred in 1884. The mother 
of the subject of this sketch was born in 
Seneca county, Ohio, in 18 19. Her par- 
ents were from Vermont, and were among 
the first settlers in this section of the 
State. Mrs. Richards is still living and 
is a resident of Clyde. 

In the Richards family there were 



thirteen children, of whom our subject 
is the youngest. He attended the dis- 
trict schools until twelve years of age, 
when the family left the farm and moved 
to Clyde, thus giving him the advantage 
of a better grade of public schools. In 
1S79 he became a student at Hillsdale 
College, Hillsdale, Mich., and remained 
there three years. He left school at about 
the time of his father's death, and en- 
gaged in the insurance business, which he 
pursued with success during a period of 
two 3'ears. He then disposed of his in- 
surance interests, and devoted his whole 
time and attention to art, for which 
he had always displayed a natural taste and 
inclination. In art he was fairly success- 
ful from a financial standpoint, and his 
work in black and white was warmly re- 
ceived by some of the best art critics. 
Our subject, however, could not be satis- 
fied with anything less than a thorough 
schooling in color work among the mast- 
ers abroad, and did not feel financially 
able to pursue such a course of study. 
In 1892 he decided to drop his art work 
for a time, and purchased the Fanners' 
Reporter, a Republican newspaper with a 
good circulation, published at Clyde. Mr. 
Richards at once changed the paper to- 
a Democratic sheet, being a stanch Demo- 
crat himself. It is well edited, neat in 
appearance and devoted to the best inter- 
ests of the city and county. Being well 
conducted it receives a liberal patronage, 
and its business is steadily increasing. 
One commendable feature about the pa- 
per, so rare now-a-days, is that it con- 
tains no medical or other advertisements 
of a questionable sort, regardless of the 
high prices offered for space by such ad- 
vertisers. 

Mr. Richards is an inflexible supporter 
of the principles of his party. He is well 
known among local politicians throughout 
northwestern Ohio, and his figure is a fa- 
miliar one at conventions and other polit- 
ical gatherings. His friends are many 
throughout the county, where his genial. 



470 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



affable nature has made him popular with 
everybody. 

Our subject was united in marriage on 
May 17, 1S94, to Miss Millicent Fancher, 
the charming and accomplished daughter 
of Postmaster Fancher, of Lorain, Ohio. 



A 



A. FENN, one of the prosperous 
and successful business men of 
Clyde, Sandusky county, a fruit 
farmer and ice dealer, is the son 
of a well-known pioneer of the county, 
Amos Fenn. The latter came to Clyde 
in 1820, with the Pogue family, Silas 
Dewey and Giles Thompson, the earliest 
settlers, and for more than half a century 
was a prominent character in the com- 
munity. 

Amos Fenn was born in Litchfield 
county, Conn., in September, 1793, and 
was a young man when he came west. 
He was a carpenter by trade, and built 
the first frame house in the city of San- 
dusky. He was twice married, first at 
Marblehead to Nancy Smith, by whom he 
had five children, as follows: Susan P., 
now Mrs. Wing, of Kansas; Charles G., 
a grocer at Adrian, Ohio; Clara D., who 
married Horace Woodward, and died near 
Norwalk; William U., who died many 
years ago; and Harriet J., unmarried, a 
resident of Tiffin. Mrs. Fenn died in 
June, 1839, and in 1840 Amos Fenn mar- 
ried Emeline, widow of Orrin F. Brace, 
and daughter of Nathan and Lucy (Smith) 
Jacobs. She was born in \'ermont Sep- 
tember 30, 1 8 10, and was married at 
Ithaca, N. Y., to Mr. Brace, who went 
west, contracted a fever and returned to 
Milan to die soon after. By that marriage 
there was one child, George Brace, now 
of Grand Ledge, Mich. To Amos and 
Emeline ¥enn came two children, who 
grew to maturity — Nancy, born February 
3, 1 84 1, who was married to Joseph 
Dufran, of Bucyrus, and died February 
16, 1892, leaving five children — Charles, 
George, Allen, Jean and Fred; and A. A., 



subject of this sketch, born September 9, 
1848. Amos Fenn remained a resident 
of Clyde until his death, January 16, 
1879. He was buried in Clyde cemeterj-. 
He was a man of deep conviction, and 
was universally admired and respected. 
For a time after coming to Clyde he 
operated an old water sawmill on Coon 
creek, near the village. For a period of 
eighteen j'ears from 1843 he served as a 
justice of the peace, and he was also 
elected township clerk; in politics he was 
a Republican. For a man of pioneer 
times he was fairly educated, and in 1844 
he was ordained a Methodist minister, 
during his later years devoting his life al- 
most exclusively to ministerial duties, and 
his farewell sermon in the M. E. Church 
attracted one of the largest audiences 
ever assembled in Clyde. Father Fenn, 
as he was generally known, delivered more 
funeral sermons, perhaps, than any other 
man in Sandusky county, and often left 
the harvest field to officiate at some burial 
service. This was purely a labor of love, for 
all he ever received for these ministrations 
was one white shirt. It was not alone in 
trhe lugubrious aspects of life that he par- 
ticipated, for in disposition he was jovial 
and generous; he married hundreds of 
young couples, and his one daughter, 
Nancy, was among the large number 
joined in wedlock by him. His widow, 
at this writing, still survives. She was in 
early life a member of the Baptist Church, 
the faith of her parents, but in 1835 
joined the M. E. Church at Milan. By 
letter she, in 1840, became a member of 
the Clyde Church, and still holds that 
membership. Somewhat enfeebled by 
age, she now makes her home with her 
son, A. A. 

Our subject spent his boyhood days in 
the vicinity of Clyde, and assisted his 
father on the farm. He was drummer in 
Company B, One Hundred and Sixty- 
ninth O. V. I., which did guard service 
at Fort Ethan Allen during the summer 
of 1864, and like most of his comrades he 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



477 



came home broken down in health frorrt 
his long stay in a malarial locality. In 
1876 he was married to Lida Rathbun, 
who was born in Clyde June 16, 1856, 
daughter of Franklin and Louisa (Tucker) 
Rathbun, the former also a native of 
Clyde, the latter born February 17, 1827, 
in Lorain, Lorain county. Franklin 
Rathbun and wife had five children, as 
follows: Newton, of Clyde; Mary, wife 
of James Stokes, of Clyde; Amy, wife of 
John H. Keller, of Pomona, Cal. ; Lida; 
and Burt, of Clyde. A. A. and Lida 
Fenn have three children: Franklin Amos, 
Jay Leon and Ethel May. After mar- 
riage Mr. Fenn purchased his father's 
farm, and embarked in the ice and fruit 
business which he has ever since very 
successfully cenducted; he is thoroughly 
attached to this industry, which is one 
of inestimable value to the community in 
which he lives. He has a fine spring wa- 
ter pond, with gate outlet, used for thor- 
oughly cleansing the pond, which is used 
for boating in summer. He has sixteen 
acres in small fruits, three acres of 
which are devoted to blackberries, the 
yield increasing every year. In poli- 
tics Mr. Fenn is a Republican, and in 
religious belief a Methodist. He is a 
prominent member of the G. A. R. and 
of the K. of P. 



JOSHUA D. SAMPSEL. The sub- 
ject of this sketch is well-known in 
Sandusky county, where he has re- 
sided all his life, and especially in 
Madison township, of which he is one of 
the prominent and substantial citizens. 
The story of his life is that of many of 
the early settlers of Ohio; a boyhood of 
hard work and privation, with few ad- 
vantages and still fewer pleasures, but 
with plenty of grit, earnest endeavor, and 
stubborn perseverance which have, in the 
end, lifted him to the level of success and 
secured for him a competence which en- 



ables him to enjoy those privileges of 
which he was deprived in youth. 

Mr. Sainpsel was born, September 27, 
1849, in the township in which he still 
makes his home, son of George and Mary 
(Dick) Sampsel. who came thither from 
Union count}', Penn., in the early days of 
Ohio, and long before our subject was 
born. His ancestors on both sides were 
natives of Pennsylvania, and lived there 
throughout their lives, with the exception 
of his maternal grandmother, who accom- 
panied her daughter to her western home 
and died in Sandusky county. George 
Sampsel settled on a forty-acre tract of 
land on which his son Joshua still lives, 
and which was then covered with a wild 
growth of timber. He worked assidu- 
ously to clear the land and prepare the 
fields for crops by which to support his 
little family, but before his task was done 
his life was crushed out by a log rolling 
onto him. At the time of this sad event 
our subject was but two years old, and 
the other children too young to be of any 
assistance to their mother. This brave 
woman took up the heavy burden thus 
thrown upon her shoulders, and with what 
she could raise upon the farm, and by 
weaving carpets, managed to keep the 
wolf from the door. The family consisted 
of four children: Sophia, who married 
William Ickes, a farmer in Madison town- 
ship (thej' have one child, Erma); Re- 
becca, wife of Henry Friar, also a farmer 
in Madison township (they have three 
children, a daughter, Minnie — wife of 
Louis Driftmyer — and two sons, Bertie 
and Clifford); Joshua D., our subject; and 
Zephaniah, who died when eighteen years 
old. 

On May 5, 1875, Mr. Sampsel was 
married to Miss Julia Kingston, who was 
born May 24, 1858, in Ottawa county, 
daughter of Henry and Minnie (Socedia) 
Kingston, farming people, who were of 
German birth. Their children were seven 
in number: Minnie, Eliza, Mary, Anna, 
Julia, Angeline, and one who died in in- 



478 



COMMEMOEATrVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



fancy. Since his marriage, Mr. Sampsel 
has added to his original farm, and now 
owns 104 acres of valuable land in the 
center of the oil district. On it he has 
seven good wells, which bring -him in a 
comfortable monthlj- income. All the 
land is cleared with the exception of 
about thirty acres, which he uses for tim- 
ber and pasturage. His family consists 
of si.x bright children, as follows: Justis, 
born July 11, 1876; Vernie, born August 
4, 1878; Elsworth, born August 28, 1880; 
Goldie, born April 3, 1884; Mabel, born 
August 3, 1887, and Arthur K. , born 
October 11, 1894, all at home. Mr. 
Sampsel has one of the finest and most 
comfortable homes in the township, and 
the handsomely furnished rooms are in- 
dicative of the e.xcellent taste of its owner. 
That he stands high in the estimation of 
his fellow citizens is shown by the various 
responsible public offices in which he has 
been placed, he having held the position 
of school director and road supervisor, 
and at present that of township trustee. 
In politics he is a Democrat, and, with 
his wife, is a meiTiber of the Evangelical 
Church. Mr. Sampsel's father was in 
sympathy with the principles now held by 
the Republican party, and served as jus- 
tice of the peace. 



GEORGE W. BAILEY (deceased) 
was one of the honored pioneers 
and highly-esteemed citizens of 
Catawba Island township, Otta- 
wa count}'. He was a native of Connect- 
icut, born in Danbury, Fairfield county, 
February i , 1 8 1 1 , and was a son of Will- 
iam Ward and Anna (Bowton) Bailey, 
the former of whom served as a soldier 
in the war of 181 2. 

In his native city our subject spent 
the days of his boyhood and youth, and 
there learned the trades of shoemaker and 
bricklayer, following the former during 
the winter months, while through the 
summer season he worked at the latter. 



In 1844 he removed to Ohio, and on May 
14 of that year located on Catawba Is- 
land (then Van Rensselaer township), 
when this county was almost an unbroken 
wilderness. Here he engaged in shoe- 
making until his death, which occurred 
March 19, 1848. 

At New Fairfield, Conn., Januarj* 12, 
1835, Mr. Bailey married Miss Marj- E. 
Bearss, a native of New Fairfield, born 
May 16, 1813, and a daughter of Joseph 
T. and Annie (Hubble) Bearss, also 
natives of Fairfield county. Conn. In the 
war of 18 12, her father fought in defense 
of the stars and stripes, and her grand- 
fathers were soldiers in the Revolutionary 
war. Mr. and Mrs. Bailej' became the 
parents of four children: Thomas W. , 
born May 13. 1837, died March 8, 1890; 
Lorenzo S., born December 24, 1838; 
Anna A., born August 19, 1840, is the 
wife of Frank Wonnel, residing in Port- 
age township, Ottawa county; and George 
O., born October 29. 1843, died March 
4, 1890, from hardships incurred while 
serving in the army. In religious faith 
the family is identified with the Univer- 
salist Church. 

Lorenzo S. B.^iley, smce the death 
of his father, has looked after the interests 
of the homestead farm and cared for his 
mother, who is now one of the oldest 
living residents of the community, having 
attained her eighty-second year, is still 
hale and hearty, and able to attend to her 
household duties. During her life she 
has been a great weaver and has woven 
thousands of yards of rag carpet, prior to 
which for years she spun the wool and 
wove the cloth for the family's clothes. 
In the summer time they wore cotton 
clothes colored with yellow oak or black 
walnut bark boiled down to an extract and 
set with copperas to hold its color. ' ' Our 
young people of to-day," says Mr. Lor- 
enzo Bailey, " think they have hard times, 
but they know nothing about hard times. 
I remember very plainly when our family 
had nothing but boiled wheat and hulled 





3 ^^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQBAPHICAL RECORD. 



479 



corn to eat. Flour was not made in the 
county, and was hard to get. I worked 
many a day for twenty-five cents per day, 
and the winter I was sixteen I chopped 
.wood for my uncle at fifty cents a cord, 
and boarded m}self. At eighteen I went 
to learn the carpenter's trade, and for 
three years worked for almost only my 
board; then followed fishing for several 
years, made a little money, bought a piece 
of land and commenced fruit growing." 
Lorenzo Bailey is one of the most suc- 
cessful fruit growers of the island, and is 
held in high esteem by all who know him. 



THOMAS P. DEWEY, member of 
the law firm of Finch & Dewey, and 
one of the prominent attorneys of 
Clyde, Sandusky county, was born 
in Crawford county, Penn., December 27, 
1853, son of George and Harriet (Ensign) 
Dewey. 

George Dewey is the descendant of an 
old Massachusetts family of Scotch ex- 
traction. He was born in 1818, and still 
survives, a resident of Clyde. His wife, 
who was born in 1822 in Ashtabula coun- 
ty, Ohio, died in 1881. George and 
Harriet Dewey had six children, all of 
whom are yet living, as follows: Carlie, 
wife of Henry Bruning, of Toledo, Ohio 
Charles, of Fremont, Ohio; Thomas P. 
George, a merchant of Shelby, Mich, 
and Hattie and Mattie, twins. 

Thomas P. Dewey had not the ad- 
vantages of a collegiate training, but his 
education was by no means neglected. 
He attended the public schools of his na- 
tive town, afterward the excellent schools 
at Kelloggsville, Ohio, and he was amply 
compensated by private study for the 
absence of extraneous opportunities. In 
1876 Mr. Dewey began the study of law 
at Painesville, Lake Co., Ohio, with the 
firm of Tinker & Alvord, the following 
year coming to Clyde, where he continued 
his studies under Judge John M. Lennon. 
He was admitted to the bar April 23, 



1879, and in the following autumn began 
practice at Tiffin, about a year later, 
however, returning to Clyde, where he 
has ever since continued in active prac- 
tice. For three years he practiced alone, 
but in 1883 the firm of Finch & Dewey 
was formed, and these two attorneys have 
ever since been very successfully associ- 
ated in a professional way. Theirs is one 
of the leading firms in the city, and does 
an extensive legal business, practicing in 
all the courts. In politics Mr. Dewey is 
a strong Republican. He is actively in- 
terested in the triumph of the party's 
principles, and is recognized as one of the 
county leaders of his party. 

On September 9, 1879, Mr. Dewey 
was married to Miss Jennie Stilwell, and 
to their union have been born three chil- 
dren: Hattie, Benjamin and Lucy. As 
a sort of recreation, and to get relaxation 
from his law practice, Mr. Dewey pur- 
chased two farms one mile west of Clyde, 
and has put them in splendid state of 
fertilization, and they are very produc- 
tive, having been thoroughly drained by 
tiling, etc. On one of these farms Mr. 
Dewey was so fortunate as to strike a 
mineral fountain spring, from which con- 
stantly flows a stream of nearly five in- 
ches in diameter. The waters have great 
healing and medicinal properties, and are 
highly prized by the people of the city 
and surrounding country, the waters be- 
ing very cold and pure. 



RANDALL SPARKS, who with his 
wife is renowned for his many 
virtues and exemplary Christian 
life, is one of the oldest living set- 
tlers of York township, Sandusky county. 
He was born in Fayette county, Penn., 
January 24, 18 14, son of Ephraim L. and 
Sarah (Cook) Sparks. 

Ephraim Sparks was born January i, 
1790, in Fayette county, Penn., whither 
his father, Isaac Sparks, who was a na- 
tive of New Jersey, of Welsh ancestry, 



480 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



had migrated, and there married Anna 
Lloyd. He followed (arming, but also 
engaged in an early day in the manufac- 
ture of glass, in which enterprise, how- 
ever, he did not meet with the financial 
success that he had anticipated. Ephraim 
Sparks, his son, migrated about 1817 
with a team and covered wagon to Tusca- 
rawas county, Ohio, with a brother John, 
locating on a farm in Warren township 
which had been purchased by their father 
some years before. Here they remained 
through life. Ephraim Sparks was twice 
married. His first wife, Sarah Cook, was 
born in Penns)lvania July 17, 1794, of 
old Dutch ancestry. Their seven children 
were: Randall, subject of this sketch; 
Thomas, a resident of Boone county, 
Iowa; David, who was a Lutheran min- 
ister, of Carroll county, Ohio; Isaac, of 
Clyde, Ohio; Elizabeth, who married Sam- 
uel Tressel and reared thirteen children, 
in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, still living 
at this writing; Annie, who married James 
McCreary and died in Tovvnsend township; 
and Mary, who married James Neal and 
lives in Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland Co., 
Penn. Mrs. Sparks died September 16, 
1828, and Mr. Sparks subsequently mar- 
ried a Mrs. Lappin, by whom he had five 
children. In politics he was a Democrat. 
He died March 24, 1871. 

Randall Sparks was reared on the 
farm in Tuscarawas county, attending 
school for a few months each year when 
pressing farm work was done. He was 
an apt pupil, and before his marriage, at 
the age of twenty-one, he had taught 
three terms of school. On May 31, 
1835, he married Ann Wingate, who was 
born in Tuscarawas count}', Ohio, No- 
vember 7, 1 818, daughter of Henry and 
Mary (Bridall) Wingate, both natives of 
Delaware, who became early settlers of 
Carroll county, Ohio. Henry Wingate 
was of English ancestry; his wife was of 
French parentage. He died at the age of 
si.\ty-si.\ years, she dying when Ann, the 
youngest child, was five weeks old. She 



was the mother of fifteen children, twelve 
of whom grew to manhood and woman- 
hood. Ann (Mrs. Sparks) is now the 
only survivor of the famil3^ One of her 
brothers died at the age of eighty-three 
years, another at the age of eighty-five; 
the eldest brother, who remained in Del- 
aware, she never saw. After his marriage 
Randall Sparks settled in Tuscarawas 
county. He taught another term of 
school in the winter, and for nearly eight 
years he remained there, engaged in farm- 
ing. In the fall of 1842 he came to York 
township, Sandusky county, and purchas- 
ing eighty acres of land on the ridge be- 
gan to clear it up. In the following 
spring he removed with his famil}^ to the 
new home, and he has lived there ever 
since. To Mr. and Mrs. Sparks eight 
children have been born, only one of 
whom is now living. They were as fol- 
lows: (i) Lemuel, born December 8, 
1836, enlisted November 9, 1861, in 
Company B, Seventy-second O. V. I., 
participated in the battle of Shiloh, and 
died of typhoid fever near Corinth, Miss., 
May 16, 1862, after two days' illness. 
(2) Catherine, born July 8, 1839, died 
January 5, 1858. (3) Albert, 
vember 26, 1841, died May 
(4) Leslie E. , born March 21, 1844, 
joined Company M of the First Ohio 
Heavy Artillery, and was drowned in the 
Tennessee river, near Loudon, Tenn., 
June 2, 1864. With others he had been 
ordered to guard a railroad bridge, and 
while they were crossing the river the 
canoe capsized and he was drowned. (5) 
Melissa, born January 13, 1847, died No- 
vember 6, 1869. (6) Elinda Jane, born 
September 16, 1850, died April 25, 1872. 
(7) Wilbur L. , born February 27, 1S54, 
was married June 1 1, 1890, to Alice Jar- 
vis, by whom he had one child, born June 



born No- 
31, 1861. 



Wilbur L. died May 



4. 1893- 
1859, at 



5, 1S91 

(8) Ella Belle, born June 15 

home. 

In politics Mr. Sparks was an Old- 
line Whig, casting his first vote for that 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



481 



party in 1836. He was an earnest anti- 
slavery man, and when the Free-Soil 
party was organized he readily adopted 
its principles. A little later he helped to 
organize the Republican party in San- 
dusky county. When attending a con- 
vention of that party in Fremont he tried 
to secure the introduction in the county 
platform of a declaration "That the 
trafttc in intoxicating drinks is a curse and 
ought to be prohibited by law." This 
resolution was rejected by the convention, 
and Mr. Sparks withdrew from the party 
and has since voted with the Prohibition 
cause. He has been a Church member 
for fifty-six years. They celebrated their 
golden wedding in 1885, and few if any 
residents in Sandusky county have been 
blessed with a married life of a duration 
as long as theirs. Both he and his faith- 
ful and devoted wife are hale and hearty 
at this writing. 



ORLIN W. HARRISON. In the 
tense strife and activity of modern 
times the man who excels in any- 
field of action is necessarily en- 
dowed either with superior natural abili- 
ties or with a surpassing will. The men 
who are best respected hold their good 
name because of personal character, 
which is the resultant of inherited quali- 
ties and the efforts of will. Some men 
rise from the masses with no traceable 
ancestry of notable quality; but perhaps 
there are more whose prominence is easily 
explained by ancestral traits. Pioneer 
life breeds a stronger, more enduring race 
of men than a city housing. The mental 
life of Orlin W. Harrison has been marked 
by unusual activities, and he has proved 
to be well fitted for these conditions. 

His ancestry, paternally, stretches 
back through records and parchment to 
the sixteenth century, and all the links in 
the genealogy have been landowners. 
His great-grandfather, William Marks 
Harrison, of New Jersey, was a descend- 



ant of John Harrison, an early settler of 
Plymouth Rock, and the supposed an- 
cestor, also, of President Harrison. Or- 
lin \\\ Harrison was born in Chautauqua 
county, N. Y. , October 4, 1844, son of 
William Marks and Adaline (Wright) 
Harrison. William Marks Harrison was 
born in Galway, N. Y., March 9, 1809, 
son of James and Clarinda (Rose) Harri- 
son. James Harrison was born in Tren- 
ton, N. J., September 9, 1779; Clarinda 
Rose was born in Windsor, Vt., October 
8, 1782. After marriage they settled, in 
the spring of 18 14, in Galway, N. Y., 
and removed to Chautauqua county in 
May, 1827. Here, at Panama, James 
Harrison died, January 12, 1858; his wife 
died September 24, 1853. William Marks 
Harrison was seventeen years old when 
he moved with his parents to Chautauqua 
county. There he purchased 120 acres 
of land from the Holland Land Co., and 
there engaged in farming until the spring 
of 1845, when he came to Ohio, purchas- 
ing eight}' acres of land a half mile east 
of Clyde, on the Maumee and Western 
Reserve pike, a part of the old McPher- 
son farm. His wife, whom he married 
July 4, 1836, was born April 2, 18 16, in 
Avon, N. Y. , daughter of Eli and Martha 
(Bullard) W'right, who migrated from 
Massachusetts. The fathers of Eli and 
Martha Wright both served in the Revo- 
lutionary war. Martha's father was, with 
two companions, taken prisoner by In- 
dians. The savages painted the two 
companions black, which meant death; 
Mr. Bullard, however, was favored with a 
coat of red paint, which signified adop- 
tion. He witnessed the death of his two 
companions, who were burned at the 
stake. A squaw befriended him, and 
while the Indian war was still in progress 
aided him in escaping, Eli Weight was 
a soldier of the war of 181 2. In 1845 he 
migrated from New York to Clyde, Ohio, 
where he lived until his death, which oc- 
curred when he was seventy-five years 
old. He was the father of seven chil- 



482 



COMMEliOBATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



dren, all of whom came to Ohio, mar- 
ried and reared families. 

William Marks Harrison resided on 
his farm cast of Clyde until 1865, when 
he moved to that city. For over thirty 
years he was deputy sheriff of Sandusky 
county. He was the first high priest of 
Clyde Chapter No. 90, Royal Arch Ma- 
sons, the first worshipful master of Mon- 
ticello Lodge No. 244, F. & A. M., 
Clyde, also the first thrice illustri- 
ous master of Morton Council No. 38, 
Royal & Select Masters, and'was a mem- 
ber of Erie Commandery No. 23, Ivnights 
Templar, of Sandusky. In politics he was 
an active Democrat, and while not a 
Church member led an exemplary moral 
life, religiously eschewing oaths, tobacco 
and intoxicating drinks. He had three 
children: Helen, for many years a school 
teacher, and still living at the old home; 
Orlin \V. , subject of this sketch ; and Viola, 
wife of Eugene Mathews, and the mother 
of two children, Maggie and Pearl, of whom 
Maggie is the wife of Russell Mugg and 
has one child, Madeline. William Marks 
Harrison died, December 4, 1884; his 
widow died March 18, 1895, at Clyde. 
She was an active church goer and a 
highly-esteemed lady. 

Orlin W. Harrison was educated at 
Clyde, and at the age of seventeen, Octo- 
ber 12, 1S61, enlisted in Company A, Sev- 
enty-second O. V. I. The regiment was 
assigned to the army of the Tennessee, 
and participated in the battle of Shiloh. 
Mr. Harrison was taken sick after the 
battle with typhoid fever, and lay in the 
hospital tent at Shiloh, Tenn., until re- 
moved to Cincinnati, in May. He was 
unconscious ail the way up the river, 
and after remaining two days at Cincin- 
nati was sent home on a thirty-days' fur- 
lough, afterward extended to sixty-days. 
Returning to Camp Chase in July, the 
board of examining surgeons discharged 
him from further service, despite his re- 
monstrance. He was sick all through the 
fall. In the spring of 1863 he entered 



the Law Department of the University 
of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, but the war 
spirit was in his veins, and returning home 
he enlisted in the Fiftieth O. N. G. , and 
was elected second sergeant of Company 
B. The imperfectly formed regiment did 
drill work during the summer and winter, 
and in the spring of 1864 went into act- 
ive service as the One Hundred and 
Sixty-ninth Ohio National Guard Infantr}'. 
From Washington city it was ordered on 
guard duty at Fort Ethan Allen, where 
it remained all summer. Returning to 
Camp Cleveland, the regiment was dis- 
charged, September 4, 1864. During 
the following winter Mr. Harrison pro- 
cured a recruiting commission, and re- 
cruited a portion of a company for the 
One Hundred and Ninety-eight O. V. I., 
until receiving orders in February, 1865, 
to stop further enlistments. For two 
years the young soldier remained at home, 
then in 1867 entered a department of 
railroad service which requires endurance 
and close application. He became a mes- 
senger for the Merchants Union Express 
Co., between Dayton and Cincinnati, and 
on various other western runs. In this 
service he remained two years, and was 
then for six years messenger for the 
United States Express Co., between 
Cleveland and Toledo, between Sandusky 
and Newark, between Cleveland and 
Sharon, Penn., between Columbus and 
Indianapolis and between Columbus and 
Chicago. He was also sent out at vari- 
ous times to relieve agents, and had 
charge of offices at Elyria, Monroeville 
and Tiffin. For four years — from 1876 
to 1880 — he traveled for Weideman Stet- 
son & Co., wholesale liquor dealers, and 
in 1883 entered the Lake Shore freight 
office at Clyde, and has been with that 
company ever since, excepting three years 
when he was clerk in Judge Lemmon's 
office. He is now billing clerk for the 
Lake Shore and Big Four joint office. 

In politics Mr. Harrison has been a 
lifelong Republican. At the age of 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



483 



twenty-one he became a member of 
Monticello Lod^e, F. & A. M., and has 
taken all the degrees. He is a member 
of Morton Council No. 38, Clyde, and of 
Erie Conimandery No. 23, K. T. , since 
1877. He was secretary of the commit- 
tee which arranged for the McPherson 
monument unveiling, and in that capacity 
corresponded with President Garfield, 
James G. Blaine and other celebrities, 
entertaining some of them at his home. 

In 1870 he was married to Anna L. 
Brown, a native of Tiffin, and daughter 
of Abordas Brown, who was born in Tomp- 
kins county, N. Y. , and when a young 
man migrated to Tiffin, Ohio, where he 
married Miss Mary A. Taylor, and be- 
came one of the proprietors of the Tiffin 
Woolen Mills; he died in 1866. Orlin 
W. and Anna L. Harrison have one child, 
Clara. In manners Mr. Harrison is 
genial and sociable. He possesses a rare 
fund of information, and is a gifted con- 
versationalist. He would have been an 
attorney but for the war excitement dur- 
ing his early manhood. He is popular in 
the community at Clyde, and ranks with 
that city's most highly esteemed citizens. 



FRANK M. INMAN is numbered 
among the leading educators of 
Sandusky county. He was born 
December 25, 1855, in Scott 
township, where he still resides, and is a 
son of Benjamin and Eliza (Jenning.s) In- 
man. His father was born in New Jer- 
sey, in 1S17, made farming his life work, 
and became one of the pioneer settlers of 
Sandusky county more than half a cen- 
tury ago. Here he entered a claim, 
transforming the wild land into a rich and 
fertile farm, which our subject has re- 
cently sold. His wife was born in New 
York in 1820, and they became the par- 
ents of these children: Mrs. Amanda Put- 
nam, of Middleville, Mich. ; Mrs. Annette 
Shiverly; Brazilla; Mary, wife of William 
Bates; Benjamin, deceased; Mrs. Eldo- 



rado Fousy; Mrs. Alfarette Ralph; Frank, 
subject of this sketch; and Mrs. Candace 
Shawl. The great-grandparents were 
from England. 

Our subject acquired his early educa- 
tion in the district schools of his native 
township, after which he pursued his 
studies in the Fremont High School, and 
the Ohio University, at Columbus. He 
was therefore well fitted for the profession 
of teacher, and has become one of the 
most successful educators of Sandusky 
count}'. In 1892 he was appointed to 
the county board of examiners of teachers 
of Sandusky county, and at the present 
time is clerk of the Sandusky county 
School Examiners; has held other posi- 
tions of public trust, having served for 
some time in the capacity of clerk of Scott 
township. He is a very progressive man, 
a supporter of the advanced ideas of mod- 
ern education, and has done much to raise 
the standard of schools in his locality. 

On Christmas Day, 1875, Mr. Inman 
married Miss Dellia V. Ernsberger, of 
Fremont, Ohio, a daughter of John and 
Martha (Long) Ernsberger. Her father 
was born in Maryland, in 1 836, her mother 
in Sandusky county, Ohio, in 1840, and 
their marriage was celebrated in 1858. 
They now have three children: (i) Ver- 
non, born in 1867, married to Lula Hal- 
ter, and they have two children; they re- 
side in Fremont, where he is engaged in 
the printing business; (2) Juniata, born 
in 1873, is the wife of Ralph Parke, of 
Ohio, and they have one child; and (3) 
Mrs. Inman, who was born January 4, 
i860, and was educated in the district 
schools and in Fremont. Her paternal 
great-grandmother was born about 1783, 
died in 1S70, and her paternal grand- 
parents, Michael and Sarah (Gear) Long, 
were natives of Ohio, the former born in 
18 1 7, the latter in 18 19; his death oc- 
curred in 1892. Of their six children five 
are now living. 

In 1875 Mr. and Mrs. Inman located 
on a farm which they have just recently 



484 



COililEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



sold to an oil compan}' of Fremont, sev- 
eral good oil wells having been lo- 
cated on the place. They have since re- 
sided in Scott township, Sandusk}' coun- 
ty, with the exception of two years, when 
Mr. Inman was teaching in Martin, Otta- 
wa county. They have one son, B. M., 
who was born May lo, 1877, and obtained 
his earh' education in the district schools, 
after which he pursued a course in the 
Fremont High School. In 1S94 he com- 
menced teaching in Rollersville, Sandusky 
county, and is now engaged in the oil 
business near his home. Frank M. In- 
man, the subject proper of this review, is 
one of the ablest educators in this sec- 
tion of the State. He is a man of broad 
general information, and has the happy 
faculty of imparting readily and clearly to 
others his knowledge. He also wins the 
respect of his scholars, and this, combined 
with his superior talent, has made his 
career one of success. 



D.\\\T> W. BOWE. About a half 
century ago, when Scott town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was an 
almost unbroken wilderness, be- 
fore roads were made or oil wells dreamed 
of, there settled on the now Greensburg 
pike, about two miles from the present vil- 
lage of Bradner, a gentleman by the name 
of George Bowe, and his wife, Catherine 
(Wegstein). Since that time the tract of 
land which he secured has been known as 
the "Bowe homestead." These honored 
pioneer people reared a faniilj^ of six sons, 
five of whom are living, and are numbered 
among the most prominent citizens of the 
township, worthy representatives of the 
name. They are possessors of fine homes 
and extensive business interests, and are 
highly esteemed by all. 

The subject of this sketch is the 
youngest of the five sons. Like his 
brothers, he was born on the farm which 
he now owns, the date of his birth being 
November 10, 1847. There is a marked 



contrast between the farm as it appears 
to-daj' and that of half a century ago. 
The giant trees have fallen, and in their 
place, towering skyward, are the oil der- 
ricks. The old log house, in which the 
sons of our subject, as well as himself, 
were born, still stands and is well pre- 
served. In front of this, however, is a 
modern residence, large and commodious, 
supplied with many comforts and con- 
veniences. Mr. Bowe was educated in 
the district schools, and then took a trip 
through Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, 
returning after nearly a year. He next 
entered the Fremont High School, and on 
the completion of a two-years' course of 
study taught one term in a district school. 
In his mercantile career he began as a 
clerk in a jewelry store in Fremont, but 
on account of poor health he was obliged 
to abandon his labors in that direction, 
and employed himself in teaching for 
several terms. 

On November 28, 1872, Mr. Bowe 
married Martha P. Lansdale, of Scott 
township, Sandusk}' county, who was born 
April 13, 1851, and is the only child of 
Rezin Addison and Martha (Moore) Lans- 
dale. Her father was born April 7, 1827, 
her mother December 19, 1833, and their 
marriage was celebrated June 27, 1850. 
Mrs. Bowe's maternal grandfather, Elisha 
Moore, was born December 27, 1809, 
and died in September, 1892. He mar- 
ried Phoebe Smith, who was born May 8, 
1807, and is still living. Her father, 
Randall Smith, was born in 1779, and 
served in the war of 181 2. He wedded 
Martha Crow, who was born about 1780, 
and was one of seventeen children. By 
her marriage she became the mother of 
thirteen children, three of whom are now 
living. Randall Smith was noted as a 
humorist. On one occasion he was pres- 
ent at a gathering, and remarked that he 
had a white Crow. This seemed such an 
improbability that his friends were rather 
inclined to question his statement, where- 
on he remarked: " If you will accompany 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPniCAL RECORD. 



4B5 



me home I will prove to j'ou I am a 
truthful man." This his friends concluded 
to do, and on reaching home he presented 
his wife, whose maiden name was Crow. 
They at once saw the joke, and joined 
with Mr. Smith in his hearty laugh at 
their e.xpense. Mr. and Mrs. Moore were 
the parents of six children: Daniel W. , 
born September i8, 1830; Charity Ann, 
born January 15, 1832, became Mrs. 
Braden, and died March 26, 1878; Mrs. 
Martha Lansdale, who died April 27, 
1S51; Mrs. Rachel Jane Edwards, born 
November 4, 1836; Mrs. Alvina Shively; 
and Mrs. Minerva Angus. 

Mrs. Bowe was educated in the high 
school of Fremont, and at Milan, Ohio, 
and became a teacher of recognized abil- 
ity in Sandusky county. She is a lady 
of culture and refinement, and has been 
to her husband a faithful companion and 
helpmeet. They began their domestic 
life on the farm which is still their home, 
and to them have come three children: 
Agnes Estella, born January 8, 1876, 
died August 25, 1877; Hugh H., born 
January 19, 1880, now assisting his father 
in the oil business; and Warren W., born 
May 31, 1881. 

After his marriage, Mr. Bowe engaged 
in farming and the dairy business, meet- 
ing with excellent success in his under- 
taking. About 1890 a new industry was 
established in this section of the country. 
Oil was found, and a few wells were pro- 
ducing quite fair returns. Our subject 
had many chances to lease his land to oil 
companies, but always declined. In 
March, 1895, he decided to find out if 
there was oil upon his farm, and accord- 
ingly sunk a well near the center of his 
land. It proved very profitable, and 
there has since been a steady yield. 
He has now sunk the sixth well, and 
from the oil business he is deriving a 
good income, and will continue to sink 
wells as long as practicable. In addition 
to his other interests, he has for some 
years been the owner of a fine apiary, 



keeping some fifty - five colonies of 
bees. • 

In politics, Mr. Bowe is a Democrat, 
and has served as trustee of Scott town- 
ship for two 3'ears, as justice of the peace 
six years, and was president of the board 
of education for several years. He is 
devoted to the best interests of the com- 
munity, and no one is more deserving of 
the high regard in which he is universally 
held than David Bowe, a worthy repre- 
sentative of an honored pioneer family. 



WILLIAM MAURER, ' a retired 
farmer, of Fremont, Sandusky 
county, is a native of Ballville 
township, that county, where he 
grew to manhood and received a common- 
school education. 

When the Civil war broke out Mr. 
Maurer enlisted August 7, 1862, at Fre- 
mont, in Company K, One Hundreth 
Regiment O. V. I., which was assigned to 
the First Brigade, Second Division, 
Twenty-third Army Corps. At Lime- 
stone Station the enemy were about two 
thousand strong, under Gen. Jackson, 
while the Union forces numbered only 
three hundred, under Lt.-Col. Hayes. 
Like Spartans they held the Rebels at 
bay from 12 m. to 4 p. m., when they 
were surrounded, and all but one man 
taken prisoners. They were sent to Libby 
Prison, at Richmond, Va. , for a few days, 
and then to Belle Isle, where they re- 
mained for six months, suffering great 
hardships and privations. In March, 1864, 
they were paroled and sent by way of An- 
napolis and Baltimore, Md., to Columbus, 
Ohio. Having recovered somewhat from 
the infirmities contracted at Belle Isle, 
Mr. Maurer was again sent to the front. 
He afterward took part in the battles of 
Columbia and Franklin, Tenn., and in 
the campaign under Gen. Cox against 
Gen. Morgan. On November 20, 1864, 
he was wounded in the wrist by a minie 
ball at the battle of Franklin, and he 



480 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



walked to Nash%-ille, a distance of twenty- 
fivejiniles, to the hospital, before having 
his wound dressed. After a few days he 
was sent to the hospital at Covington, 
Ky. , and thence on a furlough of twenty 
days home, which was extended to forty 
daj-s, when he returned to the hospital 
and remained until May 23, 1865, when 
he was mustered out. With the excep- 
tion of the time he was in prisons and in 
hospitals, he was with his regiment in all 
its marches and engagements, during two 
jears and ten months of service. He is a 
member of Manville Moore Post, 525, 
G. A. R., Fremont, Ohio. 

After the war Mr. Maurer returned to 
his father's home in Ballville township 
and resumed farming. On September 3, 
1865, he married Miss Eliza J. Worst, 
who was born in Ballville township De- 
cember 7, 1845, daughter of Jacob and 
Hannah (Parks) Worst. Mr. Maurer 
built a fine farm residence on his excellent 
farm adjoining that of his father, and fol- 
lowed agricultural pursuits about fifteen 
years. He then moved to Fremont to 
give his children better opportunities for 
education, and for three years carried on 
a grocery store on Buckland avenue. The 
children of William and Eli^a J. Maurer 
were: Lilly L. , born March 6, 1867, 
was married April 16, 1888, to E. A. 
Adams, and died May 16, 1889; they had 
one child, Charles H. , who died in infancy. 
Delphin B., born September i, 1868, 
who graduated from the Oberlin Business 
College, and is now freight solicitor for 
the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern 
railroad at Toledo, Ohio. Orpheus C, 
born September 21, 1871, who attended 
Fremont schools and a few terms at Ober- 
lin College, then took a position in the 
Fremont Savings Bank, about five years, 
and is now traveling salesman for the 
Capewell Horse Shoe Nail Co. 

Isaac Maurer, father of our subject, 
was born in Chester county, Penn., Jan- 
uary 2, 1809, came to Ashland county, 
Ohio, when a boy, and became a skillful 



farm hand. In Wayne county, Ohio, he 
married Miss Mary Ann Ernsperger, and 
in 1834 moved to Ballville township, 
Sandusky county, where he cleared up a 
large farm and reared a family of chil- 
dren. He was a Republican in politics, 
and in religion a member of the Reformed 
Church. His death occurred October 31, 
1893. His wife was born in Maryland in 
1812, and died in Sandusky county in 
1879. They had eight children, six of 
whom grew to maturity: Martin, who 
was a soldier in the Civil war, serving in 
Company H, One Hundred and Sixty- 
ninth Regiment O. V. I., and who now 
lives in Nebraska; Emanuel, a retired 
farmer and capitalist, at Springfield, Mo. ; 
William, our subject; Eli B., who is a 
minister of the United Brethren Church, 
in Springfield, Illinois; Jane, wife of H. 
C. Smith, of Ballville township; and 
Owen L. , a farmer, who lives on the old 
Maurer homestead. 



CASPER MOLITOR, a fruit grow- 
er and wine manufacturer of Dan- 
bury township, Ottawa county, 
was born in Rhenish Prussia, 
Germany, July 30, 1828, and is a son of 
Joseph and Katrina (Cleis) Molitor, also 
natives of Germany, who passed away in 
the Fatherland, the former about the year 
1887, the latter in 1866. In their family 
were eleven children, and those who still 
survive are John Joseph, who since 1894 
has resided in Chicago; Wentzel, a resi- 
dent of St. Louis, Mo. ; Catherina Miller, 
living in Germany; Marie Josephine, wife 
of Henry Spay, a resident of Blooming- 
ton, 111. ; and Moritz, who is still living in 
the Fatherland. 

The gentleman, whose name intro- 
duces this record, was reared to manhood 
in his native land, and acquired his edu- 
cation in the common schools. His father 
was a contractor and builder, and in the 
days of his early manhood he acted as 



^'^^w^' 






COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



487 



overseer of his father's business. In 
1849, on account of the ■ Revolution then 
in progress there, he left his own country 
for France, and made his home in the 
Province of Loraiiie some two years. He 
then determined to try his fortune in 
America, and in 185 1 crossed the At- 
lantic to New York, where he resided 
three years, A similar period he spent 
in Wisconsin, and in 1857 he settled in 
Cincinnati, where for a time he was 
engaged in the leather business which 
pursuit he had previousl}' followed 
in Springfield, Ohio. In 1869 he re- 
turned to Germany, and there re- 
mained three years. In 1872 he again 
took up his residence in Cincinnati, and 
in 1873 removed to Sandusky, Erie coun- 
ty, Ohio, spending the succeeding four 
years of his life in that place, engaged in 
the manufacture of wine. In 1877 he 
purchased his present place of business, 
and erected the winery which he now 
owns, and which is one of the largest in 
the county, with a cask capacity of 150,- 
000 gallons. He conducts his affairs on 
strict business principles, and is meeting 
with excellent success in his undertakings, 
deriving therefrom a good income. 

Mr. Molitor has been twice married: 
first time to Mrs. Katrina Hemish, widow 
of Edward Hemish, the wedding being 
celebrated in Cincinnati. This lady died 
August 24, 1877, and in 1881 Mr. Molitor 
was again married, this time in Buffalo, 
N. Y. , to Josephine, daughter of Mathias 
and Margaret Molitor, natives of the 
Rhenish Province in Germany, the former 
of whom has passed away, and the latter 
is now making her home in New Orleans. 
To our subject and his wife have been 
born five children, three of whom are liv- 
ing: Bertha Mina, born January 8, 1884; 
Theressa Josephine, born March 21, 
1885; and Marguiretta, born January 12, 
1889. 

In his political views, Mr. Molitor is 
a Republican, having supported that party 
since 1856, becoming an American citizen, 

31 



and in its growth and success he takes a 
deep interest. Socially he is connected 
with Castle Rock Lodge, No. 21, Knights 
of G. R. , of Lakeside. 



PHILIP MICHAELS, retired agri- 
culturist, now residing in Fremont, 
Sandusky county, was born No- 
vember 10, 1840, in Fairfield coun- 
ty, Ohio, son of Isaac and Elizabeth 
(Hutchins) Michaels, who were of Penn- 
sylvania-German descent. Their chil- 
dren were: Jesse, John, Jackson, Sarah 
Jane, Philip, Thomas, James, Susan, and 
three who died in childhood. 

Jesse Michaels was three times mar- 
ried: First to a Miss Carr; then to Miss Rit- 
ter, by whom he had three children — 
Hannah, Jemima and Martha; and, finally, 
to Miss Margaret Duncan, by whom he 
had one son — John. John Michaels, son 
of Isaac, married Miss Mary Miner, in 
Hancock county, Ohio; he went as a sol- 
dier in the Civil war, from Findlay, Ohio, 
in the Fifty-seventh Regiment, O. V. I. 
Jackson Michaels married Miss Hoover, 
and lives at Green Spring, Ohio; they 
have three children: LeRoy, Richard, 
and a daughter; he was a soldier in a New 
York regiment during the Civil war, serv- 
ing as a teamster, and died in the service. 
James Michaels married a Miss Ritter, by 
whom he had one son; he also was a 
Union soldier in the Civil war, in the 
Forty-ninth Regiment, O. V. I., and 
died soon after his return home. Sarah 
Jane Michaels married Richard Bigelow, 
who followed various occupations; he 
was for a few years street commissioner 
at Oak Harbor, Ohio; they had four chil- 
dren: Mary Ann, Samuel, Samantha and 
Emma. Thomas Michaels, farmer, lived 
in Sandusky county, from where he en- 
listed, in 1862, in the Seventy-second 
Regiment, O. V. I.; he died after the bat- 
tle of Shiloh, while on his way to Cincin- 
nati, where he was buried; he had one 
son, William. Susan Michaels married 



488 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



George Losey, of Oak Harbor, and is 
now living in Michigan; the}' have one 
son, Willie. 

Philip Michaels, our subject, lived in 
Fairfield county, Ohio, with his parents, 
until he was about twelve years old, when 
he removed with them to Hancock county. 
Here he worked upon a farm and at- 
tended a few terms of school. When he 
was seventeen years of age his father died, 
and he soon after moved to Seneca county, 
to live with his brother Jackson. Eight 
months later he went to work for Mr. 
Jacob Bechtel, in a sawmill on Green 
creek in Sandusky county, remaining 
there two years, and then went to work 
for Jacob Strohl, one of the pioneers of 
Ballville township, at clearing a strip of 
land north of his residence. He after- 
ward worked for other farmers of that 
vicinity, until, by prudence, economy and 
good management, he was able to pur- 
chase a farm of his own. He was mar- 
ried, June 24, i860, to Miss Martha Bat- 
zole, who was born October 27, 1840, 
daughter of John and Sarah (Ernsberger) 
Batzole. Mr. Michaels worked on rented 
farms until 1871, when he bought the Mc- 
Gormle}' farm, in Ballville township, on 
which they lived about twenty years, 
erecting a fine residence now occupied by 
his son William. About the year 1890 
the family removed to Fremont, Ohio. 
Mr. Michaels and his wife have been mem- 
bers of the Mt. Lebanon U. B. Church, 
Ballville township, but now belong to 
the M. E. Church, Fremont. He is a 
member of the Patrons of Industry. 

The children of PhiHp and Martha 
Michaels, born in Ballville township, are: 
Ida Cordelia, James William, George 
Franklin, Chaunce\' Adelphus, Cora La- 
vada. Berton Ellsworth, Ray Clifton, and 
Ernest LeRo}'. Of these Ida C. Michaels 
married Douglass Morrison, son of John 
Morrison, on January 30, 1879, and their 
children are Ettie Estellc, Lottie La- 
vada, Harry James, Edith May, Hazel 
Bell, Arthur Lee and Ruth. James W. 



Michaels married Miss Minerva Belle 
Reiser on Maj- 25, 1889, and they live 
on the Michaels homestead; their children 
are Carl S. and Arthur. George Frank- 
lin Michaels, a farmer, was married No- 
vember 26, 1889, to Miss Minnie, daugh- 
ter of Charles and Emma (Smith) Hamp- 
sher; she took sick while at the World's 
Fair in Chicago, 111., and died at home 
September I, 1893. Chauncey Michaels, 
unmarried, lives with his parents at Fre- 
mont, Ohio; he has been successful as a 
traveling salesman, and represented the 
Clauss Shear Company, of Fremont, Ohio, 
at the World's Fair, Chicago, 1S93. 
Cora Lavada Michaels married Arthur H. 
Swank, January 26, 1893, at Fremont, 
Ohio, their present residence; they had a 
son, Howard Michaels Swank, who died 
July 26, 1S95, aged one year, seven 
months and ten days. 



EV. PAUL RAETHER, pastor 



of the German Evangelical Lu- 



R 

■ V theran Church in Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born 
in Prussia, Germany, June 4, 1850, and 
is a son of Fred and Minnie (Arndt) Rae- 
ther, who never came to America, but 
lived and died in their native land. Fred 
Raether was born April 18, 18 14, and 
was a teacher of the German Lutheran 
doctrine. 

Rev. Paul Raether was one of eleven 
children, four of whom came to America. 
Bertha died here, and Ida, Emily and 
Paul are still living. Our subject came 
to this country in 1866, prepared to fol- 
low in the footsteps of his father. Having 
received a very thorough education his 
prospects were bright, and to-day he oc- 
cupies a position which shows how well 
he has improved his opportunities. After 
a pleasant voyage across the Atlantic he 
landed in New York City, and from there 
went direct to Buffalo, N. Y. , where he 
remained two weeks, going thence to 
Detroit, Mich., and from there to Monroe, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



489 



Mich., where he accepted his first posi- 
tion as a teacher in the German Lutheran 
school. After that he entered upon a 
classical and theological course in the 
University at Columbus, Ohio, where he 
remained seven long years, graduating 
from the college in 1872, and from the 
theological seminary in 1875. 

On October 21, 1875, Rev. Paul Rae- 
ther was united in marriage with Anna 
C. Kessler, and four children have been 
born to them, as follows: Federick, De- 
cember 9, 1876; George, November 9, 
1879; Marie, March 16, 1882; and Carl, 
May 12, 1884. Mrs. Raether is a daugh- 
ter of Henry and Margaret Kessler, of 
Columbus, Ohio, the former of whom was 
a wagon maker. From Columbus Rev. 
Mr. Raether went to North Lima, in Beaver 
township, Mahoning Co., Ohio, where 
he took charge of two congregations, hav- 
ing been ordained to the ministry on 
leaving Columbus. He remained at Lima 
seven years, when he was called to take 
charge of a missionary post at Steuben- 
villc, Jefferson Co., Ohio, in which capac- 
city he remained some six years, at the 
end of that time, in 1887, coming to 
Woodville, Sandusky county, to accept a 
position as professor in the Teachers' 
Seminary. In January, 1888, Rev. Mr. 
Cronenwett died, and the congregation re- 
solved to have the vacancy filled by Dr. 
Stinemann and by Rev. Mr. Raether. On 
March 28, 1888, Rev. Paul Raether was 
chosen sole minister of the congregation, 
accepting the call on condition that he be 
allowed to continue as professor in the 
seminary until June, 1888. This was 
granted him, and on April 29, 1888, he 
was installed by the president of the 
Synod. He is a faithful and earnest 
worker, and is much beloved. This con- 
gregation, of which he is pastor, consists 
of over 200 families, 250 voting members 
and 500 communicants, and has a paro- 
chial school in Woodville of over 100 
pupils, with two teachers. Politically our 
subject is a Democrat. 



G ROVER FAMILY. Few citizens 
of Sandusky county have a gen- 
ealogical record so complete as 
has Enos Grover, of Clyde, one 
of the most prominent and influential 
farmers of Green Creek township. Few 
citizens have more successfully engaged 
in agricultural and kindred pursuits, and 
few have left a deeper impression for the 
weal of the commonwealth than he. 

Steven Grover is the recognized an- 
cestor of the family in America, and the 
fact that the President of the United 
States was christened Steven Grover 
Cleveland indicates his affinity to the 
family. Steven Grover, the elder, was a 
resident of Stoneham, Mass., early in the 
seventeenth century. He was the parent 
of John Grover and the grandparent of 
Steven Grover (second), who was the 
great-grandfather of Enos, subject of this 
sketch. Steven Grover (2) was born 
September 30, 1725, and married Miriam 
Cady, who was born July 10, 1728, and 
whose mother was Elizabeth Winters, an 
Irish girl. Steven Grover (2) died June 
28, 1798; his wife April 5, 1803. 

Joseph Grover, their son, vvas born 
October 29, 1764, at West Gloucester, 
R. I. He was married to his second 
cousin, Mehetabel Gould, who was born 
October 13, 1766, in Killingly, Windham 
Co., Conn., daughter of Capt. Thomas 
and Ruth (Bateman) Gould. (Alice Gro- 
ver, sister of Steven Grover (2), was the 
mother of Ruth Bateman.) Capt. Thomas 
Gould was born June 23, 1738, and died 
in 1807. His wife, Ruth Bateman, was 
born September 10, 1744. and died in 
1825. The eight children of Capt. Thomas 
and Ruth Gould were as follows: Sarah, 
born May 25, 1765, married Timothy 
Baker; Mehitabel, who married Joseph 
Grover; Eunice, born January 23, 1769, 
married Cromwell Bennett; Ruth, born 
March 23, 1771, married Steven Grover, 
a brother of Joseph Grover; Phcebe, born 
March 21, 1773, married Samuel Grover, 
cousin of Joseph (both are buried in Ball- 



•190 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ville township, Sandusky Co., Ohio); 
Thomas, born March 17, 1775. married 
Elde Egberson; Annie, born March 8, 
1 78 1, married Calvin Goodrich: Ruby, 
born July iS, 1783, married Peter Sur- 
dam, who was born February 20, 1775, 
and she died in Russell township, Geauga 
Co., Ohio, at an advanced age. 

After marriage Joseph and Mehitabel 
Grover settled in Granville township, 
Washington Co., N. Y. , and later re- 
moved to Cayuga county, N. Y. , where 
Joseph was farmer, merchant and pro- 
prietor of an ashery and distillery, all at 
the same time. He was a man of great 
energ)' and large business capacity, and 
died in 181 1. His wife died September 4, 
1 85 5, in Willoughby, Lake Co., Ohio, at 
the age of ninety-three, of dysentery, 
which as an epidemic also carried off, 
within six weeks, her other brother, 
Thomas Gould, and several of the kin. 
To the union of Joseph and Mehitabel 
Grover were born thirteen children, as 
follows: (i) Rachel, born March 23, 
1785, was married in 1802 to Silas Chat- 
field, afterward a captain in the war of 
18 12. He became a prominent citizen 
of Crawford county, Ohio, giving his 
name to a township, and later moved 
with his family to McHenrj' county. 111., 
where Mrs. Chatfield lived to the age of 
eighty-si.x years. (2) Luther, father of 
Enos, born February 6, 1787, in Green- 
field, Washington Co., N. Y., and died June 
12, 1877, at the home of his son Enos, 
near Clyde. (3) Mehitabel, born March 
28, 1 789, and became the wife of Wheeler 
Sperry; the}' resided for sixty years in 
Painesvillc, Ohio, where they both died. 
(4) Joseph, born May 19, 1791, died 
October 31, 1835. (5) Miriam, born 
April 20, 1793, died August 15, 1793. 
(6) Edna, born June 9, 1794, died April 
2, 1796. (7) Stephen, born February 25, 
1797, died January 16, 1843. (8) Han- 
nah, born Jul}' 16, 1799, married Noah 
Warden. February 14, 1821, died Janu- 
ary 13, 1827. (9) Asa, born March 16, 



1802, died at Bellevue. December 29, 
1855. (10) Charles, born Januarj- 9, 
1804, died at Willoughbj-, Lake count}', 
October 6, 1886. (11) Parma, born 
April 15, 1806, died about 1870. (12) 
Maria, born May 22, 1808, married 
Charles Cummings, of Geauga county, 
and died in the summer of 1880 in Ma- 
rengo township, McHenry Co., 111. (13) 
Ira, born July 21, 18 10, was run over by 
a sleigh and killed February 19, 1813. 

Luther Grover was reared in Cayuga 
count}", N. Y. , and was married January 
31, 1808, to Nanc)' Nettleton, who was 
born in New Haven, Conn., July 2, 1792. 
They remained in Cayuga county, N. Y. , 
until 181S, then migrated to a wilderness 
home in what is now Willoughby town- 
ship. Lake Co., Ohio. Here Luther 
lived to the age of ninety years, four 
months and five days; his wife died at 
the age of sixty-three j'ears, ten months 
and nine days. The seven children of 
Luther and Nancy Grover were Sheldon, 
born December 10, 1809, died Octo- 
ber 13, 1823; Joseph N., born July 

II, 181 1, died August 14, 1892; Grace, 
born June 12, 18 16, married Rev. R. 
Storm, February 13, 1839, died July 
16, 1883; Enos, subject of this sketch, 
born November 25, 18 18, the first child 
of the family born in Ohio; Rachel, born 
January 24, 1821, married Hiram Fox, 
died in 1883; Mary Ann, born July i, 
1825, died March 7, 1846; and Dewitt, 
born April 12, 1828, died in May, 1889. 

Enos Grover was born in Lake coun- 
ty, Ohio, was reared on his father's farm, 
and was married, January 11, 1842, to 
Miss Sarah Swart. She was born in 
Oneida county, N. Y., February 28, 
1823. For two years after marriage he 
lived in Lake county, then in 1844 
moved by ox-team to McHenry county, 

III. Two years later, on the death of his 
sister, he returned with his familj- to 
Ohio, and for fifteen months worked at 
stave-making. Then in 1847 he removed 
to Green Creek township, near Clyde, pur- 



COMMEMOIiATIVE BIOQRAPHWAL RECORD. 



491 



chasing a portion of the land which he now 
owns. He hved for a time in a small 
house built of boards, and in 1862 erected 
his present home. His first wife died 
October 13, 1877, leaving si.\- children, as 
follows: (i) Louisa Jennett, born Feb- 
ruary 23, 1843, married Silas P. Leach, 
and had nine children — Leroy, Cynthia, 
Sarah, Mar)-, Zenas, Hattie. Lou Enos, 
Arvada, and Clyde — of whom Mary died 
at the age of three months; Hattie died 
about seventeen years ago at the age of 
seven years, and Clyde is also deceased; 
Zenas is married, and has had three chil- 
dren — Frank, Mary and Arthur. (2) 
Eugene P., born September 11, 1846, 
married first to Vestal Seger, by whom 
he had two children — Enos and Morna, 
the latter being now Mrs. Mumford, and the 
mother of one child; after the death of his 
first wife Eugene P. married Miss Lena 
Donings, by whom he has had five chil- 
dren — Hattie, Mervin, Mabel, Maud and 
Sibyl. Eugene P. is a street builder in 
Chicago. (3) Mary Ann, born January 
29, 1849, married Samuel George, and 
died July 9, 1883, leaving four children — 
Bertha, wife of Rev. John Wagoner, of 
Michigan; Claudius, Floyd and Elsie. (4) 
Luther Conrad, born January i, 1855, 
married Belle Meek, and has one child, 
Robert. (5) Nancy, born August 30, 
1858, married W. C. Schellhammer, and 
is the mother of three children — Edith 
(deceased at the age of two years), Carlton 
and Sarah. (6) William E., born No- 
vember 20, i860, married Lizzie Seely, 
and has had two children — Mabel (de- 
ceased) and John, the last named now 
(November, 1895) two and a half 3ears 
old. 

The second wife of Enos Grover was 
Mrs. Mahala E. Davis, widow of Gursham 
Davis (to whom she was wedded April 29, 
1856), and daughter of John Lloyd. She 
was born in Northumberland count}-, 
Penn., in 1831, of German ancestry. 
When she was three months old her 
father died, and her mother sub.sequently 



moved to Delaware county, Ohio. After 
her mother's death she lived with Quakers 
and attended a Quaker school. On June 
25, 1850, she first wedded Dr. Nelson 
Wyatt Clifton, who died in 1852. By her 
second marriage she had one child — 
Frank Lloyd Davis, a resident of Peru, 
Ind., who is married and has two chil- 
dren, Wayne and Ralph. 

Mr. Grover has been one of the most 
prosperous farmers of Sandusky county, 
and now owns over 400 acres of excellent 
land. He formerly owned farms in 
Canada and in fllinois. He is a man 
of broad intelligence, and wide general 
information. He was acquainted with the 
early pioneers of Sandusky county, most 
of whom have now passed away, and he 
knew intimately their character and win- 
ning traits. His standing in the com- 
munity for integrity is the highest, and 
the pure motives and purposes of his life 
have ever been unquestioned. 



CYRUS L. HARNDEN, M. D., 
one of the most popular and suc- 
cessful physicians of Clyde, San- 
dusky county, a graduate of the 
regular school, is a native of the county. 
He was born January 22, 1850, on his 
father's farm, situated one and a half 
miles south of Clyde, and is a son of Jon- 
athan and Nancy (Smith) Harnden. 

Jonathan Harnden was born in New 
York State in 1813 of English paternal 
ancestry, his mother being of Irish birth. 
Nancy Smith was also a native of the 
Empire State, descended from an Eng- 
lish family. Jonathan migrated from 
New York to Ohio, and settled on a farm 
in Huron county which he cleared. About 
1850 he removed from Huron county to 
a farm south of Clyde, where he remained, 
a prosperous farmer and an influential 
citizen, until his death, which occurred 
when he was aged sixty-five years. To 
Jonathan and Nancy Harnden were born 
eight children: Two died in infancy; 



492 



COMMEMORATIYE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Hosea, of Bellevue, Ohio; Kneeland, an 
ex-soldier of the Civil war, living at Clj'de; 
Smith, a farmer at Rising Sun, Wood 
county; Alexander, marshal of Clyde; 
Cyrus L. ; and May, deceased. 

The foundation for his thorough ed- 
ucation Dr. Harnden received in the 
common schools. Subsequently he at- 
tended Wooster University, at Wooster, 
and later entered the Medical Depart- 
ment of that institution, at Cleveland, 
graduating in the class of 1875, his pre- 
ceptor being the well-known Dr. C. G. 
Eaton. In 1883 he received his ad cuii- 
dciii degree from Western Reserve Col- 
lege. Dr. Harnden began his medical 
practice in Clyde the year before his post- 
graduation, and he has remained there 
ever since. By his strong natural en- 
dowments and his thorough acquirements 
in medical science he has built up a 
splendid practice, quite the maximum 
even for one' of his activity and endur- 
ance. He is a member of the Sandusky 
County Medical Society, and, socially, is 
prominent in the Masonic Lodge. In poli- 
tics he is a Republican. The Doctor 
was married in 1887 to Miss Anna C. 
Hawk, and they have two children — 
Robert Lee and Charles Justin. 



FRANCIS GNEPPER, whose en- 
tire life has been passed in San- 
dusky county, was born in Rice 
township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
May 12, 1859, and is of German lineage. 
His father, Ernest Gnepper, was a na- 
tive of Germany, coming thence to Amer- 
ica, and to Ohio, taking up his residence 
in Rice township, Sandusky county, where 
he carried on agricultural pursuits the 
rest of his life. He died February 22, 
1 89 1, at the age of sixty-seven years, and 
was laid to rest in Lindsey Cemetery. 
His wife's maiden name was Mary P'riar. 
In the family were five children, a 
brief record of whom is as follows: (1) 
Henry, the eldest, married Ella Boyer, 



is a resident of Oak Harbor, and is a 
farmer by occupation. (2) Angeline is 
the wife of Phillip Siegenthaler, and they 
had eight children — Frank E., who lives 
at home; George, who died in infancy; 
John W., at home; Charlie H., who died 
at the age of four years; Fred, born in 
1885; Mary, born in 1887; Cora, born in 
1889; and Chester, born in 1891. (3) 
Francis Gnepper is next in the order of 
birth. (4) Fred, the next younger, mar- 
ried Cass Overm3'er, and they have three 
children — John, born in 1886; Pearl, born 
in 1889; and Amos, born in 1891. (5) 
John was united in marriage with Alice 
Boyer, and their family also numbers three 
children — Katie, born in 1887; Charlie, 
born in 1889; and Bertie, born in 1891. 

In taking up the personal history of 
Francis Gnepper we present to our read- 
ers the life record of one of the practical 
and progressive famers of Rice township, 
Sandusky county. He has always lived 
within the borders of that county, and was 
reared upon the old homestead where he 
was early trained to habits of industry. 
His education was obtained in the district 
schools of the neighborhood, and during 
the greater part of the year he aided in 
the labors of the farm. Thus his child- 
hood and youth were passed, and when he 
had reached manhood experience had 
made him familiar with farm work in all 
its departments. He now has a well-cul- 
tivated place, and is raising the cereals 
best adapted to this climate. He takes 
no very prominent part in public affairs, 
but gives his support to the men and 
measures of the Democracy, and in relig- 
ious faith he is a devout Catholic. 

On February 26, 1S85, Mr. Gnepper 
was married, in Sandusky county, to ^Iiss 
Sarah A. Yeagle, who was born October 
8, 1864, in Washington, Sandusky county, 
and five children have been born to them: 
Cora Ann, November 15, 1885; Noah E., 
March 19, 1887; Mary E., January 30, 
1889; Clarence D., December 16, 1891; 
and Clara A., April 2, 1894, all born in 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPEICAL RECORD. 



493 



Washington township, except the 3'oung- 
est, whose place of birth is in Rice town- 
ship. 



CORNELIUS HUFFORD, a farm- 
er and pioneer of Sandusky coun- 
ty, son of Christopher HufTord, 
was born May 30, 1 806, in the 
State of Kentucky, and when about nine 
years of age came with his father's family 
to Greene county, Ohio. Here he mar- 
ried Miss Mary Jane, daughter of Abra- 
ham Zook. She was born in Bedford 
county, Penn., January 13, 1809, of 
Pennsylvania Dutch descent. Her father 
removed to Seneca county, Ohio, three 
miles north of Tiffin, where he died at the 
age of si.xty years, and her mother died 
at the age of seventy-nine years. 

In 1836 Cornelius Huftord moved to 
Sandusky township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
and in 1S38 to Ballville township, same 
county, where he bought 1 30 acres of 
heavily-timbered land, on which he fol- 
lowed blacksmithing for about twelve 
years and then devoted himself exclusive- 
ly to farming. In 1868 he sold his farm 
tojulius Patterson, and bought another 
farm of eighty acres in Washington town- 
ship. His son Simon lived with him on 
this place and farmed for him. Mary 
Hufford died April 7, 1882, and he af- 
terward lived among his children, dying 
March 14, 1884. In politics Mr. Hufford 
was a Democrat; he and his wife were 
members of the Reformed Church for 
many years. He was a man of large 
size, stout, hearty and vigorous until past 
fifty years of age, when he beciime afflict- 
ed with rheumatism which obliged him to 
use a cane in walking. They had ten 
children, only five of whom grew to ma- 
turity: Sarah, born April 17, 1834, mar- 
ried Mark Thraves; Simon, born January 
14, 1837; Elizabeth, born February 17, 
1842, married Norton Rathbone, and 
lives in Green Creek township; Catharine, 



born July 12, 1844, married James Emer- 
son, and lives in Ballville township; and 
Martha, born December 14, 1845, mar- 
ried Elliot Ferrenberg, and lives near 
Gibsonburg, Ohio. 

Simon Hufford, a son of Cornelius 
Hufford, was born in Sandusky township, 
Sandusky county, January 14, 1837. His 
early life was spent on his father's farm 
in Ballville township, where he attended 
common school and acquired habits of in- 
dustry, economy and thrift. On Decem- 
ber 26, 1 86 1, he married Miss Sarah E. 
Short, daughter of Moulton and Matilda 
(Tracy) Short, born August 13, 1842, of 
Yankee descent. He carried on farming 
on his father's farm in Ballville township 
for a number of years, and later in Wash- 
ington township, but now lives on a farm 
of his own in Ballville township. He is 
a member of the M. E. Church at Fre- 
mont, Ohio, and in politics is a Demo- 
crat. A record of their children is given 
as follows: (i) Lillie Jeannette, born 
November 2, 1862, married Joseph Herr, 
and their children are — Harry J., born 
October 24, 1883, and Hattie May, born 
July 20, 1885. (2) Jennie Lenora, born 
March 20, 1864, married William Inks, 
and their children are — Ralph, Jesse, 
Birchard, Florence aud Maud. (3) Frank 
W. , born August 4, 1867, was married 
October 2, 1889, to Miss Eugenia Myers, 
who was born July 30, 1871, and they 
have one child — Hallie Bell, born Sep- 
tember 9, 1891. (4) Armina, born Au- 
gust 13, 1870, was married May 13, 1891, 
to Frederick Maurer, who was born May 
24, 1868, now residing in Helena, Wash- 
ington township; one of their children, 
S. Q., was born October 8, 1892, and died 
February 22, 1893, the other child, Gor- 
man Daine, was born February 22, 1894. 
(5) Burton Hudson, born December 21, 
1873, died November 3, 1874. (6) Hattie 
May, born July 31, 1876. Mrs. HufTord, 
whose health had been failing for several 
years, died at the home of her daughter 
Mina, November 15, 1895, ^g^d fifty- 



494 



COMJIEMORATTVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



three years, three months and two dajs, 
and was buried in McGormley cemetery, 
Ballville township. 



CHARLES H. RADEMACHER. 
Among those who are devoting 
their time and energies to agri- 
cultural and horticultural pursuits 
in Ottawa county, is this gentleman, who 
was born on the old homestead farm in 
Portage township, October 18, 1863. 

He is descended from worth}' German 
ancestry. Henry Rademacher, his father, 
was born in the Province of Hanover, 
Germany, November 16, 181 3, and after 
arriving at years of maturity married An- 
nie D. Buck, who was born in the same 
province, August 9, 1822. In 1835 he 
crossed the Atlantic to the New World, 
spending two years in New York, and in 
1837 went to Florida, where he remained 
four years, returning in 1841 to the East- 
ern metropolis, where he was engaged in 
the grocery business until 1847. 

In New York City, November 21, 
1845, Henry Rademacher married Miss 
Buck, and in 1847 returned to the Father- 
land, where he spent about a year. In 
1848 he again came to this country, and 
for twelve years was engaged in the gro- 
cery business, when in i860 he started 
for Ohio, and on the 12th of May took up 
his residence in Portage township, Ottawa 
county, where he continued to make his 
home until his death. He was born No- 
vember 16, 1813, and passed away Jan- 
uary 17, 1892. His faithful wife still 
survives him, and now resides on the 
homestead farm with our subject. In the 
family of this worthy couple were seven 
children, three of whom are still living, 
namely: Margaret, wife of John Bosch, 
of Green Spring. Sandusky Co., Ohio; 
Anna D., wife of C. C. StefTens, living on 
Catawba Island; and Charles H. The 
members of the family were born as fol- 
lows. Margaret. November 18, 1846; 
Herman, November 8, 1848, and died 



August 10, 1850; John, February 15, 
1850, and died in infancy; Annie, October 
26, 1852; Mary K., November 25, 1855; 
Henry, March 31, 1861; and Charles H., 

; October 18, 1863. 

j The last named was educated in the 
district schools of his native township, 
also in the Normal School of Port Clin- 
ton, Ohio, and since his early boyhood 
days, has been connected with the agri- 
cultural interests of the community, and 
of later years has been extensively en- 
gaged in fruit growing. He has a fine 
farm, well improved, and supplied with 
all modern accessories and conveniences 
for carrying on a successful business. He 
has a reputation for honest dealing that 
has won him a liberal patronage, and to- 
day he is one of the prosperous farmers of 
the localitj'. 

In his political views, Mr. Rademach- 
er is a Democrat, and he and his family 
attend the Lutheran Church. He was 
married December 18, 1890, to Miss An- 
nie EUena Sass, who was born in Dan- 
bury, Ohio, June 11, 1862, a daughter of 
Herman and Adelaide (Tewers) Sass. 
The parents were both natives of Ger- 
man}', became early settlers of Danbury 
township, Ottawa county, and have now 
passed away. The father was born in 
Hanover, February 18, 1823, and was a 
son of Christian and Gesche (Ropke) 
Sass. He was married in New York 
City, February 21, 1852, to Adelaide 
Tewers, who was born in Hanover, Jan- 
uary 25, 1826. They came to Ohio in 
1855, and the mother died December 7, 
1877, the father on January 17, 1886. 
They had eight children: Mary, born 
November 30, 1852, wife of Martin Kihl- 
ken, of Danburj", Ohio; Hermina, born 
March 12, 1855; William, born July 17, 
1857, now deceased; F"rederick, born June 
6, i860, also deceased; Elizabeth Louisa, 
born June 11, 1862. now the wife of 
William Libben, of Erie, Ohio; Annie 
Ellena, twin sister of Mrs. Libben, and 
the honored wife of our subject; Henry 




^ /yo / (<:::u;ti'4^C^i/2^A£''l>_^ 



COMMEMOKATIYE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



495 



H., born December 22, 1864, residing in 
Danbury; and John H., born July 22, 
1869. By her first husband, John Lull- 
man, Mrs. Sass had a daughter: Kath- 
erina, who was born Januarj' 25, 1851, 
and is the wife of Henry Bosch, of Dan- 
bury. 



RBELL. The subject of this sketch, 
senior partner in the firm of R. 
Bell & Co., is one of the leading 
men of Port Clinton, Ottawa 
county, where he has carried on the fish- 
ery business for many j'ears. He was 
born April 7, 1832, in Cecil county, Md. , 
and is the son of Abraham and Sarah 
Trump Bell. 

Abraham Bell was born in Pennsjl- 
vania, near the Maryland State line, in 
1800, and carried on his occupation of a 
tanner and currier in Mar3land until 
1834, when he came to Ohio and located 
five miles west of Port Clinton, on Lake 
Erie, in Erie township. Here he bought 
a farm, built a tannery, and manufactured 
the first leather ever made in the count}'. 
He was engaged in the business for some 
thirty-eight years, and died in Ottawa 
county in 1875. In politics he was a 
Whig; afterward, on the absorption of 
that party into the Republican party, 
joining the ranks of the latter. In relig- 
ious faith he was brought up in the 
Quaker faith, and was connected with 
that denomination throughout his life. 
His wife was born, in 1802, in Cecil 
count)', Md., and died in 1841, the 
mother of twelve children — six sons and 
six daughters. 

The following is a record of the 
parental famil)': Robert M. lived at home 
until eighteen years of age, when he re- 
turned to the East, married and prac- 
ticed medicine at Harrisburg, Penn. ; he 
afterward returned to Ohio, where he 
died, leaving a widow and two sons. 
Samuel T. is living retired at Riverside, 
Cal. ; Mary Anna married James Hoops, 



and lives in Chester county, Penn. ; Ra- 
chel died when about twenty years old; 
Rebecca, who lives in Louisville, Ky. , is 
the widow of Dr. Officer, and has had 
two children, both living with her; Phi- 
lena, who married W. W. Batlin, is de- 
ceased; Sarah Melissa married William 
Clark, and died in early womanhood; our 
subject comes next in order of birth; 
Abraham, who is in the general merchan- 
dise business, lives at Elwell, Ohio; Jo- 
seph M., who was a member of Company 
I, Forty-first Regiment Ohio Infantry, in 
the Civil war, died near Chattanooga, 
Tenn., in the latter part of 1863. 

The subject of this sketch spent his 
boyhood days on his father's farm, assist- 
ing in the farm work and in the tannery, 
and having onh' the limited advantages to 
be obtained at a country school, until he 
was sixteen years old, when he started 
for himself, becoming a clerk in a store 
at Port Clinton, where he remained two 
years. At the early age of eighteen years 
he was married to Miss Amelia Wilson, 
and made his home in Erie township. 
Here he began fishing with seines in 1850, 
carrying on a small business at first, 
which has steadily grown ever since. In 
all these years he has missed but one 
season's fishing. In 1859 he went to 
California, crossing the Plains with an 
ox-team, and locating near the foot hills 
of the Sierra Nevada range. It was a 
wearisome journey to the land of gold in 
those days, and Mr. Bell was five months 
making the trip, leaving home on the 6th 
of March, and I'eaching Placerville, or 
Hangtown, August 8. He returned home 
via the Panama Route, and was twenty- 
four days coming from San Francisco to 
New York. In 1873 Mr. BelJ erected 
the building which he still occupies, and 
has been carr3'ing on a prosperous busi- 
ness ever since, sending carloads of fish 
as far west as Omaha and east to the 
Atlantic. His yearly catch is between 
five thousand and eight thousand tons of 
fish, and he uses two steam tugs in his 



49(3 



COMMEhOBATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



business. Mr. Bell's first wife died in 
Port Clinton in 1873, when forty-one 
years old. They were the parents of 
the following named children: Perr}-, who 
died when twenty-four years old, was 
married, and left four children — Amelia, 
Norah, Richard and Perry; Ph3'lena and 
George died in early youth; Joseph lives 
in Port Clinton (he married Miss Angeline 
^fagruder, and has one child — Ruth; he 
is a member of the firm of R. Bell & Co.. 
and captain of one of his father's tugs); 
Rebecca; Josephine; Sarah Lucinda, who 
married \V. R. Webster, editor of the 
Port Clinton Xcii's, and has one child — 
Chauncey; and two that died in infancy 
unnamed. 

Mr. Bell was married in 1 874 to Miss 
Huldah L. ^fasten, who was born in 
Scottsburg, N. Y, , in 1852. Of this mar- 
riage four children have been born: John 
McAllister, Bessie, Edna and Earl. Mr. 
Bell is a Republican, and, socially, has 
passed all the chairs in the I. O. O. F. 
[Since the above was written Mr. Bell 
informs us that he left Port Clinton Sep- 
tember 19, 1895, and will spend the 
remainder of his life at Riverside, Cali- 
fornia. — Editor. 



OSCAR BILLINGS, who during his 
long and useful life was closely 
identified with the flourishing 
township of Allen, Ottawa county, 
and whose death was sincerely mourned 
by hosts of friends who knew him as the 
devoted husband and father, good citizen 
and faithful minister, was born December 
20, 1824, at Syracuse, New York. 

He was a son of Augustus and Clar- 
inda (English) Billings, both of whom 
were natives of New York State. After 
completing his education in the schools of 
his native town, Mr. Billings came with 
his mother to Ohio, settling in Woodville 
township, Sandusky county, where he 
learned the manufacture of furniture, with 
a man named Chamberlin. He worked 



at this trade until tne Civil war broke out, 
when he enlisted, in 186 1, in Companj- 1, 
Twenty-first Ohio Infantry, under com- 
mand of Capt. I. K. Seaman, as a drum- 
mer. He served four months and re- 
ceived his discharge in August, of the 
same jear, returning to Sandusky county. 
Here he remained a short time, and then 
took his wife and family to Minnesota, 
settling in Waseca county and engaging 
in farming. Here he lived for nine j'ears, 
and then went back to Ottawa county, 
locating near Genoa, and bought a farm 
which he carried on for three years. He 
again sold out and came to Allen (then 
Clay) township, and buying seventy acres 
of partially cleared land, remained here 
until his death. Mr. Billings was mar- 
ried in Woodville, February 4, 1S54, to 
Miss Mary A. Bosse, and to this union 
came one child, Alice, born November 5, 
1854, who died April 18, 1855, the mother 
passing away July 21, of the same year. 
Mr. Billings was again married, October 
27, 1858, taking for his second wife Phi- 
linda Baldwin, daughter of Nelson T. 
Baldwin, a farmer of Sandusky count}". 
Of this marriage nine children have been 
born, viz. : Minerva C, born July 3, 1859, 
is the wife of Jacob S. Stewart; Sarah 
J., born June 22, 1861, became the wife 
of Bradford LiJsey. a farmer of Allen 
township; Nelson O. , born March 10, 
1863, is a barber at Genoa (he is married 
and has one child, Harold); Arthur T. , 
born August 31, 1S64, and Lorenzo A., 
born March 3, 1868, live at home with 
their mother and carry on farming; Leon- 
ard G. , born December 11, 1870, re- 
ceived his primary education in the pub- 
lic schools of Allen township, and was for 
one j-ear in the High School at Elmore, 
after which he spent three years at the 
Academy of the United Brethren at Fos- 
toria, and then began teaching till he was 
tsventy-one, then began barbering with his 
brother Nelson; Casper A., born July 23, 
1874, lived at home; Myrtie B., born 
August 29, 1876, and Laura, born May 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



497 



28, 1880. Nelson T. Baldwin, the father 
of Mrs. Billings, was born in the State of 
New York and came to Ohio with his par- 
ents, when a small boy. They settled in 
Sandusky county, where Mr. Baldwin 
still lives. He married Cathrine C. Boose, 
and they have had a family of four children 
as follows: Philinda, wife of the subject of 
this sketch, was born in Woodville, May 
14, 1842; Warren, born March 6, 1844, 
is a farmer and stonemason, and lives in 
Nebraska (he married Matilda Widmer); 
Sarah, born June i, 1846, is the wife of 
Frederick Volkel, of Genoa; William, 
born July 2, 1850, is a farmer at Wood- 
ville. The mother of these children died 
in Woodville, March 3, 1892, and Mr. 
Baldwin married, for his second wife, Mrs. 
Sneakburger, a widow. 

Oscar Billings, the subject of this 
sketch, was a member of George Doug- 
lass Post No. 183, G. A. R., of Millbury, 
Ohio, and in his political views he was a 
Republican. He and his family were de- 
vout members of the United Brethren 
Church, in which Church he was a local 
preacher for more than twelve years pre- 
ceding his death, which took place Au- 
gust 12, 1894. He was a man of e.xcel- 
lent character and a good father and hus- 
band, whose death will long be mourned. 



FRED BOLTE, a highly popular 
citizen of Port Clinton, Ottawa 
county, and a well-to-do business 
man, is a native of Hanover, Ger- 
many, born August 20, 1851, a son of 
Cord and Charlotte (Harms) Bolte. 

Cord Bolte, father of our subject, was 
born in 181 8, in German}', was a black- 
smith by trade, and died in 1865; his 
wife, Charlotte (Harms), was born in 
181 5, and died in 1892, at the residence 
of her son Fred, in Port Clinton, Ohio. 
Seven children were born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Cord Bolte, as follows: William, a 
blacksmith, residing in Germany; Louisa, 
nosv the wife of George F. Meyer, of 



Port Clinton; Anna (widow of William 
Dickman), also living in Port Clinton; 
Meta, wife of Benjamin Boock, of Ca- 
tawba Island, Ottawa county; Henry (de- 
ceased); Sophy, wife of Mr. Andrew 
Heinsen, of Bay township, Ottawa coun- 
ty; and Fred, our subject. When the 
latter was six years old his parents moved 
with their family to Amt Syke, Germany, 
five years later taking up their abode in 
Osterholz, in both of which places young 
Fred received his education, which was 
concluded when he was fourteen years 
old, after which he served a three-years' 
apprenticeship to the trade of blacksmith, 
and for two years followed that business 
in Osterholz. During the next two or 
three 3'ears his time was occupied in 
working at his trade in Bremen, Stade, 
Gadebusch, Berlin and Hanover, which 
brings us to 1873, in which year, 
desirous of bettering his condition, he 
emigrated to the United Stales arriv- 
ing at New York on July 10. From there 
he came directly to Sandusky, Ohio, 
where for eight months he followed his 
trade, and then moved to Oak Harbor, 
being here similiarly employed other 
eight months; but returning to Sandusky, 
he once more made his home there, this 
time remaining about a year. 

From Ohio Mr. Bolte was attracted to 
Indiana by Cupid's magnet, and April 10, 
1876, was married to the lady of his 
choice — Miss Mary Cloy, who was born 
February 18, 1859, in Auburn, Ind., 
daughter of Christopher Cloy, of that 
city, where she passed all her days up to 
her marriage. Her parents were pioneers 
of near Garrett, Ind., and had a family of 
four children: Julia (deceased); Mary 
(Mrs. Bolte); Fred, an upholsterer in a 
railroad shop, at Garrett, Ind. ; and 
Charles (deceased). The father of these 
died in 1893; the mother is still living. 
After his marriage Mr. Bolte remained in 
the " Hoosier State " about a year, and 
then moved to Flat Rock, Ohio, where 
he followed his trade nine months. From 



498 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



there he proceeded to Graj'tpvvn, Ottawa 
Co., Ohio, and for two years conducted 
a blacksmith shop there, at the end of 
which time he opened a saloon and res- 
taurant there, twelve months later em- 
barking in the hotel business in the same 
town, in which he continued some seven 
years. Mr. Bolte then rented the hotel, 
and gave his undivided attention to the 
saloon and restaurant until 1890, when he 
was elected sheriff of Ottawa county on 
the Democratic ticket, and this incum- 
bency he ably filled four years. At the 
time of his election to that office he re- 
moved his residence to Port Clinton, the 
county seat, where is still his home, al- 
though his business is in Graytown. 

During the winter of 1894-95 ^^r. 
Bolte took a trip to Europe, spending 
some time at the place of his birth, and 
visiting his brother William, who has 
never left the Fatherland. On his return 
from Germany, our subject sold his hotel 
property at Graytown and opened his 
present new saloon and restaurant at that 
place. In politics he is an ardent sup- 
porter of the Democratic party, and on 
that ticket he was elected treasurer of 
Benton township, which position he held 
for some time prior to his election to the 
office of county sheriff. To him and his 
amiable wife have been born four chil- 
dren, their names and dates of birth being 
as follows: Louise, February 24, 1878, 
at present devoting her time to the stud\' 
of instrumental music; Henry, February 
4, 1880, also studying music; Otto, Oc- 
tober 10, 1 88 1, and Charles, March 13. 
1885, all born in Graytown, Ohio, except 
Louise, whose place of birth is Flat Rock, 
Ohio. They are all attending the public 
schools of Port Clinton. 



I 



N.ATHANIEL AMOS HADDEN, 
the well-known and highly-re- 
spected fruit grower and shipper, 
of Catawba Island, Ottawa coun- 
t}', was born at Rice Creek, Calhoun Co., 



Mich., August 7, 1836, and was the third 
son of Amos and Mary Jane (Dutcber) 
Hadden, both natives of New York State. 

His parents left New York, and settled 
in Michigan in 1835, buying, from the 
government, 120 acres of wild land in 
southern Michigan, among the wolves and 
Indians, their nearest neighbors being 
four miles away, and there made for them- 
selves a fine farm home, which stands to- 
day (1895) a monument to the energy and 
good management of its owner, Amos 
Hadden, who died suddenly in his own 
yard, in November, 1S93, at the age of 
eighty-three years. His wife, now eighty- 
four, still lives there, where for sixty years 
she has lived, and faithfully assisted her 
husband in making the home and family 
what it is. They were Methodists in re- 
ligious faith, and in a few years, with 
others who followed them from New York, 
planted Methodism in that section of 
country, and built a good church, which 
still stands. A small stream of water runs 
through this section, called Rice creek 
from the quantities of wild rice growing 
on its banks, and from this the early 
settlers named themselves the ' • Rice 
Creek Settlement," which name has since 
been given the post office now there, with 
its daily mail. 

It was there at Rice Creek in 1836, 
the year after the settlement of his par- 
ents, that N. A. Hadden, the subject of 
this sketch, was born and reared to young 
manhood, assisting his father in every- 
thing pertaining to the farm, and receiv- 
ing a liberal education in the good schools 
which naturally followed in the wake of 
this civilized people from the East. In the 
spring of 1859, when he was twentj'-two, 
he, like thousands of others, was seized 
with the Pike's Peak gold fever, and, with 
a party of eleven men, left the old farm 
and started for Pike's Peak. At St. 
Joseph, Mo., they were discouraged by 
returning men, and the eleven, with two 
additions, decided to go to California. 
They bought oxen and provisions, and 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



499 



started on their long journey across the 
Plains, which took six months. They all 
arrived in safety, but our Mr. Hadden 
was the only man of the thirteen who was 
not obliged to ride on account of illness. 
He literally walked almost the entire dis- 
tance. On their arrival each went his 
own way, our subject working in the gold 
mines with good and ill success, until 
called home by the death of a brother in 
the army, in 1862. In the spring of 1863 
he was married, and with his wife lived 
on the old farm until the fall of 1865. 
Here two children were born to them, one 
dying. He then removed with his wife 
and little daughter to Mendon, Mich., 
where for five years he he was success- 
fully engaged in the drug and grocery 
business. Here a son was born and died, 
and his own health became impaired, and 
then it was that he turned his attention to 
Ottawa county, Ohio, the former home of 
his wife. In 1870 he bought a vineyard, 
also two lake lots on the north point of 
Catawba Island, and erected a summer 
hotel, which, when just finished and 
opened, and with its first guest, was en- 
tirely destroyed by fire, on the night of 
March 13, 1872, at the close of a fine 
school entertainment, which he had gen- 
erously allowed to be given on the third 
unfinished floor, and which was undoubt- 
edly the cause of the fire. By this ca- 
lamity he was thrown out of home and 
business, and left heavily in debt. Dur- 
ing that summer his third son was born, 
and in the fall he took his family to Kala- 
mazoo, Mich., where they spent a year, 
and in July, 1873, he accepted the posi- 
tion of bookkeeper and salesman for the 
firm of J. C. Butler & Co. (now George 
R. Butler), proprietors of the sash, door 
and blind factory in Sandusky, Erie Co., 
Ohio, whither he moved his family and 
where he lived for fifteen years, during 
which time he settled his entire indebted- 
ness, built him a good home, and bought 
land on Catawba Island. This last pur- 
chase of fifty-five acres was made in No- I 



vember, 1879, and was entirely woods 
and stone, and looked to many like an 
unprofitable investment, but with his 
characteristic pluck, energy, push and 
hard work he has made for himself a fine 
fruit farm of about ten thousand trees, 
and erected a comfortable and commodious 
residence, with all the necessary outbuild- 
ings. This he has named " Sunnyside 
Orchard," and is the present home of 
himself and wife. In 1888 he left the 
Butlers and devoted his entire time to 
fruit culture. For eight years he has been 
rewarded with good crops, and has become 
the third largest grower and shipper of 
fruit on the Island, making a specialty of 
the peach. 

In religion, Mr. Hadden has been a 
Methodist from bo3'hood ; in politics a Re- 
publican, having cast his first vote for Abra- 
ham Lincoln, and he has voted for every 
Republican President since. He has been 
president and manager of the Catawba 
Island Fruit Co., since its organization in 
1888. Mr. Hadden is a man of perfect 
habits, and is one of the most social and 
liberal of men. He has one brother liv- 
ing. Smith Hadden, of Olivet, Mich., and 
a widowed sister, Mrs. N. L. McCormick, 
who with her daughter lives with the aged 
mother at the old Hadden homestead. 

On May 14, 1863, Mr. Hadden was 
married in the old M. E. Church at Port 
Clinton, Ottawa Co., Ohio., to Miss 
Marion J. Dutcher, who was born June 
22, 1839, at Oswego, N. Y. , eldest daugh- 
ter of Ira S. Dutcher, a sketch of whom 
follows. Miss Dutcher first came to Ca- 
tawba Island with her father's family when 
she was but sixteen years old. The 
' ' point " was then called ' • Ottawa City. " 
Two years later she taught her first school, 
and the first school ever taught on North 
Bass Island, or "Isle St. George," as it 
is now called. From here she was called 
to the high school of Port Clinton, which 
she successfully taught a year or more, 
and then went to Elmore, and taught mu- 
sic. From there she was called to Gyp- 



500 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



sum, where she taught until her marriage. 
After seven years in Michigan, she came 
with her husband and Httie daughter back 
to Catawba Island, thence, after the fire 
that destroyed their home, they removed 
to Sandusky, as already related. Here 
for fifteen years she assisted her husband 
in retrieving his fallen fortunes, by teach- 
ing music and playing pipe organ in two 
of the city churches. After her two chil- 
dren were graduated from the high school, 
the son gone to college, and the daughter 
married, she with her husband rented her 
Sandusk)' home, and went to live on their 
fruit farm, "Sunnyside Orchard," at Ca- 
tawba Island, in 1892, where they now, 
(1895) reside. Mrs. Hadden is a progres- 
sive woman, being interested in all affairs 
pertaining to the Island, and entertains 
largely at their pleasant hospitable home. 
She is the founder of " The Ladies After- 
noon Club," which was organized at her 
home on June 15, 1892, and has been its 
president since. It is devoted to litera- 
ture and current events. She has been a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church since early childhood. 

To Mr. and Mrs. N. A. Hadden were 
born four children, a brief record of whom 
is as follows: (i) Ira Amos, born Feb- 
ruary 28, 1864, died September 8, 1865. 
(2) Stella Belle, born March 29, 1865, 
was married to Arthur B. Alexander, of 
Decatur, 111., where they now reside; she 
made music a specialty, spent a year and 
a half abroad in travel and study, and is 
a thorough, brilliant musician and an ac- 
complished lady. (3) James Bertrand, 
born August 24, 1867, died August 28, 
1868. (4) Clarence Bernard, born May 
23, 1872, a graduate of Sandusky High 
School, also of Cornell Universitj-, Ithaca, 
N. Y. (1893), after which he spent a year 
in post-graduate work in political econ- 
omy and social science, under Dr. 
Richard T. Ely, University of Wisconsin, 
at Madison, ^^■is. He has assisted his 
father in the management of the Catawba 
Island Fruit Co. every season for seven 



years, and is now (1895) financial secre- 
tar}' of the Associated Charities of Cin- 
cinnati. He is also in active work at the 
Social Settlement, having charge of the 
"Idlewild Athletic and Musical Club," 
and other classes. 

Ira S. Dutcher, father of Mrs. Na- 
thaniel A. Hadden, was born March 13, 
1 8 14, at Dover, Dutchess Co., N. Y. , of 
Holland and English ancestry. When 
five years old he went with his parents, 
Ruleff (or Ralph) and Almira (Waring) 
Dutcher, to Auburn, Cayuga Co., N. Y. , 
where he received his education. His 
father being a millwright, Ira inherited 
from him his love for machinery and me- 
chanics, and when quite a j'oung man 
went to Rochester, N. Y. , where he learn- 
ed the millwright's trade, which he worked 
at more or less until the last few years of 
his life. He was married July 4, 1838, 
to Miss Mary Ann Veeder, who was of 
Scotch, English and Dutch extraction, 
her grandmother on her father's side 
being a Scotch lady, and on her mother's 
side a "Yankee woman" or English 
lad}'. Mr. and Mrs. Dutcher went to 
housekeeping in East Oswego, N. Y. , in 
1838, and for thirteen years Mr. Dutcher 
built elevators and mills on the Oswego 
river. In 1852, being sent for to come 
to Sandusky, Ohio, to build an ele- 
vator and put machinery in mills, he 
removed his family there, remaining 
three years, and in 1855 came to Ottawa 
county, where he resided until his death 
thirty j'ears later. He began his career 
by building the " Cement W'orks " at the 
north point of Catawba Island, then 
called Ottawa City, as it was thought a 
little city would surely grow out of this 
enterprise, and a plat for a city was made 
and named as above. The land was 
owned by J. B. James, a wealth}' gentle- 
man of New York, who was sanguine in 
the belief that good cement could be pro- 
cured from the limestone which abounded 
in such large quantities. So Mr. Dutcher 
was employed as builder and superintend- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



501 



ent, and in 1855 moved his famiij- to the 
superintendent's house, which to-day is 
the "Catawba Island House," owned by 
J. P. Cangney. For various reasons the 
cement business did not prove as remu- 
nerative as Mr. James had expected, and 
in 1859, after a four-years' trial he aban- 
doned the enterprise and removed the ma- 
chinery to an Eastern plant. Mr. Dutcher 
had opened a general store, while man- 
ager of the works. When he found his 
occupation gone, he moved his store and 
family to Port Clinton, where he formed 
a partnership with John Jenney, under 
the firm name of Dutcher & Jenney, and 
for four years did a general mercantile 
business, occasional!}- going out for a job 
in his favorite machine work. In the 
fall of 1863 he sold out and moved to a 
ten-acre farm on the extreme northeast 
point of Catawba Island, known as 
" Scott's Point," which he had purchased 
some time previous. Here, in the old- 
fashioned log house with its numerous ad- 
ditions, " neath the old Linden tree" (an 
immense tree over a hundred years old), 
he moved his famil}', and lived many 
happy years. Here his grandson, Clar- 
ence B. Hadden was born in 1872. 
Mr. Dutcher devoted the most of his 
time to the cultivation of fruit, and 
was one of the earliest growers of 
the peach for profit on the Island. His 
place was called " Linden Place," and his 
large new house, which he built in 1874- 
75, "The Linden." Here he lived until 
his death, in 1886. The old house later 
was accidentally burned, the great linden 
tree was struck by lightning two or three 
times, and was taken out root and branch, 
so to-day no trace of either exists. The 
new house is now owned and occupied by 
the second daughter and her husband, 
Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Davey, who provide 
a home for the aged widow, who, on Oc- 
tober 2, 1895, was eighty years old. Mr. 
and Mrs. Dutcher had eight children, only 
two of whom are living — the two eldest 
daughters, Mrs. N. A. Hadden and Mrs. 



J. A. Davey — both of whom live on Ca- 
tawba Island. Two sons and a daughter 
who died in infancy are buried in Oswego, 
and two sons and a daughter are buried 
with their father and grandmother Vecder 
in the Catawba Island Cemetery. Mr. 
Dutcher in politics was a Whig in early 
life, and later an active Republican; he 
cast his first vote for Gen. William Henry 
Harrison in 1836. He was always a tem- 
perance man and worker. He was town- 
ship treasurer, township clerk and school 
director for many years, was a Good 
Templar, Odd Fellow and a Roj'al Arch 
Mason, holding the office of worshipful 
master in both Port Clinton and Oak 
Harbor Lodges. In 1868 he joined the 
Methodist Church at Catawba Island; his 
wife has been a Methodist since girlhood. 
Mr. Dutcher had a sudden death from 
heart failure. Arising on the morning of 
January 25, 1886, in his usual health and 
spirits, about ten o'clock, sitting in his 
arm chair by the stove opposite his be- 
loved wife, he suddenly placed his hand 
on his breast, saying. "I don't know 
what is the matter," leaned back, and 
ceased to breathe. He was buried from 
his home, January 27, under the auspices 
of the Port Clinton Masonic Lodge, the 
members of which came in a body to do 
honor to their deceased Brother. 



CHARLES BLECKNER, a popu- 
lar druggist of Oak Harbor, and 
one of the leading influential men 
of that prosperous little town in 
Ottawa county, was born in Troy, N. Y. , 
March 19, 1852, a son of Adam and 
Christina (Lenhardt) Bleckner, both na- 
tives of Germany, who emigrated to the 
United States in March, 1852, landing in 
America on the day our subject was born. 
On their arrival in this country the 
parents located first in Troy, N. Y., re- 
maining there only a few months; then 
removed to Fremont, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, thence to Rice township, same 



502 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



county, where Mr. Bleckner engaged in 
agricultural pursuits for upwards of two 
years. But from the year 1855 up to the 
time of his death, which occurred in 
1857, he was employed at his trade, that 
of stone mason. The family consisted of 
two sons and one daughter: Charles, the 
subject proper of this sketch; William, 
the efficient postmaster at Oak Harbor; 
and Lucinda, now the wife of William 
Mclvenzie, of Bellevue, Ohio. The 
mother was again united in marriage, her 
second husband being Charles Remley, 
and is now a resident of Fremont, Ohio. 
Charles Bleckner, the subject proper 
of these lines, received his preliminary 
education in the public schools of San- 
dusky county, and later in life, being a 
young man of very studious habits, he 
added considerably to his fund uf knowl- 
edge. The family being deprived, in 
the death of the father, of the only 
means of support, our subject was com- 
pelled to start out when very young to 
earn his own livelihood. When eleven 
years of age he hired out with a neigh- 
boring farmer, for whom he worked eight 
years, receiving in compensation for his 
services his board and clothes, and at the 
age of twenty-one succeeded in purchasing 
some land and enj^ged in agricultural pur- 
suits on his own responsibility; but in \^77 
he severed his connection with the farm 
and accepted a position as clerk in his 
brother William's drugstore, and in 1879 
purcliased his drug business at Rocky 
Ridge, Ohio, remaining there for two years. 
In 1 88 1 our subject returned to Oak Har- 
bor and purchased a half interest in his 
brother's store, in 1892 becoming sole 
proprietor, and he has since carried on 
the business in his own interests, his store 
being one ot the handsomest in the county. 
Mr. Bleckner isa " self-made man " in the 
broadest sense of the term. Thrown 
upon his own resources when but a young 
lad, he has displayed wonderful tact in 
the way in which he has prospered. His 
reputation as a chemist — second to none 



in the county — his success as a business 
man, and his popularity as a citizen, have 
been acquired by a life of hard, honest 
labor. 

On December 22, 1872, Mr. Bleckner 
was united in marriage, at Perrysburg, 
Wood Co., Ohio, with Miss Annie A. 
Hufford, a daughter of Jacob and Cather- 
ine Hufford, the former of whom was a 
native of Pennsylvania, the latter a native 
of Holland, honored and respected resi- 
dents of Wood county for' many years, 
both now deceased. To this union have 
come si.\ children, as follows: Noah H., 
born September 24, 1873, now a clerk in 
his father's store; Emma C. , born Jan- 
uary 13, 1875, now a teacher in Ot- 
tawa county; Charles C. , born May 19, 
1877, will graduate from Oak Harbor 
public schools in June, 1896; Cora M., 
born June 27, 1880, died September 24, 
1880; Vernah V., born April 28, 1884; 
and Chester H., born October 3, 1885. 
Mr. Bleckner is an active member of the 
Oak Harbor school board, a stockholder 
in the Oak Harbor Natural Gas Co., a 
member of Oak Harbor Lodge No. 495, F. 
& A. M., and Fremont Chapter No. 64, 
Royal Arch Masons, and a charter mem- 
ber of Oak Harbor Lodge No. 735, 
I. O. O. F. Politically he is affiliated 
with the Democratic party. The family 
are members of the M. E. Church. 



HENRY LAMMERS (deceased), 
who was one of the prominent 
and representative farmers and 
fruit growers of Ottawa county, 
spent his entire life in Danbury township, 
where his birth occurred February 2, 
1850, in the old log house that then stood 
on the homestead farm. His parents, 
Frederick and Martha (Teeman) Lam- 
mers, were both natives of the Province 
of Hanover, Germany. He was reared 
in the usual manner of farmer boys, aid- 
ing in the labor of the field and attending 
the district schools of the neighborhood, 




HENRY LAMMERS. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



503 



where he acquired a good common-school 
education. The occupation to which he 
was reared he made his Ufa work, and 
was very successful in his undertakings. 

At Port Clinton, Ottawa county, on 
the 15th of November, 1877, was cele- 
brated the marriage of Mr. Henry Lam- 
mers and Miss Mary L. Graves, who was 
born in Danbury township, March 2, 
1854, and is a daughter of John F. and 
Christine Graves, old and highly-respected 
residents of Danbury township, but who 
are now living in Hanover, Germany. 
To our subject and his worthy wife were 
born two sons, both still living, namely: 
Edwin August, born December 26, 1879; 
and Walter Frederick, born December 4, 
1883. 

Mr. Lammers passed to the other 
shore on the 14th of June, 1891. Though 
yet a young man at the time of his de- 
cease, still he had done much toward the 
prosperity of his native township, and was 
held in high esteem as a friend and neigh- 
bor. His wife continues to superintend 
the duties pertaining to the farm, and the 
neat' and thrifty appearance of the place 
indicates taste and good judgment, as well 
as abilit}'. 



GEORGE DEEL is the proprietor 
of the Enterprise Machine Works, 
of Oak Harbor, Ottawa county, 
No greater pleasure can be en- 
joyed by the aged than to look back on a 
life usefully spent for the good of others 
as well as themselves — -a happiness that 
can be enjoyed in an eminent degree by 
the gentleman whose name opens this 
sketch. 

Mr. Deel is a native of Pennsylvania, 
born in New Berlin, Union county, May 
7, 1 83 1, and is a son of Jacob and Eliza- 
beth (Newhart) Deel, both of whom were 
natives of the Keystone State. On both 
sides the families are of German ancestry, 
the paternal great-grandparents of our 
subject, who were natives of Hessen, 

32 



Germany, emigrating to what is now 
Frederick City, Md. , and at the time of 
the Revolutionary war they were resi- 
dents of that city. The parents of our 
subject came to Ohio in 1861, locating 
first in Fremont, Sandusky county, but 
after a short time came to Ottawa county 
and took up their residence in Salem 
township, near Oak Harbor, where their 
remaining days were passed, the father 
departing this life in 1878, the mother in 
1882. They had twelve children, six of 
whom are yet living besides our subject, 
namely: Rebecca, widow of John Marks, 
of Benton township, Ottawa county; 
Mary, wife of John Orandorf, of Center 
county, Penn. ; John, who is living 
on the homestead in Union county, 
Penn. ; Jacob and Peter, both of Bar- 
ton county, Kans. ; and Joseph, who 
is living in Gun Marsh, Michigan. 

George Deel acquired a common- 
school education near his home, and af- 
terward learned the trade of a ship car- 
penter, which pursuit he followed in Penn- 
sylvania until 1 86 1. He then came to 
Ohio, locating in Salem township, about 
three miles east of Oak Harbor, where he 
engaged in agricultural pursuits and in the 
purchase and sale of timber for about si.\- 
teeti years. In 1877 he came to Oak 
Harbor, and in connection with dealing 
in timber he also engaged in the hotel 
business, conducting the first hostelry of 
any importance in the town. In 1878 
this hotel was destroye(^ by fire, and the 
following year he erected the large and 
commodious brick hotel, so well and 
favorably known to the traveling public, 
called the. " Portage House." It too was 
consumed by the flames, on August 4, 
1894, and in both conflagrations Mr. Deel 
was a serious loser. In August, 1894, he 
purchased the Enterprise Machine Works, 
and is now conducting a good business. 

Mr. Deel was married, in McAlister- 
ville, Penn., September-2, 1S53, to Julia 
M. Koch, who was born in Richfield, 
Juniata Co., Penn., September 28, 1834, 



504 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



a daughter of John and Catherine (Baer) 
Koch. Seven children came to bless this 
union: Mary Alice, born September i, 
1858, who is the wife of William Fry, of 
Oak Harbor; Clara E., born November 
2, i860, who died September 29, 1862; 
James E., born November 13, 1862, who 
died May 24, 1864; George A., born Jan- 
uary 19, 1865, who is now a professor in 
Eastman College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. ; 
Martha E. ,born January 7, 1867, who died 
April 12, of that year; Nelson K. , born 
January 22, 1869, and Lottie V., born 
April II, 1 87 1 , the last two still under the 
parental roof. 

In March, 1865, Mr. Deel manifested 
his loyalty to the government by enlisting 
in Company C, One Hundred and Ninety- 
sixth O. V. I., and served until the close 
of the war, acting as hospital steward part 
of the time. His brothers, Jacob, Joseph 
and Peter, were also Union soldiers. Mr. 
Deel has served for three years as super- 
visor of the township; was school director 
for fifteen years; was township assessor 
three years; has been councilman nine 
years; was infirmary director six years; 
was township trustee six years, and coun- 
ty treasurer for one term, of two years. 
The very fact of his being called to these 
various positions indicates the confidence 
and trust reposed in him by his fellow 
townsmen, and his honorable official rec- 
ord shows that this confidence has never 
been betrayed. In connection with his 
other interests, he is a charter member of 
Oak Harbor Lodge No. 495. F. & A. M., 
the second oldest Mason in the place, and 
a member of George Field Post No. 168, 
G. A. R. In politics he is a Democrat. 
In addition to his other business inter- 
ests he is a director of the Oak Harbor 
State Bank. But few men have come 
more directly in contact with the inter- 
ests of Ottawa county, and none have 
commanded more completely the respect 
and confidence of the community at large. 
His circle of friends and acquaintances is 
indeed extensive, and in the history of 



Ottawa county he well deserves repre- 
sentation. The Deel family attend the 
Lutheran Church. 



WILLIAM NOBLE, a retired farm- 
er of Salem township, Ottawa 
county, and a highly-respected 
resident of Oak Harbor, was 
born June 19, 1830, in Germany, on the 
line between the Provinces of Hanover 
and Prussia, and is a son of Frederick 
and Lena Noble, both of whom passed 
away in their native land. 

Our subject received his primary edu- 
cation in his native land, and there ap- 
prenticed himself to the trade of carpen- 
tering. In 1 8 50 he emigrated to America, 
and for two years was employed as sales- 
man in a provision store in New York 
City. In 1852 he removed to the State 
of Ohio, locating in Danbury township, 
Ottawa county, working at his trade dur- 
ing the winter and sailing on Lake Erie 
during the summer months. In 1858 he 
purchased land in Salem township, and 
engaged in agricultural pursuits; and al- 
though for the past four years he has 
been living a retired life, enjoying the 
rest he has so well earned, he still retains 
his farm, which is in charge of his sons. 
Mr. Noble was married in Danbury 
township September 22, 1858, to Miss 
Mary Ott, a daughter of Frederick and 
Fredericka (Grouman) Ott, both natives 
of Germany, who located in Danbury 
township in 1855, and moved to Salem 
township with their daughter and son-in- 
law in 1858, passing away there in 1867 
and 1875 respectively. Mrs. Noble was 
born in Mecklenburg, Germany, January 
18, 1837. To this union were born nine 
children, viz. : Doris, wife of Sinese Bahn- 
sen, residing in Salem township; \\'illiam, 
born April 14, 1861, a prominent farmer 
of Salem township; Frederick, born No- 
vember 22, 1S63, a merchant of Azalia, 
Mich.; Matilda, born March 24,' 1866, 
wife of Niss Paulsen, residing in Bay 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



505> 



township, Ottawa county; Charles, born 
October i, 1868, residing on the home- 
stead; Rudolf, born September 28, 1870, 
now of Toledo, Ohio; Mary, born July 
15, 1873, died March 4, 1876; August, 
born December 30, 1878; and one child 
who died in infancy. 

Mr. Noble is a Democrat in his polit- 
ical views, has filled a number of town- 
ship offices, and b}' the entire community 
in which he lives is looked up to and ad- 
mired and respected as a man of sterling 
qualities. The family are members of 
the Lutheran Church. 



HENRY F. HARRISON. Among 
the leading, influential and repre- 
sentative citizens of Oak Harbor, 
Salem township, Ottawa county, 
there is probably no one who enjoys, to a 
greater degree, the confidence, respect 
and esteem of his fellow citizens, than 
does Henry F. Harrison, who was born 
in Yorkshire, England, July 13, 1833, 
being a son of Thomas and Elizabeth 
(Jackson) Harrison. 

The parents emigrated to America in 
1844, in the days when nearly all the 
transportation across the Atlantic had to 
be done in sailing vessels. After a rough, 
tempestuous voyage, extending over nine 
weeks, they landed at Yarmouth, Nova 
Scotia, and upon the reopening of navi- 
gation in the spring of 1845 proceeded to 
Boston; thence they journeyed to Ohio, 
eventually settling in Erie township, Ot- 
tawa county, where Mr. Harrison engaged 
in agricultural pursuits for nearly a year, 
then moving to Henry county, where he 
found employment at his trade, that of a 
miller, remaining there until his death, 
which occurred in 1848, he being one of j 
the unfortunates carried off by the epi- j 
demic of cholera, which passed over that 
section of the country in that year. After 
the death of her first husband Mrs. Har- 
rison was again married, this time to 
Phineas Nearing, and, with part of her 



family, moved to Port Clinton. She 
finally passed away at the home of her 
daughter, Mary Ann, in Erie township. 
The family consisted of eight children, 
two of whom still survive, viz.: Mary 
Ann, wife of Frederick Rymers, a resident 
of Erie township, and Henry F. 

Henry F. Harrison, the subject of 
this biography, received his primary edu- 
cation in the district schools of Henry 
county, Ohio, and in the public schools of 
Port Clinton, his early life being devoted' 
to agricultural pursuits. In 1853 he pur- 
chased a rough, uncultivated tract of 
land in Salem township, then but a wil- 
derness, and, setting to work with that 
energy and determination characteristic 
of the early pioneer, he soon became the 
owner of a valuable farm, and in the face 
of disappointments and difficulties estab- 
lished himself among the well-to-do agri- 
culturists of that township. In 1882 he 
sold this farm and purchased the land m 
Oak Harbor upon which he still resides, 
where, in connection with agricultural 
pursuits, he is also engaged in fruit grow- 
ing and floriculture. In his long life and 
early pioneer experiences, Mr. Harrison 
has an interesting history of days gone by, 
full of hardships and dangers unknown to 
the present generation. 

Our subject has been united in mar- 
riage three times, the first time to Miss 
Susanna E. Kirk, daughter of John and 
Belinda (Knight) Kirk, who was born in- 
Erie township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, April 
25, 1837; her parents were both natives 
of Cecil county, Md., the father, born 
January 17, 1806, the mother on Febru- 
ary I, 1S09. To this union were born' 
two children: John W. , born March 29, 
1857, died June 9, 1857, and Mary E., 
born August 19, 1858, the wife of William 
Snyder, of Toledo, Ohio. Mrs. Harri- 
son's death occurred February 10, 1862, 
and on October i, 1864. Mr. Harrison 
was again married, this time to Mrs. Sarah 
M. Vincent, widow of Freeman Vincent, 
of Lorain county, Ohio. To this second 



50G 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



union were born five children, two of 
whom now survive: Susan E. , principal 
of the Oak Harbor High School, and 
Ralph M., in the fruit business with his 
father. After the death of his second wife 
Mr. Harrison was married to her sister, 
Lydia A. Merion; no children were born 
to this marriage. Mr. Harrison's second 
and third wives were daughters of David 
and Mar}' (Shaller) Merion, the former of 
whom was born in 1839, passing away in 
1876; the latter was born in 1835; their 
parents were born near Boston, Mass., 
the father in 1796, the mother in 1801; 
these died in 1886 and i860, respectively. 
They were married in 1819, and became 
the parents of eleven children — nine who 
grew to maturity and two who died in in- 
fancy. They came to Ohio the year of 
their marriage, first locating near Colum- 
bus, where they lived a few years, and 
thence removing to Ottawa county, where 
they made a permanent home and passed 
•the remainder of their days. 

In politics our subject votes with the 
Republican party; socially he is a mem- 
ber of Oak Harbor Lodge No. 495, F. & 
A. M. He also fills the position of vice- 
president and secretary of the Oak Harbor 
State Bank, and director of the Oak Har- 
bor Natural Gas Co. The family are de- 
vout adherents of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church. 



OHN BLOOM. Prominent among 
the retired successful agriculturists 



^ I of Ottawa county, and tjpical rep- 
resentative German- Americans of 
the industrious and thrifty class, may be 
found the gentleman whose name here 
appears. 

He was born in Prussia, Germany, 
October 3, 1829, a son of John and Mar- 
garet (Demon) Bloom, natives of the 
same province, the former born in 1802, 
the latter in 1801. In the year 1832 they 
emigrated to the United States, settling 
in Schuylkill county, Penn., where the 



father purchased land, engaging in agri- 
cultural pursuits, and where he and his 
wife passed the rest of their days, hon- 
ored and respected by all who knew them. 
The father died in 1835, the result of a 
railroad accident, caused by the locomo- 
tive, on which he was riding, leaving the 
track; the mother passed away in 1S61, 
and was laid besides the remains of her 
husband in a cemetery near their old 
Pennsylvania home. Their family num- 
bered six children, as follows: Catherine, 
now Mrs. John Engerhart, living in Penn- 
sylvania; Mary, wife of Henry Boch, also 
in Pennsylvania; John, the subject of 
these lines; Christian, a blacksmith in the 
Keystone State; and two who died in in- 
fancy. As will be seen, John Bloom was 
between two and three years of age when 
he accompanied his parents to this coun- 
try, and at the common schools of the 
neighborhood of his first New-World home 
he received his education, at the same 
time assisting on the farm. Under his 
father's preceptorship he bicame well ex- 
perienced in the various details of agri- 
culture, and deciding to make it his life 
work, he, on reaching maturity, purchased 
a farm for himself in Schuylkill county, 
Pennsylvania. 

In 1S51 Mr. Bloom was united in 
marriage with Miss Polly Leiser, of whom 
further mention will presently be made. 
In 1 86 1 the family migrated to Rice 
township, Sandusk}' Co., Ohio, whence 
at the end of a j'ear they removed to 
Salem township, Ottawa county, the 
father having purchased 160 acres of tim- 
ber land, being the N. E. quarter of Sec- 
tion 19. Here, assisted by his family, he 
set to work to hew out a home, clearing 
away the forest trees, converting the wild 
land into fruitful fields, and placing good 
buildings thereon. Later he bought an- 
other eighty-acre tract in the same sec- 
tion, which he afterward disposed of to 
one of his sons. In 1888, having by that 
time accumulated a comfortable compe- 
tence, he and his faithful wife, who had 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



507 



well done her share toward securincf their 
prosperity, retired from the arduous duties 
of farm life, and took up their abode in 
the villaj^e of Oak Harbor, where in a 
comfortable home they are enjoying the 
fruits of their labor. In addition to his 
farm our subject also owns a sawmill in 
Washington township, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, which was successfully conducted 
by him some twenty-five years in connec- 
tion with his other interests, and is now 
being operated by his son Levi. 

To Mr. and Mrs. John Bloom have 
been born si.\ children, a brief record of 
whom is as follows: (i) John M., born 
June 29, 1854, married Sarah Ann Boyer 
(by whom he had two children), and died 
in 1881; his wife passed away in the 
month of March, same year. (2) Levi, 
born January 6, 1858, married Catherine 
Boyer, by whom he has five children. 
(3) Louisa, born June 4, 1862, married 
Israel Druckenmiller, a farmer of Wash- 
ington township, Sandusky county, Ohio, 
and has four children. (4) Susanna, born 
December 12, 1864, married Perr}' Boyer, 
tile manufacturer, also of Washington 
township, by whom she has three chil- 
dren. (5) Franklin, born March i, 1S67, 
married Ida Auxter, and has two chil- 
dren; he rents his father's farm. (6) 
Charles H., born October 23, 1870, mar- 
ried Alvesta Siegenthaler, and has one 
child; he also operates his father's farm. 

The mother of this family was born 
October 21, 1832, in Pennsylvania, 
where she grew to womanhood, receiving 
her education at the schools of that State. 
She is a daughter of Jacob and Susan 
(Schumaker) Leiser, both also natives of 
the Keystone State, her father born in 
18 1 2, and died in 1880, the mother born 
in 1809, and died in 1887. They were 
the parents of eight children, to wit: 
John (deceased), Nathan, Polly (Mrs. 
Bloom), Sarah, David, Joseph, Rebecca 
(deceased) and Samuel; those yet living 
are all residents of Ohio. The maternal 
ancestry of Mrs. Bloom dates to days 



long prior to Revolutionary times. Her 
maternal grandfather, John Schumaker, 
was born in 1776, and died in 1856; his 
wife, Susanna Kunze, died the same year 
and at about the same age as her hus- 
band. Mrs. Bloom's great-grandmother 
Susanna Kunze was born in 1756, and 
lived to a ripe old age. 

Mr. Bloom is a stockholder in the 
Oak Harbor State Bank, and also in the 
Basket Factory of Oak Harbor. Polit- 
ically, he supports the principles of the 
Democratic party; socially, he is a mem- 
ber of the I. O. O. F. Lodge No. 735, 
Oak Harbor, while Mrs. Bloom is affili- 
ated with Lodge No. 735, Daughters of 
Rebekah, Oak Harbor. 



GEORGE L. SEELEY, one of 
the leading, influential and repre- 
sentative men of Oak Harbor, 
Ottawa county, and cashier of 
the Oak Harbor State Bank, is a native 
of Ohio, born May 2, 1S53, in Lorain 
county. 

Morton C. Seelej', father of our sub- 
ject, was of New England birth, coming 
at an early day to Lorain county, Ohio, 
where for many years he was engaged in 
agricultural pursuits and real-estate busi- 
ness until in his declining years he retired 
into private life. He was a progressive 
and honored citizen, and filled many 
county offices, with honor to himself and 
satisfaction to the community which he 
represented. He married Sophia On- 
stein, also a native of New England, and 
they had one son, George L. , the only 
child born to them. 

The subject proper of this sketch re- 
ceived his elementary education at the 
public schools of his native county, which 
was supplemented with a course of study 
at Oberlin College, and, after graduating 
therefrom, he was employed in drug bus- 
iness for about three years, then in a 
banking business at Amherst and Chicago 
until 1887. In October of that year he 



608 



COMMEMORATTVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



removed to Oak Harbor, and assisted in 
the organization of the Oaic Harbor State 
Bank, since which time he has continu- 
ously filled the position of cashier, with 
recognized ability and judgment. In 
1884 he was married, in Medina county, 
Ohio, to Miss Luetta M. Spitzer, daugh- 
ter of Garret and Mary Spitzer. the for- 
mer of whom died January 3, 1891, aged 
seventy-three years; the latter at the 
present time an honored and respected 
resident of Medina. To this union were 
born on July 10, 1885, twin sons named 
respectively Morton C. and Clifton M. 
Mrs. Seeley in her native town attended 
the Congregational Church, but in Oak 
Harbor she worships in the Methodist 
Church. In his political views Mr. See- 
ley is a stanch Republican. 

Garret and Mary Spitzer, parents of 
George L. Seeley, had born to them a 
family of eight children, all of whom are 
yet living, a brief record of them being as 
follows: Alice is the wife of Aaron Loom- 
is, a prominest merchant of Wyoming, 
Iowa; Amherst T. is president of the 
Medina Savings and Deposit Bank, with 
residence at Medina, Ohio; Eva is the 
wife of W. C. Lyon, editor of the Newark 
(Ohio) American, and ex-lieutenant gov- 
ernor of the State of Ohio, his home be- 
ing in Newark; Aaron E. is a prominent 
clothing merchant of Vinton. Iowa; 
Francelia is the wife of Dr. David N. 
Loose, a well-known physician of Maquo- 
keta, Iowa; Adelbert L. is a banker and 
prominent citizen of Toledo, Ohio; Luet- 
ta M., is the wife of George L. Seeley, 
the subject proper of this sketch; Bessie 
is the wife of Dr. Hodson D. Bishop, a 
popular and leading physician of Cleve- 
land, Ohio. 



GEORGE W. KEIGHTLEY. a 
talented lawyer and progressive 
citizen of Elmore, Ottawa Co., 
Ohio, was born in Chatham, 
Province of Ontario, Canada, June 30. 



1836, and is a son of Peter L. and Eliz- 
abeth Keightley, who were both natives 
of England, born in Boston, Lincoln- 
shire, in 1 8 14, the former the son of 
John and Margaret Keightley, the latter 
the daughter of George and Sarah Winter, 
who, as well as their parents, were also 
born in Boston, England. In 1837 Mr. 
Keightley's parents left Canada, removing 
to the township of Van Buren, near Ship- 
shewana, Lagrange Co. , Ind., where they 
are still living, and are worthy and re- 
spected members of the community. Our 
subject is the eldest in their family of 
four children; Jennie is the wife of J. C. 
Cook, residing in Lagrange county, Ind. ; 
Edwin W. , is a prominent member of the 
legal profession, and makes his home at 
Chicago, 111., and Anna is dead. 

George W. Keightley was only one 
year old when his parents located in In- 
diana, and he recalls, many times, of hav- 
ing when a child seen the Indians, who 
had not been removed from that lo- 
cality. His boyhood days were there 
spent on the farm. His primary educa- 
tion, which he commenced at the age of 
ten years, was received in the district 
schools of the county, and at the age of 
seventeen he entered the Academy at 
Ontario, Ind. On completing his literary 
course, he engaged in the profession of 
teaching, and during the years 1856 and 
1857 he taught in Ottawa county, Ohio. 
The following year, having been elected 
to the office of surve\or of Lagrange 
county, Ind., he returned to that State, 
and efficiently tilled the position for four 
years; during the latter part of his service 
he was also engaged in the survey of that 
part of the line of the Cincinnati & Chi- 
cago Air Line railway that lies between 
Logansport and \'alparaiso, Indiana. 

In 1862 Mr. Keightle)' commenced 
the study of law in the office of Robert 
Parrot, at Lagrange, Ind., with whom he 
read for nearly two years. He went to 
Philadelphia, however, in the spring of 
1864, and entered the Military School of 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



509 



that city, which he attended some six 
weeks, at the expiration of that time go- 
ing to Washington, D. C. He passed 
the required examination of the United 
States Military Board, of which Maj.- 
Gen. Casey, was president, and soon af- 
ter, having received a commission as first 
Heiitenant, was assigned to the Forty- 
first United States Colored Troops, and 
he remained in the Union service during 
the war of the Rebellion from that date 
to the close of the war. He participated 
in the capture of Fort Harrison, near 
Richmond, Va., and spent the winter of 
1864-65 in the trenches at Dutch Gap 
Canal, and was with his regiment on the 
marches and in the engagements from 
Petersburg to Appomattox in the spring 
campaign of 1S65. He was mustered 
out in November, that year. 

After receiving his discharge from the 
army Mr. Keightley went to Ann Arbor, 
Mich., where he entered the law depart- 
ment of the University of Michigan, from 
which institution he was a graduate in 
1866, and soon after commenced the 
practice of his profession at White Pig- 
eon, St. Joseph Co., Mich. In Septem- 
ber of the same year, however, he came 
to Elmore, where he has since been con- 
stantly engaged in the practice, and to- 
day ranks among the leading professional 
men of Ottawa county. He has always 
taken an active part in public matters, 
giving his time and assistance to all en- 
terprises having for their object the ad- 
vancement and welfare of the town and 
county, and is a citizen whom Elmore 
may be proud to claim. 

In Chardon, Geauga Co., Ohio, on 
September 21, 1866, Mr. Keightley was 
married to Miss Lois Mathevves, a daugh- 
ter of John and Rachel Mathewes, and 
two children have come of this union: 
Blanche, born February 20, 1873, and 
Edwin M., born April 4, 1875, both of 
whom are still living. Mr. Keightley has 
ever taken an active part in educational 
affairs, and for ten years held the position 



of school examiner. For many years 
he has been a member of Robert H. 
Caldwell Post, G. A. R. , and is a past 
commander of the same. 

He is a leading and representative 
man of Ottawa county, and merits and 
receives the warmest confidence and es- 
teem of his fellow citizens, who elected 
him prosecuting attorney of Ottawa coun- 
ty three times, which office he filled to 
the satisfaction of all concerned, and 
when he retired from office the opposition 
press said of him, in noticing the change: 
"We desire to compliment Mr. Keightley 
by saying that without exception he made 
one of the most intelligent, industrious, 
careful officers the county ever had. His 
record for the terms he has discharged 
the exacting duties of the office is without 
a blemish. He elevated the dignity of 
the office, and has always dared to do his 
dut)', at all times commanding the respect 
of the court, the bar and the community." 



HENRY KAHLER. Among the 
early pioneers who fought their 
way through the many dangers 
and hardships incident to a pio- 
neer's life, none are deserving of more 
prominent mention than the parents of 
this gentleman — Otto and Rachel (Nails) 
Kahler, both natives of Germany, who 
emigrated to America and settled in Dan- 
bury township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, at an 
early date, there residing for many years. 
The father's death occurred in Carroll 
township May 2, 1891, the mother dying 
in Danbury township on September 17, 
1880. 

The subject of this sketch was born 
in Mecklenburg, Germany, December 4, 
1846. His boyhood days were spent 
partly about the farm, partly in the pub- 
lic schools of his native land, and since 
his arrival in America he has been active- 
ly engaged in agricultural pursuits. On 
November 20, 1872, Mr. Kahler located 
in Danbury township, where he remained 



510 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



some five years. In 1 880 he removed to 
Carroll township, where he has since con- 
tinued to reside, ranking to-day among 
the prominent and successful farmers of 
that county. Mr. Kahler was married in 
Germany in 1870 to Mary Kulow, who 
was born February 25, 1853, daughter of 
John and Dora (Daunk) Kulow, both 
natives of Germany, the former of whom 
passed away in Germany June 24, 1867; 
the mother is still living at the advanced 
age of seventj-three jears, and resides 
with her son-in-law, Mr. Kahler. To 
this union were born nine children, as 
follows: Minnie, September 7, 1871 
(died August 23, 1874); Charles A., De- 
cember 24, 1874; George. March 28, 
1875 (died in infancy); Edward, May 2. 
1876; Habbetta M., January 29, 1878; 
John H., January 26, 1879; William T., 
July 17, 1882; Herman T., October 30, 
1885; Cora J., August 2 I, 1894. Politic- 
allj^ Mr. Kahler is a strong and active 
supporter of the Democratic party. The 
family are devout adherents of the Lu- 
theran Church, and enjoy the respect and 
esteem of the community in which they 
reside. 



JACOB C. CLAPPER, contractor and 
builder, of Madison township, San- 
dusky county, also a well-known 
agriculturist, was born in Bedford 
county, Penn., December 12, 1840, and 
is a son of Abraham and Mary (Cashman) 
Clapper, both of whom were natives of 
the Keystone State. The father acquired 
his education in the schools of the neigh- 
borhood, and learned the trade of a watch 
maker in his youth, but also followed 
farming in early life. He was married in 
Bedford county to Miss Cashman, and 
they became the parents of seven children, 
as follows: John, a soldier of the Civil 
war, now deceased; Susie, wife of Andrew 
Biddle; Henry, a lumber manufacturer; 
Jacob C. ; Eva, wife of David Koons, a 



farmer of Madison township; Mary, who 
died in childhood; and Elizabeth, wife of 
Eli Strayer, a farmer of Pennsylvania. In 
i 1877 the parents of this family came to 
' Ohio and bought ten acres of land of our 
subject, but later made their home with 
their daughter, Mrs. Koons, where the 
mother died in 1879, at the age of si.xty- 
six, while the father passed away in 1884, 
at the ripe old age of eighty years. 

The school privileges which our sub- 
ject received were very meagre, for 
schools in his boyhood days were widely 
scattered, and the advantages in that re- 
spect were not of the best. At the age of 
fourteen years he began to earn his own 
living, and has since been dependent upon 
his own resources, so that he may truly 
be called a self-made man. He began 
work as a farm hand for $7 per month 
and board, being thus employed during 
the summer and autumn months, while 
during the winter he worked for his board 
and the privilege of attending school, of 
which privilege he gladly availed himself. 
He would arise early in the morning and 
work late at night in order that he might 
pursue his studies through the day. He 
thus managed to spend three seasons in 
school, and throughout his life has taken 
advantage of every opportunity to increase 
his knowlege until he is now a well in- 
formed man. For four years he continued 
to work as a farm hand, his wages being 
increased as he gained added strength and 
facility, and to his parents he gave his 
earnings, saving only enough to clothe 
himself. He was ambitious to make the 
best of life, and at the age of eighteen he 
began serving a three-years' apprentice- 
ship to the carpenter's trade. During the 
first year he received $7 per month for 
his services, and an increase the two suc- 
ceeding 3ears. He then resolved to start 
out in business for himself, and in 1861 
came to Ohio, locating in Fremont, were 
he was employed for a time. He then 
went down the river, and obtained em- 
ployment at building a sailing vessel. 





^^L/i-i^. t§^. 




COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



511 



Subsequently he returned to Fremont, 
where he followed his trade until 1863. 

In that year Mr. Clapper enlisted in 
the government service, to build bridges, 
and was thus employed at Nashville and 
Stevensville, Tenn., Bridgeport and sev- 
eral other places during the Civil war. 
When the war was over, and his services 
were no longer needed, he again went to 
Fremont, where he followed carpentering 
for a year. During that time he came to 
Madison township, and purchased a tract 
of improved land of eighty acres, for 
which he paid $2,250. He borrowed the 
money to make the first payment upon the 
place, giving ten per cent interest for the 
same. He then rented the farm while he 
removed to Defiance, Ohio, where he be- 
gan contracting and building, being asso- 
ciated with two partners, who cheated 
him out of $550 on their first contract, 
and then left him. Nothing daunted, 
however, he resolved to engage in business 
alone, and met with a fair degree of suc- 
cess, thus continuing operations until 
1875, when he removed to his farm in 
Madison township, Sandusky county. He 
at once began the improvement of his 
place, and to-day has one of the most 
highly cultivated and best equipped farms 
in the township, supplied with good build- 
ings, the latest improved machinery and 
a fine orchard. He was the first in the 
township to engage in the cultivation of 
grapes, and in the new enterprise met with 
success, at first receiving seven cents per 
pound for his fruit. He erected a splen- 
did frame dwelling, second to none in the 
township for architectural beauty, the 
lumber for the same being made from 
timber which grew on his own farm, buy- 
ing only the window sashes and doors for 
the building, which was erected at a cost 
of $2,000. He has paid off all indebted- 
ness upon the place, besides adding many 
good improvements to it, and the farm 
with its buildings is a monument to his 
thrift and enterprise. He now carries on 
general farming, and in addition still en- 



gages in contracting and building with 
good success. 

In September, 1871, at Defiance, 
Ohio, Mr. Clapper was united in marriage 
with Miss Elizabeth Block, of Defiance 
county, and five ohildren were born to 
them, all of whom are still living, namely: 
RainredJ., who was born July 22, 1872, 
was educated in the public schools of 
Madison township, and also in select 
school, and took a course in a business 
college of Toledo, since which time, with 
the exception of one year in a store at 
Helena, he has been engaged in the drug 
business in Gibsonburg, Ohio; Spencer S., 
born August 15, 1874, is now engaged in 
farming and operating in oil; Boyd, born 
August II, 1876, is working on the farm 
and going to school; George H-, , born No- 
vember 20, 1878, follows farming; and 
Daisy E., born July 12, 1880, is at school. 
The motherof this family died December 3, 
1 88 1, and Mr. Clapper remained single 
for eleven years. He was married Sep- 
tember 22, 1892, to Sophia Ickes, widow 
of John Rosenburg, who was a gunsmith 
of Elmore, Ottawa county. 

For some years Mr. Clapper has held 
the office of school director, and is still 
serving in that position. He has been 
clerk of the board for some time, and has 
done effective service in the interest of 
education, being devoted to all that per- 
tains to the advancement of the cause of 
education. In politics he is a stanch ad- 
vocate of the Republican party, and the 
family adhere to the United Brethren 
Church. He belongs to that class of rep- 
resentative American citizens who push 
aside the barriers that obstruct the path 
to competency, and climbing over obsta- 
cles reach the desired goal. 



CHARLES F. FRESE, senior mem- 
ber of the firm of C. F. Frese & 
Co., Graytown, Ottawa county, 
and among the foremost business 
men of the county, was born at Wood- 



512 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ville, Sandusky Co., Ohio, August lo, 
1853, a son of Henrj' and Louisa (Heil- 
bron) Frese. 

Henry Frese and his wife, Louisa 
(Heilbron), were both born in Germany, 
in 1813 and in 181 5 respectively, and in 
1838 came to America, setthng in Wood- 
ville township, Sandusky Co. , Ohio, where 
Mr. Frese died in 1853. They had seven 
children, three born in Germany — Henry, 
Louis and Charlotte — and four in Amer- 
ica — May, Augustus F. , Charles F. (the 
subject of this sketch), and Louisa — all 
of whom are living in Ohio, excepting 
Henry, whose home is in Minnesota. 
The mother remained a widow some six 
years, and was then married to R. Berle- 
man, and six years afterward they moved 
to Toledo, where Mrs. Berleman died 
April 6, 1893, at the age of seventy- 
eight. 

Shortly after the birth of Charles F. 
his parents moved to Toledo, where he 
lived until 1869, at which time he struck 
out in the world for himself. Locating 
first at Elmore, Ohio, he remained there 
two years as clerk for C. H. Damschroe- 
der & Co. ; then, at the age of nineteen, 
took a trip to Minnesota, where he re- 
mained six years, and in 1877 returned to 
his native State, in perfect health from 
his western trip, and ready for active 
business. Coming at once to Graytown, 
Ohio, he entered the store of Ames & 
Frese, at that place, as clerk, and held 
that position until 1882. In the mean- 
time NIr. Ames had sold his interest to 
A. F. Frese, his partner, the latter hav- 
ing been elected to the Legislature of 
Ohio in 1882, and Charles F. Frese pur- 
chased a half interest in the business of 
his brother. He is now at the head of 
the firm; is one of the well-known and 
highly-esteemed business men of the 
count}', is practical, a man of modern 
ideas, and vastly popular. In addition to 
his mercantile interests he has invested 
quite extensively' in landed property, which 
he carefully superintends and directs. 



Like many other good men, he became 
tired of traveling life's pathway alone, 
and consequently, on July 27, 1893, he 
united himself in marriage with Miss 
Amanda Elizabeth Steffens, of Gypsum, 
Ottawa Co., Ohio. Mr. Frese and his 
estimable wife are pleasantly located in a 
comfortable home at Graytown. 

Mrs. Amanda E. Frese was born at 
Gypsum, Ohio, November i, 1875, where 
she lived the greater part of her life until 
her marriage. She acquired a liberal 
education in the public schools of her 
native town, and also took up the study 
of instrumental music. Her father, Henry 
Steffens, was born in Germany January 
25, 1837; came to America at the age of 
fourteen, and settled in Gypsum, Ohio, 
where he now lives. On Februar}' 22, 
1866, he was united in marriage with 
Dorathy Dittmer, of the same nativity, 
born January 23, 1847, and they have had 
four children — two sons and two daugh- 
ters. Henry Steffens' father, Herr Jo- 
hans Steffens, was born July 15, 1807, 
and died November 26, 1837. The ma- 
ternal grandmother of Mrs. Frese, Sophia 
(Huelse) Dittmer, was born May 5, 1805; 
died October 19, 1866; and the maternal 
grandfather was born in Germany in 1801 ; 
died in 1847. Mrs. Frese's great grand- 
parents on her mother's side were born in 
Germany, the great-grandfather in 1760, 
and the great-grandmother in 1785. Mrs. 
Frese's ancestry is therefore here traced 
back one hundred and thirty-tive years. 



JAMES FERRIS. This gentleman 
has been a resident of Ottawa coun- 
ty since before its organization, and 
for the last forty years has been a 
resident of Benton township, where, as a 
progressive farmer and valuable citizen, he 
is well and favorably known. 

An Ohioan bj' birth, he is a native of 
Clark county, born November 18, 1829, 
son of Andrew and Desire (Larnard) Fer- 
ris, both of whom were New Englanders, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



518 



the father born about 1776 in the State 
of Connecticut. They were the parents 
of ten children, all now deceased but two 
— James, and Lewis, who lives near 
Topeka, Kans. The mother died July 23, 
1832, and was buried in Clark county, 
Ohio, and in about 1S37 the father came 
to Ottawa county,' where he passed the 
remainder of his days, dying in 1858; 
he was laid to rest in the cemetery at 
Elmore. 

James Ferris spent his boyhood in his 
native county, attending the log school- 
house of the district, where he obtained 
all his education. When about thirteen 
years of age he hired out to do farm labor 
at four dollars per month, afterward re- 
ceiving eight and, later, ten dollars per 
month, and at the early age of sixteen he 
rented a farm, which he continued to 
work for seven years. Meantime, when 
twenty-one years old, he purchased eighty 
acres of land of ex-Gov. Wood, and 
shortly afterward traded this tract for the 
farm whereon he now lives, consisting of 
ninety-six acres, lying in Section 30, Ben- 
ton township, of which at that time only 
twenty acres had been cleared. A little 
log house. 12x12, was the only building 
on the tract, and Mr. Ferris lived therein 
until he had erected a more substantial 
dwelling, in which he lived for fifteen 
years. His stock of agricultural imple- 
ments in those days was materially differ- 
ent from the outfit he now uses; he had a 
plow with wooden mould-board instead 
of the modern sulky plow, with steel 
mould-board, and a yoke of oxen for a 
team. Wagons were a luxury. Having 
none of the modern conveniences for 
handling hay, they used a forked brush 
with limbs bent down, onto which they 
would roll a bunch or two of hay and haul 
it to the stack; another way was to take 
a long grape-vine, wrap it around a bunch 
of ha\-, and draw it to the stack. In com- 
paring the old and new methods, the great 
improvements in farming which have been 
made in recent years for economizing and 



saving both time and labor are really 
striking. In 1852, when the Lake Shore 
& Michigan Southern railroad was in pro- 
cess of construction through Benton town- 
ship, Mr. Ferris engaged in getting out 
ties, and later, in 1853, he assisted in the 
grading of this road between Elliston and 
Graytown. After the grading was com- 
pleted, he hauled ties for the Railroad 
Company, as well as all the timber for 
the old Graytown bridge over the Tou- 
saint creek. In connection with general 
farming, he has paid some attention to 
fruit growing, especially apples and 
peaches, and he has one peach tree which 
has borne fruit for the past forty years. 
Mr. Ferris has certainly done one man's 
share in the development of Benton town- 
ship's agricultural interests, and he has 
also taken an interest in local public af- 
fairs, taking a loyal pride in the welfare 
and prosperity of his community. When 
Ottawa county was erected he was a 
resident of Harris township, and saw the 
officials when they were making their tour 
of the county to locate the county seat; 
for ten years he served faithfully as treas- 
urer of Benton township, during part of 
which time there were only twelve or fif- 
teen votes within its limits; now there are 
nearly six hundred. 

In 1853 Mr. Ferris was married to 
Miss Elizabeth E. Brayton, of Harris 
township, and she was his constant ad- 
viser and helper until her death, in April, 
1895, husband and wife uniting their ef- 
forts to secure a good home for them- 
selves and family; and the fine farm, 
cleared and improved with good fences, 
buildings, etc., shows that their labor was 
not in vain. To this union were born 
nine children, viz. : Stephen, born Feb- 
ruary 2, 1854; Ezekiel R., born October 
30, 1857; Evelyn F. , born October 9, 
1859; Asa I., born August 19, 1861; 
Mary C, born April 24, 1864; Augustus 
L. , born March 13, 1866; James, born 
February 28, 1868; Cora E., born Sep- 
tember 26, 1870; and Christina, born 



514 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



May I, 1873. Of these, Stephen died 
September 15, 1870, and Evelyn F. , on 
September 22, 1879. One daughter, 
Christiana (Mrs. Shoemaker) Uves in 
Graytown. Mr. Ferris has always taken 
an interest and pride in the success of his 
children, helping them as much as possi- 
ble on their start in life, for having him- 
self commenced unaided he realizes to the 
full the advantages of such help to a be- 
ginner; they have, however, made the 
most of their abilities and opportunities, 
and industry and ambition are prominent 
characteristics of the entire family. The 
eldest living son, Ezekiel R., left home 
for Kansas with but ninety dollars, which 
he paid for arranging papers for his prop- 
erty out there; during the erection of his 
house he was boarding seven miles from 
the place, and frequently, at the close of 
a hard day's work, he would lie down on 
the ground and sleep until morning; he is 
still living in ICansas; he is a farmer, and 
has 320 acres of land. Augustus L. Fer- 
ris, the sixth child, like others of the 
family, is a great lover of books, and he 
always carries one in his pocket, improv- 
ing every leisure moment. In his boy- 
hood he worked on the farm in summer 
and attended district school in the winter, 
making the most of his time in and out of 
school, and by reading and study fitted 
himself for the profession of teaching, 
now holding a three-years' certificate in 
Ottawa county; the State of Ohio issues 
only one grade of certificate higher than 
this. At the age of twenty he commenced 
teaching in the county, and after three 
terms of teaching learned telegraphy, at 
which he worked for several years. In 
1892 he returned to his profession, ac- 
cepting his present position of principal of 
the Graytown schools. It may be said 
that this young man has made a success 
of everything he has undertaken, and he 
has a bright future before him. On Sep- 
tember 15, 1892, he was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Mary Eisenman, of Gray- 
town, and to this union has come one 



child, Harold Brayton, born August 17, 
1893. Four children of the Ferris family 
are teachers, and excellent ones, and they 
may be said to have taken the same part 
in the intellectual advancement of the 
county as their father has in its agricul- 
tural development. One daughter, Mary, 
remained at home, assisting in the house- 
hold duties, until seventeen j'ears of age, 
when she set out to fit herself for teach- 
ing, and she became one of the best teach- 
ers in the county. Cora was the only 
member of the family who enjoyed the 
privilege of attending high school. She 
began teaching when sixteen years of age 
and taught eight years, when she married 
Charles Hess, of Gypsum, Ohio. 

Mrs. Elizabeth E. (Brayton) Ferris 
was born October 18, 1831, in Huron 
count}', Ohio, where she spent her girl- 
hood, and met Mr. Ferris after coming to 
Ottawa county. Asa Brayton, her father, 
was born about 1798, in Vermont, and 
her mother was a native of New Jersey, 
born in 1796; they had three children — 
two sons and one daughter (Mrs. Ferris) — 
of whom, one son died while serving in 
the Mexican war. Asa Brayton met his 
death in the service of his country, he and 
his brother having entered the war of the 
Rebellion, and he was shot at the battle 
of Pittsburg Landing. One of Mrs. Fer- 
ris' cousins, Mathew Brayton, was stolen 
by the Indians when seven years old, and 
grew up among them, marrying the 
daughter of an Indian chief, by whom he 
had two children. Two brothers of Mr. 
Ferris' grandmother were scalped by the 
Indians. 



HENRY CROLL is recognized as 
one of Ottawa county's foremost 
agriculturists, not only as a large 
landowner, but also for the very 
able manner in which he conducts his 
extensive farming business. 

Mr. Croll is the son of Jacob and 
Martha (Schu) Croll, and was born Janu- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



515 



ary 14, 1843, in Germany, where he lived 
until fourteen years of age, during which 
time he acquired a liberal education in the 
German language. This, together with 
three months' schooling in this country, 
was all the education he received in the 
schoolroom; but he has gained, in the 
broad school of experience, a practical 
business education which, coupled with 
patience and perseverance, has enabled 
him to accumulate a large property and 
make a handsome home. In 1857 he 
came to America with his parents, the 
family settling in Erie county, Ohio, 
where they remained about eighteen 
months, thence removing to Benton town- 
ship, Ottawa county, where the father 
purchased fifty-two acres in Section 36. 
This he cleared with the help of his sons, 
and subsequently selling it to Valentine 
Fulkert, removed to Wood county, Ohio, 
where he and his wife both passed the re- 
mainder of their days. 

In 1865 our subject returned to Ben- 
ton township and married Miss Anna Fulk- 
ert, and from the time of his marriage up 
to 1 873 rented a farm of his father-in-law. 
In that year he purchased of Mr. Fulkert 
the fifty-two acres formerly owned b}- his 
father, where he has since lived, and 
which is now equipped with large modern 
buildings and other substantial improve- 
ments, everything on the farm indicating 
that the owner is a nineteenth-century 
agriculturist, both theoretically and prac- 
ticall)'. In 1876 he added forty-four acres 
to the original tract; in 1882, fifty acres; 
in 1885, seventy acres; in 1890, eighty 
acres, and later a farm of eighty acres 
near Oak Harbor. Mrs. Croll has forty 
acres of timber land from her father's es- 
tate, the whole making a grand total of 
416 acres, all of which is under cultiva- 
tion. In addition to these extensive farm- 
ing operations, Mr. Croll is a dealer in all 
kinds of stock, selling to local dealers. As 
in farming so in politics, Mr. Croll is act- 
ive, using his influence in behalf of the 
Republican party, of which he is a stanch 



adherent. In religious connection he and 
his wife are both members of the Evan- 
gelical Church, and their Christian char- 
acter and lives are indeed worthy exam- 
ples to their children. 

Mr. and Mrs. Croll have had a family 
of nine children, as follows: Lizzie, born 
November 19, 1865; Sophia, born Janu- 
ary 20, 1868; William, born March 5, 
1870; John, born April 14, 1872; George, 
born May 19, 1874; \'alentine, born April 
30, 1877; Katie, born November 28, 
1879; Henry F. , born April 9, 1882; and 
Emma, born December 25, 1887, of 
whom Lizzie was married May 3, 1883, 
to John Dorsch, by whom she has four 
children — three daughters and one son. 
Of these, Sophia is the wife of William 
Almroth, an enterprising farmer of Ben- 
ton township; George, died December 25, 
1877; Willian, John, and Valentine and 
Henrj' are engaged with their father in 
his agricultural operations; John was mar- 
ried September 19, 1895, to Miss Eliza- 
beth Stick. Katie and Emma superin- 
tend the hoasehold work, their mother 
having been an invalid for several j'ears. 
In addition to their home duties the)' find 
time to pursue the study of instrumental 
music, and in every way possible keep 
pace with the times, the spirit of progres- 
siveness being a distinct characteristic of 
the entire family. 

Mrs. Croll was born November 5, 
1845, in Ottawa county, where she lived 
during her girlhood days, receiving such 
education as was offered the youth of that 
time. She has seen the development of 
her own beautiful home, and of the entire 
surrounding country as well. She has 
always been an active thinker, keeping 
abreast with the times, and leaves nothing 
undone for the comfort and happiness of 
her family, training her children to lives 
of usefulness. From the time of her mar- 
riage she has taken a keen interest in her 
husband's business success, keeping well 
in mind all his transactions, even to the 
dates of land purchases, erection of build- 



516 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ings, etc., and though she has been an 
invalid, confined to her easy chair, for 
some time, she is never idle, preferring to 
be occupied at something. Her parents, 
Valentine and Elizabeth (Haman) Ful- 
kert, were both natives of Germany, the 
father born in 1812, the mother in 1816; 
they were married in Ohio in 1844, and 
reared a family of four children, two of 
whom are now living — Mrs. Croll and her 
brother John. 

Mr. Croll's parents were also natives 
of the Fatherland, where his father, who 
was a blacksmith by vocation, was born 
in 1806, his mother in 1809. They were 
married in 1832, and by their union be- 
came the parents of eight children, three 
of whom are living — two sons and one 
daughter. The father died March 24, 
1879, the mother on September 21, 1887. 



JOHN ELKINGTON, Sr. This hon- 
ored pioneer, highly respected citi- 
zen and worthy farmer of Clay town- 
ship, Ottawa county, was born in 
England, opening his eyes to the light of 
day on the 20th of January, 1809, in the 
town of Bourton, near Banbury, Oxford- 
shire. He is a son of Thomas and Jane 
(White) Elkington, who resided in that 
place, the father following the occupation 
of a shepherd in the employ of a farmer 
of that county. John acquired a limited 
education in his native town, and began 
earning his living as an employe in a mill, 
to which work he devoted his energies 
until forty years of age. 

On April 30, 1831, he was united in 
marriage with Elizabeth Lovell, of North- 
amptonshire, England, and they became 
the parents of two children: Eli, and 
one who died early in childhood. The 
mother died in her native land in 1842, 
and nine years afterward Mr. Elkington 
with his son Eli emigrated to America, 
coming to Ohio, and took up his residence 
in East Toledo, where he worked on a 
railroad for a year or more. He then 



came to Clay township, Ottawa county, 
purchasing forty acres of timber land, in 
a locality where no roads were laid out, 
and where the settlers were widely scat- 
tered. After building a log cabin, he at 
once began to clear his land, undaunted 
by the arduous task that lay before him. 
He worked early and late to accomplish 
his labor, and in course of time his tract 
was under a high state of cultivation, 
while a comfortable dwelling took the 
place of the log cabin in which he and his 
family were sheltered in those early days. 
He also built barns and other necessary 
outbuildings, planted an orchard and made 
the improvements that are found upon 
the model farms of to-day. He had to 
endure many trials and hardships; but 
patience, perseverance and energy at 
length overcame these, and he accom- 
plished a task which would daunt the 
energy of many of the present genera- 
tion. 

Mr. Elkington was married again 
August 23, 185 1, his second union being 
with Mehitable Butler, who was born in 
New York, April 9, 1824. Five children 
were the fruit of this union, namely: 
Jane, born December 4, 1852, and died 
February i, 1854; John, born October 
29. 1855; Thomas, born June 17, 1857, 
and drowned while bathing near his 
home, July 20, 1878; David, born August 
I, 1859; and Lewis, born May i, 1861. 
The mother died August 27, 1891, leav- 
ing a loving husband and three children 
to mourn the loss of a devoted wife and 
faithful mother. The eldest son was edu- 
cated in Clay township, Ottawa county, 
and has always followed farming. He was 
married December 6, 1888, to Melissa 
(Risley) Wood, widow of David Wood, 
whose brother, Samuel Wood, is sheriff 
of Ottawa county. 

John Elkington, Jr., and his wife 
have one son, John, born December 26, 
1 89 1. He was elected trustee of Clay, 
Ottawa county, for one term on the Dem- 
ocratic ticket, was constable of the town- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



517 



ship two terms, and is also school director 
in the special school district, and clerk of 
the school board. He belongs to Clay 
Lodge, No. 584, I. O. O. F., of Genoa, 
and of the Masonic fraternity, and is a 
prominent and highly-respected citizen. 
David Elkington, the second son of our 
subject, was educated in Clay township, 
and follows the occupation of bridge 
building in Zanesville, Ohio; he was mar- 
ried October 10, 1893, to Jennie Gal- 
lager, and they have one child. Lewis, 
the third son of the familj', was born and 
educated in Clay township and follows 
farming on the old homestead; he married 
January 2, 1894, to Alice Walker, of Oak 
Harbor. Eli, the eldest son, died in 
Toledo, Ohio, leaving a family. 

Our subject, John Elkington, is one of 
the oldest residents of Clay township, 
having attained the ripe age of eighty-six 
years. Although somewhat feeble, his 
mind is active and he is an entertaining 
conversationalist, relating in an interest- 
ing manner incidents of pioneer life here 
when he was struggling to make a home, 
of how he aided in erecting and main- 
taining the schools in the district, and 
served as a member of the school board 
for several 3ears. He also assisted in 
laying out the roads and digging ditches, 
and in promoting the work of public 
progress. He is a stalwart Democrat, 
but not an office seeker, preferring to give 
his attention to his business. He has 
lived honestly, treating all with fairness 
and justice, and is widely and favorably 
known throughout Sandusky county, es- 
teemed by young and old, rich and poor 
alike. While devoted to the best inter- 
ests of his adopted land, he still retains a 
true love for England. 



WILLIAM A. COOPER, senior 
member of the firm of Cooper 
Brothers, general merchants and 
prominent citizens of Lakeside, 
was born in Portage township, Ottawa 



county, June 22, 1853, and is a son of 
Caleb and Jeanette (McDonald) Cooper. 
He was educated in the public schools of 
his native township, and, on leaving the 
school-room, worked upon the homestead 
farm until 1882, when he began contract- 
ing and building at Lakeside, putting up 
the addition to the "Lakeside Hotel," 
and also erecting several other prominent 
buildings in the vicinity. In 1894, in con- 
nection with his brother, Ranald L., he 
began his present business, in which he 
is meeting with excellent success. 

On December 18, 1877, in Portage 
township, Mr. Cooper was united in mar- 
riage with Eliza Howard, a daughter of 
\\'illiam and Mar}' Howard, natives of 
England. Her mother is now deceased, 
but her father is still living, and makes 
his home in Jefferson county. Neb. To 
our subject and his wife were born four 
children, two of whom are yet living, 
Bessie and Mary. Mr. Cooper belongs 
to Peninsular Lodge, No. 607, K. of P. , 
of Lakeside, and Lakeside Tent, No. 81, 
K. O. T. M. His political views coincide 
with those of the Republican party, to 
which he gives his support, and the family 
attend the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
Though still a young man, Mr. Cooper 
occupies a high position among his fel- 
low citizens. Standing on the vantage 
ground of his past achievements, he has 
certainly much to hope for and look for- 
ward to, and with his practical business 
knowledge and good judgment his future 
is sure to be a bright and prosperous one. 

Caleb Cooper, the father of our sub- 
ject, is a prominent and successful fruit 
grower of Portage township, Ottawa 
county. His birth occurred in Boughton, 
County of Kent, England, August 17, 
1826, and he is a son of Thomas and 
Sarah (Billsby) Cooper, the former a na- 
tive of Northamptonshire, the latter of 
Lincolnshire, England. His mother died 
when he was quite young, and with his 
father and the other members of the fam- 
ily he migrated to this country, locating 



518 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



in Monroeville, near Bellevue, Huron Co., 
Ohio, about 1844. His father resided 
with his children until his death, which 
occurred about 1870, when he was at the 
advanced age of eighty-three years. In 
his early life he had been a stock buyer 
for a number of years, but later for 
eleven years superintended the estate of 
the Earl of Chelsea, in Kent, England. 
After coming to America he made his 
home with his children, and did not en- 
gage in any arduous duties. He had ten 
children, only two of whom are now liv- 
ing — the father of our subject; and Maria, 
widow of William Dey, and a resident of 
North Monroeville, Huron Co., Ohio. 
Caleb Cooper received a very limited edu- 
cation in the school on the estate of the 
Earl of Winchelsea, after which he acted 
as page for a clergyman for some years. 
On his arrival in the United States, he 
began agricultural pursuits, but soon after 
the breaking out of the Mexican war, he 
enlisted in the First Mich. V. I., under 
command of Col. Stocton, and did gar- 
rison duty at Cordova, Mexico, for four 
months. After serving for a little over 
seven months, he was discharged at De- 
troit, Mich., after which he returned to 
his home at Monroeville, Ohio, where he 
resumed farming. It was about 1848 
when he purchased his prcseut farm in 
Portage township, Ottawa county, where 
he has since engaged in agricultural pur- 
suits, but of late years has devoted the 
greater part of his attention to fruit grow- 
ing. 

At Plaster Bed, Ottawa count}-, on 
November 16, 1849, was celebrated the 
marriage of Caleb Cooper and Jeanette 
McDonald, who was born in Banffshire, 
Scotland, January 15, 1859, and was a 
daughter of Alexander McDonald, a na- 
tive of Scotland and early settler of Port- 
age township, Ottawa county. Her 
mother is still living, but her father is de- 
ceased, having passed away at the ad- 
vanced age of over eighty years. Mrs. 
Cooper died March 17, 1888, leaving four 



children: Sarah, born October 15, 1850, 
wife of George P. Englebeck, of Des 
Moines, Iowa; William A. is next in order 
of birth; Ranald L., born July 10, 1857; 
and Margaret M., born January 10, 1859, 
still living with her father. 

Mr. Cooper generally supports the 
men and measures of the Republican 
party, but is not strictly partisan, believ- 
ing in voting for the best man regardless 
of his party affiliations. With his family 
he attends the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. He is a systematic agriculturist 
who has met with a well-deserved suc- 
cess, and has acquired all his possessions 
by his own industry, business econom}' 
and good management. He is a quiet, 
peaceable, kind-hearted neighbor, re- 
spected by all who know him for his 
many noble traits of character. 



JOHN BOSCHEN, one of the most 
progressive and prosperous fruit 
growers of Portage township, Ot- 
tawa county, is a native of the coun- 
ty, having first seen the light July 4, 1839, 
in Danbury township. 

His father, Claus H. Boschen, was a 
native of Hanover, Germany, and in 
1832 crossed the Atlantic to New York. 
On landing in that city as he could find 
no employment at his trade, that of 
blacksmith, he went to Long Island, 
where for four months he was engaged in 
farm labor at $4.00 per month. Return- 
ing then to New York City, he met an 
old friend who was then engaged in the 
manufacture of candy, and worked with 
him for some time, finally buying his 
employer out and continuing in the busi- 
ness until his removal to Ohio, in 1835. 
Locating in Danbury township, where he 
was one of the earliest settlers, he car- 
ried on agricultural pursuits there up to 
the time of his death, which occurred 
April 13, 1883. He married Elizabeth 
shook, who was born in Pickaway coun- 
ty, Ohio, and in 1825 settled in Portage 





^^^^4^^^ ^d^^^^-^^^^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



519 



township, Ottawa county, with her par- 
ents, John and Susanna Shook, who in 
pioneer days migrated from Pennsylvania 
to Pickaway county, Ohio, hving there 
until couiing to Ottawa county. The 
father was a teamster, and during the 
war of 1812 carried provisions across the 
Alleghany mountains for the army. Mr. 
and Mrs. Boschen became the parents of 
four children, all yet living, namely: John; 
Susanna, wife of William Tankey, who 
lives near Elmore, Ottawa county; Mar- 
tha, wife of Henry Schweck, who is liv- 
ing on the old homestead in Danbury 
township; and Mary E., who makes her 
home with her sister Martha. 

Our subject was reared a farmer boy, 
and acquired but a limited education in 
the district schools of his native town; 
but he had ample training at farm labor, 
and since his boyhood days has success- 
fully followed agricultural pursuits. He 
has also operated a threshing machine for 
nine years, and a cider-mill some twelve 
years, while for the past fourteen years he 
has been extensively engaged in the culti- 
vation of grapes and peaches, and owns 
and operates one of the most productive 
fruit farms in the township. 

On April 7, 1861, in Danbury town- 
ship, Ottawa county. Mr. Boschen was 
united in marriage with Miss Laura J. 
Rouse, who was born in that township 
August 3, 1 84 1, and is a daughter of 
George L. and Mary (Knapp) Rouse. 
Three children graced this union: Norma 
S., born August 6, 1863, who died Sep- 
tember 2, 1883; BennieF. , born Decem- 
ber 14, 1866, died May 12, 1889; and 
Mattie A., born April i, 1868, married 
June II, 1887, to Sherman Shook, and 
they have two children — Bennie B., born 
March 5, 1888, and Ethel, born June 21, 
1889. Mr. Boschen has efBciently filled 
the office of township trustee four terms, 
and though frequently tendered numerous 
other positions of trust has always de- 
clined to serve, preferring to give his time 
to the duties of his farm and the enjoy- 
33 



ment of his home. Politically, he votes 
with the Democratic party, and, socially, 
he is connected with O. H. Perry Lodge 
No. 341. F. & A. M., of Port Clinton, 
and he is a member of Sandusky City 
Chapter. He is a man of untiring energy 
and perseverance. Favored with but 
few early advantages for mental culture, 
he made the most of his opportunities, 
has became w^ell-informed and the posses- 
sor of a handsome competence. He is an 
ideal self-made man, and, having earned 
what he possesses by hard labor and 
economy, thoroughly understands its true 
worth. 



RANALD L. COOPER, a member 
of the firm of Cooper Brothers, 
general merchants, of Lakeside, 
Ottawa county, and the youngest 
son of Caleb and Jeanette (McDonald) 
Cooper, was born in Portage township, 
Ottawa county, July 10, 1857. 

He spent his boyhood days upon the 
homestead farm amidst the surroundings 
of a comfortable home, and received the 
advantages of a liberal education in the 
public schools of his native township. On 
completing his studies, he was engaged as 
a salesman in general mercantile establish- 
ments in Port Clinton and Gypsum, Ohio, 
and also in Victor, Iowa, until 188 1. 
From that year until 1883 he was em- 
ployed as a clerk by the Lake Shore & 
Michigan Southern Railroad Company, 
at Sandusky, Ohio, and for the next five 
years then served in the same capacity 
with the Lake Erie & Western railroad, 
at Lima, Ohio. In 1889 he was appointed 
freight agent for that company at Lima, 
which position he filled until the latter 
part of November, 1893. In the follow- 
ing year he formed a connection with his 
brother William A., and they are now 
conducting a successful general mercan- 
tile establishment. 

In the city of Sandusky, Ohio, on No- 
vember 13, 1883, was celebrated the mar- 



520 



COMMEMOBATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



riage which united the destinies of Mr. 
Cooper and Miss Flora A. Boor, a daugh- 
ter of WilUam and Elizabeth Boor, both 
natives of Pennsylvania, and three chil- 
dren have come to bless their union: Ran- 
ald L., born March 22, 1886; Hazel, born 
January i, 1890, and Kenneth, born De- 
cember 13, 1892.' 

Mr. Cooper is connected with several 
civic orders in Lima, Ohio, belonging to 
Lima Lodge, No 91, Knights of Pythias; 
Criterion Council, No 1 162, Royal Ar- 
canum; and Ottawa Council, No. 125, Na- 
tional Union. His political preferences 
are with the Republican party, which he 
always supports by his ballot, and with 
his family attends the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church. He holds a high position in 
social as well as business circles, and gains 
the confidence and regard of all with whom 
he comes in contact. 



CHARLES INGRAHAM, of the 
firm of F. Ingraham & Co., gen- 
eral merchants, of Curtice, Otta- 
wa county, and a popular citizen 
of that thriving town, was born in On- 
tario, La Grange Co., Ind., October 28, 
1847. 

He is a son of Dwight and Mary 
(Wykel) Ingraham, the former a native 
of Huron county, N. V., the latter born 
near Philadelphia, Penn. They were 
married at Middleburg, Ohio, in 1844, 
and became the parents of three children: 
Vesta, born May 7, 1846, now the wife 
of Christian Linderman, and living near 
McCotnb, Ohio; Charles, the subject of 
this sketch; Emma, born September 8, 
1852, now the widow of Albert S. Burtch, 
and living with her mother in Sturgis, St. 
Joseph Co., Mich. During his life Mr. 
Ingraham was engaged in the coopering 
business, and was a prominent and highly- 
respected citizen of Sturgis, St. Joseph 
Co., Mich., where he died October 30, 
1865; his widow is still living in that 
county. 



Charles Ingraham, the subject of this 
sketch, was but a year old when his par- 
ents removed from Indiana to Michigan. 
He received a fair education in the public 
schools of Sturgis, Mich., and learned the 
trade of a cooper with his father, follow- 
ing that occupation some twenty-five 
years. In 1870 he moved to Clayton, 
Lenawee Co., Mich., and there worked 
at his trade for six years. He then went 
to Toledo, and became identified with the 
firm of H. C. Haskins & Co., wholesale 
dealers in fruit, in which he continued 
five years. He then became the secretary 
of the Toledo Fruit Co., in which he was 
a stockholder, remaining with that com- 
pany for one year. In 1894 Mr. Ingraham 
came to Ohio, settling in Curtice, where 
his son Frederick had established himself 
in business some three years previous, and 
has been engaged in the mercantile busi- 
ness, also owning large farming interests 
in Lucas county. He has been twice 
married, the first time in Ontario, Ind., 
in October, 1868, to Catherine Olive 
Tyler, a native of New York State; of 
this union, one child, Frederick Dwight, 
was born, in Ontario, Ind., April 10, 
1869. Mrs. Ingraham died in Sturgis, 
St. Joseph Co., Mich., February 15, 1874. 
The second marriage of Mr. Ingraham 
took place at Bronson, Branch Co., 
Mich., October 31, 1876, to Miss Emma 
Louise Moore, a native of that State, and 
they became the parents of three chil- 
dren: Pearl, born in Centreville, Mich., 
July 20, 1878; Nellie, born in Sturgis, 
Mich., July 14, 1880; and Lulu, born in 
Clayton, Mich., April 25, 1886. 

Mr. Ingraham has recently been elect- 
ed treasurer of Allen township, and his 
well-known business ability and undoubted 
integrity give the assurance that he will 
fill the position with credit to himself and 
with fidelity to the best interests of his 
community. Politically, he is a stanch 
Republican: and socially, he is a member 
of the Masonic Fraternity (although he is 
not at present affiliated with any lodge), 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



521 



and is a member of Adrian Command- 
ery, at Adrian, Mich. His family attend 
the services of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and are highly respected by all 
who know them. 



ERNST FRANCK, better known 
to the residents of Ottawa and 
Sandusky counties as "Squire 
Franck, " has for the past forty- 
five years been an honored and respected 
resident of this section of the State. He 
was born August lo, 1824, in the extreme 
northern part of Wurtemberg, Germany, 
son of John Christian and Augusta Wil- 
hehnina (Smitt) Franck, also natives of 
Wurtemberg, where they spent their en- 
tire lives, the father passing away in 1847, 
the mother in 1846. 

The subject of this review acquired his 
primary education in the district schools 
of his native town, and from 1839 until 
1843 attended the Polytechnic School of 
Stuttgart. In 1843 he entered the Univer- 
sity of Tuebingen, where he spent three and 
a half years, in 1 847 graduating for State 
service in the branches of forestry and 
finance. He served in those departments 
until 1850, in March of which year he 
crossed the ocean to America, coming di- 
rect to Ohio. He located in Salem town- 
ship about a mile and a half from the site 
of Oak Harbor, on the land where hejstill 
has his residence. He has lived to see 
Oak Harbor grow from an insignificant 
village of two or three log cabins to an 
important and flourishing town, which he 
himself laid out. Mr. I'ranck served as 
county engineer for thirty-eight years — 
during which time he platted all the towns 
in Ottawa county — and for thirty-three 
years as county surveyor, and the greater 
part of the roads and ditches and town- 
ships have been laid out and platted by 
him or under his supervision. In 1856 
he was appointed justice of the peace, and 
for more than thirty-eight jears has faith- 
fully performed the duties of that office 



with a painstaking fidelity that has won 
for him the unlimited confidence and re- 
spect of the people he has so efficiently 
served. Mr. Franck is an excellent type 
of the sturdy old pioneers of Ottawa 
county, to whom too much credit can not 
be given for the improvement and ad- 
vancement of the country. He has seen 
the dense forest replaced by fertile fields, 
and has himself been instrumental in ef- 
fecting these changes. In his long life 
and early pioneer e.xperiences he has an 
interesting history, and could relate many 
a tale of hardships and dangers endured 
by the early settlers of these counties that 
the present generation does not realize. 
He has a host of friends whose confidence 
he well merits, and he is one of the best 
known residents of Ottawa county. In 
manner he is modest and unassuminjr, 
but his sterling worth is recognized, and 
he has the esteem of young and old, rich 
and poor. Since becoming a citizen of 
the United States, he has been a sup- 
porter of the Democracy. 

Mr. Franck has been twice married; 
first time, in Salem township, in 185 i, to 
Miss Mary Wheeler, daughter of John 
and Nancy Wheeler, natives of Connec- 
ticut and early settlers of Ottawa county. 
Mrs. Franck died February 10, 1854, and 
the three children of that marriage have 
also passed away; the eldest, Rudolph 
E., born March 13, [852, died August 14, 
1894; the other two (twins) died in in- 
fancy. In the fall of 1854 our subject 
married Louisa, daughter of William G. 
and Regina Franck, natives of Germany, 
who spent their last days in Salem town- 
ship, Ottawa count}-. The family born 
of the second marriage numbered ten chil- 
dren, to wit: Wilhelmena Augusta, born 
December 7, 1855. now the wife of Dr. 
S. D. Allen, of Oak Harbor; Caroline 
Feodora, born April 15, 1857, now the 
wife of John Eckhoff, of Oak Harbor; 
Herman, born January 29, 1859, died 
May 16, 1870; Julia Louisa, born March 
10, 1861, now the wife of William Camp- 



522 



COMMEhORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



bell, of Oak Harbor; Elenora, born De- 
cember 9, 1862, now the wife of Dr. 
Gradolph, a dentist of Oak Harbor; 
Ernestina Louisa, born February 16, 
1864, now the wife of Carl Bauch, of 
Oak Harbor; Christian William Godfrey, 
born November 7, 1867, married to Miss 
Cora Lattimore, and they reside on the 
old homestead; Paul Frederick, born 
March 20, 1870, died August 26, 1878; 
Carl A. Frederick, born October 14, 
1872, now a merchant in Crossville, 
Tenn. ; and Emil Feodor born January 
23, 1876, living in Oak Harbor. The 
family attend the Lutheran Church, and 
all the members are people of prominence 
in the community. 



HENRY E. PHILE. No better il- 
lustration is needed of what can 
be accomplished in the face of 
seemingly unsurmountable obstac- 
les, by any one who possesses a coura- 
geous heart and determined will, than that 
shown in the simple record of the gentle- 
man whose name opens this sketch, and 
who holds a prominent place in Allen 
township, Ottawa county, where he has 
resided for nearly thirty years. That he 
has inherited some of his energy and per- 
severance, the following brief sketch of 
his parents will testify. 

Henry Phile, the father of our subject, 
was born in York county, Penn., May 30, 
1804. His education was very limited, 
for the schools in those days were few 
and far between, and the facilities offered 
exceedingly meagre; he was, however, of 
an inquiring turn of mind, and eagerly 
seized every opportunity to add to his 
store ol knowledge, reading everything he 
could procure. He learned the trade of 
a cabinet-maker, when a youth, and 
worked at it for several years, then took 
up farming in Northfield, Summit Co., 
this State, to which he came about the 
year 1826. He was very ingenious, and 
although he had never served any ap- 



prenticeship at carpentering, he readily 
picked up the practical part of the busi- 
ness and built several houses, barns and 
other buildings in and around Summit 
county, as well as two canal boats. He 
also worked at coopering, and could boast 
of making the first pail and barrel ever 
made in Northfield township, and also 
the first window sash that was ever put 
in a house there. In addition to this he 
began the manufacture of carriages, of 
which he built seven, and at the age of 
eighty-five he made a wagon, out and out, 
which is now in the possession of a grand- 
son, and is highly prized by him. He 
lived to the good old age of ninety years, 
passing away in Northfield township, Jan- 
uary 16, 1894. He was a man of strong 
character and great energy, and was re- 
spected by all who knew him. 

The mother of our subject, Ro.xana 
(Cranmer) Phile, was born in 181 1, in 
Northfield township, and was a daughter 
of Jeremiah and Hannah (Cole) Cranmer. 
Her father was a soldier in the Revolu- 
tionary war, during which he was wounded, 
and he carried both British and Indian 
lead in his body to his grave; he was bur- 
ied in Northfield township. His family 
consisted of ten children, namely: Jere- 
miah, David, Abram (who served in the 
Rebellion), Esther, Hannah, Eunice, 
Nancy, Ro.xana (mother of our subject), 
Sallie, and Joseph, who died young (his 
was the first grave made in what is now 
the cemeter}- at Northfield, and for seven 
years was the onlj' one; wolves and wild 
beasts were plentiful in those days, and 
the family were obliged to build heaps of 
logs over his grave to prevent them from 
despoiling it). Mrs. Phile died in 1892, 
two years before her husband, having 
lived a useful and busy life, and leaving 
behind her only tender recollections of a 
mother's care and affection. 

Henry E. Phile, the subject of this 
sketch, was born March 14, 1837, in the 
township of Northfield, Summit Co., 
Ohio, where, at the public schools, he re- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



523 



ceived his education. On arriving at 
manhood he assisted his father upon the 
farm until 1862, at which time, with 
many of his neighbors and friends who 
ralhed around "the fiag of their country " 
when it was threatened by disloyal hands, 
he enlisted in Company B, Sixty-tirst 
Ohio Infantry, in which he served two 
years and three months, the regiment be- 
ing stationed most of the time on the 
Rapidan river, Virginia, where they were 
doing hard service at the front. Mr. Phile 
was on detail duty in Kentucky, Tennes- 
see, Alabama and Georgia. He was not 
mustered out with his regiment, but was 
discharged in Nashville, Tenn. Return- 
ing home he came to Clay (now Allen) 
township, and purchased eighty acres of 
timber land, on which he built a small 
log cabin and lived for some time. In 
February, 1865, he again enlisted in the 
army, this time joining the One Hundred 
and Eighty-eighth Ohio Infantry. His 
time of service was short, however, for 
he was seized with paralysis and was dis- 
charged June 9, of the same year, at 
Nashville, and returned to his father's 
home at Northfield, where he remained 
until May, 1866. At the expiration of 
that time he returned to Clay township 
and added forty acres more to his pos- 
sessions, making a total of 120 acres. 

A w'eighty problem in life now pre- 
sented itself. How was he, in feeble 
health, obliged to go about on crutches, 
and physically unable to labor, to accom- 
plish the feat of clearing off this land, 
supporting his familj' and paying a debt 
of five hundred and fifty dollars.' There 
were only four log cabins in his vicinity, 
not a road within three miles of his 
shanty, the land covered with dense for- 
ests, and no comforts or conveniences of 
any description. It was here that the 
undaunted courage and steadfast purpose 
of this stout-hearted pioneer and his brave 
wife came into play. They cheerfully 
bore all hardships, hired what help they 
could procure, worked day and night, 



and, as a result of twenty-nine years' 
labor, have to-day one of the most highly 
improved farms in the county, on which 
stands a splendid brick residence, with 
numerous barns, outhouses and other im- 
provements, which make the place an 
ornament to the township, and a credit to 
the intelligent management of its owner. 
Mr. Phile was married, January 7, 
i860, to Evaline N., daughter of John 
and Lydia (Spafford) Tryon, the former 
of whom was a farmer in Northfield 
township. Mrs. Phile proved herself the 
worthy wife of a worthy pioneer, and 
bore no small part in the prosperity of 
her husband and the development of the 
township. She died May 27, 1885, much 
regretted. To this happy union but one 
child has come, Alsom E., whose birth 
took place May 9, 1862, in Northfield 
township. He attended the public schools 
in Clay township for some years, and 
took a three-years' course at Oberlin; he 
then attended a private school at Port 
Clinton, conducted by Miss Mothly, from 
which he was graduated in 1881. He 
now owns eighty acres of his father's old 
farm, on which he lives. Alsom Phile 
was married November 18, 1884, to 
Emma, daughter of Reuben M. and Lucy 
M. (Ensign) Babcock, the former an agri- 
culturist and manufacturer of charcoal, 
who lives in Allen township. They have 
one son, Alsom E., born December 21, 
1 89 1, and one daughter, Eva J., born 
December 20, 1886. Our subject be- 
longs to the G. A. R. , and is a member 
of the American Protective Association. 
In politics he is a Republican, and with 
his family he attends the Baptist Church. 



J 



OHN KLEINHANS, a retired farm- 
er, and one of the earliest settlers of 
Erie township, Ottawa county, is 
now spending his declining daj's in 
the village of Lacarne amidst the sur- 
roundings of a comfortable and happy 
home. He is an honored citizen, and one 



524 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



well worthy of representation in this vol- 
ume. 

^^r. Kleinhans was born in Williams 
township. Northampton Co., Penn., De- 
cember I. 1816, and is a son of George 
Henry and Elizabeth (Richardson) Klein- 
hans. In I <S32 they removed from Penn- 
sylvania to Ohio, and spent the remainder 
of their lives in Erie township, Ottawa 
county, where they were esteemed and 
valued citizens for many years. When 
they had reached a ripe old age death 
ended their active and useful lives, but 
their memory will long be cherished by 
all who knew them. Their union was 
blessed with a family of eleven children, 
five of whom are still living: Maria, 
widow of Frederick W^itmore, and now 
residing in Detroit, Mich., at the ad- 
vanced aged of ninety-five; George, also 
living in Detroit; John is ne.xt in the 
family; David makes his home in Mid- 
land county, Mich. ; and Henry is also 
located in that State. 

We now take up the personal history 
of John Kleinhans, knowing that it will 
prove of interest to many of our readers, 
for he is widely and favorably known. 
He was educated in the district schools of 
his native township, and when sixteen 
years of age came to Erie township with 
his parents. For si.xty-three years he has 
been one of its most progressive residents, 
always found in the foremost rank of any 
undertaking tending to the advancement 
of the general welfare. He gives of both 
his time and means to all such worthy 
objects, and is indeed a progressive and 
valued citizen. Several lines of business 
have been carried on by him chiefly fish- 
ing, butchering, farming and stock raising. 

On June 7, 1839, in Bay township, 
Ottawa county, Mr. Kleinhans was united 
in marriage with Miss Maria Hineline, a 
daughter of William and Susan Hineline, 
and born in Berks county, Penn., Decem- 
ber 25, 1 8 19, who came with her parents 
to Ottawa county in 1832. Eight children 
came to this union: Anna, born October 



9, 1 84 1, is the widow of Richard Wood- 
ing, and is living in Lacarne; Elizabeth, 
born July 28, 1843, is the wife of Freder- 
ick Hall, of Lacarne; William H.. born 
August 5, 1844, is a resident of Toledo, 
Ohio; George, born November 9, 1845, 
is living in Erie township; Susan, born 
September 5, 1847, 's the wife of Samuel 
Minier, a representative farmer of Erie 
township; Margaret, born April 22, 1849, 
is the widow of George O. Bailey, a resi- 
dent of Lacarne; John, born September 
27, 1850, is living in Erie township; 
Lavina, born in Port Clinton, February 
24, 1857, is the wife of Reuben Rymers, 
of Salem township, Ottawa county. The 
mother of this family died October 13, 
1 893, from the effects of an accident caused 
by a train on the Lake Shore & Michigan 
Southern railroad, while crossing the 
track in front of her home, October 9, 
1893. Her death was deeply mourned, 
for she was an estimable lady, having the 
warm friendship of many. 

Mr. Kleinhans has been called to 
several positions of public trust. For 
four years he faithfully served as county 
treasurer, for one year was deputy treas- 
urer, and has filled various local offices. 
He is ever true to his duties of citizen- 
ship, and in all the relations of life has 
been an honorable, upright gentleman. 
In his declining years he is now enjoying 
a rest which he has truly earned and well 
deserves. 



JAMES B. THORP, attorney at law 
and agriculturist. This well-known 
and highly-respected citizen of Allen 
township, Ottawa county, who has 
contributed in no small degree to the de- 
velopment and substantial progress of the 
community in which he lives, is a native 
of the Buckeye State, his birth taking 
place January 22, 1830, at Warrensville, 
Cuyahoga county. 

Mr. Thorp received his early educa- 
tion in the district schools of his birth- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



525 



place, which was supplemented by a 
course in the high school at Cleveland. 
On leaving school he decided to learn a 
trade, and served an apprenticeship with 
the well-known firm of Scofield & Gill, 
contractors and builders, of Cleveland. 
At the expiration of that time he went 
into business for himself in that line in 
Cleveland, which he carried on with great 
success for eleven years. His health then 
failing, he gave up his work and went to 
Michigan, hoping to be benefited b}' the 
change, and; located in Hillsdale, where 
he remained for two years. Not finding 
any improvement in his health, he con- 
cluded to seek a more genial climate, and 
journeyed to Oregon; from there by sea 
to Cuba, Central America, Mexico and 
California. Jn 1862 Mr. Thorp returned 
to Oregon, and located in Josephine 
county, where he remained for two years, 
spending his time most delightfull}- and 
rapidly regaining health and strength. In 
1S64, being fully restored to his former 
activity, he returned to his old home in 
Warrensville, this State, and decided to 
engage in farming, as a more healthful 
occupation than the one he had been fol- 
lowing. In 1870 Mr. Thorp left War- 
rensville and settled in Ottawa county, in 
what is now Allen township. Here he 
bought forty acres of timberland, and, 
first building a log cabin, set to work to 
clear his land. He found the soil to be 
verj' productive, and, with the shrewd 
judgment which has always characterized 
his career, he added eighty acres more, 
continuing to purchase as his means war- 
ranted, until he owned 335 acres. On 
this propert}- he has expended much 
time, labor and money, and its present 
high state of cultivation and consequent 
increase in value are evidences of the in- 
dustry and intelligent management of the 
owner. Six years were spent in the 
humble log cabin, that then gave place to 
the handsome residence, which is one of 
the finest and most comfortable homes in 
Allen township. Mr. Thorp was married, 



March 19, 1868, at Berea, Cuyahoga 
county, to Carolina, daughter of \'an- 
Rennesaler and Catherine (Weller) Sur- 
rarer, both natives of New York State. 
Of this union one child, Yale J., has been 
born, his birth taking place January 24, 
1 87 1. He was educated at the public 
schools of Allen township, and also in 
the high school of Toledo. Having de- 
cided to follow the occupation of a farmer, 
he is now the managing partner on his 
father's farm, and transacts all business 
appertaining to it; is also a notary public. 
Warren Thorp, the father of our sub- 
ject, was born April 12, 1802, in the 
third log house that was built on the 
ground where the city of Cleveland now 
stands. His father, Joel Thorp, a mill- 
wright by trade, came from Connecticut 
to Ohio in 1799, traveling the long dis- 
tance by ox-team. He settled in Ashta- 
bula county, and was killed in the war of 
181 2. Warren Thorp settled in War- 
rensville and carried on farming. He 
married Hannah Burnside, a daughter of 
James Burnside, who w'as a drummer boy 
in the Revolutionary war, and a colonel in 
the war of 181 2. In the latter war he 
was in a number of battles and received 
eleven wounds (he was an uncle of Col. 
Burnside, who served in the Civil war). 
To the parents of our subject seven chil- 
dren were born as follows: (i) Jane L. , 
born October 25, 1826, was married in 
1847 to Henry N. Clark, a farmer of 
Cuyahoga county; they have one child. 
(2) Harriette L., born February 27, 1828, 
was married, August 6, 1845, ^'^ Lewis 
B. Harrington, a farmer of Rockport, 
and they have five children. (3) James 
B., our subject. (4) Warren A., born 
January 15, 1832, is a farmer in Mayfield, 
and married Elizabeth Barber, and they 
have five children. (5) Joseph P., born 
January 22, 1834, is a farmer and lives 
on the old homestead in W'arrensville, 
where he is a justice of the peace; was 
married in 1864 to Miss Melissa Morris, 
and the}' have five children. (6) Han- 



52G 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



nah M., born April 30, 1836, now the 
wife of Daniel Gardner, of Berea; they 
also have five children. (7) Charles W. , 
born March 16, 1S40, was married in 
1864 to Melinda Gardner, and they had 
five children; his wife died in 1873, and 
his second wife is Miss Mary Brier, whom 
he married about 1880; they have no 
children. Hannah (Burnside) Thorp, the 
mother of our subject, was born May 4, 
1809, and died May 3, 1884, her husband 
passing away April 3, 1888; both died in 
Warrensville. Caroline Surrarer, the wife 
of our subject was born in Cuyahoga 
county, August 30, 1842, and was one of 
eleven children born to her parents. 

The subject of this sketch, after fol- 
lowing fanning for a number of years, 
decided to begin the study of law and 
accordingly, in 1887, began reading in 
the office of Thomas J. Marshall, at Port 
Clinton, this State. Since beginning 
practice he has been very successful and 
has an extensive clientele, both in his 
immediate vicinity and throughout the 
county. He takes cases in the Justice 
Courts and assists Mr. Marshall in the 
court of common pleas. He was census 
enumerator in 1890, has served as asses- 
sor for several years, has been a member 
of the school board several times, being 
now president of the board of school di- 
rectors of Allen township, and is also 
notary public. Mr. Thorp is an ardent 
Republican and always alive to the needs 
and welfare of his community. He is a 
man of much energy and of broad and 
progressive views, and his opinion carries 
weight with his fellow citizens. He and 
his family are attendants of the Methodist 
Chuich. 



GEORGE F. BOWSER. It mat- 
ters not into what station of life 
one is born in this free land of 
ours, all avenues of business, of 
political or of military life are open to 
the individual who has high ambitions, 



determination and enterprise. Mr. Bow- 
ser, who began life for himself at an early 
age, has steadily worked his way upward 
from a position of limited means to one 
of afifluence, and to-day is numbered 
among the substantial farmers of Scott 
township, Sandusky county. 

He was born August 17, 1849, in Bed- 
ford county, Penn., son of Fred and Mar- 
garet (Fickes) Bowser, who, when our 
subject was five years of age, brought 
their family to Scott township, becoming 
pioneers of this locality. The father, who 
was a farmer and mechanic, was born in 
Bedford county, Penn., in 1S24, and de- 
parted this life in January, 1872. His 
wife, who was born in the same county 
in 1823, still survives, and is now living 
in Helena, Ohio. They were the parents 
of seven children: George P.; Rosanna, 
who died at the age of twenty-four, and 
is buried by her father in the cemetery 
between Clyde and Green Spring; Jacob, 
a resident of Cowley county, Kans. , who 
married Susan Fickes, and has nine chil- 
dren; Alice (deceased), who became the 
wife of John Goate, and the mother of 
two children; Barbara, wife of John 
Ward, of Helena; Daniel, who died July 
'7' 1873; and Maggie M., who is the wife 
of John Goate, and the mother of three 
children. 

The subject proper of this biography 
was a mere lad when he left his native 
State, and the greater part of his boy- 
hood and youth was spent upon the home 
farm in the midst of the Ohio forests. 
Being the eldest child he greatly aided 
his father in the work of clearing and de- 
veloping the land, and as opportunity 
offered attended the district schools of 
the neighborhood. Before attaining his 
majority he learned the carpenter's trade, 
and at the age of twenty-six he went to 
Indiana, where he followed that pursuit 
two years. 

On March 10, 1S74, Mr. Bowser was 
united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth 
Miser, born August 29, 1853, daughter of 




^.3^i6. 



^^^tv-U/l , 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



527 



Samuel and Catherine Miser, who Hved in 
Ohio in an early day, afterward removing 
to Indiana. The father, who was a farmer 
by occupation, was born in Ohio, in 1809, 
and died in 1883 in Indiana; the mother 
was born in 1 8 1 3. Their family numbered 
ten children, namely: John, Peter, 
Susanna, Rachel, Catherine, Christian, 
Anna, Elizabeth, and Jacob and Mary, 
who died in infancy. Six children grace 
the union of Mr. and Mrs. Bowser, their 
names and dates of birth being as fol- 
lows: Jacob H., March 10, 1875; Aaron, 
January 11, 1876; Curtis A., March 26, 
1878; William, August 31, i882;Maudy 
May, September 15, 1884; and Bertha, 
February 3, 1886. 

Since his marriage Mr. Bowser has 
resided upon the farm which has been 
his home, and made of the place a valua- 
ble propert}'. His success is due to his 
own persistent efforts, and the able as- 
sistance of his estimable wife. He is a 
man of unfaltering energy and capable 
management, and justly ranks among the 
leading and progressive agriculturists of 
Scott township. 



LBERT PETTIBONE is num- 



bered among the native sons of 



A 

I \ Ottawa county, and one of the 
honored pioneers, who for si.xty- 
five years has been a witness of its growth 
and development, aiding in its progress 
and promoting its material prosperity. 
He has a wide acquaintance and his pleas- 
ant, genial manner and sterling worth 
have made him very popular, so that we 
feel assured this record of his life will 
prove of interest to many of our readers. 
Mr. Pettibone was born in Danbury 
township, Ottawa county, March 15, 
1830, and is a son of Truman and Phoebe 
(Wolcotte) Pettibone, the former a native 
of the Green Mountain State, the latter 
of Danbury, Conn., born February 12, 
1796. The father died July 23, 1830, 
when our subject was only four months 



old, but the mother long survived him, 
and passed away December 24, 1872. 
They were the parents of five children — 
three sons and two daughters — only one of 
whom is now living, Albert, subject of this 
sketch. 

The educational privileges which our 
subject received were limited to those 
afforded by the district schools during the 
winter months. The schoolhouse was 
built of logs and furnished in a primitive 
manner. Since his boyhood he has en- 
gaged in fishing and farming, and was 
early inured to the arduous labors that 
fall to the lot of the agriculturists who 
lives on the frontier. Of late years he 
has also extensively engaged in fruit 
farming, and has found this branch of his 
business a very remunerative one. In 
Danbury township, Ottawa county, Feb- 
ruary 5, 1854, Mr. Pettibone married 
Eliza Ramsdell, who was born December 
7, 1836, and is a daughter of Jacob and 
Experience (Willett) Ramsdell, who were 
among the earliest settlers of Danbury 
township, where they located in 181 1. 
The maternal grandparents of our subject, 
Bcnnajah and Elizabeth Wolcott, natives 
of New York, preceded them, however, 
emigrating from Connecticut to Ohio in 
1 809. No one else at that time resided 
in Danbury township, and they therefore 
had the honor of opening it up to civil- 
ization. 

The family of Mr. and Mrs. Pettibone 
numbered twelve children: Clara M., 
born October 22, 1855, residing in Dan- 
bury township; Oscar P., born October 
28, 1857, a fireman on the Lakeside rail- 
road, residing at Lakeside, Ohio; Orra 
E., born May 8, i860, and died January 
22, 1864; Phrebe L. , born January 13, 
1862. now the wife of \\'illiam Killey, of 
Danbury township; Cora E. , born May 7, 
1864, now the wife of William Brede- 
hoft, of Oak Harbor, Ohio; Selina A., 
born December 13, 1866. and now living 
at Oak Harbor; George A., born Decem- 
ber 25, 1868; Edna J., born August 17, 



528 



COMMEMORATIVE BWGRAPRICAL RECORD. 



1 8/ 1, now the wife of Martin Southard, 
of Danbury township; Jacob T., born 
September 7, 1873, and died February 
20, 1876; Lydia A., born November 23, 
1875; Willett A., born May 10, 1878; and 
Zehna E.. born October 21, 1881. 

His fellow citizens, appreciating his 
worth and abiUty, have frequently called 
Mr. Pettibone to public office, where he 
has discharged his duties with a prompt- 
ness and fidelity that have won him the 
highest commendation. He was the first 
supervisor of Danbury township, was 
township clerk for twenty years, township 
trustee three years, has been justice of 
the peace some eighteen years, was town- 
ship real-estate assessor for one term, for 
four years served as postmaster of Vine 
Ridge, and was instrumental in establishing 
this office, and has held other public posi- 
tions of honor and trust. In his political 
views he is a stalwart Republican, while 
socially he is a charter member of the 
Knights of the Golden Rule, of Castle 
Rock Lodge, No. 21, of Lakeside. The 
family attend the services of the Methodist 
and Congregational Churches, but hold 
membership with no religious organiza- 
tion. Mr. Pettibone enjoys the respect 
and esteem of all who know him, and is 
one of the few remaining settlers who 
have been spared to see the dense forests 
and log cabins give place to extensive 
fruit orchards, waving fields of grain and 
large and imposing residences. He is a 
man of noble character, of strict integrity 
and genuine worth, and is honored and 
revered by a large circle of friends and 
acquaintances. 



JOHN P. VOGEL. Among the prom- 
inent and influential young business 
men of Oak Harbor, Ottawa county, 
who have done much to build up and 
further the interests of that enterprising 
little town, there is no one more deserving 
of representation in this work than the 



gentleman whose name introduces this 
sketch. 

Our subject is a native of Ottawa 
county, Ohio, born December 18, 1858, 
son of Christian and Salomane Vogel, 
both natives of Germany. His prelimi- 
nary education was received in the public 
schools of his native county. At the age 
of twenty-one years he began his career 
as a business man, opening a hardware 
store at Oak Harbor, in partnership with 
C. L. Danner, under* the firm name of 
Danner & Vogel. In 1884 Christian Vo- 
gel, father of our subject, purchased Mr. 
Danner's interest, and the business was 
then conducted by father and son, under 
the firm name of C. Vogel & Son, until 
1887, when the former disposed of his in- 
terest to G. H. Bredbeck, the business 
then and now being successfully conducted 
by these two gentlemen, under the firm 
name of Vogel & Bredbeck. 

Mr. Vogel has been twice married, the 
first time, in 1883, to Miss Bella Hugle, a 
native of Ottawa county, the union being 
blessed by the birth of one child, Ger- 
trude. In January, 18S5, our subject was 
called upon to mourn the death of his be- 
loved wife, the sorrow felt at her death 
being greatly enhanced by the unusually 
sad circumstances with which it was at- 
tended. While out driving with her hus- 
band and a party of friends, their carriage 
was struck by a train on the Lake Shore 
and Michigan Southern railroad, Mrs. Vo- 
gel being instantly killed. Mr. Vogel was 
afterward united in marriage, at Oak Har- 
bor, in 1889. with Miss Millie Rantz, a 
daughter of Jacob and Maria Rantz, old 
and respected residents of Oak Harbor. 
To this union were born three children, 
viz. : Arminta, Florence and Esther. Po- 
litically our subject is an active supporter 
of the Democratic party, has filled with 
honor the offices of township clerk and 
corporation treasurer, and has also ren- 
dered valuable service as a member of 
the Oak Harbor Council. Socially he is 
affiliated with Oak Harbor Lodge No. 495, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHTCAL RECORD. 



529 



F. & A. M., also with Fremont Chapter 
No. 64, Royal Arch Masons. The family 
are strict adherents of the Lutheran 
Church. 

Christian Vogel, our subject's father, . 
was born in Baden, Germany, July 3, 
1829, a son of Frederick G. and Mary 
(Bengert) Vogel, both also natives of 
Germany, where they resided up to the 
time of their decease, the former passing 
away in 1S63, the latter in 1857. They 
had a family of five children, of whom 
Christian is the only living representative. 
Christian Vogel received his primary edu- 
cation in the schools of his native land, 
afterward serving an apprenticeship term 
to the trade of blacksmithing. In June, 
1857, hearing of the exceptional advan- 
tages offered to young men in the United 
States, he embarked in a sailing vessel, 
which, after a tedious voyage lasting sev- 
eral weeks, dropped anchor in an Ameri- 
can port. On his arrival in this country 
our subject located in Portage township, 
Ottawa Co., Ohio, and engaged in the 
blacksmithing industry. In 1861 he 
moved to Port Clinton, where he embark- 
ed in agricultural pursuits, also working 
a short time at his trade, remaining there 
four years; he then removed to Oak Har- 
bor, and has since been a constant resi- 
dent of that town. Since taking up his 
residence here Mr. Vogel has followed 
various pursuits, first engaging in the 
hotel business, shortly afterward opening 
a general store, and also working at his 
trade. He then embarked in a butcher- 
ing business, and other important 
branches of trade, and of late years he 
has been engaged in the buying and selling 
of stock during the summer months. In 
his different vocations he has ever proved 
himself a man of excellent business 
qualifications and of sound character, and 
as a reward of an industrious life he has 
now acquired a comfortable competence 
to tide him over his remaining years. 

Mr. Vogel was married, at Plasterbed, 
Ottawa Co., Ohio, in .April, 1851, to 



Salomane Heim, a native of Germany, 
and to this union have been born nine 
children, seven of whom are still living, 
viz.: Christian and Charles (twins), the 
former a resident of' Oak Harbor; Will- 
iam, an enterprising agriculturist of Salem 
township; Elizabeth, wife of- Otto Schi- 
mansky, of Sandusky, Ohio; John P., a 
prominent hardware merchant of Oak 
Harbor; August B., a resident of Oak 
Harbor; and Caroline, wife of A. D. 
Thierwechter. The mother departed 
this life in 187S. Mr. Vogel was united 
in marriage, the second time, at San- 
dusky, Ohio, with Miss Adelina Twight- 
man, of Oak Harbor, a native of Ger- 
many, and to this union has been born 
one child — George G. , of Oak Harbor. 
Mr. Vogel has never been an office-seeker; 
but his man}' friends, recognizing in him 
a man exceedingly well qualified to fill 
positions of trust, have frequentl}' per- 
suaded him to accept important township 
and county offices. 



DANIEL KREILICK, member of 
the firm of Miller & Kreilick, man- 
ufacturers of lumber and cooper- 
age stock, in Salem township, 
Ottawa county, was born in Rice town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohio, January i, 
1 84 1, and is a son of Adam and Eliza- 
beth (Reitz) Kreilick, pioneers of San- 
dusky county. 

Our subject was reared in the usual 
manner of farmer lads of that da}', and 
his educational privileges were meagre, 
being those afforded in the old primitive 
schools of the township. His training at 
farm labor, however, was of a higher or- 
der, and he soon became familiar with all 
the duties of agricultural life. In 1866, 
when about twenty-five years of age, in 
connection with Samuel Miller, he em- 
barked in his present business, and is now 
extensively and successfully engaged in 
the manufacture of lumber and cooperage 



530 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



stock, also farming a piece of fine land in 
Salem township. 

Mr. Kreilick was married, July 5, 
1868, to Miss Lydia Siegenthaler, a 
daughter of William and Leah (Harmel) 
Siegenthaler, who were honored and rep- 
resentative citizens of Sandusky county. 
The father, who was a native of Ger- 
many, passed away in 1874; the mother, 
who was born in Pennsj'lvania, survived 
him until 1881. In their family were ten 
children, all 3'et living, namely: Mary, 
wife of Daniel Heitrick; Francis; Will- 
oughby; Henry; Melinda, wife of Nathan 
Miller; Lydia, wife of Daniel Kreilick; 
Philip; Catherine, wife of George Cook; 
George; and Rebecca, wife of John Star- 
wald; ail are now residing either in Ot- 
tawa or Sandusky county. Mr. and 
Mrs. Kreilick have three children — Lu- 
cinda C, who was born April 4, 1869, 
and is the wife of Albert Beirlein, of Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio; Alta, who was born April 
25, 1871, and is the wife of Charles 
Leaser, a prominent farmer of Rice town- 
ship, Sandusky county; and Emma R. , 
born February 5, 1875. Mr. Kreilick 
has served as justice of the peace for one 
term, and in his political affiliations is a 
Democrat. He is recognized as an able, 
straightforward and enterprising business 
man, and in the community where he has 
always lived he has the warm regard of 
many friends. The family attend the 
Lutheran Church. 

In this connection it is interesting to 
note something of the history of his father, 
Adam Kreilick, who was one of the pio- 
neers of Rice township, Sandusky county. 
He was born in Northumberland county, 
Penn., March iS, i S04, and passed away 
near Kingsway, Ohio, June 11, 1891, at 
the advanced age of eighty-seven years, 
two months and twenty-four days. His 
childhood and youth were largely devoted 
to reading, and his taste for literature 
continued through life. In his early years 
he had access to a select library of ancient 
and modern works, and his reading was 



directed by his father, who was a teacher 
in the parochial schools. He possessed a 
retentive memor}', and his quick percep- 
tion gave him such a command of knowl- 
edge in the various departments of learn- 
ing that he found his equal only in the 
higher callings of life. His conversa- 
tional powers and mother wit, coupled 
with his ripe scholarship, made him a con- 
genial and entertaining companion. 

Adam Kreilick married Miss Elizabeth 
Reitz in June, 1831, and two years later 
the young couple started with their first 
child (now the wife of Capt. Kline, of 
Fremont, Ohio) from their old home in 
eastern Pennsylvania for the wild regions 
of northeastern Ohio, after a five-weeks' 
journey with a horse and wagon over 
mountains and rivers, hills and valleys, 
arriving on the banks of Mud creek, in 
the " Black Swamp, " where David Druck- 
enmiller, Peter Heitrick and David Gep- 
hardt had located two years previous. Mr. 
Kreilick entered 200 acres of government 
land, purchasing the same at the land 
office in Bucyrus, Ohio. He walked the 
entire distance there and back, following 
the old Indian trail up the Sandusky river, 
for there were no roads at the time. 
Lower Sandusky then boasted of only i 50 
inhabitants, and only one small brick 
building. There was no Maumee pike, 
no open roads through the Black Swamp, 
and only here and there a few log cabins, 
with patches of cleared land. From the 
point where Mr. Kreilick located there 
was a dense forest — the haunt of deer and 
wild turkey — reaching south to the Port- 
age river and east toward Port Clinton 
and Sandusky Bay. In all that region 
there was not a single white inhabitant. 



were the surroundings of 



Such 

hardy pioneers. The a.xe, 
fire were the means used 
the forest, openin 



through 



these 
the ox, and 
in breaking 
: roads and 



making a place for fruitful fields and rich 
and inviting farms. Log cabins often 
sheltered from twelve to fifteen persons, 
but in course of time they were replaced 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



531 



by more commodious frame or stately 
brick dwellings, with all the comforts of 
modern life. All other surroundings, in- 
cluding barns, school houses, churches 
and business industries, kept pace with 
the remarkable transformation wrought 
by the pioneers. Mr. Kreilick and his 
faithful wife shared in all the experiences 
of frontier life. The first school in the 
settlement was taught by William Rear- 
ick, at the double log cabin of Philip 
Siegenthaler, and the first schoolhouse 
was a log structure erected on Mr. Krei- 
lick's farm. The family first attended 
Church at the Four-Mile House, and the 
first regular pastor at Mud Creek settle- 
ment. Rev. Long, held services in a barn, 
later in the schoolhouse until the log 
church was erected in 1852. In 1867 it 
was replaced by the present brick struc- 
ture. 

In the Kreilick family were six sons 
and five daughters, all now married and 
living in comfortable homes either in Ot- 
tawa county or Sandusky county, being 
located near the old homestead. They 
are Mrs. Andrew Kline, Mrs. Simon 
Bovversox, John, Elias, Daniel, Aaron, 
Adam, Peter, Mrs. William Reiser, Mrs. 
Samuel Miller, and Mrs. Jonas Hetrick. 
The mother of this family passed away in 
1883, and the father mourned the de- 
parture of her who had long been to him 
a faithful companion and helpmeet. He 
lived to a ripe old age, and saw his chil- 
dren and grandchildren comfortably situ- 
ated in life. He was confirmed in the 
Evangelical Church in Pennsylvania, and 
all his children and a large majority of 
their descendants are members of St. 
Paul's Lutheran Church of Rice township, 
Sandusky county, in which church his 
funeral was held June 14, 1891, the ser- 
vices being conducted by the pastor. Rev. 
W. A. Bowman. From far and near the 
people came to pay their last tribute of 
respect to him. He had been possessed 
of a robust constitution, determined will 
and untarnished character, and was be- 



loved by his family and esteemed by his 
many friends. Annually his children 
would assemble at the old home to cele- 
brate his birthday, exchange greetings and 
receive tokens of his well wishes. An 
aged sister, Mrs. Philip Heitrick, six sons, 
fifty grandchildren, lifty-seven great- 
grandchildren and one great-great-grand- 
child are the living representatives of the 
family to which this honored man be 
longed. 



STEPHEN FETTERLY, proprietor 
of the basket factory at Oak Har- 
bor, Ottawa county, and one of 
the live, wide-awake men of the 
county, is a native of Ohio, having been 
born at Painesville, Lake county, October 
5, 1849. 

He is a son of David and Emily 
(Hoople) Fetterly, the former of whom 
was born in 1807, of Holland parentage, 
and when a young man moved to Canada, 
where he married a Miss Hoople. In 
that country he and his wife remained 
till 1849, in which year they removed to 
Painesville, Ohio, where they remained 
three years, the father in the meantime 
working at his trade, that of blacksmith. 
In 1852 they took up their residence in 
Salem township, Ottawa county, where 
Mr. Fetterly was made the first justice of 
the peace, and where he and his wife 
passed the rest of their honored lives. He 
met with a heroic death: In 1857, while 
attempting the rescue from drowning of 
two men in the Portage river, where the 
Locust street bridge, at Oak Harbor, 
crosses, Mr. Fetterly's exertion proved 
too great, resulting in the bursting of a 
blood vessel, which caused him to sink 
beneath the surface of the water, and 
when his body was recovered life was ex- 
tinct. His wife survived him until 1889, 
when she, too, passed away, and her re- 
mains were laid beside those of her hus- 
band in the Oak Harbor cemetery. They 
were the parents of eight children: Amos, 



532 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



George, Maria, Albert, Charles, two who 
died in infancy, and Stephen, all except 
the last named having been born in 
Canada. Two of the sons served in the 
war of the Rebellion, Amos enlisting in 
1 86 1, and remaining in the army till 1865, 
participating in the battles of Shiloh, 
Missionary Ridge and many others, be- 
sides suffering a three months' imprison- 
ment in Libby Prison; his brother Charles 
served from 1864 till the close of the war. 
As will be seen, Stephen Fetterly was 
three years old when the family made 
their home in Salem township, Ottawa 
count)-, and here he acquired his educa- 
tion at the schools of the neighborhood. 
When thirteen years old he commenced 
sailing the lakes, for twentj'-five j'ears, in 
various capacities, plowing the cerulean 
waters of lakes Erie, Huron, Superior 
and Michigan. Commencing as steward, 
he served in that capacity three years, 
and then boarded the " Forcastle " as or- 
dinary seaman, remaining as such for 
four seasons, the next two years serving 
as mate on different vessels. At the end 
of that time opportunity presenting itself 
for Mr. Fetterly to embark in business for 
himself, he in August, 1873, purchased 
the "Gould," a boat running on Lake 
Erie, which he resold about the close of 
the same year. In 1874 he bought the 
" Melissa," selling same two years later, 
and in 1877 he took charge, as captain, 
of the "Emily and Eliza," owned by 
Anspaugh & Bros., of Oak Harbor, hold- 
ing that position till 1887. In that year 
Mr. Fetterly proceeded to Detroit, where 
he purchased the "Hero," a fine Lake 
Erie boat, in 1888 buying also the steam- 
barge "Lafayette," running on the same 
lake, and these two boats he owned and 
operated five years, when he sold them 
and became owner by purchase of the 
steam-barge " Du Sault," also running 
on Lake Erie. About this time he passed 
his examination as marine engineer. 
While running these boats he did a good 
deal of contracting for the U. S. Govern- 



ment in the line of constructing break- 
waters and such like, along the lake 
shore, for the protection of roads, etc., 
from the encroachment of the water. For 
several years he handled sandstone and 
general freight for Oak Harbor, which 
line of work was confined to the summer 
months, he in the winter time engaging 
in timber speculation, in which he met 
with signal success. 

In the year 1891, Mr. Fetterly, in 
company with two others, established a 
basket factory at Port Clinton, Ottawa 
county, in which connection he remained 
two years. His experience in this venture 
led him to undertake the organization of 
a similar company at Oak Harbor, which 
after much labor and considerable plan- 
ning he accomplished, the present basket 
factory being opened May 3, 1895, with 
a capital stock of twelve thousand dollars. 
Employment is already given to nearly 100 
hands and the pay-roll sums up to about 
fourteen hundred dollars per month. In 
addition to his interests in this industry 
Mr. Fetterly owns a farm in Salem town- 
ship, and a propeller running between 
Oak Harbor and Sandusky; he also con- 
ducts a sand and stone business, and 
speculates in oil. 

On November 27, 1873, Stephen Fet- 
terly was united in marriage with Miss 
Susan Legett, daughter of Robert and 
Rebecca (Magrew) Legett, honored pio- 
neers of Ottawa county, and descended 
from the Blackburns of England. Mr. 
and Mrs. Legett are the parents of 
children — five sons and 
— seven of whom are yet living. One 
son, Albert, served three years in Com- 
pany I, Forty-first O. V. I., during the 
Civil war. To Mr. and Mrs. Fetterly 
have been born six children, as follows: 
Agnes (wife of August Madison, engineer 
in the basket factory at Oak Harbor); 
Mabel, Georgia, Charles, Ralph and 
Ruby. Mrs. Fetterly is a member of the 
M. E. Church, and is af^liated with the 
Daughters of Rebekah. In his political 



eight 



three daughters 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



533 



predilections our subject is a Democrat; 
socially he is a member of Oak Harbor 
Lodge No. 495, F. & A. M., and of the 
I. O. O. F. He is a tj'pical American 
"hustler," and has made a success of 
everything to which he has put his hand. 



PA. SHAENFELD is one of El- 
more's most progressive and solid 
business men, one who takes an 
active part in all matters that 
have for their object the advancement 
and welfare of Ottawa county. 

Our subject was born October 18, 
1836, in Mudershausen, Germany, son of 
Henry P. and Catherine P. Shaenfeld. 
In his native land he received his educa- 
tion, and was confirmed in the Evangelical 
Lutheran Church. In April, 1852, his 
parents, accompanied by their children, 
started for the New World, being forty- 
four days upon the broad Atlantic, and it 
was almost two months from the time 
they left their old home ere they reached 
Fremont, Ohio. The father purchased 
forty acres of land eight miles west of 
that city in the Black Swamp, where the 
mother died at the age of fifty-two, while 
the father reached the advanced age of 
eighty-four years, and they now lie buried 
side by side in the Four- Mile House Cem- 
etery. Bv a former marriage the father 
had si.\ sons, and by the second union 
two sons and two daughters were born. 
William, the brother of our subject, was 
born in 1831, and now resides in Wash- 
ington township, Sandusky Co., Ohio. 
His sisters are Jane, who was born in 
1839, and is the wife of John Bauer, of 
Blue Hill, Neb. ; and Louise, born in 
1842, who is the wife of Mathias Stattler, 
of Kedwillow county, that State. 

P. A. Shaenfeld aided his father in 
clearing and developing the new farm, 
working in the woods during the winter, 
while during the summer months he 
labored in the fields. He early started 
out as a farm hand, being etnployed by 



farmers in Huron county until 1859, 
when, anxious to see more of the world, 
he started westward. He landed in south- 
eastern Missouri when it was wild and 
sparsely settled, and there kept store in a 
log cabin, for other parties, until the war 
broke out, when the Confederates took 
what little stock he had, and forced 
him to enlist in the Rebel army. He suc- 
ceeded, however, in making his escape, 
and in 1862 returned to Ohio, where he 
found employment in the grocery store at 
Bellevue. 

In that city, in 1863, Mr. Shaenfeld 
was married to Miss Sophie P. Hoffman, 
who was born November 30, 1840, in 
Nassau, Germany, and in that country 
was educated and confirmed in the Evan- 
gelical Lutheran Church. At the age of 
fourteen years she came to America with 
her married sister and brother-in-law, 
Jacob Deutesfeld. One son came to this 
union — CorneHus W., born January 24, 
1864, who now makes his home in El- 
more. In 1865, with his wife and baby, 
Mr. Shaenfeld came to Elmore, and em- 
barked in the grocery business, in which 
he was very successful. In this city his 
wife departed this life September 5, 1884. 
The following year he sold a half interest 
in his store to E. G. Kirk, and gave his 
son the other half. In June, of the same 
year he went to California on account of 
poor health, and after his return the fol- 
lowing September lived with his son until 
his second marriage. On August 11, 
1887, he wedded Mary Huth, who was 
born in Nassau. Germany, July 17, 1850, 
and with her parents, Philip and Cather- 
ine Huth, emigrated to the United States 
in 1 85 1, locating in Riley township, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio. Her parents both died 
at an early age, the mother being only 
thirty-three, and the father forty-six. 

In 1887, Mr. Shaenfeld purchased his 
store which he has since successfully con- 
ducted, doing a large and prosperous bus- 
iness. He and his family are highly re- 
spected in social circles, and, as a busi- 



534 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ness man, his dealings have ever been 
characterized by honesty and fairness, so 
that he ranks among the prominent mer- 
chants of Elmore. He has filled many 
important positions, and for two terms 
each was member of the city council, cor- 
poration treasurer, township treasurer 
and township trustee, in all of which of- 
fices he served with credit to himself and 
to the satisfaction of his constituents. 
The Democratic party has ever found in 
him a stanch supporter. 



CHARLES ROOSE is one of the 
most prominent business men of 
Oak Harbor, being engaged in 
lumbering and agricultural pur- 
suits, in the manufacture of slack barrel 
cooperage, and in the management of 
the Oak Harbor State Bank, of which 
he is president. The true standard by 
which to judge a community is the charac- 
ter of its leading citizens. Progress is 
rarely, if ever, the result of chance, but 
always the execution of well-laid plans, 
based on a thorough comprehension of 
the laws of business. It is only by keep- 
ing in view the lives of men who are ever 
associated with the busy marts of com- 
merce that we can judge of the import- 
ance of development and the possibilities 
of progress. Thus it is that from the 
commercial more than the literary or 
political world, the most valuable lessons 
of life are to be extracted. As a repre- 
sentative of this class stands the subject 
of this review, a typical self-made man 
whose excellent business qualifications 
are indicated by the numerous enterprises 
he has brought to a successful issue. 

Mr. Roose was born May 7, 1824, in 
the city of Schwerin, Mecklenburg- 
Schwerin, Germany, and is a son of Louis 
and Frederica (Hengvoos) Roose, who 
were also natives of the same country, 
where they spent their entire lives. Of 
their family of seven children only three 
are now living: Charles, subject of this 



sketch; Lizzetta, wife of August Milhahn, 
a prominent farmer of Salem township, 
Ottawa county; and Lena, of the same 
township. 

Charles Roose was reared to man- 
hood and educated in his native land, and 
for some years was emplo}ed as a clerk 
in a hotel, after which he engaged in the 
hotel business on his own account until 
his departure for America. In 1853 he 
sold his business in the Fatherland and 
crossed the Atlantic, landing in New 
York, whence he came to Ohio. After 
spending six weeks in Sandusky, he re- 
moved to Ottawa county, purchasing 160 
acres of land in Salem township, then a 
wild tract, but with willing heart and 
hands he began to make a home for him- 
self and famil}'. Not long after he com- 
menced the purchase of staves, which 
were shipped to the West Indies and other 
markets. Within two years his business 
had increased to such extended propor- 
tirms that he was not able to secure a 
supply sufficient to fill his orders in the 
ordinary way, and so purchased large 
tracts of land in Salem, Carroll, Clay 
and Benton townships, placing thereon 
German immigrants to prepare the 
timber for the market. Manj' of these 
being entirely without means of their 
own, he furnished them with teams and 
all necessary supplies, thus enabling 
them to become prosperous farmers and 
citizens, owing their start in life to 
his energy and kindness. In 1868, in 
connection with the buying of staves, 
he established a slack barrel cooperage 
industry, which has also proved a profitable 
investment; his comprehensive business 
ability has also been manifest in other 
directions. In 1887, having purchased 
2,145 acres of land in Indiana, adjoining 
the Ohio State line, he there laid out and 
built a town which was named ' ' Edger- 
ton " for the man of whom Mr. Roose 
purchased the land. In 1887 he aided 
in the organization of the Oak Harbor 
State Bank, and from its commencement 




/pAjiLV^ (Vw^e^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



535 



has served as its honored president, its 
success being largely due to his efforts. 

Mr. Koose was married in Butzow, 
Mfcklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, Jan- 
uary 2, 1849, to Miss Marie Drewes, who 
was born November 30, 1829, daughter 
of Joachim and Marie (Haas) Drewes, 
the former of whom passed away in Sa- 
lem township, Ottawa county, in 1872, 
the latter d3'ing in Germany, in 1870. 
Mrs. Roose was born in Doberan, Ger- 
many, and has become the mother of 
nine children: Charles, born in Ger- 
many, July 20, 1850. is one of the most 
prominent agriculturists of Salem town- 
ship; Hannah, born in Germany, June 
22, 1852, is the wife of Frederick Uied- 
rich, a leading farmer of Salem township; 
Frederick, born in Salem township, Jan- 
uary 13, 1855, is now one of its success- 
ful merchants; Emma, born in Salem 
township, March 10, 1858, died ten days 
later; Ernst, born in Salem township, 
January 10, i860, is now one of its pros- 
perous farmers; William, born in Salem 
township. May 26, 1862, a sketch of 
whom follows; Wilhelmina, born in Sa- 
lem township, May 20, 1864, is the wife 
of Charles Hanck, of Sandusky. Ohio; 
Herman H.. born in Salem township, 
December 16, 1866, is now in partner- 
ship, and is superintendent of the Indi- 
ana business, with residence at Edgerton, 
in that State; Lena, born in Salem town- 
ship, March 11, 1868, is the wife of 
George (">armroth, also of Edgerton. 

In I859 Mr. Roose was elected trustee 
of his township, in which capacity he 
serve«nor eleven consecutive years. He 
was also county commissioner for six 
years, a director of the Ohio Penitentiary 
for three years, and under Governor 
Campbell was appointed a trustee of the 
Institute for the Instruction of the Rlhid, 
at Columbus; he has twice been appointed 
to that position by Governor McKinley, 
and is still serving. For many years he 
has been a school director, and is deeply 
interested in everything calculated to ben- 

34 



enfit mankind. Socially he is a charter 
member of Oak Harbor Lodge, No. 495, 
F. & A. M., and in religious connection 
the family attend the Lutheran Church. 
In politics he is a Democrat, and one of 
the trusted advisors of his part)' in Ot- 
tawa county. In 1888 he was a dele- 
gate to the Democratic National Conven- 
tion, at St. Louis, which resulted in the 
nomination of President Cleveland for a 
second term. Mr. Roose is a man of 
broad views, of keen quick perception, of 
sterlino^ integrity and spotless reputation, 
and therefore has the unlimited confi- 
dence of the people with whom he has 
come in contact. In addition to his du- 
ties as president of the largest moneyed 
institution in the county he has as a pub- 
lic official discharged the duties of every 
office in which he has been placed with a 
painstaking fidelity that has won him the 
highest commendation. He is a man of 
gentlemanly demeanor, always meeting 
his associates both in the social circle and 
in business pursuits, with a cordial and 
friendly bearing, and both his time and 
means have been liberalty expended in 
all matters pertaining to the advance- 
ment of the county's interest and welfare. 



OTTO BEIER, a prominent, pro- 
gressive citizen, and a successful 
busine.ss man of Oak Harbor, Ot- 
tawa county, senior member of 
the firm of Otto Be;er & Bro. , proprietors 
of the Oak Harbor Creamery, is a native 
of Ottawa county, Ohio, born in Carroll 
township, August 19, 1866. 

Tl-.e parents of our subject, Frederick 
and Amelia (.Miller; Beier, who are na- 
rtives of the Fatherland, crossed the ocean 
and came to the New World in the j'ear 
1 86 1, locating first in Oak Harbor, Otta- 
wa Co , Ohio. Two years later they 
moved to Carroll townsiiip, where they 
purchased some land, with all the timber 
that had grown upon it, and engaged in 
the work of clearing of? the timber and in 



530 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



agricultural pursuits. They still reside 
there, and Mr. Beier is recognized as one 
of the thrifty, progressive farmers of that 
township. Mr. Beier has served his fel- 
low citizens as trustee of the township for 
two years, supervisor for two years, and 
school director for a number of years. 
Politically, he votes with the Democratic 
party. The family are strict adherents of 
the Lutheran Church, and are highly es- 
teemed by the entire community. Their 
family consisted of ten children, eight of 
whom are now living, viz. : Harmon, 
Charles, Otto, Amelia, Minnie, Emma, 
Sopha and P'rederick. 

Otto Beier, the subject proper of this 
biography, received his early education in 
the public schools of his native township, 
his boyhood days being spent in assisting 
his father in the care of the farm. At the 
age of si.xteen years he left his home and 
served an apprenticeship to the carpen- 
ter's trade, at which he worked, during 
the harvest season also running a thresh- 
ing machine, which he and his brothers 
owned for ten years. In 1891, in part- 
nership with his brother Charles, he built 
and commenced the operation of the Oak 
Harbor Creamery, located in Oak Harbor, 
which has since been fitted up with all 
the latest and most improved machinery 
used in this important branch of industry, 
this factory being one of the largest of its 
kind in the State; the large output of 
butter, necessitating the delivery of some- 
thing like two thousand gallons of milk 
daily, is a great boon to the farmers of 
Salem and the adjoining township. 

Mr. Beier was united in marriage at 
Oak Harbor, Ohio, January i, 1889, with 
Miss Christina Glaser, who was born in 
Carroll township, July 14, 1864, a daugh- 
ter of George and Maggie (Schrom) 
Glaser, early settlers of Carroll township. 
Mr. and Mrs. Glaser were the parents of 
ten children, seven of whom are living, 
namely: Maggie, Harmon, Lucy, Chris- 
tina, Henry, George and August. In re- 
ligious faith, the family are strict adher- 



ents of the Lutheran Church; they are 
highly respected by all who know them. 
Four children have come to brighten the 
home of Mr. and Mrs. Beier, viz. : Alma 
A., born September 15, 1889; Florence 
M., born July 10, 1891; Leon George, 
born March 31, 1893; and Laura S., born 
October 19, 1895. In 1893 Mr. Beier 
was elected as a member of council for the 
village of Oak Harbor, and was re-elected 
in 1895. The family are strict adherents 
of the Lutheran Church, and are highly 
esteemed throughout the community in 
which they reside. 



AARON DOLPH, one of the lead- 
ing business men of Ottawa coun- 
ty, and a representative citizen, 
was born in Rome, Ashtabula 
Co., Ohio, August 19, 1836. His father 
was born in Batavia, N. Y., in 18 10, and 
died in 1848. His mother, who bore the 
maiden name of Eliza Perkins, was born 
about the same time and died in 1873. 
After the death of her first husband she 
was again married, in 1854, becoming the 
wife of David Nellis, of Pennsylvania. 
His father came to Ohio in an early day, 
and purchased 1,300 acres of land near 
Elmore for $1.25 per acre. At different 
times portions of this land were sold, but 
200 acres became the property of David 
Nellis, and was left by him to his wife, 
the mother of our subject, who in turn 
left it to Aaron Dolph. 

The gentleman whose name begins 
this record spent the days of his boyhood 
and youth in the county of his nativity, 
and acquired his education under the di- 
rection of Prof. Tuckerman. On March 
27, 1856, he was united in marriage with 
Miss Lovina Richerson, of Rome, Ashta- 
bula county. Her father was a native of 
the same county, his birth having oc- 
curred in 1813, his death in 1877; her 
mother was born in 181 1, and in their 
family were five children. The maternal 
grandmother, Hannah Strong, was born 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



537 



in Connecticut in 1789, and came of a 
family noted for intelligence and culture, 
numbering among its members many lead- 
ing ministers and teachers. She married 
Elisher Hall, who was born in 1780, and 
was one of the prominent school teachers 
of his day, devoting his entire life to that 
work. They reared a large family — five 
sons and five daughters. 

Mr. and Mrs. Dolph began their do- 
mestic life in Ashtabula county, Ohio, 
where for sixteen years he carried on 
agricultural pursuits. In 1872 they came 
to Ottawa county, Ohio, locating in Har- 
ris township, on what is known as the 
old Nellis farm near Elmore, one of the 
most beautiful and productive tracts in 
the countv. It is improved with all the 
accessories and conveniences known to 
the modern agriculturist, including excel- 
lent buildings, well-kept fences, a good 
orchard, etc. The lawn is surrounded by 
a nicely trimmed hedge fence, and beauti- 
ful evergreens adorn the place and cast 
their grateful shade over the home 

To Mr. and Mrs. Dolph have been 
born five children, a brief record of whom 
is as follows: W'ira, born March 23, 
1858, obtained his education in the pub- 
lic schools of Elmore, and in Austinburg, 
Ashtabula Co., Ohio, where he completed 
his studies under the instruction of his 
father's old preceptor. He then en- 
gaged in teaching for several terms in dif- 
ferent parts of the State. Having mar- 
ried ^Iiss Alice Gilson, of Elmore, he 
purchased and now operates and conducts 
a large furniture store in Blissfield, Mich., 
and a farm near that place. Ellsworth, 
born August 23, 1863, and named in 
honor of Col. Ellsworth, was educated in 
the public schools of Elmore, and mar- 
ried Addie Caneff, of this town. They 
are now pleasantly located on a farm 
near Genoa, where he is extensivelj- en- 
gaged in stock raising. Addison, born 
August 12, 1866, is also a representative 
citizen of Ottawa county. Clara, born 
December 17, 1872, acquired her literary 



education in Elmore and then studied 
painting; her mother's parlors are adorned 
with many beautiful works of art from 
her hand. She also gave some attention 
to music, becoming quite proficient as a 
pianist. She is now the wife of J. H. 
Laurie, a decoration architect, of De- 
troit, Mich. Willet, born January 10, 
1883, is attending school in Elmore. He 
is specially fond of horses, and is now the 
proud owner of a fine driving horse. 

In 1887 Mr. Dolph purchased a hand- 
some brick residence in Elmore, where 
with his wife and youngest son he now 
makes his home. In addition to the place 
already mentioned he owns other farms 
in different parts of the State. He is also 
extensively engaged in the furniture and 
undertaking business in Elmore, and has 
a very fine store, supplied with an excel- 
lent grade of goods. His fair and hon- 
orable dealing, his courteous treatment 
and his earnest desire to please his patrons 
have secured for him a large trade. He 
has been quite successful in his business 
dealitigs, and he owes his prosperity solely 
to his own labor, perseverance and well- 
directed efforts. He is a very popular 
man, has a wide acquaintance and a host 
of warm friends. 



JOHN ORTH. The city of Port 
Clinton, Ottawa county, enjoj's the 
distinction of having within her lim- 
its as progressive and enterprising 
citizens as are to be found in the State, 
among whom stands prominent the firm 
of Mizener & Orth, dealers in general 
hardware, etc., of which firm our subject 
is a member. 

Mr. Orth is a native of Ohio, born 
December 3, 1854, at Port Clinton, Ot- 
tawa county, a son of Frank and Mary 
(Wagoner) Orth, the former of whom was 
the youngest of six brothers who emi- 
grated from Germany to the United 
States, settling in Detroit, Mich., where 
they organized a musical band known as 



533 



COMMEMORATTVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the "Orth Brothers' Band." John Orth, 
Sr. , one of these brothers, recently died 
at Detroit, aged eighty-seven years. 
Frank Orth married and removed to Port 
CHnton about the year 1850, and being a 
shoemaker and harness-maker by trade, 
worked a number of years for Joseph Syl- 
vester. In 1 861 he enlisted in the Thir- 
ty-seventh Regiment, O.V. I., and served 
as sergeant of a company four years, or 
to near the close of the war, when on ac- 
count of sickness he was honorably dis- 
charged; he died at Port Clinton some 
time afterward. His widow, who is still 
residing there, receives a pension. Their 
children were: Frances, John, Louis and 
Albert B., of whom Frances married 
Samuel Wisner, a carpenter at Port Clin- 
ton, and they have one son living; Louis, 
a tinner by trade, married Carrie An- 
drews, daughter of Peter Andi^ews, a pio- 
neer of Ottawa county, Ohio; Albert B. 
is a confectioner at Port Clinton, Ohio. 

John Orth, the subject proper of these 
lines, attended Port Clinton schools only, 
and at an early age learned the tinner's 
trade with Harms & Bliss, for whom he 
worked three years. He was ne.xt em- 
ployed by Georjje E. Bliss about two 
years, after which, in 1883, he entered 
into partnership with Mr. Mizener. they 
jointly buying out iMr. Bliss, and they 
have continued together in the hardware 
business, doing an extensive local and 
Island trade. Their store building is 
26x66 feet in dimensions, with additions 
in the rear 20x 26, 1 8 x 36 and 20 x 30 feet 
respectively. Politically Mr. Orth is a 
Republican, and he has held several civic 
ofhces, such as those of township and cor- 
poration clerk and treasurer, filling the 
latter incumbency four years, while at the 
present time he is a member of the board 
of education. Socially he is affiliated 
with the Knights of Honor and National 
Union; in religious faith the family are 
identified with the German Lutheran 
Church. 

On December 3, 1878, Mr. Orth was 



married at Port Clinton to Miss Emma C. 
Harms, a native of that cit)', born in 
1858, daughter of William and Regina 
Harms, and their children are Frank W. 
and Estella May. Mr. and Mrs. Orth 
are widely known and highly respected in 
the community in which they live. 



SAMUEL MILLER, senior mem- 
ber of the firm of Miller & Krei- 
lick, manufacturers of lumber and 
cooperage stock, and an enter- 
prising, successful business man of Salem 
township, Ottawa county, was born in 
Schuylkill county. Penn., August 3,1841, 
to Samuel and Polly (Zimmerman) Miller, 
both natives of Pennsylvania, who set- 
tled in Rice township, Sandusky county, 
in the year 1858, and were honored and 
respected residents of that county for 
many years. Their family consisted of 
eleven children, nine of whom are yet 
living: Nathan, residing in Sandusky 
county, Ohio; William, residing in Uecatur, 
Ind. ; Mary, now the wife of Solomon 
Linn, residing in Decatur, Ind. ; Samuel, 
our subject; Fiana, wife of David Davis, 
of Fremont, Sandusky Co., Ohio; Isaac, 
residing in Ottawa county; Rebecca, now 
the wife of Samuel Leaser, of Sandusky 
county; Ella, wife of Wallace Bloom, of 
Bethlehem, Northampton Co., Penn.; 
and David, who resides on the homestead 
farm in Rice township, Sandusky county. 
Both the parents have now been laid to 
rest. 

The subject of this sketch received 
but the meager educational advantages of 
a frontier period. He attended the Ger- 
man schools of Pennsylvania for a short 
time; but his English education has been 
acquired chietly through his own personal 
efforts. When but a young lad he ap- 
prenticed himself to the trade of a car- 
penter, at which he worked until 1861, 
when he enlisted in Companj- G, Eighth 
V. I., for ninety days, and when his term 
of service had expired, having decided to 



COMMEMORArrVE BTOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



539 



abandon military life, he catne to Salem 
township and engaged in the lumbering 
business, and he has been a continuous 
resident of the township for about thirty 
years. 

In July, 1869, Mr. Miller was married 
to Miss Amelia Kreilick, a daughter of 
Adam and Elizabeth (Reit/) Kreilick, and 
to this union have been born four chil- 
dren, viz.: Cassie E., wife of Edward 
Gordon, of Oak Harbor; Cora Alice, now 
the wife of Charles Fought, also of Oak 
Harbor;Alvesta,now the wife of Laurence 
Leiser, and Adam Franklin, both of 
whom reside on the home place. During 
his long residence in Salem township Mr. 
Miller has made many warm friends, who 
recognize in him a man of sound judg- 
ment and of upright character. In his 
political affiliations our subject is an active 
supporter of the Democratic party; soci- 
ally, he is a member of Oak Harbor Lodge 
No. 495, F. &. A. M. 



CHARLES E. PAYNE, for the past 
fifteen years a successful and popu- 
lar druggist of Port Clinton, Ot- 
tawa county, is a native of Ohio, 
born Dec. 4, 1857, in Portage township, 
Ottawa county, son of Norval W. and 
Elizabeth (Rhodes) Payne, well-to-do 
farming people of English descent, who 
moved to Ohio from Winchester, Va. , in 
which State the first of the family to come 
from England settled. 

Charles E. Payne's grandfather states 
(February 26, 1854, in his eighty-first 
year) that his great-grandfather was 
kidnapped from England, and brought to 
America, probably about the year 1700 
(hisgiven name is missing). His son George 
married Rachel Cowgill, of Pennsylvania, 
and their son Henry, one of nine children, 
married Elizabeth Kootz, who came from 
Germany about 1764. Their son Jesse, 
one of nine children, was twice married, 
first time to Martha Dunn, by whom he 
had nine children, of whom Martha (who 



married William Gill) and Elizabeth (who 
married Irving Johnson) lived and left de- 
scendants in the vicinity of Port Clinton, 
Ohio. Jesse Payne's second marriage was 
with Jane Long, a widow, and nine chil- 
dren were born to them, of whom Benja- 
min D., Norval Wilson, Isaac N. and A. 
Clarke came to Port Clinton, and engaged 
in farming. Benjamin D. died in 1864; 
Isaac N. still lives on a farm adjacent to 
Port Clinton; A. Clarke moved to Wichita, 
Kans., in 1882. 

Norval Wilson, father of the subject 
of this sketch, was born in Virginia in 
1829, and about 1848 came to Ohio, 
where he met and married Elizabeth 
Rhodes. She was born in Winchester, 
Va. , in 1828, and was one of seven chil- 
dren of William Rhodes, who came from 
near Leeds, England. Norval W. and 
Elizabeth (Rhodes) Payne had a family 
of seven children, named respectively: 
William, Thomas Wilbur, Charles E., 
Angelina Belle, Joseph Clark, Jennie E. 
and Albert S ; of whom, William died in 
infancy; Thomas Wilbur married Jennie 
Elvvell, lives on part of the old home- 
stead in Portage township, and has one 
child — Estelle; Angelina B. married Frank 
Lander, city draughtsman, Cleveland, 
Ohio, and has one child, \\'illiam; Joseph 
Clark married Gladis McDowell, at Port 
Clinton, follows farming on a part of the 
old homestead, and has one child — Earl 
P. ; Jennie E. married Burt Mooreland, 
and lives in Idaho Springs, Colo. ; Albert 
S. is a physician and surgeon at East 
Lake, Manistee Co., Michigan. 

The subject of these lines, whose 
name appears at the opening, grew to 
manhood on his father's farm, attending 
the district schools, and, later, the schools 
of Port Clinton. He then took a three- 
years' course at Baldwin University, 
Berea, Ohio, and later attended the Uni- 
versity of Michigan, from which latter 
institution he graduated in pharmacy in 
1880 Returning to Port Clinton in that 
year, he bought the drug store of George 



540 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPniCAL RECORD. 



M. Thayer, where he has continued in 
business during the last fifteen jears with 
good success. He was married in 1882 
at Ann Arbor, Mich., to Miss Mary EHza- 
beth Snell, only daughter of E. W. and 
May (Congdon) Snell. Mr. Payne is a 
member of the Knights of Pythias, and of 
the National Union. In politics he has 
alwas been a Republican, and in religious 
faith he is identified with the Methodist 
Church. 



FRED \V. CAMPER, proprietor of 
the leading grocery business in 
Port Clinton, Ottawa county, is a 
native of Ohio, born at Cincin- 
nati, March 12, 1855, a son of F. W. 
and Frederika (Kramer) Camper. 

In Berlin, Germany, our subject's 
father had been coachman for the Em- 
peror Frederick William, and in 1S47 he 
emigrated to America, locating at Cincin- 
nati, Ohio, in the suburbs of which city 
he followed gardening till 1886, when he 
removed to Genoa, where he still resides, 
now (1895) aged eighty years, having 
been born in 1815. His wife was born 
in 1822, and died January 25, 1892. 
They had seven children who grew to 
maturity, named respectively: Charles F., 
Henry F., Lucy, Fred W., John A., Liz- 
zie and William H. Of these, Charles 
F. , who is an employe at the Carbon 
Works, at Fremont, Ohio, married Car- 
rie Dryer, and they have four children; 
Henry F., a farmer on the old homestead 
at Genoa, married Eliza Hoch, and has 
five children; Lucy was married in 1871 
to Henry Hotho, who for several years 
has been foreman in a malt house at Buf- 
falo, N. Y. , and they have seven children; 
John A., a farmer of Genoa, married 
Rosa Ernst, and has two children; Lizzie 
married August Reeman, and lives on the 
home farm; William H., a dry-goods 
merchant of Genoa, married Clara Enich, 
and they have two children. 

Fred W. Camper, of whom this 



sketch pertains, attended the common 
schools of Genoa, Ottawa county, until 
he was eighteen years of age, and re- 
mained on his father's farm until he was 
twenty-four. In 1 880, in partnership 
with his brother Charles F. , he embarked 
in mercantile business at Genoa, Ottawa 
county, but after five years sold out to 
William Habbler. In the fall of 1884 he 
was elected county recorder of Ottawa 
county, and held that office si.x years. In 
1 890 he went into the wholsale fish busi- 
ness, as member of the firm of Bense, 
Camper & Co., but at the end of one year 
he sold out to William E. Bense, and 
then traveled on the road for the whole- 
sale house of J, L. Anthony & Co., of 
Sandusky, Ohio, two years, after which 
he opened the retail grocery in Port Clin- 
ton, of which he is sole proprietor. 

On September 21, 1882, Mr. Camper 
was united in marriage with Miss Lutie 
E. Cole, a lady of Scotch descent, daugh- 
ter of William L. and Margaret (Mc- 
Ritchie) Cole, the former of whom is now 
deceased, and three children have blessed 
their union, their names and dates of 
birth being as follows: Clara M., July 4, 
1884; Nellie H., June 17, 1885, and Carl 
Eugene, June 27, 1888, the first named 
born at Genoa, the other two at Port Clin- 
ton. In religious faith the family are con- 
necled with the M. E. Church, though 
Mr. Camper himself was reared a Lu- 
theran. He is a member of the I. O. 
O. F. , subordinate Lodge and Encamp- 
ment, and of the National Union; politic- 
ally he is a Democrat. 



GUSTAVUS JAEGER, senior mem- 
ber of the firm of Jaeger & Geor- 
gii, the leading hardware mer- 
chants of Elmore, Ottawa county, 
was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, 
April 30, 1838, and is a son of Dr. 
Frederick and Louisa (Unger") Jaeger, also 
natives of the Kingdom of Wurtemburg. 
The father with his two eldest sons, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGItAPUICAL RECORD. 



541 



emigrated to America in 1843. locating in 
Albany, N. Y. , where lie was joined the 
following year by his wife and the re- 
maining members of the family. In the 
fall of 1845 the family removed to Wood - 
ville, Ohio, where the father engaged in 
the practice of his profession, and earned 
the reputation of being one of the most 
skillful practitioners in his day. He went 
to Prairie du Chien, Wis., in 1S66, and 
there continued in practice for two years, 
when he came to Elmore, where he con- 
tinued to prosecute his profession up to 
within a short time of his death. He 
passed peacefully away December 1 3, 
1878, and his faithful wife had gone to 
her final rest a few months previous, dy- 
ing September 2, same year. Their 
memory will long be cherished by their 
friends and relatives who are the better 
for their having lived. Both the Doctor 
and his wife were people of culture and 
taste, kind and benevolent, esteemed by 
all who knew them, and popular members 
of society. 

Our subject was but si.x years old 
when he came to America, and received 
most of his literary education in the dis- 
trict schools of Woodville. In 1854 he 
entered the store of Charles Powers as 
salesman, and after filling that position for 
one year went to O.xford, Marquette Co., 
Wis., where he was engaged in the same 
capacity in the store of Pettibone & 
Jaeger until 1862, when he became a 
resident of Neenah, \\'is. , for a year. In 
August, 1862, Mr. Jaeger enlisted in 
Company I, Twenty-first Wis. V. I., of 
which he was chosen orderly sergeant in 
May, 1863, and the following month 
was commissioned lieutenant. At the 
battle of Chickamauga, September 20, 
1863, he was wounded, after which he re- 
turned to Woodville, Ohio, on a fur- 
lough, where his wounds were attended 
to by his father. On his recovery in Jan- 
uary, 1864, he rejoined his regiment, 
which went with Sherman's army on the 
campaign from Chattanooga to Atlanta, 



and after the capture of Atlanta was on 
the famous march to the sea, and served 
until the close of the war. During his 
service Mr. Jaeger participated in many 
important engagements, among which 
were the battles of Perry ville (Ky.), Stone 
River (Tenn.), and Chickamauga, the 
capture of Savannah (Ga), and was with 
his regiment at the surrender of Johnston 
and his army at Raleigh. N. C, besides 
which he was in many other battles and 
skirmishes. After the close of the war 
the regiment marched from North Caro- 
lina by way of Richmond, Va., to Wash- 
ington, D. C, where it took part in the 
grand review of Sherman's army and the 
army of the Potomac. 

After being mustered out at Milwau- 
kee, Wis., June i, 1865, Mr. Jaeger went 
to Portage City, that State, where he be- 
came a salesman in the store of Petti- 
bone & Jaeger; but in the following Oc- 
tober returned to Ohio, and in Woodville 
commenced business on his own account 
in connection with P. Smith, under the 
firm name of Smith & Jaeger. In the 
fall of 1867 the business was removed to 
Boscobel, Wis.; but, in the succeeding 
January, Mr. Jaeger retired from the 
firm and came to Elmore, Ohio. In 
April, however, he went to Lodi. Wis., 
where he formed a partnership with his 
brother Ernest, purchasing the interest 
of a Mr. Pettibone. That connection was 
continued until April, 1870, at which 
time our subject again came to Elmore, 
and in June of the same year embarked 
in his present business, having the largest 
and most complete stock of hardware in 
the place. He is ranked to-day among 
the solid business men of Ottawa county, 
and besides his store in Elmore, he also 
has a branch house in Genoa, which was 
established in 1876. It is conducted un- 
der the firm style of Jaeger & Bryant, 
Mr. Bryant being the manager. 

At Woodville, Ohio, Mr. Jaeger was 
united in marriage January 26, 1869, 
with Miss Helen A. Powers, who wa§ 



542 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPniCAL RECORD. 



born near that city, October lo, 1848, a 
daughter of Charles and Lydia A. (Banks) 
Powers. Six children blessed their union, 
their names and dates of birth being as 
follows: Lucy P., September 25, 1870; 
Wilhelmina, March 14, 1872, died April 
22. 1884; C. Ernest, July 12, 1876; 
Caroline L. , F"ebruary 29, 1880; Julia 
H., June 5, 18S2; and Mary Margaret, 
January 2, 1892, died on the 17th of the 
same month. Mr. Jaeger takes an active 
interest in the welfare and advancement 
of the community in which he lives, has 
filled the office of township treasurer, and 
served as a member of the board of edu- 
cation for twelve years. He is a charter 
member of Elmore Lodge, No. 462, I. 
O. O. P., and also a member of Robert 
A. Caldwell Post, No. 439, G. A. R. 
With the Presbyterian Church he and his 
family hold membership, and in its work 
he takes a deep interest; also takes an 
active part in Sunday-school work in the 
county, and has been president of the 
county S. S. Association for twelve years, 
or more. Politically Mr. Jaeger's views 
were in accordance with those of the 
Democratic party for many years, but for 
the past twelve years he has been an ard- 
ent worker in the ranks of the Prohibi- 
tion party. True to his friends, true to 
his principles, and unyielding in his de- 
fense of right and justice, his high character 
and integrity are appreciated by all who 
know him or have business relations with 
him, and his genial manner has won him 
hosts of friends among all classes of citi- 
zens. As a soldier he did valiant service 
for his adopted country, and as a citizen 
he is equally loyal. 

Mrs. Jaeger's maternal grandmother, 
Mrs. Pamelia (Phillips) (Banks) Warriner, 
was born February 12, 1809, in Peters- 
burg, N. Y., daughter of Elisha and Mary 
(Lewis) Phillips. She was married Jan- 
uary I, 1826, to David B. Banks, who 
died in 1838, and in 1867 she married Mr. 
Warriner, who died in 1879. She is now 
making her home with Mr. and Mrs. 



Jaeger, and at the advanced age of eighty- 
six is enjoying good health. She was a 
pioneer of Seneca and Sandusky counties, 
having lived there at a time when the vil- 
lage of Woodville was unknown, and the 
county was still a wilderness and a swamp. 
Her father was born about 1782, her 
mother in March, 1791, and he was 
drowned in the Conewango creek, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1840, she dying in 1886; he 
served a short time in the war of 1S12. 
Mrs. Warriner's paternal grandfather, 
'Squire Phillips, was born about 1752, 
and he and his wife, Anna (Gates), died 
in Pennsylvania, she preceding him sev- 
eral years to the grave. Her maternal 
grandfather, Augustus Lewis, was born 
about 1735, in Rhode Island, his wife. 
Ester Lewis, about 1745; both died in 
Petersburg, New York. 



CHARLES D. JOHNSON. Pomi- 
ncnt among the enterprising, pros- 
perous and progressive fruit grow- 
ers of Danbury township, Ottawa 
county, who, by willing heart and hands, 
have attained an eviable position in the 
histor}' of Ottawa county, stands the 
gentleman whose name here appears. 

He was born in the town of West- 
brook, Middlesex Co., Conn., May 13, 
1835, and is a son of William and Har- 
riet (Hill) Johnson, who were also both 
natives of the Nutmeg State. The father 
died at Northford, Conn. , when Charles was 
but a youth, the mother coming to Dan- 
bury township soon after he had located 
here, and passed away at his home, April 
23, 1894, at the very advanced age of 
ninety-one years. In the family were five 
children, three of whom still survive: 
Charles D. ; Frederick A. , a prominent resi- 
dent of Danbury township; and William 
G., who makes his home in Canada. 

Our subject was reared to manhood 
in his native town amidst the surround- 
ings of a comfortable home, and received 
the advantages of a liberal common- 



COMMEMORATIVK BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



543 



school education. Since early life he has 
followed the vocations of fishing and farm- 
ing, but of lateyearshas devoted thegreatcr 
part of his time to fruit culture, which he 
at present conducts on an extensive scale. 
In 1S58 he located in Danbury township, 
and for thirty-seven years has now been a 
continuous resident, during which time he 
has done much toward developing the re- 
sources of the county, ever taking an act- 
ive part in all matters having for their 
object the advancement of the interests of 
the county and township. 

In Danbur}' township, February 13, 
1859, Mr. Johnson was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Harriet Hartshorn, who 
was born in that township December 27, 
1837, a daughter of Wyatt and Jane 
(Kelly) Hartshorn. To this union were 
born seven children, six of whom are yet 
living, as follows: Etta, born May 20, 
i860, is the wife of Emanuel Jesse, a 
resident of Danbury township; Lottie, 
born November 18, 1862, is the wife of 
W. D. Preston, and they also make their 
home in Danbury township; Dewitt C, 
born July 6, 1864, lives at Lakeside, 
Ottawa county; Irwin C, born October 
23, 1865, is a resident of Pennsylvania; 
Fletcher H., born September 26, 1870, 
is at present in Oregon; and Gertrude, 
born November 10, 1871, is a teacher in 
the Lakeside High School. 

Mr. Johnson is a firm Republican in 
politics, always casting his ballot with 
that party, and socially is a member of 
Castle Rock Lodge, Knights of the Golden 
Rule, of Lakeside. The family attend the 
Congregational Church, and are classed 
among the best people of the community, 
worthy of any distinction that may be 
conferred upon them. 



JOHN LUCKEY has the distinction 
of being the first white person born 
in Ottawa county, his natal day be- 
ing April 6, 1824. His parents were 
John and Anna (Wolfly) Luckey. His 



maternal grandfather was a native of 
France, his maternal grandmother of 
Germany. 

He is the owner oi one of the largest 
and finest farms in the county of his na- 
tivity. The valuable tract of land of 160 
acres on which he now makes his home 
has been entirely cleared and developed 
by him. He cut down the timber, dug 
up the stumps, plowed, planted and 
fenced his land, and in the course of time 
rich fields of grain replaced the once wild 
tract. He also erected a fine brick resi- 
dence, spacious barns and other outbuild- 
ings which are models of convenience. 
As time passed and his financial resources 
increased owing to his well-directed ef- 
forts and good business ability, he was 
enabled to add to his farm and by pur- 
chase extended its bounderies until it now 
comprises nearly 500 acres. Much of 
this he rents in order that he may be free 
from the care of the place and enjoy a 
more quiet life, together with the fruits of 
his former toil. His home has always been 
in Harris township, and his life has ever 
been a busy one, devoted to his business 
interests and his family. He has won the 
prosperity that comes from honest labor, 
and gained the confidence and good will 
of all with whom he has come in contact. 
In politics he is a supporter of the Repub- 
lican party. 

His wife was born in Sandusky coun- 
ty, Ohio, July 28, 1833, and was educated 
in the public schools of Fremont. In 1850 
she became a resident of Port Clinton, 
and in 185 1 was married to George E. 
Bell, of Sandusky City, by whom she had 
one son, George E., who is now in busi- 
ness in Toledo. They became residents 
of Illinois, where Mr. Bell soon after de- 
parted this life. In 1858 was celebrated 
the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Luckey, in 
Elmore, Ohio, and their union has been 
blessed with three children: Delia C. , 
who was born October 31, 1859, now the 
wife of John N. Magee, a banker of El- 
more; Oscar L., born April 20, i86i, and 



544 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPmCAL RECORD. 



Rebecca M., born May i, 1863, and died 
September 16, 1870. The eldest daugh- 
ter pursired a course of stud\- in Oberlin 
College. 

Mrs. Luckey's father, Halsey Forger- 
son, was born February 3, 1789, in 
Orange county, N. Y. , and on January 3, 
1830, married Caroline Camp, who was 
born August 14, 1804, daughter of David 
Camp, who was born in 1778. His wife 
was born in 1787, and they became the 
parents of ten children, all now deceased 
with the exception of a daughter, who 
reached the ripe old age of ninety-one 
years, dying September 30, 1895. Mr. 
and Mrs. Forgerson had a family of four 
children, and the sur\iving representatives 
are Mrs. Ann Luckey and Mrs. Emily 
Beach. One brother, Oscar Forgerson, 
D. D. S., was born April 13, 1831, and 
died April 28, 1859, while Halsey F., 
born September 24, 1840, died August 
28, 1843. The father of this family 
passed away in 1840, but Mrs. Forgerson 
died since this was written, September 
30. 1895. 



JOSEPH W. SYLVESTER, who at 
the advanced age of eighty-five jears 
is in the enjoyment of good health 
and possessed of a freshness and 
vigor seldom seen in octogenarians, is a 
native of New Jersey, born April 6, 1810, 
in Essex county. 

He is a son of Obadiah and Mary 
(Wallen) Sylvester, who were of English 
descent, and the parents of children as 
follows: Hannah, Sarah, Benjamin, Oba- 
diah, Jr., Wallen. Joel, Matilda. John. 
William. Phebe Ann. Susan Maria. Joseph 
W. , and three who died in infancy. 
Twelve of these grew to maturity, most 
of them marrying in Ohio, and their de- 
scendants settled in different parts of the 
West — Obadiah in Tennessee and Wallen 
in Texas. In 18 14 the family, after the 
death of the father, moved to Franklin 
county, Ohio, where the mother died in 



1823. and our subject lived nine years, 
thence removing to Licking county, thence 
to Delaware county, remaining three j-ears 
in each, after which, in 1828, he went to 
near Fremont, Sandusky county, and 
from there, in 1830, to Port Clinton, 
where he has since made his home. Oba- 
diah Sjlvester, father of our subject, died 
in Licking county, Ohio, when the latter 
was five years old. He was a Revolu- 
tionary soldier from his native State, Ver- 
mont, serving seven years, as did also 
three of his brothers. When they ex- 
pressed a desire to fight for the independ- 
ence of their country their mother ex- 
claimed: "Go, my sons, and fight for 
your Country and Liberty! " 

Joseph W. Sylvester, the subject pro- 
per of these lines, learned the tanning 
business with his brother William in Dela- 
ware county, Ohio, and afterward worked 
for him in Port Clinton from 1830 to 
1840, in which latter year he was elect- 
ed county treasurer, serving one term. 
Afterward, from 1844 to i860, he car- 
ried on a boot and shoe business, and 
from i860 to 1872 a harness business in 
the same city, when, having been appoint- 
ed deputy United States collector of cus- 
toms for the port of Clinton, he retired 
from the trade, and for eight years, from 
1872 to 1880, filled that incumbency. 
Since the year 1868 he has been fire in- 
surance agent, representing the " Home," 
of Columbus, the " Clevelanti," of Cleve- 
land, Ohio, and the " Star, "of New York. 
He now represents the "Phenix," of 
Brooklyn, and the "Pueen," of New 
York. 

On March i. 1S49. Mr. Sylvester was 
married at Toledo, Ohio, to Mi.ss Eliza 
Correll, who was born in Tuscarawas 
county, Ohio, April i, 1826, daughter of 
Daniel and Sarah (Officer) Correll. The 
children of this union were Hattie E., 
John Wesley, Mary Eva, Edward J., El- 
mer G., and Susan M.. only the first two 
of whom are now living. Hattie E. is 
living with her parents at the old home- 



COMMEMOBATIVE BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



545 



stead; John W., who is a conductor on 
the L. S. & M. S. R. R. was married in 
187S, at Port Clinton, to Lucy Gates, by 
whom he has three children — William 
Ray, Nora and Wailen Joseph. Our sub- 
ject and his faithful wife have been resi- 
dents of Port Clinton a great many years, 
as will be seen, and are held in universal 
respect. They are consistent and promi- 
nent members of the M. E. Church, at 
Port Clinton, which they joined in 1841 ; 
in politics Mr. Sylvester was originally a 
whig, arterward, on the organization of 
the party becoming an equally ardent Re- 
publican. 



WILLIAM A. HOLBROOK. As 
an earl}' pioneer of this State, a 
well-known agriculturist of Clay 
township, and a brave veteran 
of the Civil war, the subject of this sketch 
is well worthy of place in this volume, in 
which is preserved the record of many of 
the men who have aided in placing the 
" Buckeye State " in the proud position 
which she now holds. A man who has 
seen many vicissitudes of fortune, yet has 
always borne himself courageously, this 
honored citizen, with the faithful wife, 
who has traveled by his side without fal- 
tering for these many years, is now tak- 
ing his ease, happily enjoj'ing the sunset 
of life after the heat and burden of the 
day. 

Our subject is the son of Josiah G. 
and Clarissa (Felton) Holbrook, who 
were natives of Massachusetts and Penn- 
sylvania, respectively, and his birth took 
place in Groton township, Huron (now 
Erie) county, Ohio, March 12, 1823. 
His education was very limited, as the 
school facilities at that early day were 
exceedingly meagre. A rough log cabin 
with puncheon floor and slab seats, with 
an aperture between logs, covered with 
greased paper doing duty for windows, 
very few and simple text books and a 
teacher who probably knew but little 



more than the pupils, were not great in- 
centives to learning; yet from such school- 
houses have emanated some of the great 
minds who have controlled the nation. 
At twelve years of age our subject was 
thought old enough to take up the burden 
of life, and began work on the farm with 
his father. At this he labored until eigh- 
teen 3'ears old, when he learned the trade 
of a blacksmith, serving as an apprentice 
for five years. He then worked as a 
journeyman for a year and a half, when 
his eyesight became affected and he was 
forced to give up the business. He next 
took up the trade of a carpenter and 
builder, although he had no previous 
knowledge of it, and also worked as a 
shipwright for a period of three years. 
He then tried sailing on the lakes, and at 
one time commanded a boat plying on 
the Wabash Canal. In 1852, he went 
to Michigan, where he took any employ- 
ment that came to hand, from that of a 
common laborer, to that of a contractor 
and builder. He remained there until 
enlisting September 3, 1862, in Company 
A, Third Michigan Cavalry. With his 
regiment he traveled over a good portion 
of the Southern States, and on March 12, 
1863, in the engagement at Island No. 
10, he was shot in the left arm, the bul- 
let passing through his shoulder and 
disabling him. He was sent to the hospi- 
tal, where he remained one month, and 
then receiving leave of absence, went to 
his father's house in Sandusky county, 
where his wife was staying. After the 
expiration of his month's furlough, he 
returned to Camp Chase in July, but his 
wound still being troublesome he was 
discharged in August, as physically unable 
for duty. On leaving the army Mr. Hol- 
brook spent a short time in Sandusky 
county and then came to Clay township, 
locating at Genoa, where he was engaged 
in the cooper's business for three years. 
At the end of that time he sold out and 
purchased eighty acres of timberland in 
a part of the same township, which is now 



546 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Allen township. At that time there were 
only three log cabins in the vicinity, no 
roads, no schools, nothing to foretell the 
great future in store for the State and 
county. With the energy and industry 
so characteristic of those grand old pio- 
neers, our subject at once began work, 
and in a short time had built a cabin and 
cleared fifteen acres of the land. Be- 
coming dissatisfied with his location he 
sold this place and bought forty acres 
in another part of Clay township. This 
was also tiiiiberland, and he began the 
work of carving out a home in the wilder- 
ness. By degrees the trees were felled, 
orchards planted, fields tilled and soon a 
comfortable dwelling house, with its ac- 
companying barns and outhouses, trans- 
formed the place into a home worthy its 
industrious occupants. With his own 
hands Mr. Holbrook erected all the build- 
ings upon the f)lace, and with the aid of 
his devoted wife has secured the pleasant 
home where they are spending their later 
years, surrounded by their children, and 
happy in the consciousness of well-spent 
hves. 

On August 19, 1849, our subject was 
married in Sherman township, Huron 
county, to Miss Nancy Murry, and to them 
have come four children, viz. : LcwcUa 
A., born in Huron count)', June i, 1850, 
died at New Buffalo, Mich., August 29, 
1857; Naomi, born November 22, 1856, 
at New Buffalo, and educated in Clay 
township, was married to George M. 
Pierson, who was killed in 1892, in a 
railroad accident at St. Louis (she has one 
child, Lillia, a graduate teacher at Port 
Clinton, where they reside); Jennie was 
born October 9, 1865, in Clay township, 
where she attended school, and was mar- 
ried June 8, 1894, to Elmer Rue, who is 
in the oil business at Gibsonburg, San- 
dusky county (they have no children); 
Eleazer M., born April 29, 1869, received 
his education in Genoa, and was married 
August 18, 1893. to Eiinna Ulrich, daugh- 
ter of Charles Ulrich, a farmer of Clay 



township (one child has come to them, 
Annie Lewella, born May 14, 1895).' 

Josiah G. Holbrook, father of our 
subject, was born March 8, 1796, in New 
York State, where he was a farmer. In 
1815 he came to Ohio, locating in Groton 
township, Huron (now Erie) county, and 
fanning there for twelve years; he tfien re- 
moved to Sandusky county, and there 
resided until just before his death, 
which occurred in Michigan in 1882. He 
was first married in 1815, in the State of 
New York, to Deborah Olds, by whom he 
had three children: Alvina, Silas and 
Rachel. His wife died in Huron county 
December 17, 1819, and on October 22, 
1820, he was again married, this time to 
Clarissa Felton, daughter of John Felton, 
of Sherman township, Huron county. To 
this marriage children were born as fol- 
lows: Deborah, July 17, 1S21 (died No- 
vember 25, 1 822); William A., March 12, 
1823; Erastus F., November 21, 1824; 
Lucinda, September 2, 1826 (died August 
25, 1827); Margaret, July 24, 1828; So- 
phia, March 26, 1832; Josiah. born July 
10, 1830 (died in 1851); Samuel, April 
25, 1836 (died October 25, 1836); Henry, 
born August 26, 1838; one child died in 
infancy. The mother of this family died 
in Sandusky count}' in May, 1872. 

James Murry, the father of Mrs. Will- 
iam Holbrook, was a native of Ireland, 
and came to this country when a lad of 
sixteen, learning the blacksmith's trade in 
New York, and working there until com- 
ing to Ohio, where he located in Huron 
county and followed his trade. He was 
married about 18 14 to Miss Almira Slater, 
and they became the parents of five chil- 
dren, viz. : John, Naomi, Nancy (Mrs. 
Holbrook), James, and Eleazer (who died 
in April, 1865). Mr. Murry died in 1840 
in Huron county. His wife passed away 
July 20, 1895, at the ripe old age of 
eighty-nine years. 

Mr. Holbrook is a strong supporter of 
the Republican party, from principle, and 
has no aspirations for office, never having; 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



547 



accepted even the smallest gift in that 
way that could be conferred upon him. 
He is content to do his duty for the sake 
of right, and commands the respect and es- 
teem of all who know him. He belongs to 
Elliott Wyman Post No. 39, G. A. R., and 
in religious connection both he and his wife 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, attending services at Genoa. 



OH. THOMAS, M. D., physician 
and surgeon, F"remont, Sandusky 
county, was born in Findlay, Han- 
cock Co., Ohio, January 14, 1859, 
a son of James B. and Louisa H. (Ab- 
rams) Thomas. 

The father of our subject, a native of 
Virginia, was born in 1804, came to Ohio 
in 1 818, and located in Gallia county. 
There he remained until after his mar- 
riage, when he removed to Hancock coun- 
ty, where he opened up a farm on which 
he resided until his death, which occurred 
December 5, 1877. His wife, who was 
also a Virginian, born of Huguenot ances- 
try, died at the old homestead in Findlay, 
April 6, 1863. They had ten children — 
five sons and five daughters — a record of 
them being as follows: Nannie is the wife 
of Alexander S. Skelley, of Ottawa, Ohio; 
Caroline is the wife of William Ramsey, 
of Findlay, Ohio; Martha is the wife of 
William Glauner, also of Findlay, Ohio; 
Jennie died at the age of nineteen; Hat- 
tie is the wife of Ambrose Thomas, of 
McComb, Ohio; John A. is a contractor, 
of Findlay, Ohio; James N., who was a 
grocer, of Findlay, Ohio, died Septem- 
ber 6, 1895; Percy C. , is a farmer, of 
Findlay, Ohio; Alexander P. is a farmer, 
of Weston, Ohio;oursubject is the young- 
est, and all are yet living except Jennie. 
Dr. Thomas was reared in Findlay, 
Ohio, educated in the Findlay public 
schools, the Normal School at Ada. Ohio, 
also the Ohio University, at Delaware, 
Ohio, and taught school for four consecu- 
tive winters in Hancock county. In 1875 



he began the study of medicine, and in 
1876 he matriculated at the Ohio Medi- 
cal College, Cincinnati, from which he 
graduated with the iir.st honors of his 
class of 104 members, winning the Faculty 
prize, consisting of a fine microscope, 
March i, 1882. He located the same 
year in Fremont, for the practice of medi- 
cine, and has since built up an extensive 
clientele. 

On June 6, 1888, Dr. Thomas mar- 
ried Jennie A. Rawson, youngest daughter 
of Jos. L. Rawson, whose family history 
appears elsewhere. Dr. Thomas is a 
member of the Northwestern Ohio Med- 
ical Association, also of the Ohio Medical 
Association, and a charter member of 
Fremont Lodge, No. 204, Knights of 
Pythias. 



SAMUEL A. MAGRUDER, man- 
ager of the S. A. Magruder & Co. 
banking house. Port Clinton, Ot- 
tawa county, is a native of that 
city, born October 8, 1843. 

James H. Magruder, his father, was a 
native of Maryland, born, in 1820, in 
Calvert county, where he was reared un- 
til he was about fifteen years old, his 
elementary education being received there. 
He then attended school at W'ashington, 
D. C. , and at Gambler, Ohio, at which 
latter city he was graduated. He then 
studied law in Holmes county, Ohio, 
where he was admitted to the bar. In 
1 84 1 he came to Port Clinton, where he 
practiced law up to the time of his death, 
which occurred April 15, 1888. He 
became an important factor in the affairs 
of Ottawa county, which he served as 
prosecuting attorney several years. In 
1874, in connection with his son, Samuel 
A., he established what is now known as 
the S. A. Magruder & Co.'s Bank, at Port 
Clinton, which has always enjoyed the 
reputation of doing a safe and conserva- 
tive business. On December 27, 1842, 
James H. Magruder was married to Miss 



548 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHIGAL RECORD. 



Elizabeth Holliiishead, who was born, in 
1S25, in Ohio, on Portage river, daughter 
of Samuel and Mary (Myers) Hollinshead, 
and a family of children was born to this 
union. The mother is yet living in Port 
Clinton, hale and hearty, and ever taking 
a lively interest in the affairs of the 
family. 

The subject proper of these lines, 
whose name appears at the opening, at- 
tended the Port Clinton schools until he 
was fourteen years old, completing his 
education at the Sandusky High School, 
where he was graduated in June, 1859, 
after which he entered the business house 
of C. C. Keech, dealer in fur, wool, hides 
etc., Sandusky. Here he remained some 
sixteen years, or until 1874, when he re- 
turned to Port Clinton. Here on July 
1st, of that year, in conjunction with his 
father, he opened what is now known as 
the S. A. Magruder & Co.'s Bank, of 
which he has since been manager. For 
several years he has been treasurer of the 
Port Clinton Board of Education, and has 
in many other ways proved himself a use- 
ful and progressive citizen. 

On October 19, 1876, Samuel A. 
Magruder was united ,in marriage with 
Miss Ella C. Mott, who was born March 
14, 185 1, in Upper Sandusky. Ohio, 
daughter of Judge C. K. Mott, of that 
city, and three children have been born to 
them, their names and dates of birth be- 
ing as follows: Eleanor E., October 19, 
1S78; Mary Augusta, September 14, 
1882 (died December 25, 1885); and Jes- 
sie Dorothea, February 22, 1886. In 
religious faith Mr. Magruder is an Epis- 
copalian, but at present is identified with 
the U. B. Church. 



JOHN H. MAGEE is one of the pio- 
neers of Ottawa county, not only in 
the settlement but also in its busi- 
ness interests. He established the 
first bank in Ottawa county, and is recog- 
nized as an able financier whose honor- 



able business methods have gained him 
the confidence and respect of the entire 
community. He was born in New York, 
September 15, 1833, and is a son of 
James and Mary (Mjers) Magee, the for- 
mer of whom was born in the Empire 
State in 1786, the latter at about the 
same date. In 1838 they emigrated west- 
ward to Sandusky count}', Ohio, where 
they purchased a farm and in this State 
spent their remaining days. The pater- 
nal grandfather of our subject, who was a 
native of Scotland, when only ten years 
of age ran away from home, boarded a 
man-of-war, and for si.\ years remained 
on that vessel. He then went to New 
York City, and spent his remaining days 
in this country. 

The subject proper of this sketch was 
reared on the old home farm and ac- 
quired his education in a log schoolhouse 
with slab seats and other primitive fur- 
niture. At the age of twenty he started 
out in life for himself, buying his time 
of his father. He was first employed as 
a laborer on the Lake Shore railroad, help- 
ing to grade the southern division. W'hen 
this was completed he secured a clerk- 
ship with C. H. Haines, of Fremont, 
Ohio, for whom he worked two years, 
and was then employed by another firm 
of the same place for si.\ years. While 
residing there he was married, in 1856, to 
Miss Anna Shepard, of Huron county, 
Ohio, and to them was born a son, John 
N., in 1857. He is now serving as cash- 
ier in the Bank of Elmore, and is a pro- 
gressive business man. He married the 
only daughter of John Lucky, who was 
the first white male child born in Ottawa 
county. Mrs. Magee died in 1855, and 
in 1858 Mr. Magee was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Sarah Tench, of Erie coun- 
ty, Ohio, and to them have been born 
four children: Cyrus, Clarence, Ralph 
and Grace. 

In 1 86 1 Mr. Magee removed from 
Fremont to Hessville, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, where he engaged in merchandis- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



549 



ing, but his residence in that place cov- 
ered a period of only fifteen months. He 
then sold out and came to Elmore, where 
he bought out Mr. Rider, and in 1864 
established himself again in the mercan- 
tile business, which he continued until a 
period of fifteen years had elapsed. Once 
more he sold out, and his next enterprise 
was in the grain and pork business, buy- 
ing and selling on an extensive scale for 
six years. He then extended his opera- 
tions by adding to this the banking bus- 
iness, and controlled both interests for 
two years; but finding his attention large- 
ly taken up with the latter, he placed the 
grain business in care of his son, while he 
is devoting his energies to banking. He 
also owns a large stave factory, which 
is managed by his younger son. He 
is a highly enterprising and successful 
business man, whose careful management, 
well-directed efforts and honorable deal- 
ing have won him the confidence of all 
concerned, and made him one of the 
most successful of Ottawa county's citi- 
zens. He is highly esteemed, and his 
fellow townsmen showed their apprecia- 
tion of his worth and ability by electing 
him to the office of county treasurer of 
Ottawa county, in which capacity he 
served for four years, discharging his 
duties with credit to himself and satisfac- 
tion to his constituents. 



JOHN NEWMAN, retired farmer, of 
Fremont, Sandusky county, is a 
native of York county, Penn., born 
in November, 1809, son of John and 
Eve (Brenneman) Newman. 

John Newman, Sr. , who was a weaver, 
died in York county at the age of sixty, 
and his wife passed away in Sandusky 
county, Ohio, when aged eighty. His 
(John's) father, Henry Newman, was 
born in Saxony, emigrated to America 
and settled in New York State. John 
Newman, Sr. , was drafted in the war of 
i8i2, at Little York, Penn., and saw 



some military service. His children were: 
Michael, a grocer and baker, who died in 
Fremont at the age of thirty-two; John, 
our subject; Lydia, who died unmarried 
at the age of twenty-six; Polly, who died 
in Pennsylvania, wife of John Carr; and 
Catharine, who first married David Bur- 
ger (who was sheriff of Sandusky county 
two terms), and after his death wedded 
Patrick Graham, who died at Toledo, 
Ohio, in 1873. 

John Newman, our subject, was 
reared in Pennsylvania up to the age of 
twenty years, and had charge of a distil- 
lery. In 1S36 he came to Ohio, locat- 
ing at Tiffin, the following spring coming 
to Lower Sandusky, in which village he 
established a grocery and provision store. 
About the year 1S40, when his brother 
died, he sold out and he and his sisters 
found work in other places. On April 8, 
1841, he married at Fremont, Ohio, 
Margaretta Livingstine, of Canton, Ohio, 
who was born January 31, 1822. She 
was a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth 
(Wymen) Livingstine, natives of Alsace, 
France, and members of the Lutheran 
Church, who came to America, and set- 
tled in Riley township, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, where the father died at the age of 
seventy-seven, and the mother when sixty- 
eight years of age. They had a family 
of seven children: Sarah, wife of George 
Hilt, of Sandusky county (both now de- 
ceased); Lizzie, who died in childhood 
on the ocean; Barbara, deceased wife of 
Henry Huffman, of Jackson township; 
Margaretta, wife of our subject; Anna, 
who died in childhood; Elizabeth, de- 
ceased wife of George Hendricks; and 
Charles, living in Riley township. Mrs. 
John Newman's grandfather, Charles 
Livingstine, was mayor of a small village 
in Germany for about thirty years. He 
was an Englishman by birth, and settled 
in Alsace to avoid service in the English 
army; he and his wife, Barbara, died in 
Germany. 

John Newman and his wife have lived 



550 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



on the same lot, No. 621 Croghan street, 
Fremont, ever since their marriage, a 
period of fifty-five years. He followed 
farming and dealing in real estate; bought 
new farms, cleared them up, made im- 
provements, sold the timber, and then 
disposed of the farms at a profit, and he 
is now classed as one of the wealthy citi- 
zens of Fremont. The children of John 
and Margaretta Newman were: John, 
born March 31, 1842, and died in 1880; 
Catharine E.. born August 14, 1845, wife 
of Charles Boyer, whose children are — 
Hattie (widow of Eugene Wagner), Jennie 
(wife of James \\'caver, and has one child 
— Roy), Minnie (wife of Michael Wolf, 
and has one child — Hazel Corinne). Katie 
(wife of James Wolf, and has one child — 
James, Jr.), Charles, Harry and Burt; 
Mary L., born July 10, 1847, widow of 
W^iliiam Forsythe, whose children are 
John (e.\-deputy county clerk, book- 
keeper now in June's gristmill; he married 
Minnie Moore), Robert H. (in the livery 
business, at Fremont, Ohio; he married 
Mabel Dieffenbaugh, December 25, 1895); 
Margaret Evaline (who married Fred 
Birdsell, May 25, 1895); Lydia Ann, born 
November 14, 1851, died in September, 
1885; and Charles J., born November 16, 
1854, who was educated in the city 
schools, and attends to the general busi- 
ness interests of the family (he is unmar- 
ried). Mr. and Mrs. John Newman are, 
perhaps, the oldest couple now residing in 
Fremont. They celebrated their golden 
wedding April 8, 1891. 



WILLIAM SCHWANE. The sub- 
ject of this sketch, who resides 
in Ciibsonburg, Sandusky coun- 
ty, is the proprietor of a meat 
market and a sample room, as well as the 
owner of a farm, and he has been success- 
ful in all these lines, owing to his energy 
and perseverance and the reputation 
which he has acquired as an honest, up- 
right man. 



He was born October 30, 1850, in 
Wood count}', this State, a son of Henry 
and Marie (Westerfeldt) Schwane, natives 
of Germany. On coming to America 
they settled in Wood county, and when 
our subject was a little over one year old 
his father was killed by a tree falling on 
him when he was chopping in the woods. 
The mother was fortunately spared to 
see her little family grow up to be re- 
spected citizens, and she died in Decem- 
ber, 1877, at the age of si.\t3-two years, 
happy in the consciousness of having 
reared her children in paths of rectitude, 
and of having borne the responsibilities of 
her busy life with unfailing fidelitj'. Her 
remains rest in Frieding township, W^ood 
county. The record of the children is 
as follows: Henry resides in Wood coun- 
ty; Ernst died in German)'; Kasper died 
in Wood county; Frank and Fred live in 
Wood county; \\'illiam is the subject of 
this sketch. 

Mr. Schwane grew to manhood in the 
place of his birth, where he accjuired his 
education at the German Lutheran 
schools. He has always been an exceed- 
ingly busy man. For twenty-two years 
he ran a harvesting machine, and for four 
years operated a sawmill. He purchased 
a farm in Madison township, two and a 
half miles west of Gibsonburg, which he 
carried on for six years, and still owns 
eighty acres of land in the center 
of the great oil region of Ohio. He 
has sunk two wells on this property which 
produce twenty barrels of oil per day. 

On May i, 1873, Mr. Schwane was 
married to Miss Caroline Borckhelding, of 
Woodville township. Sandusky, county and 
they have had five children: Carrie, born 
January 31, 1874, who married Charles 
Westerhou.se (she died August 6, 1895, 
leaving one child four months old) ; Henry, 
who died when a child; Frederick, W'ill- 
iam and Frank. Mr. Schwane is a man 
of more than average intelligence and in- 
formation, and is active and zealous in all 
things pertaining to the public good. He 






\ar>'^ Ly C J^ ^tj a/) i^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BTOGRAPEICAL RECORD. 



551 



served for several years as trustee of 
Madison township, and is the present 
treasurer of the corporation of Gibson- 
burg. In pohtics he is a Democrat, and 
he is a prominent member of the Luther- 
an Church. He is also president of the 
German Aid Society. 



w 



ILLIAM B. SHELDON, retired 
merchant, of Fremont, Sandusky 
count}', was born in East I^upert, 
Bennington Co., Vt., Novem- 
ber 28, 18 18, son of David and Sarah 
(Dunton) Sheldon. 

DavidjSheldon was born in East Ru- 
pert, \'t., December i, 1785, was a farm- 
er by occupation, and died October i, 
1842, on the larm where he was bcrn. 
Sarah Dunton was born at Dorset, Ben- 
nington Co., Vt., November 26, 1790, 
and died October 11, 1828. Their chil- 
dren were: Joel, born September 27. 1 8 i i , 
who was a farmer, and is now li\ing re- 
tired in the town of Pawlet, \'t. ; William 
B., our subject; Thaddeus D., born De- 
cember 5, 1824, died in May, 1855 (he 
was born in East Rupert, and later lived 
ill Pawlet, Rutland Co., Vermont). 

William B. Sheldon was reared on a 
farm at East Rupert until seventeen years 
old, when he went to Pawlet, Vt., to clerk 
in a store. He remained there as clerk un- 
til 1839, when he became a member of 
the firm of William B. Sheldon & Co., 
dealers in general merchandise, continu- 
ing as such for about one year, when he 
became successor to the firm, and con- 
ducted the business until 1852, when he 
sold out. In May, 1853, he located in 
Fremont, Ohio, becoming a member of 
the firm of Roberts & Sheldon. deaUrrs 
in hardware, which partnership lasted 
until 1869, when both sold out. In 
1872 Mr. Sheldon became actively inter- 
ested as a stockholder and worker in the 
Fremont Car Company. This was subse- 
(luently changed to The I-'remont Harv- 
ester Companv, of which Mr. Sheldon 
35 



was president during its entire existence. 
He is one of the oldest living merchants 
of Fremont. In politics he is a Republi- 
can, and cast his first Presidential vote 
for William H. Harrison, in 1840. 

In 1 84 1 our subject married Miss 
Maria Betsey Andrus. a native of New 
York, who died in February, 1844. On 
September 17, 1845, he married Miss 
Esther Ann, daughter of Samuel Hafford, 
who in the fall of 1835 came to Ballville 
township, Sandusky county, and settled 
on a farm where he continued to reside 
until his death, in 1871. Mrs. Sheldon 
was born in Hoosick Falls, N. Y. , Sep- 
tember II, 1823, and died at Fremont, 
Ohio, October 21, 1887. Mr. Sheldon 
had no children by his first marriage. 
The children of the second marriage were 
— (i) Altie Maria, born June 8, 1852, who 
was married September 17, 1879, to John 
P. Bell, and is residing in Fremont; they 
have two children, Esther L. and Francis 
S. (2) Harry G. , born June 5, 1855, 
who is engaged in the lumber business in 
Fremont; he married October 22, 1879, 
Miss Alice Huff, and their children are 
Catharine and William H. 



FRED N. FALLER, proprietor of 
a leading drug business in Port 
Clinton, Ottawa county, is a na- 
tive of Ohio, born at Fremont, 
Sandusky county, August 30. 1867, son 
of George F. and Mary (Grund) Faller. 
The father of subject emigrated from 
Germany about the year 1854, and after 
spending some time in New York City 
came, about the year 1857, to Fremont, 
Ohio, where he worked at cabinet-making 
several years with T. S. Tschurny. He 
afterward built a shop of his own, and 
was twice burnt out. The rapid manu- 
facture of furniture by machinery, and its 
consequent cheapness, at length induced 
Mr. Faller to give up cabinet-making by 
hand, and he now lives arc tired life with 
his family at Fremont. His children 



552 



COMMEMORATIVE BTOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



were: Edward, born October 2. 1864, 
died at Fremont at the age of twenty- 
two; Fred N.. our subject; and Bertha 
C. , born January 8, 1873, living with her 
parents. Fred N. attended the schools 
of Fremont until he was sixteen years old 
when he commenced an apprenticeship to 
the drug business in the store of S. Buck- 
land & Son (now L. W. Buckland), where 
he remained four years, after which he 
attended the School of Pharmac)', Michi- 
gan State University, one year. Return- 
ing to Ohio, he passed tlie State Phar- 
maceutical examination successfully, and 
then for some eighteen months took charge 
of a drug store at Toledo, Ohio, for Mrs. 
Fenneberg. He then came to Port Clin- 
ton, where he had the management of 
the drug store of Eisenhour & Bleckner, 
whom he bought out in July, 1890, since 
when he has been sole proprietor. 

On May i, 1890, Fred N. Fallcr mar- 
ried Miss Cora E. Mackey, daughter of 
Louis Mackey. She died in October, 
1892, and October 4, 1893, Mr. F'aller 
married Miss Hattie I. Affleck, daughter 
of William J. and Belle (Duff) .'\fi1eck, 
the former of whom is secretary of the 
water works at Sandusky City. Mr. 
Faller was reared in the faith of the Lu- 
theran Church; in politics he is a stanch 
Democrat, has served in the cit}' council 
of Port Clinton one term, and as a public- 
spirited, honorable citi/en, he enjoys the 
highest respect. 



I 



LEANDER S. PORTER, M. D., 
who has for some years been iinun- 
iucntly connected with the busi- 
ness interests of Port Clinton, Ot- 
tawa count}', in his professional capacity, 
as well as along other lines of enterprise, 
is a native of Connecticut, born in New 
Fairfield, New Fairfield county, October 
22, 1829. 

His parents, Wheeler and Lydia Ann 
(Bearss) Porter, were both also natives of 
Connecticut, whence they migrated west- 



ward, locating in October, 1832, in Dan- 
bury township, then in Huron county, 
now Catawba Island township, Ottawa 
county, when there was but one other 
white family residing on the Island. 
There the father engaged in agricultural 
pursuits and also worked at his trade of 
shoe making. He carried on farming and 
engaged in dealing in shoes in Port Clin- 
ton for several years He was well and 
favorably known as an expert at his trade, 
and, as an upright, honorable citizen. 
He passed away at his home on Catawba 
Island, April 10, 1888, and his faithful 
and devoted wife was called to her final 
rest September 2. 1852. They had a 
family of three children, of whom Lean- 
der S. is the only known survivor. One 
died in infancy, and Augustus W. is sup- 
posed to have been killed at the battle 
of the W'ilderness while serving in de- 
fense of his home and country'. The 
great-grandfather Hubble, the father of 
the Doctor's paternal grandmother, fought 
in the Revolutionary war, and Grand- 
father Bearss was a soldier of the War 
of 181 2. The grandparents on both sides 
of the Doctor's family were natives of 
Connecticut, and were of English de- 
scent. The paternal grandparents with 
their three sons — Wheeler, Lyman and 
Charles — all settled on Catawba Island 
in 1832. After a short time Lyman re- 
turned to Connecticut, where he spent 
his remaining days, while the other mem- 
bers of the family continued to reside in 
this locality until called to the home be- 
yond, and were well-known and highly 
respected residents of the community. 

Dr. L. S. Porter lived on Catawba 
Island until the breaking out of the Civil 
war. He received his primary education 
in the district schools of his township, and 
in early life became familiar with agricul- 
tural pursuits, following that honorable 
occupation for many years. W'hen he 
had attained the age of manhood, he en- 
tered the Delaware University, Delaware, 
Ohio, where he remained a year, and also 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPEWAL RECORD. 



553 



spent two terms at the Baldwin Univer- 
sity, Berea, Ohio, attendinfj to the duties 
of the farm during vacations. He then 
engaged in teaching, and from 1856 until 
1 86 1 carried on farming on his own ac- 
count. In September of the latter year 
Dr. Porter responded to the country's call 
for troops, enlisting in Company F, Forty- 
ninth O. V. I. On December 31, 1862, 
during the battle of Murfretsboro, he was 
severely wounded in the ankle by a rifle 
ball, and he lay on the field of battle four 
days and three nights before receiving 
any assistance. On the morning of Jan- 
uary 7, 1863, he wasconvej'ed to the hos- 
pital at Nashville, Tenn. , where he re- 
mained for about three weeks. He was 
then transferred to the hospital at Cov- 
ington, Ky. , where it was found necessary 
to amputate his foot, and the operation 
was performed. On becoming convales- 
cent, he was honorably discharged and 
proceeded to Port Clinton, where for a 
short time he was engaged in the photo- 
graph business. 

In 1 864 the Doctor was appointed 
lighthouse keeper at Port Clinton, and 
efficiently filled that position some five 
years. In 1869 he resumed agricultural 
pursuits, which he followed three years, 
and then removed to Sandusky City, 
where he began reading medicine with 
Dr. Ed. Gillard. In 1877 he entered the 
Homeopathic Hospital College at Cleve- 
land, Ohio, and was graduated at that 
institution with the class of 1880, where- 
upon he immediately commenced practice 
in Bellevue, Ohio, remaining there for a 
year. In 1881 he removed to Vernon, 
Mich., where he continued for about 
eleven years, in i8gi returning to Port 
Clinton, and here lived a comparatively 
retired life, attending only to office prac- 
tice until 1894. 

The Doctor was married, May 6, 
1856, to Elizabeth Lowry, a native of 
Ottawa county. He and his wife are 
members of the Daughters of Rebekah, 
Port Clinton, and also consistent mem- 



bers of the Congregational Church, and 
are most highly-esteemed people. He 
also belongs to the Michigan State Med- 
ical Society; O. H. Perry Lodge, F. & 
A. M. ; Vernon Lodge No. 99, I. O. O. F. ; 
Perseverance Encampment No. 88, of 
Vernon, Mich. ; and George K. McRitchie 
Post No. 524, G. A. R. In politics he is 
an earnest Republican, and at various 
times has served as trustee, clerk, asses- 
sor and constable of Catawba Island town- 
ship. He served as health officer of \'er- 
non, Mich., and for one year as member 
of the board of health of Port Clinton. 
He has always performed the duties per- 
taining to these various positions with 
rare judgment and to the entire satis- 
faction of his constituents, and he is an 
enterprising and public-spirited citizen, 
ever to be found on the side of pro- 
gressive good government and of every- 
thing pertaining to the welfare and up- 
building of the community. He enjoys 
the sincere regard of all who know him. 



HENRY \V. NIEMAN, a prominent 
member of the legal profession 
and highly-esteemed resident of 
Elmore, Ottawa county, is a son 
of Frederick A. and Christine (Schreiber) 
Nieman. His birth occurred July 11, 
1857, in Westphalia, Prussia, of which 
kingdom his parents were also natives, 
and there his mother departed this life. 
Later, in April, 1871, the father, with 
the other members of the family, emi- 
grated to the United States, locating near 
Port Clinton, Ohio, where the father still 
resides, and is one of the prominent agri- 
culturists of Ottawa county. In the fam- 
ily were eight children, all of whom are 
still living: Fred H. is a leading farmer 
of Bay township, Ottawa county; Caro- 
line is the wife of George Westfall, of the 
same township; Louisa is the wife of 
Thomas Seaman, of Port Clinton; Henry 
W. is the subject of this sketch; Chris- 
tian G. is a resident of Port Clinton; 



554 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



William also lives in that city; Ferdinand 
is in Bay township; and August C. is a 
hardware merchant and machine agent of 
Port Clinton. 

In the schools of his native land our 
subject received a good German educa- 
tion, and his early life was spent in agri- 
cultural pursuits, which occupation he 
continued to follow for several years after 
his arrival in America. In 1878 he com- 
menced attending a select school in Port 
Clinton, and after perfecting himself in 
the English branches he engaged in teach- 
ing, being thus employed for two terms in 
Bay township, Ottawa county. He con- 
tinued to follow that profession during 
the winter months until 1883, and also 
took a normal course during the same 
period. In 1883 he entered the engi- 
neering department of Ann Arbor (Mich.) 
University, but in the fall of 1884 became 
a student in the law department of the 
same institution, from which he was grad- 
uated with the class of 1886. In the 
same year he began the practice of his 
profession in Grand Rapids, Mich., but 
the following year found him a resident 
of Elmore, where he has since continued 
in active practice, and has been very suc- 
cessful, both from a professional and finan- 
cial standpoint. He is one of the pro- 
gressive citi;;ens of the county, always 
deeply interested in everything which will 
advance the prosperity of the community, 
and has the utmost respect of his fellow 
citizens. 

On Christmas Day, 1886. in Oak 
Harbor, Ottawa county, Mr. Nicman was 
united in marriage with Miss Delia Boggs, 
a daughter of James and Susan (White) 
Boggs, who rank among the earliest set- 
tlers of Harris township, where they are 
honored and respected residents. Our 
subject and his wife have become the 
parents of one daughter. Amy, born May 
8, 1888. Mr. Nieman has been called 
upon to fill several official positions of 
honor and trust, having served as county 
examiner of teachers some si.x years; has 



been president of the township board of 
education, and held the offices of justice 
of the peace and notary public. He is a 
Democrat in political faith, taking quite 
an active interest in the success of his 
party; and socially is a member of Elmore 
Lodge, No. 26, K. P. With the Disci- 
ples Church he and his wife hold mem- 
bership. 



WILLIAM KESSLER, a promi- 
nent and progressive citizen of 
Oak Harbor, Ottawa county, 
undertaker and an extensive 
dealer in furniture, pianos, organs, sewing 
machines, bicycles, general merchandise, 
etc., is a native of Salem township, Otta- 
wa Co., Ohio, having been born there 
December 18, 1857, to Charles and Bar- 
bara Kessler, natives of Germany, and 
early settlers of Salem township. 

The father, now at the advanced age 
of seventy-three years, is a resident of 
Oak Harbor; the mother passed away 
May 13, 1892. Their family consisted of 
eight children, seven of whom are yet 
living, viz.: William; Mary, now the wife 
of Charles Zimmerman, a resident of 
Bowling Green, Wood Co., Ohio; John, 
a resident of Lakeside, Nebr. ; George, 
Albert and Edward, all residents of Oak 
Harbor; and Annie (Kessler) Leberman, 
widow of Frederick Leberman, for many 
years a respected resident of Harris town- 
ship, who for three years, during the Re- 
bellion, served in the Thirty-seventh O. 
V. I. (Annie is a daughter of Charles 
Kessler by a former marriage). The 
father is a veteran of the war of the Re- 
bellion, having served for three years in 
Company G, One Hundredth O. V. I., 
and with his regiment participated in sev- 
eral important engagements. 

William Kessler, the subject proper of 
this sketch, received his preliminary edu- 
cation in the district schools of Harris 
township, Ottawa county, and his early 
life was spent in assisting his father in the 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQBAPUWAL liECORD. 



555 



care of the farm. When eighteen years 
of age he left the farm, apprenticing him- 
self to the trade of cabinet maker, and in 
1878, his term of apprenticeshi]i having 
expired, he went to Oak Harbor and en- 
gaged in business for himself, having been 
a constant resident of that town ever 
since. By a life of energy, perseverance, 
and strict attention to business, Mr. 
Kessler now takes a leading position 
among the prominent and substantial 
business men of the county, and well 
merits the confidence and esteem extend- 
ed to him by his fellow citizens. 

On September 5, 1882, our subject 
was united in marriage, at Lockport, N. 
Y. , with Julia S. Haj'es, a daughter of 
James and Mary (Hayes) Hayes, both na- 
tives of Ireland, who emigrated to Amer- 
ica in 1840, and are now honored and re- 
spected residents of Lockport. To this 
union have come five children, their 
names and dates of birth being as follows: 
Mary Gertrude, March 13, 1884; Julia 
Maud, March 9, 1885; Cornelius Flor- 
ence, July 4, 1886, died December 10, 
1890; Clara, February 15, 1888; and 
William Bernard, December 13, 1893, 
died January 13, 1895. The family are 
strict adherents of the Roman Catholic 
Church. Mr. Kessler has served as a 
member of the Oak Harbor council board 
one term. Politically he is an active sup- 
porter of the Democratic party, and 
socially he fills the positions of first lieu- 
tenant of Kahler Camp No. 292, Sons of 
Veterans, and captain of the I\nights of 
St. John. 



JOHN H. PFEIFER. The history 
of Ottawa county, and especially of 
Benton township, would be incom- 
plete without honorable mention of 
the Pfeifer family, Jacob Pfeifer and his 
sons having been actively identified with 
the growth and development of its agri- 
cultural interests from early pioneer times. 
Their progress and thrift have been almost 



proverbial, and the land now in the posses- 
sion of the family is among the most highly 
improved in the vicinity. 

The family is of good old German 
stock. The great-grandfather was born 
in Germany in 1769, served under Napo- 
leon the First in the war with Russia, was 
with him at the burning of Moscow, and 
alsoat the defeat at Waterloo; while in the 
service he had one limb badly frozen. 
The great-grandmother was born in Ger- 
many about 1779, and died at the age of 
forty-two. Tney had two children, one 
of whom, George, came to America about 
1847. He was accidentally shot in New 
Orleans. John Pfeifer, grandfather of 
our subject, was born in Germany, May 
10, 1 80 1, and was a farmer by occupa- 
tion; he was exempt from military duty 
on account of the loss of a finger. The 
grandmother was born in 1807, and they 
were married in 1831, becoming the par- 
ents of two children, of whom Jacob 
Pfiefer is the only survivor. Jacob Pfeifer 
has been a prominent factor in the ad- 
vancement and progress of Benton town- 
ship and vicinity. Born in Rabelshausen 
Kurhessen, Germany, June 28, 1838, he 
came to America in early manhood, locating 
first in Cleveland and later in Bellaire, 
whence after a brief residence he came to 
Ottawa county, settling first in Elliston. 
On coming to Benton township he took up 
the farm where his son John now lives, 
when the surrounding country was all a wil- 
derness. The only road was an Indian trail 
along the creek, now known as the ' ' Creek 
road." The country was all a forest, 
and Jacob Pfeifer has helped to make the 
township of Benton the fertile region it 
now is by clearing up and improving one 
of the best farms in Ottawa county. His 
wife has been of great service in making 
the home, for she has taken a noble inter- 
est and borne an active part in the work, 
and her assistance has been fully appre- 
ciated by her husband and family. Mr. 
Pfeifer's first wheat crop in Benton town- 
ship is an illustration of some of the 



556 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



hardships the pioneers of those days 
underwent; the seed he secured from 
Cleveland — ten bushels at $i per bushel; 
the crop was harvested, and threshed with 
a flail; and the entire return from the 
ten bushels of sowing amounted to eight 
bushels, and that at a time when flour was 
$i6 per barrel, and not first-class either. 
They had to drive nine miles through the 
woods to the mill, and then get chopped 
feed for the grist. The old farm is all 
underdrained, so that the surface water is 
quickly carried away, leaving the land in 
good shape for cultivation, and the farm 
is a credit indeed to those whose labor 
has brought it to its present state of per- 
fection. Jacob Pfeifer purchased the 
first steam threshing machine rig ever 
used in Benton township, and his sons 
John and George operated the machine 
for si.xteen years, making a financial suc- 
cess of the business. For several years Mr. 
Pfeifer was foreman of the L. S. & M. S. 
railroad, and it was while engaged in this 
work that he practically ruined his health. 
Industrious and progressive, he and his 
family have contributed in no small de- 
gree toward the welfare of the community, 
and the kind and obliging spirit they have 
ever shown has made them highly es- 
teemed in the township which has so long 
been their home. 

Mr. Pfeifer's marriage to Elizabeth 
Emerich took place in 1857, and their 
union was blessed with three children: 
John, born September 29, 1858; George, 
born February 26, 1862; and Edward, 
born April 25, 1864. On July 14, 1873, 
Edward was accidentally killed by the dis- 
charge of a gun, the charge entering his 
right side below the ribs and passing di- 
agonally through the body. Mrs. Pfeifer 
was born in Germany February 25, 1828, 
and came to America in 1848. George 
Pfeifer the second son, lives on a farm 
near his brother John. At the age of 
twenty-two he married Matilda Tabbert, 
of Elliston, who was born December 22, 
1 86 1, at Elliston (where she obtained a 



liberal education), daughter of August 
Tabbert, who died in 1894. Soon after 
their marriage Mr. and Mrs. George Pfeifer 
settled on the farm where they now live, 
a place which, like that of his brother, 
shows enterprise and neatness on the part 
of the owner. 

John H. Pfeifer, son of Jacob and 
Elizabeth (Emrich) Pfeifer, was born 
September 29, 1858, at Bellaire, Ohio, 
and spent his boyhood days in Cleveland 
and Ottawa county, where he received 
the education afforded by the district 
schools of his time and place. An inci- 
dent which occurred when he was nine 
years of age is worth relating: He was 
sent to Elliston on mule back for some 
groceries. He rode down the L. S. & 
M. S. track, and all went well until the 
train was seen backing to Elliston from 
Toledo. The mule did not propose to 
give the right of way for the train, and 
John succeeded in dismounting in time to 
save all of himself save a piece of one toe, 
but the animal was not a match for the 
train, which completely demolished him. 
When twenty-two years of age our sub- 
ject commenced life for himself as a fire- 
man on the L. S. & M. S. railroad, con- 
tinuing thus for three years. On September 
25, 1883, he was married to Miss Matilda 
Lick, of Elliston, and having purchased a 
farm near Rocky Ridge they made their 
home thereon for six years. They then 
sold out and purchased the old homestead 
of his father on Section 23, Benton town- 
ship, where they now live. His parents 
moved to Rocky Ridge, where they have 
erected the finest home in the village. A 
walk over Mr. Pfeifer's farm at once con- 
vinces one that he is a thorough agricul- 
turist ; the fences are in neat shape, the 
farm stock and buildings are all well kept, 
and the yards around both house and barn 
display neatness and care on the part of 
the owner, who takes a pardonable pride 
in his beautiful property. The history of 
one member of the family is the history 
of all, and to say that he has worked with 



COMMSMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



557 



his father from boyhood shows what part 
he has taken in this work. 

Mrs. Matilda (Lick) Pfeifer was born 
Auguest 28, 1862, at Elliston, where she 
received her education and lived until her 
marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Pfeifer have 
been born three children: Walter George, 
April 10, 1885; Reuben Edward, May 6, 
1887, and William Carl, October 19, 
1891. Walter G , died March 19, 1892, 
and was buried in the Elliston cemetery. 



CAPTAIN WILLIAM J. SLACK- 
FORD (deceased) sailed on the 
lakes for many years, and was a 
well-known sea captain, whose 
death was deeply regretted by a large 
circle of friends and acquaintances. A 
native of England, he was born near 
Kent, February 28, 1831, and was one of 
a family of four children, two of whom 
are now living: Edward, a retired sea 
captain now in Detroit, Mich. ; and Han- 
nah, wife of Thomas Clayton, who makes 
his home in Carthage, Hamilton Co., 
Ohio. In the summer of 1849, when 
he was seventeen years of age, the Cap- 
tain came with his father to the United 
States, locating at Plasterbed, Portage 
township, Ottawa Co., Ohio. Here, 
soon afterward they were joined b\' the 
wife and mother, and other children of 
the family, and the parents were contin- 
uous residents of the township through- 
out their remaining days. 

In 1 86 1 the Captain purchnsed a 
farm a short distance from the old family 
homestead, and engaged extensively in 
fruit growing and farming up to the time 
of his death. From 1864 up to 1878 he 
was part owner and operator of the steam- 
ers "Gen. Grant," "Clinton " and " R. 
B. Hayes," running ferry between the 
Peninsula and Sandusky. The change 
in his occupation was caused by ill health. 
The captain was for many years num- 
bered among the valued citizens, and 
took an active part in all progressive 



movements. He was esteemed by all 
who knew him for his many sterling 
qualities and straightforward business 
methods. 

On November 20, i860, at Sandusky, 
Ohio, the Captain was married to Thirsa 
Gertrude Moore, who died October 12, 
1864, and this union was blessed with one 
child, William George, born September 
24. 1 861; he is a licensed sea captain, 
and resides in Danbury township, Ottawa 
county. The Captain was again married, 
this time at Fremont, Ohio, December 
7, 1875, to Kate C. Englebeck, daughter 
of Herman and Caroline (Fechtler) Engle- 
beck. This union was blessed with two 
children: May Pearl, born May i, 1878; 
and Jennie Gertrude, born May 5, 1884. 

After a long illness of three years, the 
Captain passed away December 14, 1890. 
His last voyage was over and he reached 
the harbor of rest. He had been a promi- 
nent member of the Masonic fraternity, 
and was highly esteemed by his brethren 
in that Order. He was a man of more 
than ordinary ability, and was possessed 
of broad, general information. He had 
a genial, sunny temperment, and was 
held in the highest esteem by all who 
knew him. His faithful and devoted wife 
deserves no little credit for the manner 
in which she has conducted the affafrs of 
the estate since h^r husband's death. 
She is a lady of culture and sound judg- 
ment, and controls her farm in a way that 
well exemplifies her innate business sa- 
gacity and acumen. Her residence is 
among the finest in the township, and all 
its surroundings give evidence of the ex- 
quisite state and refinement of the owner. 



JOAB KELLY, one of the best known 
and most honored farmers and fruit 
growers of Danbury township, Otta- 
wa county, was born January 31, 
1842, on the homestead farm on which 
he still resides, and is a son of Hon. John 
and Ehzabeth (Pettibone) Kelly. His 



558 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOIiAPUICAL RECORD. 



educational privileges were such as were 
afforded by the district schools of that 
day, and since early life he has been en- 
gaged in agricultural pursuits, though for 
the past twenty-five years he has devoted 
his attention more especially to the culti- 
vation of grapes, peaches and other fruits. 

Mr. Kelly was married in Danbury, 
December 21, 1870, to Miss Stella M. 
Hogg, who was born in Sandusky City, 
Erie Co., Ohio, June 15, KS49, a daugh- 
ter of Thomas and Mary (Driver; Hogg, 
early settlers of Erie county, Ohio, who 
removed to Danbury township about 1 868, 
where the former passed away in 1882; 
the latter still makes her home in Dan- 
bury. To Mr. and Mrs. Kelly have been 
born two sons — Thomas LeRoy, on Sep- 
tember 15, 1 871; and J. I\eid, on October 
8, 1874; both are still under the parental 
roof. In his political views Mr. Kelly is a 
Republican, and he and his family attend 
the Congregational Church. 

The mother of our subject was the 
first white child born in Newberg, Ohio, 
her birth having occurred October 18, 
1 8 14, and she was but si.x weeks old 
when she was brought to Danbury town- 
ship by her parents, Truman and PhcEbe 
(Wolcotte) Pettibone. The Wolcotte 
family came to Danbury township in 
1808, but after a residence of three years 
were driven away by the Indians, and 
went to Cleveland, Ohio, where they re- 
mained until 1 8 14, when they returned 
and from that time until their deaths were 
continuous residents of Danbury township. 

On July 23, 1835, Hon. John A. 
B. Kelly and Miss Elizabeth Pettibone 
were united in marriage. Mr. Kelly 
was born in Troy, N. Y. , December 
14, 1809, and was a son of William and 
Jane (Keidj Kelly, both natives of Ire- 
land. Eight children were born of this 
union, their names and dates of birth 
being as follows: Jane, May, 1836, was 
united in marriage with Josias B. Wright, 
now of Danbury, October i, 1853; Will- 
iam, March 17, 1838, makes his home in 



Port Clinton, Ohio; Alice, October 14, 
1840, died November 5, of the same year; 
Joab comes next in the order of birth; 
Malcolm, July 31, 1844, is judge of the 
court of common pleas and resides in 
Port Clinton; Salima, January 6, 1847, is 
the wife of John G. Bredehoft, of Dan- 
bury township; John August 14, 1851, 
lives in the same township; and Mary, 
March 28, 1855, died June 13, 1856. The 
father, who represented the Thirtieth Sen- 
atorial District in the Fifty-fifth General 
Assembly of Ohio, 1862-63, died April 
18, 1883; the mother passed away Oc- 
tober 8, 1895. 



SIMON HENRY KINSTING is 
numbered among the pioneer set- 
tlers of Ottawa county, having lo- 
cated within its borders when it 
was almost an unbroken wilderness, with 
few roads laid out and few settlements 
made. With the work of development 
and progress he has been identified, and 
has aided in the improvement of the lo- 
cality by faithfuU}' performing his duties 
of citizenship. 

Mr. Kinsting was born in Prussia, De- 
cember 25, 1832, and is a son of Fred- 
erick William Kinsting, also a native of 
Prussia, born in 1800, a tailor by trade, 
who died at the home of his son, July 28, 
1871. In 1849 he emigrated with his 
wife and two children to America, after 
which he followed the occupation of farm- 
ing. He was first employed for onlj' fifty 
cents per day, and was very well satisfied, 
but as years passed his financial resources 
increased. In the Fatherland he married 
Minnie Saack, who was born in Prussia, 
April 4, 1804, and died December 13, 
1885. They had two children — Simon 
Henry, and Henrietta, wife of William 
Budky, of \\'oodville, Sandusky county. 
The parents spent their last years at the 
home of their son, who tenderly cared for 
them in their declining days. Our sub- 
ject's paternal grandfather and his wife 




-^ ^p /^-'^^^ 




COMMKMOHATIVE BIOQRAPUICAL RECORD. 



559 



were both born in Gennanj' about Octo- 
ber, 1766, and the former died in 1833. 
The maternal grandfather was born in 
Prussia, in 1774, and his wife's birth oc- 
curred there in 1775. 

S. H. Kinsting, the subject proper of 
this review, spent the first seventeen years 
of his life in his native land, and was edu- 
cated in the public schools. He then 
came with his parents to the United 
States, and here attended the English 
schools, so that he now speaks both 
languages fluently. In 1858 he was united 
in marriage with Miss Frederica Priesing, 
a native of Hanover, Germany, born June 
6, 1835. She obtained her education 
there, and when twenty-two years of age 
came to America, locating in Toledo, 
Ohio, where she met her future husband. 
The wedding was celebrated six months 
later at the old homestead, one mile from 
Elmore, where our subject now resides. 
Her parents, who were also natives of 
Hanover, Germany, had a family of six 
children, five of whom are now living, 
one son, Henry, having died in the hos- 
pital in Memphis, Tenn., while serving in 
the Civil war. The father was a black- 
smith by trade, and died at an early age, 
leaving a widow to care for her family. 
Mrs. Kinsting was a faithful wife and lov- 
ing mother, one who trained her children 
to habits of industry and uprightness. A 
fall occasioned the loss of her mental 
faculties to a degree, and on September 
2, 1892, she passed away. 

Mr. and Sirs. Kinstring were the par- 
ents of four children, namely: (i) Will- 
iam, born August 13, i860, was married 
March 23, 1881, to Rachel Ernsthausen, 
of Elmore, and resides on a farm one 
mile from the town; they have three chil- 
dren — Mary, William and Clara. (2) Fred, 
born September 16, 1863, was married in 
August, 1885, to Cora Netcher, and lives 
on a farm in Monroe county, Mich. ; their 
children are — John and George. (3) 
Henry, born April 10, 1867, was married 
in November, i890,toLibbie Wainwright, 



and they have one child — Naomi, born 
June 25, 1894. (4) Minnie, born April 
25, 1870, was married in October, iSgo, 
to Frank Dishinger, of Harris township, 
Ottawa county, and they had two chil- 
dren — Henry and Eddie; Mrs. Dishinger 
died August 10, 1895, and was buried at 
Elmore. 

During his entire residence in America 
Mr. Kinsting has lived on the farm which 
now belongs to Frank Dishinger. The 
first forty acres of land were purchased in 
1849 for $375, and the first home was a 
little log cabin. By diligence and close 
attention to business our subject and his 
father and son cleared and developed the 
farm, extending its boundaries by the ad- 
ditional purchase of seventy-three acres in 
Sandusky and Ottawa counties, erected 
good buildings and secured a nice home. 
Since his father's death our subject has 
purchased eighty acres, for which he paid 
$100 per acre. He has succeeded in busi- 
ness through his own well-directed efforts, 
and to-day is the owner of a valuable 
property, and the possessor of a comfort- 
able competence. In March, 1895, he 
called his children together, and, after a 
very pleasant family reunion, gave each 
of them five thousand dollars. He has 
now reached the age of sixty-three years, 
has been a cripple for twenty-two years, 
but is one of the most cheerful and happy 
men in the community, finding great 
pleasure in visiting his children, who have 
for him the warmest affection, and take 
great delight in his visits to them. Since 
1858 he has been a member of the Ger- 
man Methodist Episcopal Church, a con- 
sistent and earnest Christian, enjoying 
the respect and confidence of all who 
know him. 



GEORGE M. HIGH, one of the 
most prominent and extensive 
fruit growers on Middle Bass Is- 
land, Ottawa county, was born 
in Springfield, Clark Co., Ohio, July 13, 



560 



COMMEMORATIVE BTOORAPmCAL RECORD. 



1825, son of Hosea S. and Mary A. (Mc- 
Cormick) High. George McCormick, the 
maternal grandfather of our subject, was 
one of the contractors on the building 
of the first U. S. Capitol at Washington, 
D. C. , which was destroyed by the British. 

Hosea S. High, born January 3, 1797, 
at Bridgeton, N. J., was united in mar- 
riage with Mary A. McCormick, who was 
born November 21, 1801, at Washing- 
ton, D. C, and they had eleven children, 
seven of whom are now living, namely: 
George M., the subject of this sketch; 
Charles G. and Martin V. B., both resid- 
ing in Madison county, Ohio; Jacob, in 
Franklin county, Ohio; Fannie, wife of 
John G. Thompson, of Columbus, Ohio; 
and Jennie and Susan, in Columbus. 
Hosea S. High passed away in Franklin 
county, Ohio, in September, 1874, and 
his widow, Mary A., at Columbus, Ohio, 
in March, 1S93, she being at the time of 
her death one of the oldest inhabitants 
and residents of Columbus. Mr. High 
was Indian agent for several years, and in 
1837 moved the Wyandotte, Delaware 
and Sandusky tribes to their reservations 
in Kansas. 

George M. High spent his boyhood 
days among the surroundings of a com- 
fortable home, and received his primary 
education in the district schools, after- 
ward taking a course at the Delaware 
College, at Delaware, Ohio. About a 
year after completing his studies he left 
home for Cincinnati, where in the winter 
months he was engaged in the pork busi- 
ness. During the first summer he was a 
tutor in a private family near Independ- 
ence, Ky. , and the second summer he 
taught the district school in the same 
neighborhood. For the eighteen years 
succeeding he was engaged in the pork 
business, purchasing in summer and 
slaughtering and shipping in winter. 

At Pleasant Ridge, Hamilton Co., 
Ohio, on October 21, 1852, George M. 
High was united in marriage with Anna 
M. Kincaid, daughter of Blair and Mary 



(Lancaster) Kincaid, and born in Dela- 
ware October 30, 1834. They have had 
four children, as follows: Hosea and Fan- 
nie (twins), born June 29, 1853, of whom 
Hosea is still living at home, and Fannie 
is the wife of Curtis P. Gladding, residing 
at Hartford, Conn. ; George M., Jr., born 
in Cincinnati, May 16, 1859, was formerly 
the editor and proprietor of the Evening 
Advertiser, a newspaper of Socorro, N. M. , 
and now resides in Butte City, Mont. ; 
and Carrie D., born February 4, 1864, 
resides at home. 

During the winter of 1864-65 Mr. 
High sold out his interest in the pork 
business, and late in the spring of 1865 
loaded up a steamer with $30,000 worth 
of provisions, with which he went up the 
Arkansas river as far as Fort Smith, dis- 
posing of the goods on the way. He then 
returned to Cincinnati, purchased another 
cargo, and returned up the river; but, 
owing to delays caused by business, he was 
late, and so established a store at Spadra 
Bluff, Arkansas, in connection with Col. 
A. D. King. In the fall of 1866 he re- 
turned to Springfield, Ohio, where he re- 
sided during the ne.\t four years, for three 
3'ears of that time continuing his interest 
in the business at Spadra Bluff, which he 
sold in 1869. On July 13, 1870, he re- 
moved to Middle Bass, and engaged in 
fruit growing. He has now been a contin- 
uous resident of the Island for twenty-five 
years, and has probably set out more 
grape vines than any other man on the 
Island. Mr. High was the first in the 
West to introduce the spraying of grapes 
and other fruits, for mildew and insects 
that have destroyed so much of the fruits, 
and this system has produced highly satis- 
factory results wherever introduced. 

In his political views Mr. High is in- 
dependent, but leans toward the Demo- 
cratic party. He is a prominent citizen, 
and a leader, especially in such good 
works as need sympathy, active work and 
benevolent contributions. To those who 
know him, it seems evident that he would 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



561 



have been as successful in almost any line 
of life he inifjht have chosen as he has 
been in that which he did choose. He is 
well educated by schooling, reading, 
travel and experience; happy in society, 
in his own home and abroad; hospitable, 
thoroughly appreciated by all who know 
him; intelligent, possessing tact and gener- 
osity. He has a most charming home, 
situated close to the shores of Lake Erie; 
is happily contented with such reasonable 
hobbies as occupy his mind, is independ- 
ent in his own pursuits, and able to pro- 
vide abundantly for the comfort and hap- 
piness of his appreciative wife and 
family. 



THOMAS BOWLAND, a promi- 
nent manufacturer, of Martin, Clay 
township, Ottawa county, was 
born in Perry county, this State, 
October 14, 1844, and was a son of John 
and Diana (Parrott) Rowland, the former 
of whom was a native of Pennsylvania, 
the latter of Ohio. 

The father of our subject died when 
the latter was only ten years old, and the 
little lad was early put to work that he 
might contribute his share to the support 
of his widowed mother and the younger 
children. His early education was there- 
fore very limited; but, like many of the 
men who have been leaders of our nation, 
he neglected no opportunity to add to his 
scanty stock of book knowledge, and by 
reading and observation has made of him- 
self an intelligent man whose opinions are 
eagerly sought for, and whose judgment 
in all matters is well worth considering. 
His parents removed before his death to 
Ottawa county, living for a time in El- 
more, Harris township, and afterward 
coming to Clay township. Here our sub- 
ject worked upon a farm with his two 
elder brothers until the breaking out of 
the Civil war in 1861, when they enlisted 
and left the care of the family to Thomas 
and a younger brother, John, of whom a 



sketch is given elsewhere. This labor of 
love which he performed diligently and 
faithfully was pursued for a number of 
years, the few leisure hours not employed 
in farm work being given to the improve- 
ment of his mind. 

In 1879 Mr. Bowland began the man- 
ufacture of hoops, starting a factory in 
Martin and employing several men. This 
proved to be a profitable business, and he 
has since successfully carried it on, being 
now assisted by two of his sons who have 
an interest in the establishment. Mr. 
Bowland was married January 21, 1869, 
to Charlotte Jones, daughter of Daniel 
and Ruth Jones, of Sandusky count}', 
and they became the parents of one child, 
Irvin, who was born Jaunuary 20, 1870; 
his mother died March 26, 1871. Mr. 
Bowland was again married December 
22, 1872, to Miss Herminia, daughter of 
George and Sarah (Wall) Eyre, both of 
whom were natives of England. Three 
children have come of this marriage, 
namely: (i) George D., who was born 
April 6, 1874, at Genoa, and was there 
educated; he is unmarried, and is engaged 
in business with his father. (2) Ernest, 
born April 7, 1877, in the same town, 
was educated in the schools there, and in 
the high school, and holds a teacher's 
certificate; he is also connected with his 
father's firm. (3) Estella, born February 
22, 1886, died August 13, 1887. 

The parental family of our subject 
comprised fourteen children, eight of 
whom are living, as follows: Mary is the 
wife of Powell Frugh, a farmer in San- 
dusky county; Daniel is a farmer of Clay 
township; Jeremiah, a machinist, lives in 
Wood county; Elizabeth is the wife of 
Stephen Walsh, of Clay township; Martin 
is a miller of Benton township; Thomas 
is our subject; Hannah is the widow of 
Walter Warrener; and John is postmaster 
at Genoa. The father of this large family 
died in Harris township, in June, 1854, and 
his wife in Clay township, April 17, 1875. 

George Eyre, the father of our sub- 



502 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ject'swife, was born in London, England, 
and came to this country when eighteen 
years old, settling first in Cleveland, 
where he followed the Qccupation of a 
millwright, and also did some carpenter- 
ing; his wife, Sarah Wall, was also born 
in England. They were the parents of 
eight children, five of whom are living: 
Mary is the wife of John Bowland, post- 
master at Genoa; Cilena is the wife of 
William Bodett, a railroad man; Esletta 
married Albert Stewart, a cigar manu- 
facturer, living in Toledo; Sarah is the 
wife of Miles Price, of Detroit; George 
died when aged thirty-six, Henry when five, 
and Carrie when fourteen. The parents 
are still living, and reside in Genoa. 

Mr. Bowland has always been very 
popular with his fellow citizens, as well as 
throughout the entire county, and in con- 
sequence has held numerous responsible 
offices. He was for two years constable 
of Clay township, and has been time and 
again elected justice of the peace, or 
local judge of Clay township, which posi- 
tion he is now filling with dignity and 
great ability. In all the cases which have 
come before him in the past twelve years, 
and which have been carried to the higher 
courts, his decisions have there been con- 
firmed, without exception, and his honesty 
and integrity have never been questioned. 
During his official life he has solemnized 
upward of thirty-five marriages, which is 
a further evidence of his popularity with 
the people. Mr. Bowland has held the 
office of school director for seven years, 
and has been clerk of the board through- 
out that period. In politics he is a strong 
Democrat and a leader in his party, and, 
with his family, holds a prominent posi- 
tion in society. 



ALBERT ZIPFEL, mill owner 
and one of the well-known busi- 
ness men of Rocky Ridge, Ben- 
ton township, Ottawa county, is 
a native of Germany, born September 



-7< 1S57, son of Lawrence Zipfel. When 
about four years of age our subject came 
to America with his father, who settled 
at Port Clinton, Ottawa Co., Ohio, and 
engaged in the boot and shoe business, 
following same for several years, when 
he sold out and purchased a farm near 
Oak Harbor. After farming for some 
time he sold his place and settled in Oak 
Harbor, where he died in the spring of 

1895- 

During the first nine j'ears of his life 
Albert Zipfel obtained what education he 
could, and at the early age of nine he 
went out into the world to earn a liveli- 
hood for himself, commencing work in a 
shingle mill in Oak Harbor, where he 
labored some twelve years. On July 8, 
1879, he was married to Miss Amanda A. 
Fountain, of Oak Harbor, and they 
shortly afterward settled in Rocky Ridge, 
where he was employed as foreman in the 
stave factory of Bopst & Bosh, a position 
he held for eleven years. In 18S9 Mr. 
Zipfel purchased an elevator and feed 
mill of Mr. Bopst at Rocky Ridge, in 
1890 adding to the mill a sawmill; and 
he has since been engaged in lumber saw- 
ing and feed grinding. The business is 
prospering, and the mill is busy the en- 
tire 3'ear. For several years Mr. Zipfel 
has been village councilman in Rocky 
Ridge; he is greatly interested in the 
improvement of the public schools of the 
place, and endeavors to have them the 
best possible. His business, which is 
constantly increasing, demands his strict 
personal attention, and he may always be 
found at the mill, attending very careful- 
ly to every detail; this surely is the only 
way to success. 

Mr. Zipfel was married Jul}' 8, 1879, 
to Miss Amanda A. Fountain, who was 
born October 30, 1857, near Port Clinton, 
where she received her early education, 
completing it in the schools of Oak Har- 
bor. Her parents were Alexander and 
Amy (Sampson) Fountain, the father born 
July 4, 1829, in Sandusky county, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



568 



where he li\ed his entire Hfe, save the 
one hundred days he served in the war of 
the RebelHon. He died in 1876. Mrs. 
Zipfel's grandfather, Alexander Fountain, 
Sr. , was born in Michigan. Her pater- 
nal great-grandfather was of French de- 
scent. Mrs. Zipfel's mother, Mrs. Amy 
Fountain, was born in Port Clinton, May 
II, 1837, and when eight years of age 
removed with her parents to Chicago, 
where they remained for three years. 
Her father, Joel Sampson, then entered 
the Mexican war, and died of cholera 
near the Gulf of Mexico. He was born 
in Vermont in 1807. Mrs. Zipfel's 
maternal great-grandfather was of French 
descent, born early in the eighteenth 
century, and served in the French and 
Indian war, 1757-1763. 



GEORGE W. GALLANT, an en- 
terprising and wide-awake busi- 
ness man of Elmore, where he 
is engaged in the manufacture of 
doors, sash and blinds, was born in Bay 
township, Ottawa county, January 15, 
1842, and is the only known living repre- 
sentative of the family of seven children 
born to John and Eleanor (Desclms) Gal- 
lant, the former a native of Baltimore, 
Md., the latter of Belmont, Ohio. The 
parents located in Bay township at an 
early date in the history of the county, 
but in 1863 removed to Sandusky, Ohio, 
where the following year the father's 
death occurred; later, the mother came 
to Elmore, where she passed awaj' in 
1884. 

In the district schools of Bay township, 
George W. Gallant acquired a limited 
education, but his instruction in the du- 
ties of farm life was not so meagre, and 
he continued to follow that honorable oc- 
cupation until 1862, when he enlisted in 
Company G, One Hundredth Regiment, 
O. V. I. On May 4, 1864, he was 
wounded at the battle of Resaca, Ga., 
and sent to the hospital at Chattanooga, 



Tenn., from which place he was trans- 
ferred to Knoxville. After becoming con- 
valescent he rejoined his regiment at Fort 
Fisher, anddater was ordered to David's 
Island, N. Y. On the close of hostilities 
he received an honorable discharge, and 
returned to Jackson township, Sandusky 
county, where he engaged in agricultural 
pursuits until 1873. On the first of Janu- 
ary of that year he removed to Elmore, 
and since that date has continuously car- 
ried on his present business with marked 
success, having now secured a liberal and 
lucrative trade. 

At Jackson, Ohio, October 22, 1865, 
Mr. Gallant wedded Miss Nancy Huffman, 
who was born in Fremont, this State, 
July I, 1846, a daughter of Michael and 
Nancy (Nye) Huffman, the former now 
deceased, the latter still a resident of Fre- 
mont. Mrs. Gallant is one of a family of 
ten children, eight of whom still survive: 
Washington, who makes his home in Bat- 
tle Creek, Mich.; Michael, living in Fre- 
mont; Ellen, wife of Henry Hiller, of 
Hillsdale, Mich.; William H., a resident 
of Hastings; Mrs. Gallant, the next in or- 
der of birth; May Etta, widow of the late 
Andrew Whitemore, residing in Fremont; 
Charles Luther, living in Hastings, Mich.; 
and Elizabeth A., now the widow of Louis 
Benner, and making her home in Fre- 
mont. 

Five children have come to bless the 
union of Mr. and Mrs. Gallant, as follows: 
Charles M., born April 25, 1867; Lillie 
Jane, born March ig, 1869, now the wife 
John F. Sanders, of Elmore; James W., 
born February 7, 1871; Edward E., born 
July 21, 1885; and Bertha Belle, born 
June I, 1887. Of these Charles M., 
whose education was begun in the public 
schools of Elmore, completed a course in 
the North American Normal School of 
Fostoria, Ohio, graduating from that in- 
stitution in 1887. He then took up the 
study of mechanical engineering at Salt 
Lake City, Utah, and for four years was 
a locomotive engineer on the Rio Grande 



564 



C0MMEM0RATr7E BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



& Western railroad. At the expiration 
of that time he returned to Elmore, and 
engaged with his father as bookkeeper. 
At the present time, however, he is en- 
gaged in the manufacture of a patent 
clothes rack, in connection with his brother 
James. On Januarj- 15, 1895, in Elmore, 
he married Miss Elizabeth Hotmer, a 
daughter of John and Sarah Hotmer, the 
former a' resident of Elmore, the latter being 
now deceased. James W., the second son 
of our subject, after completing his edu- 
cation in the public schools of Elmore, 
learned the trade of wood turning, which 
occupation he followed up to a recent 
date, but is now engaged in the manu- 
facture of a patent clothes rack. In 
Toledo, Ohio, January 2, 1895, he was 
united in marriage with Miss Nettie Walt- 
ers, a daughter of Thomas and Nettie 
Walters, the former of whom still makes 
his home in Toledo, but the latter has 
departed this life. 

In his political views, George W. Gal- 
lant is an ardent Republican, being a 
strong supporter of the men and measures 
of that party, and he has served his fel- 
low-citizens as a councilman in the cor- 
poration of Elmore for four terms. He 
is one of the solid and reliable business 
men of the city, and in social as well as 
business circles stands high, having the 
confidence and esteem of ail with whom 
he comes in contact. With the Knights 
of Pythias fraternity he holds member- 
ship, belonging to Elmore Lodge, No. 
261, K. of P., and also takes a promi- 
nent part in Robert Caldwell Post, G.A.R. 



SAMUEL R. GILL, secretary of the 
Lakeside Company, of Lakeside, 
Ottawa county, is a native of the 
county, born in Portage township, 
December 16, 1845, and is a son of Will- 
iam and Martha (Payne) Gill, both natives 
of Berkeley county, W. Va., the father 
born in 1796. 

In 1840 William Gill located in Port- 



age township, Ottawa county, where he 
engaged in farming until his death which 
occurred December 31, 1857. His wife, 
who was a daughter of Jesse and Martha 
(Dunn) Payne, was born December 10, 
1 8 10, and her death occurred on the old 
homestead in Portage township, April 28, 
1894. They became the parents of four 
children, namely: (i) Joseph, a resident 
of Port Clinton, Ottawa county. (2) 
\\'illiam, who died at Evansville, Ind., 
from wounds received while serving in the 
Union army as a private in Company I, 
Fortj'-first O. V. I., in which he enlisted 
September 6, i86t, and being wounded 
at the battle of Shiloh, which was fought 
April 6-7, 1862. he died a few days later. 

(3) Mary P., wife of Lane Lockwood, a 
resident of Sanduskj' City, Ohio, and 

(4) Samuel R. 

The primary education of our subject 
was acquired in the district schools of 
Portage township, and he completed his 
literary studies at Baldwin University, 
Berea, Ohio, graduating from that insti- 
tution in 1869. He then engaged in 
agricultural pursuits on the old homestead 
farm, following that honorable occupation 
until 1873, when, in January of that year, 
he was appointed secretary of the Lake- 
side company, since when he has made 
his home in Lakeside, devoting his entire 
attention to the duties pertaining to the 
office, still retaining possession of his farm 
in Portage township. He is also a stock- 
holder in the Lakeside Company. 

In Danbury township, Ottawa county, 
on January 12, 1875, Mr. Gill was united 
in marriage with Miss Mary C. Alexander, 
a daughter of David and Harriet R. (Petit) 
Alexander, who, in 1863, located in Dan- 
bury township, near Marblehead, where 
the latter still resides; the former passed 
away December 23, 1894, at the advanced 
age of eighty-two years. Mr. and Mrs. 
Gill have three children: Robert Alex- 
ander, bom May 21, 1880; William 
Payne, born February 16, 1883, and 
Samuel Vincent, born September i, 1893. 



COMMEMOUATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



565 



Mr. Gill has always been a progressive 
citizen, taking an active part in all mat- 
ters pertaining to the improvement and 
welfare of the county. Both he and his 
wife are members of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church. In politics he votes the 
Republican ticket, but in sentiment is a 
strong Prohibitionist. 



LEMAN M. THOMPSON, a leading 
and influential farmer, who makes 
his home in Carroll township, 
Ottawa county, first opened his 
eyes to the light of day in that township, 
April I, 1845. His parents are William 
and Ruth (Ogden) Thompson, the former 
a native of Pennsylvania, the latter of 
New Jersey. From his early boyhood he 
has been engaged in agricultural pursuits, 
having assisted in the cultivation of the 
home farm, while he obtained his literary 
education in the district schools of the 
community. 

Mr. Thompson displayed his loyalty 
to his country, by enlisting, in August, 
1862, in Company G, One Hundredth 
Ohio V. I., and remained in the service 
until the close of the war, being mustered 
out at Greensboro, N. C, and finally dis- 
charged at Cleveland, Ohio, July 3, 1865. 
He took part in numerous important en- 
gagements, among which were the battles 
of Ringgold, Resaca and Franklin, Tenn , 
the siege of Kno.xville, the battle of 
Eltawa, the siege of Atlanta and the bat- 
tle of Pumpkin Vine Run, Ga., together 
with a large number of skirmishes, in all 
of which he proved a valiant and fear- 
less soldier, always found at his post of 
duty. After being discharged from the 
army, Mr. Thompson returned to Car- 
roll township, where he again engaged in 
farming, which occupation he has made his 
life work, and he is still a resident of his 
native township. There he was married 
July 4, 18G9, to Miss Rebecca Brown, 
daughter of Daniel and Melissa J.Brown. 



By this union there is one child — ^William 
EeRoy, born July 9, 1882. 

In politics Mr. Thompson generally 
supports the men and measures of the 
Democratic party, though he is not strictly 
partisan, and has served his fellow citi- 
zens as township assessor two terms, and 
school director three years. He and 
his family attend the United Brethren 
Church. He is a practical, self-made 
man, having, by energy and perseverance, 
secured his own financial success. 
Equipped by nature with strong intel- 
lectual endowments and rugged physical 
powers, he has worked his way upward, 
and, possessing a sterling honesty which 
characterizes his conduct in all the offices 
of life, he has won a high place in the 
esteem and confidence of his fellowmen. 



JOHN H. WENDT is an enterprising 
and popular merchant and fruit 
grower of Danbury township, Ot- 
tawa county, of which township he 
is a native, having been born October 2, 
1853, on the homestead where he still re- 
sides. 

His early life was passed amidst the 
surroundings of a comfortable home and 
fond, indulgent parents' care. He re- 
ceived the advantages of a liberal com- 
mon-school education, and at an early 
age adopted farming for his life vocation, 
which he still continues to follow. In 
1887, in connection with agricultural pur- 
suits, he also began merchandising at 
Marblehead Junction, and by his straight- 
forward business principles has built up a 
large and increasing trade, and established 
an enviable record for honesty and fair 
dealing. In 1887 he was appointed post- 
master at Danbury, which position he 
filled seven years to the satisfaction of 
all concerned. 

In Danbury, November 15, 1882, 
John H. Wendt was married to Miss Ma- 
tilda Meter, a daughter of Christian and 
Dorothy Meter, both natives of Germany, 



566 



CO-VifEVORATrrE BTOCfRAPmCAL RECORD. 



the former of whom is deceased, the lat- 
ter still making her home in Danbury 
township. Mr. and Mrs. Wendt have 
three children: Lydia S., born May iS, 
18S3; William H., born February 19. 
1S85; and Clara, born February 22. 1SS9. 
Politically, our subject affiliates with the 
Republican party, while in relig:ious faith 
he and his family attend the Lutheran 
Church. He is one of the live progres- 
sive men of Danburv township, a good 
friend and desirable neighbor. The pleas- 
ant social and hospitable qualities of Mr. 
and Mrs. Wendt are widely known, and 
they enjoy the esteem and respect of all 
in their community to a marked degree. 

Herman Wendt. the father of our sub- 
ject, was bom in the Pro\nnce of Han- 
over. Germany. April 14. 1827. was edu- 
cated in his native land, where he also 
learned the trade of a cabinet maker. In 
1S45 he landed on the shores of the 
New World, and for about a year after his 
arrival worked at his trade in New York 
City. He came to Ohio in i S46. and for 
a few years was employed at the coopers 
trade at the Plasterbed Mills in Portage 
township. Ottawa county. In 1S51 he 
located in Danbury township, where he 
followed farming until his death, which 
occurred on the 6th of February. 1S94. 
He was a true friend, a good neighbor, a 
loving husband and a kind, indulgent 
father, and his memory will long be cher- 
ished by those who knew him best. 

Herman Wendt was twice married, 
his first union being with Mrs. Anna 
Marie Brauer. the widow of Henry Brau- 
er, and of the four children born to this 
union, three are still living, namely: 
Christina, born April iS. 1850, is the wife 
of Angelus Hauschild, of Salem township. 
Ottawa county: Anna, born November 
18. 1851, is the wife of Henry Windish. 
of Carroll township. Ottawa county: and 
John H.. who forms the subject of this 
brief sketch, is the third child. His 
mother died on the 21st of September. 
1855. The father later wedded Miss 



Rachel Schwartz, a native of Germany, 
and to them were bcrn three children, 
one of whom still survives — John .\. . born 
July 1 8. 1857, makes his home in Chica- 
go. Mrs. Wendt passed awav June 5, 
187--. 



M 



KS. MARIAR E. NELLIS. In 
a record devoted to the repre- 
sentative people of a county the 
ladies who have borne their 
part in public work are also deserving of 
mention, and prominent among this class 
is the one whose name opens this sketch. 
She is a most capable business woman, 
and is successfully carrying on a farm of 
more than 200 acres, superintending its 
cultivation and its management and mak- 
ing it one of the neatest and most valua- 
ble countn.- homes in this section of the 
State. 

Mrs. Nellis is a daughter of Isaac W. 
and Lucy Ann (Lewisl Ingraham. and was 
born in Harris township. Ottawa county. 
March 26, 1853. Her father was born 
July 22, 1827, in Connecticut, and came 
with his parents to Ohio, where he is still 
living, on a farm that belongs to Mrs. Nel- 
lis. His wife was born June 23. 1836. in 
New York, and they were married in the 
Buckeye State. November 30. 1S51. 
Eleven children were born of this union, 
namely: Mariar E. : Calista. wife of G. H. 
Damschroeder: Flora, wife of David Mc- 
Gowan; Gleny. who died at the age of one 
year: Theodore: Arnold W. : Ruth, who 
died in infancy: Eunice, wife of George 
Hotmer: and three that died in infancy 
unnamed. Benjamin Ingraham, the pa- 
ternal grandfather of Mrs. Nellis, was born 
in 1779. and died in 1869. He followed 
farming the greater part of his life, and 
reared a family of thirteen children, eight 
of whom have families of their own. Ben- 
jamin Ingraham. Sr. . father of Benjamin 
Ingraham. came to .America on the •• May- 
flower." Sallie Maria Fuller, the mater- 
nal grandmother of Mrs. Nellis, was bom 




jUc<^i^ (f y/'d'L 



VOMMEMOnATIVE BIOORAPmCAL RECORD. 



567 



in Bristol county, Mass., May lo, 1807, 
and was one of the eight children of Jo- 
seph Fuller, who fought in the war of 
1 81 2. His father was one of the Revolu- 
tionary heroes, and was one of the famous 
band who participated in the "Boston 
Tea Party," when the British tea was 
thrown into the harbor. Miss Fuller was 
married in 1S2S to Lyman Lewis, and 
they became the parents of eight children, 
four born in New York and four in Ohio. 
The father died in 1845, and in 1S48 the 
mother became the wife of George 
Fletcher, b}' whom she had one son. Mr. 
Fletcher died in 1857. On May 10, 18S9, 
Grandma Fletcher celebrated her eighty- 
second birthday, in which celebration 
twenty-one grandchildren and twenty-five 
great-grandchildren participated. Two of 
her sons and one son-in-law were in the 
war of the Rebellion. The family has 
long been prominently connected with this 
locality, and Mrs. Nellis' father helped to 
grade the Lake Shore & Michigan South- 
ern railroad. He has also cradled wheat 
on the site of the depot at Elmore, and is 
numbered among the honored pioneer set- 
tlers of Ottawa county. 

Mrs. Nellis obtained her education in 
a countrj' schoolhouse that stands on the 
farm which she now owns. W'hen six- 
teen years of age she began to earn her 
own living, and displayed the remarkable 
business ability which has always charac- 
terized her. She was emplo3ed in a 
tailor shop until about nineteen years of 
age, and then began doing housework. 
On May 5, 1874, she became the wife of 
Cyrus T. Nellis, of Elmore, and the first 
six months of their married life were 
passed in Elmore, during which time Mr. 
Nellis erected buildings on their farm 
north of the village. In the autumn they 
removed to the new home, where they 
lived four years, in the meantime pur- 
chasing the farm upon which Mrs. Nellis 
is now living, and still retaining posses- 
sion of the other. The present home ad- 
joins the corporation limits of Elmore, 

36 



and on the place stands a beautiful brick 
residence and barns and outbuildings 
which are models of convenience. All the 
improvements of a model farm may be 
found there, and have been secured en- 
tirely through the efforts of Mrs. Nellis. 
When Mr. Nellis had the large barn well 
under construction he lost his mind and 
insanity caused him to attempt his own 
life by trying to hang himself in the new 
barn, which was unfinished. He was 
then, on October 28, 187S, taken to the 
hospital at Columbus, where he remained 
one year. During that time Mrs. Nellis 
completed the buildings which were then 
in process of erection. On his return Mr. 
Nellis began preparations for a fine brick 
residence, and had the foundations laid 
when his mind again became unsettled, 
and he was once more taken to Columbus, 
remaining there six years, after which he 
was transferred to Toledo. The work of 
completing the home then fell to his wife, 
and with indomitable energy and perse- 
verance she has carried forward the enter- 
prise, and to-day has one of the most 
beautiful homes in Ottawa county. [On 
September 25, 1895, since the above was 
written, by some cause unknown, Mrs. 
Nellis' barns, three in number, caught fire 
and were totalh' destroyed together with 
all the contents, her own property as well 
as that of her father, including the latter's 
two span of horses, the best in the coun- 
ty. By November 6, 1895, she had man- 
aged to have a new barn erected.] 

The family of Mrs. Nellis numbered 
three children, the eldest of whom died 
in infancy; Dow L. , born March 20, 1878, 
has acquired a good literary education in 
the public schools of Elmore, and now 
aids his mother in the care of her prop- 
erty; the youngest, Bede C. , born Sep- 
tember 16, 1881, is attending school in 
Elmore, and has also studied music. The 
family is one of prominence in the com- 
munity, having many warm friends, and 
Mrs. Nellis commands the respect and ad- 
miration of all by the masterly way in 



568 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



which she has carried forward her busi- 
ness interests. A thorough lady, she yet 
has the business ability which character- 
izes usually the sterner sex. 



HUGH SMITH, an old and highly 
respected resident of Danbury 
town ship, Ottawa county, is a na- 
tive of the Emerald Isle, born in 
County Monaghan, about the year 1825. 
His parents, James and Alice (Burns) 
Smith, were also born in the same coun- 
try, and passed away in their native land. 
The subject of this review received a 
limited education in the schools of Ire- 
land, and from his early youth has been 
engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1847 
he left his native land, going to Scotland, 
and for about seven years resided in Glas- 
gow and Busby. He worked at farming 
and in a print factory until, deciding to 
try his fortune in America, he took pass- 
age, June 17, 1854, on a sailing vessel, 
which reached Quebec, Canada, in August 
of the same year, after a voyage of two 
months. From there he at once pro- 
ceeded to Ohio, locating in Marblehead, 
Danbury township, Ottawa county, where 
he worked in the plaster quarries for about 
a year. The succeeding three years were 
spent in the same line of business at Ca- 
tawba Island and Plasterbed. About 1 86 1 
he removed to Kelley's Island, Sandusky 
county, where he also worked in the quar- 
ries some three years. In 1861 he pur- 
chased his present farm near Lakeside, 
making it his home continuously since, 
and for some time past he has devoted his 
time and energy to fruit growing on an 
extensive scale. 

Mr. Smith was married in Sandusky 
City, in February, 1855, to Alice Boylan, 
a daughter of James and Nancy (Mat- 
thews) Boylan, who were natives of 
County Cavan, Ireland, and are both 
now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Smith be- 
came the parents of ten children, (i) 



Mary, the eldest, born September 2 3, 1855, 
became the wife of Robert McKinney, a 
native of Rochester, N. Y. , who died 
October 12, 1889, leaving three chil- 
pren — Alice, Isabel, and Jeanette; Mrs. 
McKinney was married November 6, 1 894, 
to Francis Thomson, and they now re- 
side at Lakeside. (2) Hughie died in in- 
fancy. (3) Alice, born March 8, 1859, 
married James Connolly, and passed away 
November 27, 1 893, leaving a husband and 
two children — Alice and Mary — to mourn 
theloss of a faithful wife and loving mother. 
(4) James, born January 12, 1861, resides 
near Marblehead, Ohio; he married Miss 
Annie McMahon, a native of Ireland, and 
they have a family of six children, namely: 
Mary, James W., Isabel, Walter, John 
and Alice Margaret. (5) Hugh, born July 
12, 1863, died December 12. 1894. (6) 
John B., born August 5, 1865, is a resi- 
dent of Lakeside; he was married No- 
vember 29, 1888, to Miss Bridget Rowan, 
a native of Ireland, and they have three 
children, named respectively — Henry M. 
and Elizabeth (twins), born May i 5, 1889, 
and William P., born May 15, 1892. (7) 
Henry, born September 6, 1867, and (8) 
Lillian, born December 23, 1869, are at 
home. (9) Catherine, born January 27, 
1872, is the wife of George Connolly, a 
resident of Port Clinton, Ohio, and had 
two children — George G. and Clarence 
C, the former born October 7, 1893, 
died December 26, 1894, the latter born 
February 10, 1895. (10) William T., born 
October 6, 1870, died March 19, 1889. 
The mother of this family was called to 
her final rest in 1892, and her death was 
widely and deeply mourned. 

In his political views Mr. Smith is in- 
dependent, voting for the man rather than 
the party, and he and his family are con- 
sistent members of the Roman Catholic 
Church. Though well advanced in years 
he is still hale and hearty, and retains con- 
siderable of the vigor of his youth, attend- 
ing daily to his fine fruit orchard. He has 
led a busy life, and his success is the re- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



569 



ward of his own labors. Genial and social 
in disposition, he is highly esteemed as a 
friend and neighbor. 



JULIUS M. PETERSON, a substan- 
tial farmer of Benton township, Ot- 
tawa county, is a son of Peter and 
Hanna (Hansen) Peterson, and was 
born at Port Clinton, Portage township, 
Ottawa Co., Ohio, May 3, 1859. 

Peter Peterson, our subject's father 
was born in Schleswig, Germany, in 1825, 
and on June 18, 1848, was united in mar- 
riage with Hanna Hansen, who was born, 
in 1823, also in Schleswig, Germany. 
They had nine children, three of whom 
are now living, as follows: Julius M., 
whose name introduces this sketch; Wdl- 
iarn, who lives in Arkansas, and Sophia, 
now Mrs. Carstensen, of Oak Harbor, 
Salem township, Ottawa county. Peter 
Peterson came to America in 1855, and 
located in Danbury township, Ottawa 
Co., Ohio, thence moving to Port Clinton, 
and in 1861 coming to Benton township, 
where he settled in Section 31, cleared a 
farm of sixty-two acres, built a barn and 
fenced thp land, being assisted by his 
children. 

Julius M. Peterson, the subject of 
these lines, was about two years of age 
when his parents brought him to Benton 
township and, later, he attended the pub- 
lic schools of Elliston, Benton township, 
receiving a business education that has 
helped him in his life work since. On 
September 7, 1881, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Dora Braun, of Clay 
township, Ottawa county, and they have 
had eight chiUlren, their names and dates 
of birth being as follows: Julia, Novem- 
ber 22, 1882; Leora, April i, 1884; Ed- 
ward, September 10, 1885; Mabel, May 6, 
1887; Ora, March 3, 1889; Eliza, August 
23, 1890; Gertrude, February 7, 1892; 
and Hazel, May 8, 1894. Mrs. Peter- 
son's father, Adam Braun, was born in 
Hessen, Germany, in 1805; her mother, 



Margaret (Brandt), was born in Hessen, 
Germany, in 1S19. They were married 
in 1 836, and had eleven children, of whom 
five are now living, as follows: Dorathea 
(Gerlach), of Lorain county, Ohio; Jus- 
tus Braun, of Ottawa county; Henry 
Braun, of Lorain county, C3hio; Eva 
(Truman), of Toledo, Ohio; and Dora, 
now the wife of the subject of this sketch. 
She was born September 7, 1858, in Hes- 
sen, Germany, where she lived until four 
years old, when she came to America 
with her parents, who settled in Lorain 
county, Ohio, residing there seven years, 
and then removing to Clay township, Ot- 
tawa county, where the daughter Dora 
lived until her marriage. 

Immediately after his marriage Mr. 
Peterson took his father's farm to work 
for three years. In 1885 he went to Ar- 
kansas where he remained only a few 
months, making the trip mainly for his 
health, which, however, he did not fully 
recover until two years after his return. 
He then, in 1887, went to North Am- 
herst, Lorain county, and was engineer 
in a flour-mill there for two and a half 
years, after which he removed to Benton 
township, where he now lives and farms 
110 acres of land, dealing somewhat in 
stock, mainly hogs, which he sells to local 
buyers. He and his. wife are highly- 
esteemed citizens of Benton township, 
and are training up a family of children 
to good citizenship and usefulness in the 
world, work ranking among the noblest of 
parental duties. In society Mr. Peterson 
ranks high among the Grangers, being 
one of the founders of Benton Grange, 
P. of H., and is prominent among the 
Odd Fellows. In politics Mr. Peterson 
is a liberal Democrat. 



JOHN H. OVERMYER is one of the 
esteemed and representative citizens 
of Washington township, Sandusky 
county, and it is with pleasure that 
we present to our readers the record of 



570 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



his life, knowing that it will be received 
with interest, for his friends are many. 
He was born July 20, 18 19, in Pennsyl- 
vania, son of Samuel and Elizabeth 
(Hoke) Overmyer, who were also natives 
of the Keystone State, and in 1834 
came to Ohio, locating in Washington 
township, Sandusky county, on the farm 
which is now owned by our subject. 
There they spent their remaining days. 

John H. Overmyer received but lim- 
ited school privileges. When only ten 
years of age he came to Ohio, and this 
region, being then on the frontier, afford- 
ed few advantages to its residents. His 
training at farm labor, however, was not 
meager, and he was soon familiar with 
the arduous task of developing wild land. 
He worked with his father up to the time 
of the latter's death, and then inherited 
the old homestead, a valuable property, 
which is accounted one of the best farms 
in tiis locality. He has made farming 
his life work, and the evidence of his 
labor is seen in the highly improved place 
which he to-day owns. 

The domestic relations of Mr. Over- 
myer have been of the most pleasant 
character. On January 24, 1856, he 
was married to Miss Mary Boyer, who 
was born December 25, 1833, daughter 
of John and Catherine (Smith) Boyer, 
and of this union were born eleven chil- 
dren, a brief record of whom is as follows: 
(i) Barbara E., born January 2, 1857, is 
the wife of David Miller; they were mar- 
ried October 27, 1881. and have four 
children — Wesley, born October i 5, 1883; 
Rosella, December 5, 1885; Harry, Oc- 
tober 14, 1888, and Lula, April 14, 1894. 
(2) Mary E., born September 24, 1859, 
was married September 1 3, 1 892, to Jeffer- 
son Notstin, and children as follows were 
born to them — a daughter, born August 
30, 1893, died in infancy; and Berl Em- 
erson, born June 6, 1895. (3) Catherine 
A., born November 23, i860, was mar- 
ried December 17, 1885, to Fred Gnep- 
per, who was born May 12, 1859, son of 



Ernst and Mary Gnepper, and children as 
follows have blessed this union — J. V., 
born December 18, 1886; P. ^^., January 

30, 1889; A. F. , January 21, 1891; and 
M. F., April 6, 1894. (4) Amos A., 
born November 6, 1862, was married June 
16, 1892, to Emma Hetrick, and they 
have two children — Clyde, born January 

31, 1893; and Ray F. , November 30, 
1894. (5) Alvin S , born October 9, 
1864, was married December 15, 1887, 
to Edessa Lattig, and two children were 
born to them — a son on May 16, 1892, 
died, in infancy; and R. Ruth, born 
April 24, 1895. (6) Susanna, Born April 
28, 1867, died May 27. 1883. (7) 
Celesta, born November 8, 1869, was 
married March 19, 1891, to Alfred D. 
Hetrick, and two children blessed their 
union — Lloyd E., born July 14, 1892, 
died July 30, 1893; and Vida, born Sep- 
tember 3, 1894. (8) Elam, born Febru- 
ary 15, 1873. (9) Festus, born March 
23, 1876. The two other children died 
in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Overmyer 
have also an adopted daughter, named 
Mabel Overmyer, who was born May 25, 
1880. 

Mr. Overmyer and his sons are sup- 
porters of the Republican party. The 
family is one of prominence in the com- 
munity, and its members are highly es- 
teemed for their genuine worth. The 
long life of our subject has been well 
spent. He has ever been true to all 
trusts, whether public or private, and 
those who know him best are his warm- 
est friends. 



GEORGE MALLORY is one of the 
extensive fruit growers of Marble 
Head, Ottawa county. Promi- 
nent among the brave old pio- 
neers of Danbury township stands this 
worthy citizen, who is deserving of more 
than a passing notice in this volume. 
His birth occurred in Newtown, Fairfield 
Co., Conn., December 27, 1823, and he 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPniCAL RECORD. 



571 



is a son of Nathaniel and Laiirena fFoote) 
Mallory, wiio were both also natives of the 
Nutmeg State. Of the family of four 
children, George was the only one to lo- 
cate in Ohio, while his sister and two 
brothers are still supp(«ed to reside in 
Connecticut. The father died in Au- 
gust, 1825, and in 1S30 George went to 
live with an uncle. 

The education of our subject was 
very limited, as in boyhood and early 
youth his time was almost entirely occu- 
pied in laboring for his imcle and his only 
opportunity for attending school each 
year being the short winter term, while 
ofttimes not even then could he be spared 
from the farm duties. He is a thorough, 
practical fanner as his well-cultivated 
lands bear evidence, and for the past 
twenty years almost his entire attention 
has been devoted to fruit growing. In 
September, 1843, he located on Catawba 
Island, there being at that time but twen- 
ty-two voters on the Island. For seven 
years he there engaged in agricultural 
pursuits, and in 1850 he sold that place, 
purchasing his present farm in Danbury 
township, upon which he has now made 
his home for over forty-five years. 

In that township, on May 18, 1845, 
Mr. Mallory was married to Miss Cather- 
ine D. Hartshorne, who was born in San- 
dusky City, Erie Co., Ohio, March 8, 
1825, a daughter of Wyatt and Jane 
(Kelly) Hartshorne. Their union was 
blessed with five children, three of whom 
are yet living: Eli/;aJ., born November 
15, 1850; Hattie M., born April 3, 1853, 
married to F. A. Rice, February 6, 1883, 
and resides at Lakeside, Ohio; and George, 
born September 23, 1865. The mother 
of this family passed from earth July 27, 
1892. Her father had come to Ohio in 
1 8 10, and two years later located in Erie 
county, where in 1824 he married Jane 
Kelly. Later he removed to Danbury 
township, and here resided up to the 
time of his death. He was one of Otta- 
wa county's most progressive and popu- 



lar agriculturists, and was a highly es- 
teemed citizen. His faithful wife still 
survives him at the advanced age of 
ninety years, and makes her home with a 
daughter in Sandusky City. 

Mr. Mallory is one of the few remain- 
ing pioneers of the county, who has been 
spared to see the wild timber land give 
place to fertile farms, and the untutored 
Indian and wild animals of the forest 
vanish before the inevitable march of 
civilization, while his personal unswerv- 
ing integrity and general rectitude through 
life has gained for him an enviable repu- 
tation in the commimity where he is best 
known. In his political principles he has 
always been a stanch Republican, and the 
family attend the Congregational Church. 



WILLIAM WONNELL. Among 
those who follow farming and 
fruit growing in Portage town- 
ship, Ottawa county, and well 
deserve mention among the leading citi- 
zens of the community is Mr. Wonnell. 
Born December 28, 1832, in the 
township which is still his home, he is a 
son of Isaac and Margaret (Shook) Won- 
nell, the former of whom was born in 
Maryland, June 18, 18 10, and died Feb- 
ruary 18, 1875, while his wife, to whom 
he was married February 16, 1832, was 
born in Pickaway county, Ohio, August 
18, 1814, and died February 2, 1895. 
Both became early settlers of Ottawa 
county, the Shook family locating in Port- 
age township about 1825, the Wonnell 
family a short time afterward. John 
Shook, father of Mrs. Wonnell, died 
April 20, 1865, at the age of seventy-five, 
and his wife Susanna passed away March 
3, 1856, at the age of si.xty-two; the 
mother of our subject died at the ad- 
vanced age of eighty years. Mr. and Mrs. 
Wonnell had a family of seven children, 
namely: William; Samuel, born March 24, 
1834, and died January 5, 1858; Su- 
sanna, born November 8, 1835, and die^ 



572 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHWAL RECORD. 



November 4, 1836; Margaret, born De- 
cember 9, 1837, and died October 17, 
1 861; Sarah, born February 19, 1842, 
and died October 10, 1893; Daniel, born 
December 13, 1843, and died September 
26, 1849; and Ephraim, born January 8, 
1850. The eldest and the youngest are 
now the only surviving members of the 
family. 

William ^^'onnell acquired his educa- 
tion in the district schools of the town- 
ship, and since earl)- life has devoted his 
energies to agricultural pursuits, while for 
the past twelve years he has also exten- 
sively engaged in fruit growing. His 
labors were interrupted, however, by his 
enlistment in his country's service May i, 
1864, with the one-hundred-day men of 
Company K, One Hundred and Thirty- 
ninth Ohio V. I. During his service he 
was stationed at Point Lookout, Md., 
and after being discharged he returned to 
his home, where he resumed farming. 

Mr. Wonncll was married March 26, 
1 86 1, to Mary S., the estimable daughter 
of Joshua C. and Stila (Shirley) Martin. 
Her father was born in the Mohawk Val- 
ley, New York, in 1 806, and was of En- 
glish lineage, while her mother was born 
in Almeda county, N. Y. , October 13, 
1 8 1 1 , of American parentage. The grand- 
parents of Mrs. Wonnell removed from 
the latter county to Ohio, in 181 7, and af- 
ter living in Erie county, for a short time 
took up their residence in Danbury town- 
ship, Ottawa county, where they both 
passed away. Joshua Martin was one of the 
first settlers of Erie county, and was a sea 
captain, sailing on the lakes for many years, 
during which time he resided in Sandusky 
county. He died December 23, 1840, his 
wife on January 28, 1885, at the age of 
seventy-tive years, three months and thir- 
teen days. She removed to the Penin- 
sula when a young girl with her parents 
who located near Lakeside, which at that 
time was mainly the home of the Indians. 
She endured many trials and hardships 
incident to the frontier, and lived a noble 



Christian life. In 1S31 she became the 
wife of J. C. Martin, who died nine\ears 
later, and a year after married Elijah 
Nichols, whose death occurred ten years 
later. In 1858 she became the wife of 
James Metcalf, who survived her about 
two weeks, dying at the very advanced age 
of ninety-two. In 1843 Mrs. Metcalf be- 
came a member of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, and her exemplary life was in 
harmony with her profession. She reared 
eleven children, including two adopted 
children and one grandson. Her devo- 
tion to her family was unceasing, and she 
had not only their love and esteem, but 
also the high regard of all who knew her. 
Mrs Wonnell, who was born in Ohio, 
October 11, 1840, is the only surviving 
member of the family. By her marriage 
she has become the mother of four chil- 
dren, only one of whom is now living — 
Maggie Estelle, born November 5, 1865. 
The youngest child died in infancy; Ella 
May, born December 25, 1S61, died July 
31, 1S83; William Courtland, born April 
14, 1863, died November i, 1888. Mr. 
Wonnell is a member of George R. Mc- 
Ritchie Post, No. 524, G. A. R. In poli- 
tics he is a stalwart Republican, and has 
served as school director and supervisor 
for several terms. He and his family at- 
tend the Methodist Episcopal Church, of 
which he is a consistent member. His 
friendship is prized most by those who 
know him best, a fact which indicates a 
well-spent and honorable life. 



WILLIAM G. MILLER, a most 
prominent fruit grower of Dan- 
bury township, Ottawa county, 
was born December 13, 1859, 
on the old homestead farm which is still 
his place of abode, and throughout the 
community in which he has always lived 
he is held in high regard, a fact which in- 
dicates a well-spent life. 

Descended from German ancestry, 
the family was founded in America by 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



573 



Claus Miller, the father of our subject, 
who was born in the Province of Han- 
over, June 2, 1 82 I, and emigrated to this 
country in 1838', locating in New York 
City, where he engaged in the grocery 
business until 185 1. In that year he 
came to Ohio, and took up his residence 
in Danbury township, Ottawa county, 
casting in his lot with its early settlers. 
Here he successfully engaged in agricul- 
tural pursuits until his death, which oc- 
curred May 2, 1880. He was married 
in New York City. June 2, 1847, to Kath- 
rina Buck, who was born in the Province 
of Hanover, Germany, August i, 1824, 
and with her parents crossed the briny 
deep in 1840. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller 
were born five children: Anna C. , who 
was born in New York, April 2, 1848, is 
now residing in Toledo, Ohio; John H., 
born in the same place, March 11, 185 i, 
was a prominent farmer and fruit grower 
of Danbury township, Ottawa county, 
and died April 20, 1894, leaving a widow 
and two sons; Herman, born March 4, 
1853, is now residing in Sandusky, Ohio; 
William G. is the ne.\t in the family; Ma- 
tilda R. , born May 5, 1862, is the wife of 
J. W. Muggy, who is living in Catawba 
Island. 

In the usual manner of farmer lads 
William G. Miller spent the days of his 
boyhood and youth and acquired his ele- 
mentary education in the district schools 
of his native township, after which he en- 
tered Oberlin College, at Oberlin, Ohio, 
where he pursued his studies four years. 
In the meantime he taught school three 
terms, and after the completion of his 
school life continued teaching several 
terms, being employed seven terms in 
Danbury township, and two on Catawba 
Island.- During this time he also followed 
agricultural pursuits on the old home- 
stead, and since 1886 he has devoted his 
entire attention to farming and fruit rais- 
ing. He now owns and operates a rich 
and well-cultivated tract of land, forty 
acres being devoted to peaches, pears and 



plums, and the neat appearance of the 
place indicates his systematic and careful 
supervision. He has made the growing 
of different kinds of fruits adapted to the 
soil a specialty, and believes in thorough 
and intensive cultivation, to obtain best 
results. 

On January 20, 1892, Mr. Miller mar- 
ried Miss Lydia Reitz, daughter of Rev. 
G. F. Reitz, who was born in Browns- 
ville, Minn., June 29. 1866, and one child 
graces their union — Helen C born No- 
vember 8, 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Miller 
attend the Lutheran Church. He is 
highly esteemed in the community, where 
he resides, for his sterling worth and 
strict integrity, and belongs to that class 
of progressive and public -spirited young 
men to which the West owes its prosper- 
ity and advancement. 



ELIHU LINDSLEY. Among the 
prosperous farmers of Carroll 
township, Ottawa county, the 
records of whose lives fill an im- 
portant place in this volume, it gives us 
pleasure to commemorate the name of the 
gentleman whose sketch is here given. 
He is a native of Ottawa county, born in 
the town where he now resides. March 14, 
1849, and is a son of Elihu and Nancy 
(Webster) Lindsley, both of English de- 
scent, the former a native of New Jersey, 
the latter of Kentucky. 

Like the majority of the young men 
of that day, our subject received but a 
limited education in the primitive log 
schoolhouseof the district, and from early 
life has been engaged in agricultural pur- 
suits. His life has been a quiet one, 
without any uncommon incidents, as he 
had no adventures as a pioneer in a new 
country, was engaged in business in a new 
town, nor has he aspired to any conspicu- 
ous office. Yet to those who know him, 
it is evident he would have been success- 
ful in any line of life as he has been in 
that which he has chosen. On March 7, 



574 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



1869, in Carroll township, he wedded 
Vashti E. Humphrey, who was born in 
Ashtabula, Ohio, January 15, 1849, and is 
a daughter of Henry and Catherine (Zieg- 
ler) Humphrey. To this union have come 
eight children, as follows: Charles H., 
born May 10, 1870, now makes his home 
in Ashtabula; Katie O. I., born August 12, 
1872, is the wife of Albert Gyde, of Car- 
roll township; Florence A., born January 
15, 1875, is the wife of Elliott Whipple, 
of the same township; Kalph B., born De- 
cember 9, 1876, is residing in Ashtabula; 
Lelila M. was born February 3, 1879; 
Wesley R. was born January i, 1881; 
Bertha M. was born November 15, 1882; 
and Laura M. was born July 16, 1885. 

Mr. Lindsley is a prominent citizen, 
especiallj' as a leader in such good deeds 
as need sympathy, active work and be- 
nevolent contribution — in fact, his whole 
life has been an example of what princi- 
ple, square dealing and honesty can ac- 
complish. He and his famih' are faith- 
ful attendants of the United Brethren 
Church, and are held in the highest esteem. 
Though no office seeker, Mr. Lindsey has 
been called upon by his fellow citizens to 
serve as school director and constable of 
his township, and he served as trustee of 
his township a number of years. 



JOHN F. RUDY, who for some time 
has been mail agent at Limestone, 
Ottawa county, is a native of Penn- 
sylvania, born in the town of Lan- 
caster, July 14, 1 83 1, son of Theophilus 
and Elizabeth (Frittz) Rudy. 

The parents of our subject were both al- 
so born in Pennsylvania, the father in about 
1 8 10, and of their family five are still liv- 
ing — three sons and two daughters — all 
but John F. living in Pennsylvania, where 
the mother also makes her home. The 
father died in that State May 29, 1894. 
Mr. Rudy's maternal grandfather, John 
Frittz, was born in Pennsylvania, and 
lived to be seventy-five years old; the 



grandmother, who was some years his 
junior, died at a comparatively early age. 
The great-grandmother, Mrs. Merrick, 
was born in Philadelphia in 1754, and 
lived to the extraordinary age of one hun- 
dred and five years and five days. 

John F. Rudy attended the district 
schools until fifteen years of age, when he 
commenced to work, turning over his 
wages to his father until of age. In his 
Nouth he learned the blacksmithing trade, 
but he has never devoted himself to it, 
preferring farming and other work. At 
the age of nineteen he married Miss Liz- 
zie Porter, of Pennsylvania, and this mar- 
riage has been blessed with two children: 
Emma, born May 6, 1861, and Ida, born 
in 1867, the last named dying in infancy. 
Emma is married and lives in Pennsylva- 
nia, where her husband, Mr. Wilco.x, is act- 
ively engaged in the tobacco business. Af- 
ter marriage Mr. and Mrs. Rudy lived at his 
father's for two years, after which he 
worked by the day among farmers in his 
native State for two years, or until 1863, 
when he came west to Ohio, locating in 
Clark county. Early in 1865 Mr. Rudy 
entered the war of the Rebellion, enlist- 
ing in Company I, One Hundred and 
Ninety-seventh O. V. I., with which he 
served to the close of the conflict. He 
was never in any hard-fought battles dur- 
ing his service, and the command was just 
on its way to assist in the siege of Rich- 
mond when the news of its surrender 
reached them. During his absence Mrs. 
Rudy was in Pennsylvania with her people. 

After his return from the army Mr. 
Rudy farmed six months in Ohio, and 
then went to Pennsylvania to visit his 
parents, remaining there one year, after 
which he traveled for a time through 
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. He finally 
took a position at Cincinnati, Ohio, as 
clerk on a steamer on the Ohio river, 
which he held one year, and subsequently 
farmed near Dayton for three years. Af- 
ter making another trip to Pennsj'lvania 
to visit his parents, he traveled exten- 




^' 



f^L^ ^ /i<^ 



I 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



575 



sively throughout the United States, and 
on March 9, 1892, he came to Ottawa 
county, Ohio, taking up his residence in 
Limestone, where since 1892 he has been 
mail agent, and he is comfortably sit- 
uated. In Benton township and vicinity 
he enjoys the respect of all who know 
him as a useful citizen; socially, he is also 
well-known, holding membership with 
George Fields Post No. 168, G. A. R. , in 
which he is chaplain, is a member of Ben- 
ton Grange, in which he is also chaplain; 
and of the Soldiers Union of Ottawa 
county. 



OLIVER J. TRUE, retired railroad 
contractor and builder, whose 
home has been in Port Clinton, 
Ottawa county, since 1864, is a 
native of New York State, born June 12, 
1827, in the city of Batavia. He was the 
only son of Oliver and Sarah (Marvin) 
True, both New Englanders by birth, 
the former of whom died in the State of 
New York, the latter in Minnesota. 

Our subject received a liberal educa- 
tion at the public schools of and seminary 
in Norwalk, Ohio, after which he served 
an apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade 
under John Randolph. Completing same 
at the age of twenty-two, he commenced 
railroad work, bridge building on the 
Junction railroad, now the northern divi- 
sion of the Lake Shore & Michigan 
Southern railroad. He constructed the 
first bridge across Sandusky Bay, rebuilt 
it in 1871, and again in 1880; in fact he 
was connected with the Lake Shore & 
Michigan Southern railroad as bridge 
builder and road master, between Cleve- 
land and Toledo, for about thirty-three 
years, or until 1883, when he retired from 
the service. His home in Port Clinton 
is situated in the corner of a large fruit 
farm containing apple and peach trees in 
abundance, and 4,000 quince trees. In 
his fraternal affiliations he is a thirty-sec- 



ond-degree Freemason ; in politics a stanch 
Democrat. 

On May 15, 1849, Mr. True was mar- 
ried to Miss Eunice Sanderson, who was 
born March 12, 1829, at Brookfield, Vt., 
daughter of Ozias and Olive (Jefferson) 
Sanderson, the former of whom died in 
Indiana, the latter in Berlin Heights, 
Ohio. To this union came children as 
follows: Charles C. , born February 18, 
1850; he is a practicing physician in Cleve- 
land, Ohio, and professor of diseases of 
the nervous system in the Cleveland 
Medical College. Willis C. , born De- 
cember 29, 1852, died March 17, 1853. 
Adaleta, born July 14, 1854, died April 
15, 1894. Allen Jay is spoken of farther 
on. Edwin M., born August 18, 1861, 
is engaged in the milling business in Port 
Clinton, Ohio. George A. is also spoken 
of below. John W., born January 20, 
1869, died December 22, 1890. 

Allen Jaj' True was born in Sandusky 
City, Ohio, September 6, 1857, He at- 
tended the common schools of Port Clin- 
ton, after which he commenced an ap- 
prenticeship in the repair works of the 
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad. 
After some three years so engaged he 
learned telegraphy on the same road, 
which branch of the service he followed 
some years, part of the time as night 
operator at Danbury, Ottawa county, 
and was then (in 1879) promoted to as- 
sistant road master and tie and lumber 
inspector, on the Toledo division of the 
road. In 1884 he left the railroad, and 
buying out a general fire insurance busi- 
ness at Peru, Ind., he removed thither, 
there remaining till 1888, when he sold 
out, and returning to Port Clinton took 
charge of the agency for Ottawa county 
of the Ohio Farmers Insurance Co., in 
which he has since been successfully en- 
gaged, having the leading insurance busi- 
ness in the county. In January, 1885, 
Allen J. True was married to Miss Clara 
B. Johnson, who was born at Port Clin- 
ton, Ohio, in December, 1858, and two 



576 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



children have been born to them: John 
A. and Mary Eunice. Socially Mr. True 
is a Knight Templar, and has been mas- 
ter of O. H. Perry Lodge, Port Clinton, 
for a number of years. Politically he is 
a Democrat. 

George A. True was born December 
31, 1865, at Port Clinton, Ohio, the pub- 
lic and high schools of which city he at- 
tended, graduating from the latter in the 
spring of 1886, in the fall of which year 
he entered the high school at Ann Arbor, 
Mich., remaining there one winter. In 
the following spring and summer, having 
returned to Port Clinton, he did some 
work in the interests of the Ohio Farm- 
ers Insurance Co., and in the fall of the 
same year (1887) he commenced teaching 
the Port Clinton High School, as principal, 
a position he held some two years. In 
1890 he was appointed county school ex- 
aminer, an incumbency he has since filled, 
and, same year, commenced reading law 
in the office of T. J. Marshall, attorney 
at law. Port Clinton. After about a year 
he entered the Unisersity of Michigan, 
Ann Arbor, graduated therefrom in the 
spring of 1893; was admitted to the bar, in 
C)hio,in March, same year, and in Michigan 
in the following June. In August, 1893, he 
opened an office in Port Clinton for the 
general practice of law, was elected city 
solicitor in the spring of 1895, and still 
holds that ofifice. In politics Mr. True is 
a Democrat. He has not yet enlisted in 
the noble army of benedicts, preferring 
to disport himself for some time longer, 
at least, in the Arcadian fields of single- 
blessedness. 



GEORGE A. BEEBE, one of the 
most prominent and successful 
fruit growers and highly respected 
citizens of Danbury township, Ot- 
tawa county, was born in Columbia town- 
ship, Lorain Co., Ohio, January 3, 1836, 
to Willis and Sally (Bronson) Beebe, the 
former a native of the Empire State, the 



latter of Lorain county, Ohio. Our sub- 
ject received an elementary education in 
the schools of his native township, after 
which he attended Oberlin College, at 
Oberlin, Ohio, and in early life he learned 
the carpenter's trade, which occupation 
he followed until 1861. 

In October of that year Mr. Beebe 
became a member of Company E, Si.xty- 
fifth O. V. I., and with his regiment took 
part in many important engagements no- 
ticeable among which were the battles of 
Shiloh, Chickamauga, Buzzard Roost 
Mountain and Resaca. For four years 
he valiantly aided in the defense of his 
country, being mustered out of service at 
Nashville, Tenn. , in November, 1865, 
after which he returned to Columbia 
township, Lorain county. In the winter 
of 1865 Mr. Beebe went to Middletown, 
Conn., where, March 13, 1866, he mar- 
ried Miss Selina L. Tryon, a daughter of 
Joseph and Lucetta Tryon, and their un- 
ion has been blessed with two children: 
Gertrude L. , born May 27, 1S67, now 
teaching school in .Middletown, Conn.; 
and T. Ervin, born January 2, 1870, now 
a civil engineer in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Shortly after his marriage, in 1866, 
Mr. Beebe located in Danbury township, 
Ottawa county, and for almost thirty 
years has been one of its most progressive 
and honored residents. Of late years he 
has been extensively engaged in fruit cul- 
ture, and thoroughly understands that 
business as well as farming in all its de- 
tails, to which fact his well-cultivated 
fields, productive orchards and neat sur- 
roundings bear ample evidence. In all 
his duties of husband, father and neigh- 
bor he occupies a high place in the es- 
teem of his fellow citizens. He has never 
been a seeker after public office, but has 
efficiently filled the position of trustee of 
his township for several terms. Socially, 
he belongs to O. H. Perry Lodge, No. 
241, F. & A. M., and I. B. Richards 
Post, No. 454, G. A. R. In political 
preferences he is a Republican, and both 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



577 



he and his wife are consistent members of 
the Congregational Church, and at the 
organization of the Church in March, 
1S73, in his township, ho was elected 
clerk of the Church, and has filled that 
position till the present time. 

Willis Beebe, the father of our sub- 
ject, was born March 16, 1806, and was 
a son of Abram Beebe and grandson of 
Zera Beebe, the latter of whom was a 
lieutenant in the Colonial army during 
the Revolutionary war. The father lo- 
cated in Danbury township in 1866, with 
his sons Sherlock, George A., and Bela 
B. , and became an honored and revered 
citizen of the community, but did not live 
long to enjoy his home, dying April 25, 
1868. In Lorain count}', Ohio, March 
18, 1827, he wedded Miss Sally Bronson, 
whose birth occurred November 11, 18 10. 
She passed away October 4, 1889. By 
this union nine children were born, six of 
whom are still living, namely: Sherlock 
U., residing at Lakeside, Danbury town- 
ship; George A., subject of this sketch; 
Mary B. , widow of Norris C. North, of 
Marshall, Minn.; Miles A., the oldest 
letter carrier in the Cleveland post office 
department, and the second oldest in the 
United States; Eva B., wife of Frank G. 
Lee, of Lakeside, Danbury township; and 
Bela B., who enlisted in the One Hundred 
and Eleventh O. V. I., in 1S62, and 
served during the war. 

Sherlock Beebe, the oldest living 
member of the family, is a leading fruit 
grower of Danbury township; his orchard 
adjoining that of our subject. He was 
born in Liverpool, Medina Co., Ohio, 
June 12, 1 83 1, and received the advant- 
ages of a very liberal education in the 
select schools of his native township. He 
was reared to agricultural pursuits, and 
also engaged in fishing; but of late years 
his entire attention has been given to fruit 
culture, and his fine orchards bear evi- 
dence of the care, thrift and sound judg- 
ment of the owner, who justly enjoys the 
good will and confidence of his neighbors. 



He was married June 12, 1862, in Xenia, 
Greene Co., Ohio, to Miss Louisa L. 
Stowe, a daughter of Joseph and Mary 
Stowe, but she was called to her final 
rest on the first of the following Septem- 
ber. He is an earnest supporter of the 
Republican party, and has served as clerk 
of Columbia township one term, and for 
si.x years was justice of the peace in Dan- 
bury township; at the organization of the 
Congregational Church in Danbury town- 
ship, he was chosen as one of its deacons, 
and has held that office in the church 
continuousiy till the present time. 



FRANK BROWN, a practical 
farmer and fisherman, and a pop- 
ular and respected resident of 
Carroll township, Ottawa county, 
was born in Venice, Erie Co., Ohio, Au- 
gust II, 1S56, and is a son of Daniel and 
Melissa J. (James) Brown. He was but 
eight years old when he accompanied his 
parents to Carroll township, and when 
his farm duties would permit he attended 
the district schools of the townships where- 
in his youthful days were spent. With 
the exception of two years devoted to 
railroading, his whole life has been given 
to agricultural puisuits and to fishing. 

At Port Clinton, Ottawa county, on 
January 20, 1880, Mr. Brown was united 
in marriage with Miss Minnie Goodside, 
who was born near Dubuque, Iowa, Au- 
gust 13, 1859, and is one of a family of 
nine children born to William and Min- 
nie Goodside, seven of whom are yet liv- 
ing: William, of Bogart, Erie Co., Ohio; 
Minnie, wife of our subject; Frank, of 
Detroit, Mich. ; and Charles, Andrew, 
Clelia and Eugene, of Sandusky City, 
Ohio. Her parents located in Erie 
county, Ohio, in 1861, where they still 
reside. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. 
Brown were four children: Alvira, born 
January 16, 1881; Bertha, born June 16, 
1882; Nettie G., born March 22, 1884, 



oiS 



COMMR.VORATn'E BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



and died March 3. 1894; and George R., 
born April 4. iSS;. 

Socially. Mr. Brown is a prominent 
member of the Knights of the. Maccabees, 
while politically he is an ardent adherent 
of the men and measures of the Demo- 
cratic party, and for two terms served as 
township clerk. Thouich still a young 
mnn. he has won for himself a name and 
standing in the community in which he 
resides, that might well be envied by 
many an older man. He well deserves 
the prosperity that has rewarded his years 
of toil, and his hospitality and cheering 
manner, combined with sterling worth, 
have won for him a host of friends. 



PHILLIP VROMAN. one of the 
most progressive and highlynes- 
teemed residents, as well as the 
oldest living settler of Put in Bay- 
Island. Ottawa county, and a prominent 
and successful fruit grower, whose sur- 
roundings indicate thrift, enterprise and 
good management, was born in Otsego 
county, X. Y.. August ^.:. 1823. and is a 
son of John and Nancy ^Becker'* Woman, 
both of whom were natives of New York 
State. Their parents, who were born in 
Germany, located in New York in an 
early day in the histon." of that State, and 
their respective fathers were soldiers in 
the K .^ry war. 

W _- nine years of age our sub- 

ject removed to Canada, where for a few 
years he resided with his father's brother. 
He then went to what is now Lake county, 
Ohio, where he obtained a limited educa- 
tion, and after leaving school he sailed 
upon the lakes for several years. On 
July I. 1S44, he located in Put in Bay 
township, Ottawa county, and for over 
fifty years has been a continuous resident 
of that Island, foremost in all works per- 
taining to its improvement, and giving of 
his time and means toward all interests 
calculated to promote the general welfare. 
Shortly after his arrival here he purchased 



too acres of land, erected a substantial 
home, and for many years eng-aged in ag- 
ricultural pursuits and fishing for a liveli- 
hood; but of late years his attention has 
been more particularly devoted to fruit 
culture — his orchards and vineyards Iving 
among the finest on the island, on which 
he set the first vineyard. 

Mr. \'roman was married in Tiffin. 
Ohio, May 2. 1847, to Miss .\melia Luce. 
a daughter of Joshua and Electa ^Sander- 
son) Luce. She was iK^rn in O.xford. 
Erie Co., Ohio, March 31, 1S29, and is 
of English and Welsh lineage. The fam- 
ily lx>rn of this marriage numbers four 
sons: Daniel P.. born in Sandusky City. 
Ohio, April ^i, 1S4S, was united in mar- 
riage in Cincinnati November i, 1S71, to 
Alice Bertrand, and now resides on Put in 
Bay Island. Frank, born at Groton 
Center, Ohio, July 5. 1854. died June 23. 
1S66. George Henrj', born at Put in 
Bay February 29, 1S60, was married on 
the Island November 10, iSoi, and now 
has two children — Frank Leslie, born 
November 30, 1892; and Erma May. born 
September 7, 1894; with his family he 
now resides on the old homestead; he 
had been previously married, his first 
union being with Lottie Reynolds, by 
whom he had two children — Edna Amelia, 
born in January, 1881; and Florence, 
born Februan*- 22, 1883. The fourth 
son, Solomon Welden. was born at Put in 
Bay Deceml^er 30. 1870. and died Feb- 
ruar\- 6, 1S9!. 

Mr. Vroman purchased the first land 
ever sold on Put in Bay Island, and also 
erected the first schoolhouse on the Isl- 
and. He has been treasurer of the town- 
ship since its formation, and has been a 
prominent factor in the development of 
this region, and in making the Island 
what it is to-day, one of the most highly 
cultivated localities in northern Ohio. 
Though well advanced in years, he still 
takes an active part in all matters that 
will add to its attraction. In politics he 
affiliates with the RepubUcan party. He 



co}f}f}J3fonATrvE nroonAPiircAT. nEconn. 



679 



is an active member of the Reformed 
Episcopal Church, and superintendent of 
the Sunday-school, and enjoys a reputa- 
tion that is above rejjroach. He and his 
family have the respect and confidence of 
every resident of the county with whom 
they are acquainted, and in this volume 
well deserve representation. 



JOHN McKENZIE is a prominent 
business man of Lakeside, Ottawa 
county, proprietor of livery and 
transfer stables. Being well known 
in this community, we feel assured that 
the record of his life will prove of inter- 
est to many of our readers and f^ladly 
give it a place in this volume. He was 
born in Paisley, Scotland, July 12, 1841, 
and is a son of Neil and Mary McKenzie, 
both of whom were natives of the High- 
lands of Scotland. When he was only 
three weeks old his mother died, and 
while still a young child he went with his 
father and an aunt, and two brothers of the 
latter, to Canada. They located in Hamil- 
ton, Ontario, where our subject received a 
common-school education. His father 
died leaving him an orphan when he was 
only seven years of age. 

On the completion of his school life, 
John McKenzie drove a stage for about 
five years, and afterward engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. In 1865 he re- 
moved to Ohio, settling near Norwalk, 
in Huron county, where he carried on 
farming, and worked in a sawmill for 
about three years, then spent a similar 
period in fishing in I^ake Erie, at Huron. 
In 1 87 1 he came to Lakeside, Ohio, 
where he has since resided, and for 
twenty-two consecutive years he has held 
the position of dock master. He has 
also had extensive business relations, 
and has been a prominent official. On 
November 6. 1894. he was elected 
county commissioner on the Republican 
ticket, and has also filled the office of 



school director in Danbury township, 
Ottawa county, for several years. 

On January 7. iS/f, Mr. McKenzie 
was united in marriage with Miss Martha, 
daughter of Ilishop and Perrnelia Knapp, 
natives of the Empire State, who settled 
in Huron county, Ohio, at an early day 
in its history. They located first in 
Bronson township, where they resided 
for many years, and then removed to 
Milan, going thence to Norwalk. The 
father died about 1866, the mother in 
October, 1873. 

Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie have four 
children; Fenie was the first child born 
in Lakeside, the natal day being Febru- 
ary 23. 1874; the others are Daniel B., 
born November 17, 1875; Margery Aiken, 
born August 17, 1879; and John H., 
born April 24, 1883. The family attend 
the .Methodist Episcopal Church. In his 
political views, Mr. McKenzie is a Re- 
publican, and, socially, is connected with 
Peninsular Lrjdge, No. 607, K. of P. 
He is recognized as one of the represent- 
ative and progressive men of Ottawa 
county, his character is above reproach, 
and he and his family are highly es- 
teemed residents of Lakeside. 



JOSEPH G. TOEPPE. In the fall 
of the year 1844, prompted by a 
desire to better their condition in 
life, there came from Baden, Ger- 
many, to America, .Michael Toeppe and 
his brother, who settled near Buffalo, N. 
Y. , and engaged in farming. 

Michael Toeppe was born in Baden, 
April 15, 1813. and was married in New 
York State, in October, 185 5. to Miss Mary 
Hillinger, also a native of Baden, born 
May 18, 1830. Eight children blessed 
their union: Joseph G., our subject; 
Mary, born in January, 1859, married and 
living at Tiffin, Ohio, has one child; Will- 
iam A., bom in May, 1861, died at the 
age of twenty years; Mary, born in May, 
1863, living at home; Helen, born Au- 



580 



COMyiEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



gust 31, 1865, living in Seneca county, 
Ohio; Moyette, born in 1867, living in 
Chicago, 111. ; George and John, both 
living at home. 

Joseph G. Toeppe was born Novem- 
ber 12, 1856, in Erie county. He re- 
ceived a common-school education in the 
near vicinity of Buffalo, N. Y. , and at 
the age of twenty-six left home and em- 
barked in a general merchandise business 
in Kansas, Seneca Co., Ohio. After six 
weeks of trade he was burned out. On 
August 12, 1883, he located in Millersville, 
Ohio, where he rented a store and put in 
general supples. After two years of 
profitable trade he erected the two-story 
brick building which he now occupies. 
Mr. Toeppe is a Republican in politics, 
and a member of the Roman Catholic 
Church. He was appointed postmaster 
of Millersville, Ohio, August 10, 1 890. 
On April 17, 1887, he was married to 
Miss Mary F. , daughter of John Schock, 
a farmer of Seneca county, Ohio, and two 
children have come to them: Otto George, 
born August 30, 1891, and Mary F., 
born April 21, 1893. 



HENRY BEHRMAN is pleasantly 
located in Danbury township, Ot- 
tawa county, where he is success- 
fully conducting a fine fruit farm. 
He is a native of Germany, born in the 
Province of Hanover, March 25, 1841, 
and is a son of Henry and Mata (Lenan) 
Behrman, also natives of the same prov- 
ince. His parents are now both deceased, 
the mother having departed his life Jan- 
uary 28, 1867, the father on December 
8, 1890. In their family were three 
children, two of whom still survive. 
Henry, and his sister Gasha, wife of Al- 
bert Bahs, of Danbury, Ottawa county. 
In 1848 Mr. Behrman, the subject 
of this sketch, crossed the broad At- 
lantic to America, and located in Dan- 
bury township, where he has since made 
his home. In the common schools of 



Ottawa county he acquired his education, 
and since large enough to handle a plow 
he has followed farming. On February 
20, 1868, in Danbury township, Mr. 
Behrman was married to Miss Mary Kahrs, 
a daughter of John and Helena Kahrs 
both natives of Germany, the former of 
whom has passed away, the latter still 
living and making her home in Danbury 
township. By this union seven children 
were born, one of whom died in infancy; 
the names and dates of birth of those 
still living are Edward A., February 21, 
1 871; Martha, July 22, 1873; Hattie, 
May 7, 1876; Mary, May 18, 1878; Hel- 
ena, July 28, 1883; and Henry, Septem- 
ber 5, 1887. 

Mr. Behrman and his family attend 
the Lutheran Church, and are highly re- 
spected and esteemed as valuable mem- 
bers of the community. In politics he 
affiliates with the Democratic party. He 
is a typical self-made man, having ac- 
quired his possessions through his own in- 
dustrious efforts and good management, 
and has arisen to a prominent and in- 
fluential position in his neighborhood. 
His reputation is above reproach, and he 
may undoubtedly be classed among the 
best citizens of Ottawa county. 



CASPER FOOS, retired farmer and 
a resident of Millersville, Jack- 
son township, Sandusky county, 
was born February 20, 1826, in 
Alsace, F"rance (now Germany) a son of 
Casper and Mary (Toeppe) Foos. The 
parents of our subject came to America 
in 1842, and settled near Rochester, N. 
Y. , where the father's death occurred in 
1882, when he was aged seventy-eight 
years; the mother died seven years later 
at the age of eighty-four years. Mr. 
Foos was a member of the Roman Cath- 
olic Church, and in politics he was a 
Democrat. 

Casper Foos, the subject proper of 
these lines, who was one of a family of 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



581 



nine children, remained at home until 
his nineteenth birthday, when he started 
out for himself. He worked at different 
places and at various employments, for 
two years, and then secured a paying 
position in a distillery where he was em- 
ployed seven years, saving his earnings. 
In 1855 he moved to Jackson township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, and there bought 
forty acres of land and engaged in farm- 
ing pursuits. Five years later he bought 
one hundred acres more. 

On April 25. 1849, Mr. Foos married 
Miss Adeline Horchelar, of Rochester, 
N. Y. , daughter of John H. Horchelar, 
now deceased, as is also her mother. 
The children of Casper and Adeline Foos 
were as follows: George, Maryette, John, 
Martin (i), Helena, Anthony, Louis and 
Martin (2). In politics Mr. Foos is a 
Democrat, and has held several offices, 
being popular and well-liked in the com- 
munity. He served in Company F, 
Thirty-second Ohio Volunteers, under 
Capt. W. W. Webb, Seventeenth Corps, 
Sherman's Army. In religious faith he is 
a member of the Catholic Church. 



ELLIOTT F. PEIRCE. Among 
the leading and representative 
fruit growers of Catawba Island 
township, Ottawa county, there is 
none more prominent than the gentleman 
of whom this notice is written. He is a 
native of the Old Dominion, his birth 
having occurred in Lancaster county, 
August 22, 1857, and is a son of John A. 
and Mary E. (Cox) Peirce. When about 
twelve years of age he removed with his 
parents to Baltimore, Md., where most 
of his education was obtained in the pub- 
lic schools. 

In 1875 Mr. Peirce came to Ohio, 
locating in Carroll township, Ottawa 
county, where he engaged in agricultural 
pursuits for over a year, and in 1877 re- 
moved to Catawba Island where he spent 
five years in fruit culture. From 1882 



until 1889 he was in the employ of the 
Chicago and North Western Railroad 
Company as telegraph operator and sta- 
tion agent at Irwin, Iowa. At the end of 
that time he returned to Catawba Island, 
and after remaining there for about eigh- 
teen months, removed to Arkansas dur- 
ing the year 1890, where for two years 
he was employed as station agent by the 
Iron Mountain Railroad Company. 
Since 1892 he has been extensively en- 
gaged in fruit growing in Catawba Island 
township, and is meeting with excellent 
success. 

On September 28, 1882, Mr. Peirce 
was married to Miss Elnora H. Porter, 
who was born June 22, 1858, a daughter 
of Wheeler and Flora H. (Bearss) Porter, 
and they have one child: Wheeler R. , 
born July 25, 1883. The father of Mrs. 
Peirce was born in western Connecticut, 
May 30, 1808, and was a son of John and 
Sarah (Beers) Porter. In October, 1832, 
he located on what is now Catawba 
Island, and during his residence there re- 
sided in three different counties, though on 
the same farm, as the name was changed 
three times by reason of alterations made 
in the surveys. Dr. L. S. Porter is his 
son by his first marriage, and on Decem- 
ber 22, 1853, he wedded Miss Flora H. 
Bearss, a sister of his former wife. They 
had two daughters — Sarah A. , who was 
born December 19, 1854, and is the wife 
of Theodore S. Porter; and Elnora H., 
the honored wife of our subject. The 
father passed away April 10, 18S8; the 
mother, who was born in New Fair- 
field, Conn., December 17, 1832, still 
survives him and finds a pleasant home 
with our subject. From a local paper 
published in 1887 we glean the following 
reminiscence concerning Mr. Wheeler 
Porter: "Mr. Porter is one of the pio- 
neers of Catawba. He left Connecticut, 
September 27, 1832, and landed on his 
present farm (then consisting of 300 
acres) one month later, where he re- 
mained until the fall of 1839, when. 



582 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



becoming homesick, he sold out and 
returned to Connecticut; but the first 
line of boats the following spring 
brought him back, and he purchased lOO 
acres of his old farm where he has resided 
ever since. When he first came to Ca- 
tawba it was known as Danbury township, 
Huron count}'. There was only one 
American family on the Island at that 
time. His party consisted of eight per- 
sons, the first night was spent in a log hut 
with no fioor, door, windows or roof, ex- 
cept the heavens above. The first Thanks- 
giving Day observed on Catawba was cel- 
ebrated at Mr. Porter's house in 1833. 
The first religious service held on the 
Island was at his home down on the east 
shore in 1840. Many changes have taken 
place during his fifty-si.x years of residence 
on the Island, he has seen it change, as 
it were, from a howling wilderness to a 
garden of fruit. 

Socially, Mr. Peirce is a member of 
Ellsworth Lodge, No. 473, I. O. O. F., 
of Irwin, Iowa, and is a charter member 
of Port Clinton Lodge, No. 361, K. of 
P., to the Grand Lodge of which he was 
the first representative. In political sen- 
timent he is a stanch advocate of the men 
and measures of the Republican party, 
while, in religious faith, he and his family 
attend the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
He is one of the energetic young fruit 
growers of Catawba Island, and his farm 
is part of the old Porter homestead. He 
is pleasant and genial as a host, a general 
favorite with all who have the pleasure of 
his acquaintance, and both he and his 
wife enjoy the the respect and esteem of 
many friends and neighbors. 



JOHN WELLES. No name is bet- 
ter known or more highly revered 
throughout Ottawa county than the 
one which introduces this sketch. 
For more than thirty-five years Mr. 
Welles has been closely identified with 



the history of Martin, the thriving little 
village of which he is the founder, and 
which is indebted to him for its growth 
and prosperity. He comes of good old 
Revolutionary stock, and his life, full of 
enterprise, persistence and industry, and 
crowned with good deeds to his fellow 
men, proves the truth of the old adage, 
" blood will tell." 

John Welles was born November 13, 
1824, at Wethersfield, near Hartford, 
Conn., in the old Webb mansion, one of 
the oldest historic buildings in that State. 
The hospitality of its owners was so well 
known that it was styled "Hospitality 
Hall." It stands on Main street, in 
Wethersfield, and in 1752 was bought by 
Joseph Webb, Sr. , from Maj. Samuel 
Wolcott, for two thousand eight hundred 
pounds sterling. The father of our sub- 
ject purchased it in 1820. This home 
was on more than one occasion a resting 
place of Gen. George Washington. His 
first visit was made June 30, 1775. when 
on his way to take command of the army 
at Cambridge. He was accompanied by 
Gen. Charles Lee and other military offi- 
cers. It was at the Webb home i^lso 
that a most important military conference 
was held May 19, 1781, when Gen. 
Washington, with Count Rochanibeau 
and other French officers, outlined the 
campaign which resulted in the siege of 
Yorktown and the close of the Revolu- 
tionary war. In this house, in 1753, 
Gen. Samuel Webb was born. He was 
aid-de-camp to Gen. Putnam, wounded 
at the battle of Bunker Hill, and after- 
ward private secretary to Gen. Wash- 
ington. He was the grandfather of 
the well-known Dr. William Seward 
Webb, president general of the "Sons 
of American Revolution," and of his 
three distinguished l)rothers. Our sub- 
ject's paternal great-grandfather was a 
major in La Fayette's corps, and after- 
ward genera! of the State Militia. 

John Welles obtained his primary 
education in the schools of his native town, 




\J/i}'Z^iyt^<^ 



(^'h^-^CUj 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



583 



and was preparing to enter Yale College 
when illness intervened and prevented 
him. At the age of seventeen years he 
left home, and going to New York City 
found emplo\-ment as clerk in a whole- 
sale drj'-goods store, where he remained 
for seven years. Being a young man of 
good business ability and progressive 
ideas, he determined to start in some en- 
terprise of his own, and embarked in the 
wholesale commission business, which he 
carried on for seven years with great suc- 
cess, shipping produce, butter, etc., all 
over the Western States, chiefly to Cali- 
fornia. He once sold two shipments of 
butter, in two days — bound to California 
by way of Cape Horn, there being no 
railroads in those days — which amounted 
to $30,000. In fact he dealt so largely 
in butter that it was impossible to obtain 
a sufficient quantity of barrels in which 
to place the firkins; but this only stirred 
up the Yankee blood of Mr. Welles, and 
with true grit he determined to show the 
dealers that he was not dependent on 
them. He came to Ohio and purchased 
six thousand acres of timber land, built a 
sawmill and employed a large force of 
men cutting logs and turning them into 
lumber, staves, heading, etc., making his 
own nece.ssary utensils. He carried on 
the commission business in New York for 
a year longer, then sold out and returned 
to Ohio, where he devoted himself to the 
manufacturing of lumber, etc. 

At this time Mr. Welles established the 
now thriving little town of Martin, nam- 
ing it for his father, Martin Welles. He 
extended his business, employing from 
eighty to one hundred men, and nineteen 
teams, and continued in this work for up- 
ward of twentj'-five years, in the mean- 
time clearing his large tract of land and 
turning it into fertile fields, planting 150 
acres of corn in one season. In 1880 a 
disastrous fire swept away his entire plant 
at a loss of $13,000, on which there was 
no insurance. A new mill speedily arose, 

phcenix-like, from the ashes of the old 
37 



one, and the business was again under 
way. The fire-fiend, however, continued 
to pursue him, and in 1885^ smaller mill 
was burned, Mr. Welles hSsuig $3,000, on 
which there was but little insurance. 
After his second calamitj' he retired from 
the lumber and stave manufacturing 
business, which had not proved very 
profitable, and has since devoted his 
entire time and attention to his extensive 
farm. 

On October 6, 1863, Mr. Welles was 
married to Ada M., daughter of Rev. 
Henry Moore, and they became the par- 
ents of two children: Frances Adaline, 
born October 29, 1878, who died October 
22, 1880; and John Moore, born April 5, 
1 88 1, who is attending high school in 
Genoa. 

Martin Welles, the father of our sub- 
ject, was born in 1788, in Newington, 
Conn., read law at Hartford, where he 
practiced for a number of years, and also 
for a time in New York City. He was 
for eight years speaker of the House of 
Representatives in Connecticut, was after- 
ward a member of the State Senate, and 
was also a candidate for governor of that 
State. In political faith he was an Old- 
line Whig. He was a man of strong 
character and excellent principles, and for 
many years prior to his death he served 
as judge of the Superior Court of Con- 
necticut. About 1808 he was married to 
Miss Frances Norton, who was born in 
T791, a daughter of Reuben Norton, who 
was a merchant of Farmington, Conn. 
She became the mother of five children, 
a brief record of whom is as follows: 
Thomas Norton was born, in 18 10, in 
Newburgh, N. Y. , and received his edu- 
cation in his native town and in New York 
City, where he studied for the ministry, 
but on account of ill-health, was obliged 
to give up his plans, and in hope of 
reovering his health went to Illinois 
and took up farming; there he died in 
1852, and was laid to rest in Jubi- 
lee College Cemetery. Charles R. was 



584 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



born in 1812, in Newburgh, N. Y. , 
graduated from Yale College and read law 
at Springfield, 111. ; he was a warm per- 
sonal friend of the martj'red President, 
Abraham Lincoln, and they practiced law 
side by side in the courts; after the death 
of Mr. Welles, which occurred in 1850, at 
Springfield, Mr. Lincoln, as his e.xecutor, 
transacted all the business for Mrs. 
Welles up to the time of his leaving the 
city to take his seat in the White House. 
Julia Welles was born in the old Webb 
mansion and died in infancy. Francis 
N. Welles was also born in the old Webb 
mansion, in 1823, and was educated in 
Hartford, graduating from Yale College; 
he took his degree from the Medical Uni- 
versity of Missouri, at St. Louis, and 
practiced for a short time at Springfield, 
111., returning to Wethersfield, Conn., 
where he died June 10, 1893; he was 
married to Miss Augusta Pulsifer, of 
Rocky Hill, Conn., and they had two 
children, Dr. J. N. Welles, a dentist at 
Hartford, Conn., and Dr. F. M. Welles, 
a physician. John Welles, the subject 
proper of this sketch, is the youngest 
child. The father of this family died 
January 18, 1863, while on a visit to his 
son John, at Martin, the mother passing 
away at the old home in 1876. 

Adaline Moore, wife of our subject, 
was born February 16, 1840, in Portage 
count}', Ohio, daughter of Rev. Henry 
and Adaline (Miller; Moore. Her mother 
was born in Hartford, Conn., and was a 
minister of the Congregational Church, 
as was also her mother's father. The 
children born to this couple were as fol- 
lows: Adaline M. ; Catherine E., born 
October 16, 1841, who resides at Toledo; 
Lucetta P., born at Wayne, Ohio, in 
1849, and died in infancy; Clara, de- 
ceased in infancy; Delia, wife of the re- 
nowned Dr. Carl Von Ruch, of Asheville, 
N.C. , who graduated at Ann Arbor (Mich.) 
College, and afterward studied in Ger- 
many; Mary Alice, widow of George 
Bishoprich, who lives at St. Catharines, 



Ontario, Canada; Carrie, who died in in- 
fancy; Abbie B., residing at .Asheville, N. 
C. ; Grace, wife of William Schoenheit, of 
Asheville, N. C. ; and Henry Welles Moore, 
who studied medicine in the universities 
at Cleveland (Ohio) and Ann Arbor (Mich.) 
and is a practicing physician at Milan, 
this State. Henry Moore, the father of 
this family, died suddenly in 1890, while 
on a visit to his son-in-law. Dr. Carl Von 
Ruch, at Asheville, N. C. , and at his re- 
quest was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, 
Toledo, beside his granddaughter, Fran- 
ces Adaline Welles, daughter of our sub- 
ject. 

Mr. and Mrs. Welles are consistent 
members of the Presbyterian Church at 
Genoa, at which they are regular attend- 
ants. 

The name "philanthropist" might 
with propriety be applied to our subject, 
John Welles, for his heart and purse have 
ever been open to the call of humanity or 
the furtherance of any laudable project. 
He has always contributed freely to the 
erection of churches, schools and other 
public institutions, giving land, lumber 
and personal services, and by his wise 
counsels and judicious management has 
wrought to successful completion many 
projects for the growth and improvement 
of his community. Since the formation 
of the party he has always been a stanch 
Republican, but has never been an office- 
seeker, for though on several occasions 
he has been tendered the suffrage of the 
people he has always declined, on the 
ground that he supported his party from 
principal, and that he should never look 
for or accept office. He has in his pos- 
session several valuable heirlooms which 
date back to the time of the Revolution- 
ary war in 1775. One of them is the sub- 
joined letter, written by Gen. Alex. Gel- 
latly, an officer of the British army, to 
Mr. Seth Norton, grand-uncle of our sub- 
ject, who was a Tory, and fought on the 
side of the British in the war of the Revo- 
lution. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



585 



Mr. Seth JJorton, Connnissary General's Of- 
fice, Charleston, South Carolina. 

New York, 3 Nov., 1780. 
Dear Sir: Your favor of the 7 Sept., was 
delivered to nie on the 25 of same Month, which 
tho' short, conveyed nie the agreeable account 
of your wellfare, of which I wish a long contin- 
uance; it also gives me satisfaction to under- 
stand that your conduct meets the approbation 
of Mr. Townsend. He is a worthy man. I 
obeyed your commands to Messrs. Humphrys 
and Clayton, the former by letter, the latter in 
person. Mr. Humphrys has been stationed at 
Lords Neck ever since July in receiving For- 
age. He informed me in his last letter that he 
was in good health. Mr. Clayton desires his 
respects to you. I am sorry it is not in our 
power to communicate to you any interesting 
Intelligence: we seem here at present to lye 
upon our oars. It is from your quarter that we 
look for and expect great things, and indeed 
you have hitherto acquitted 3-ourselves like 
Brittish Heroes, and I hope that every oppor- 
tunity from you will convey us fresh additions 
to tlie Laurels already acquired by your Brave 
Noble Commander, whom I pray may be the 
happy Instrument under God of restoring 
Peace in the South. Admiral Sir George 
Bridges Rodney arrived here several weeks ago 
with ten Sail of the Line. His departure is ex- 
pected in a few days. Admiral Arbuthnott has 
the French Fleet and Army fast blocked up at 
Rhode Island; it is hoped they will both fall into 
his hands. On the 15th the first Division of 
the London Fleet arrived here with a reinforce- 
ment of Troops. No news of importance was 
broughcby this Fleet. Before now you have 
no doubt been informed of the tragical affair of 
the much lamented unfortunate Major Andre 
and of the coming in of General Arnold from 
the Rebels. The particulars of the Causes of 
both will, I dare say, have at this time transpired 
with you. I have sent Dr. Watson a few of our 
Latest News Papers: to them I refer you, for 
what is going amongst us. Our Friend Mr. 
Gillane Butler is stationed at Flushing where 
he resides with his famil3' — I shall expect to 
hear from you by first Opportunity — Wishing 
you Health and every other Blessing. I re- 
main. Dear Sir, Your Friend and Humble 
Servant, Alex. GelLatly. 

Another interesting heirloom is a solid 
mahogany bedstead, nine feet in height, 
imported from England, and a part of the 
original furniture of the old Webb man- 
sion. Gen. George Washington slept on 
this bed on more than one occasion. The 
paper which adorned the bedroom of this 
distinguished guest still remains on the 
wall in the ok! Webb mansion. The 
house still remains in good preservation 
in possession of the Welles family. 



FREDERICK BRETZ, one of the 
prominent fruit growers of Middle 
Bass, Ottawa county, was born in 
Mecklenburg, Germany, February 
8, 1843, son of John and Mary (Kulow) 
Bretz, who were both born in Mecklen- 
burg, came to America in 1853, and lo- 
cated in Sandusky, Erie Co., Ohio. 

John Bretz was engaged in business 
for a number of years in Sandusky, Ohio, 
but during his declining years lived a re- 
tired life. His death occurred April 11, 
1885, and that of his wife on December 
15, 1893. They had a family of four chil- 
dren, all now living, as follows: Frederick 
is the eldest, and is the subject of this 
sketch; Lena is the wife of August Graves, 
residing in Danbury township, Ottawa 
county; Bertha is the wife of Henry 
Foster, a hardware merchant of San- 
dusky; and Louis resides in Sandusky. 
Frederick Bretz received part of his school 
education in the Fatherland, but when ten 
years old came with his parents to Amer- 
ica, and completed his education in the 
schools of Sandusky. He then worked at 
agricultural pursuits, afterward learned 
the trade of mason and plasterer, and fol- 
lowed that occupation for about twenty 
years, being, for a part of the time, also 
engaged in fruit growing. In 1865 he 
settled on Middle Bass Island, has lived 
here ever since, and ranks to-day among 
the most prominent and honored resi- 
dents. 

At Sandusky, Ohio, May 17, 1866, 
Frederick Bretz was united in marriage 
with Caroline Burggraf, and they have had 
five children, one of whom died in in- 
fancy, four now living, as follows: Fred- 
erick, born May 29, 1867, residing in 
Cleveland, Ohio; Julia, born July 12, 
1869, wife of John Rehberg, Jr., residing 
at Put in Bay, Ottawa county; Edward, 
born January 13, 1872, living at home; 
and Herman, born Jul}' 21, 1879. Mrs. 
Bretz's parents were Mathias and Maria 
Bruggraf. Mr. Bretz has served as trus- 
tee of Put in Bay township three terms, 



58G 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



also as school director. In his political 
views he is a Republican. The family at- 
tend the Lutheran Church. 



ANDREW BECHSTEIN, a prom- 
inent grape grower and wine 
maker of Middle Bass Island, 
Put in Bay township, Ottawa coun- 
ty, was born in Hessen-Xassau, Germany, 
January 12, 1843, son of John and Mar- 
tha (Mueller) Bechestein. who were 
both also born in Hessen. Germany. 
John Bechstein, who was a farmer by 
occupation, died in February, 1887, his 
wife on March 9, 1 869. They had three 
children, namely: Andrew, the subject 
of this sketch, and George and Adam, 
both of whom are still living in Germany. 
Andrew Bechstein was reared to man- 
hood and received his education in the 
Fatherland. At the age of twenty he 
voluntarily joined the bodyguard of King 
William I, in Kassel, in which he served 
three years, and then returned to his trade 
as weaver, which he continued to follow 
together with agricultural pursuits, up to 
the time of his departure for America. In 
Germany, on April 24, 1S66, he was 
united in marriage with Fredericka Horn, 
who was born in Hessen, July 11, 1S45, 
and they have had five children, as fol- 
lows: ^lary Kathrine, born June i, 1867, 
married to Frank A. Fischer September 
6, 1888, at Detroit, Mich., and now re- 
siding at Middle Bass Island; Lawrence 
J., born January 10, 1869, was united in 
marriage with Bertha Steinle November 
26, 1895, at Sandusky, Erie county, 
Ohio, where he now resides; Emil A., 
born November 15, 1872; Andrew C. J., 
born June 20, 1S75; and Emma M. E., 
born February i, 1881. 

Mrs. Bechstein's parents were An- 
drew and Sophia (Bechstein) Horn, the 
former of whom was born in Germany 
June 16, 1S02; in 1822 he joined the 
Hunters Guard, and served ten years in 
Hessen-Kassel; in 1832 he was appointed 



Forester in Falkenberg, whence he re- 
moved to Dens, and at his own request he 
again returned to Rockensuess Hessen, 
where at his first home, he died April 2, 
1879. His wife preceded him to the 
grave bj- many years, having passed away 
when the daughter Fredericka was but an 
infant. Mrs. Bechstein still has living 
two brothers and two sisters, the elder 
brother, John Horn, being teacher and 
composer of music at Louisville, Ky. ; 
Lorenz Horn, the younger brother, is in 
the furniture business at North Amherst, 
Ohio; one sister resides in New Albany, 
Ind. , and the other at their dear old home 
in the Fatherland. 

In 1869 Andrew Bechstein came to 
America, locating in Detroit, Mich., where 
he resided two 3ears. In March, 1871, 
he removed to Middle Bass Island, and 
engaged in grape growing, having been a 
continuous resident of the Island since. 
In politics he is a Republican. The 
family attend the Evangelical Protestant 
Church. 



A 



LBERT W. SADDORIS, fisher- 
man, of Point Locust, is a native 
of Carroll township, Ottawa coun- 
ty, born at Point Locust, Jan- 
uary 5, 1856. 

His parents, Elias and Eliza Melissa 
(Root) Saddoris, were both natives of 
Ohio, the former born in Holmes county, 
July 25, 1827, and the latter in Huron 
county, on December 14, 1835. In their 
family were five children, namely: James 
W. , born February 2, 1854, is a promi- 
nent farmer of Carroll township: Albert 
W. is the ne.xt in order of birth; Mary E., 
born September 6, 1S60, is the wife of 
James Floral, who resides in Port Clin- 
ton; Theodore E., born in November, 
1S62, died in infancy; Eunice, born Feb- 
ruary 13, 1S64, died February 9, 1867. 

The father of our subject for many 
years was a prominent agriculturist of Car- 
roll township, both he and his wife being 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



587 



early settlers of Ottawa county. In 1864 
he was drafted for service in the war of 
the Rebellion, and was attached to Com- 
pany H, Fifty-fifth O. V. I. At Savan- 
nah, Ga. , he died from illness contracted 
while defending his country, and his re- 
mains were interred in that citj'. He had 
many friends in Ottawa county, where he 
was both widely and favorably known. 

In the district schools of Carroll town- 
ship, Albert W. Saddoris acquired his 
education, and since attaining the age of 
fifteen years has engaged in fishing and 
sailing on the lakes, so that almost his 
entire life has been spent upon the water. 
He stands highin thecommunit}' in which 
he lives, winning the confidence and re- 
spect of all with whom he comes in con- 
tact. He uses his right of franchise in 
support of the Republican party, but 
cares little for the honors or emoluments 
of public office. 



JOHN C. BLEHER, a prominent 
merchant and popular citizen of the 
village of Lacarne, Ottawa county, 
was born in Wurtemberg, Germany. 
December 20, 1836, and is a son of 
George and Eva (Holder) Bleher, both of 
whom were natives of the same country, 
and emigrated to America in 184S, locat- 
ing in Sandusky, Ohio, on the loth of 
May, that year. The father was not long 
permitted to enjoj' his new home for he 
died three months later. His wife con- 
tinued her residence in Sandusky until her 
life's labors were ended in 18S8. Their 
family numbered seven children — four 
sons and three daughters— of whom only 
three are living: John C. , whose name 
opens this record; Charles, a resident of 
Clyde, Ohio; and John M. 

The subject proper of this review was 
only twelve years of age when brought by 
his parents to America. He acquired his 
education in the public schools of San- 
dusky, and for some twelve years after 
leaving school engaged in a sea-faring life 



on the lakes. After that he spent twelve 
years in the car shops of the C. S. C. 
Railroad Co., at Sandusky. On May 
I, 1874, he took up his residence in La- 
carne and opened a general mercantile 
establishment which he has since success- 
fully conducted, building up a good trade. 
His fair and honest dealings, his earnest 
desire to please his customers, and his 
courteous treatment, have won him a liber- 
al patronage. On June 30, i860, in San- 
dusky, Mr. Bleher was united in marriage 
with Miss Julia Ann Meachem, a daughter 
of Charles and Susan Meachem, and a 
native of Stratford, Conn., born Decem- 
ber 2, 1844. By their marriage they 
have seven children, as follows: Susan 
E., born April 19, 1861, in Sandusky, 
Ohio, now the wife of John W. Snyder, 
of Erie township, Ottawa county; Ida E., 
born August ?, 1863, now the wife of 
John Streeter, a resident of Lacarne; Cora 
E., born January 10, 1866, now the wife 
of William S. Woodring, also of Erie 
township; Julia Ann, born July 7, 1868, 
living in Toledo, Ohio; John A., born 
November 3, 1874, also a resident of 
Toledo; William H., born July 23, 1876, 
living in Erie township, Ottawa county; 
and Gertrude May, born March 27, 1882. 
Mr. Bleher manifested his loyalty to 
the government during the Civil war by 
enlisting, May 2, 1864, in the One Hun- 
dred and Forty-fifth O. \'. I., with which 
he continued until after the South laid 
down its arms. He was then mustered 
out, receiving his final discharge in May, 
1S65, after which he returned to Sandus- 
k)'. He is now a member of the G. A. 
R. , and is as true to the duties of citizen- 
ship in days of peace as when he followed 
the old flag on Southern battle fields. In 
his political views he is a stalwart Repub- 
lican, and has held several public offices. 
For seventeen years he efficiently served 
as postmaster at Lacarne, was township 
trustee for one year, assessor for two 
years, supervisor also two years, and town 
constable three years, in all of which 



588 



COMldEilORATTVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



offices he has discharged his duties with 
promptness and tideHty, winning the com- 
mendation of all concerned. Socially he 
is a member of Oliver H. Perrv Lodge, 
F. & A. M.. and the I. O. O. F. Lodge 
at Oak Harbor. Mr. Bleher is one of the 
most progressive men of Lacarne, taking 
an active part in all matters pertaining to 
the growth and welfare of the community, 
and is a truly valued citizen. His busi- 
ness life is above reproach, and the honor- 
able and straightforward methods which 
he follows command the respect of all. 



EDWIN MAR\-IX TRUE. This 
gentleman, who is the proprietor 
of the E. M. True Elevator and 
Feed Mills at Port Clinton, Ot- 
tawa county, is one of the leading business 
men of the place, and ma\* be well called 
a "hustler." He is full of energ}- and 
enterprise, and by his natural ability and 
unerring judgment has made a success of 
his business. He has a large local trade 
which is graduall)- being e.xtended. 

Mr. True was born August iS, iS6t, 
in Ottawa county, Ohio, and is the son of 
Oliver J. and Eunice Saunderson True, 
who removed to Port Clinton in iS66, 
when our subject was a small boy. He ob- 
tained his education in the public schools 
of that place, and subsequently was em- 
ployed as a clerk in the office of the L. S. 
& M. S. Ry. Co., holding that position 
some four years. In 18S3 he took charge 
of the Merchant Mills, of Port Clinton, 
for O. J. True & Co., which he managed 
until in February, 1S91, when they were 
destroyed by fire. The mills at one time 
did a large export business with France, 
and also shipped their products all over 
the Eastern States. After the fire our 
subject built his present elevator and feed 
mills, on the sight of the old mill, and, as 
has been stated, has been ven,- successful. 
On April 16, 1893, Mr. True was united 
in marriage with Miss Nettie G. Bardshar, 
who was born in Erie county, this State, 



and is the daughter of Solomon and 
Amelia L. (Spone' Bardshar, who were 
descended from wealthy pioneer families. 
In politics Mr. True is a Democrat, and, 
socially, belongs to the K. of P. He 
began studying medicine in 1SS3, but the 
mills required so much attention that he 
gave up the idea of becoming a physician. 
He is now a well-known business man. 



ERNST ROOSE, one of the wide- 
awake and enterprising young 
farmers of Ottawa county, was 
born in Salem township Januarj- 
10, i860, and still makes his home within 
its borders. He is a son of Charles and 
Marie Roose. who are living :n the same 
township, numbered among the highly- 
respected people of the community. Our 
subject acquired a good English education 
in the public schools of Oak Harbor, and 
is a well-informed man on subjects of 
general interest, having a practical know- 
ledge that fits him for the responsible 
duties of a business career. 

After arriving at man"s estate, Mr. 
Roose was married in Bay township, Ot- 
tawa county, November i, 18S3, the ladj' 
of his choice being Nancy Paulsen, a 
daughter of Paul and Siecke Paulsen, 
who was born in Schleswig. Germany, 
February 16, 1S59. Four children graced 
the union of our subject and his worthy 
wife, their names and dates of birth be- 
ing as follows: Carl P., July 23. 1SS4; 
Bertha M., January 20, 1SS6; Ernst W., 
September 4. 18S9; and Albert E., Jan- 
uary 5, 1894. Mr. Roose was reared to 
agricultural pursuits, and his life has al- 
ways been that of a farmer. He was 
trained to habits of industry and enter- 
prise, and when he began business for 
himself it was with a good fund of experi- 
ence that has brought to him success. 
His place is well cared for, the barns and 
fences are always in good condition, and 
his careful supervision is shown in the 
neat and thrifty appearance of everything 



COMMEMOIiATTVE BIOORAPHWAL RECORD. 



589 



pertaining to his home. He well deserves 
to be numbered among the practical and 
progressive young farmers of the county 
of his nativity. 

Mr. Roose cast his first ballot in sup- 
port of the men and measures of the 
Democratic party, and has since been a 
stalwart advocate of its principles, taking 
a deep interest in all that pertains to its 
growth and success. He has. however, 
never sought or desired political prefer- 
ment. The family attend the Lutheran 
Church, and all have the regard and es- 
teem of their neighbors and friends. Mr. 
Roose has led an upright life, and is 
highly respected as a valued citizen and 
progressive business man. 



WILLIAM ROOSE, a prosperous 
and enterprising young business 
man of Oak Harbor, Ottawa 
county, is a native of that coun- 
ty, having first seen the light in Salem 
township May 26, 1862. He is a son of 
Charles and Marie fDrewesj Roose, men- 
tioned above.' 

Our subject's boyhood was passed on 
the farm whereon he was born, attending 
the district schools until he was fitted for 
entering the public educational institu- 
tion of Oak Harbor, where his education 
was completed. After laying aside his 
books he entered the service of M. D. 
Thierwechter, of Oak Harbor, where he 
earned his first money — one hundred dol- 
lars for one year's clerkship, which sum 
was paid him at the end of twelve months, 
he not having drawn a single dollar in 
the meantime, an early illustration in his 
life of his innate thrift and care. On 
leaving Mr. Thierwechter's employ, Mr. 
Roose entered the Business College at 
Toledo, where he took a thorough course, 
completing same February 11, 1880, and 
in the following April he was given the 
position of bookkeeper in his father's 
office in Oak Harbor, which incumbencv 



he has since filled with acknowledged 
ability. In 1887 in company with five 
others Mr. Roose organized what is 
known as the Oak Harbor Cooperage & 
Lumber Co., located at Edgerton, Ind., 
and of which he is secretary and treasur- 
er. The plant cost $100,000, and the 
concern is under the immediate super- 
vision of Herman Roose, a brother of 
William; the latter is also one of the 
stockholders in and a director of the Oak 
Harbor Basket Co., at Oak Harbor. 

On October 29, 1885, at the home of 
the bride in New Baltimore, Mich., Will- 
iam Roose and Miss Ida Stuth were 
united in marriage. She is a daughter 
of August and Johanna TRoose; Stuth, 
and was born in New Baltimore, Mich., 
March 21, 1863. She received her edu- 
cation at the Hathaway Institute of New 
Baltimore, in which town she passed her 
life up to the time of her marriage. Her 
father, who was a native of Mecklenburg- 
Strelitz, North Germany, born in 1820, 
died in Michigan in January, 1872; the 
mother of Mrs. Roose was born in 1822, 
in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and died at 
New Baltimore, Mich., July 2, 1882. 
They were married in 1844, and became 
the parents of children named as follows: 
Eliza (deceased;, Henrietta (Mrs. Henry 
Heidebreicht. of Edgerton, Ind.), August 
(deceased;, William (deceased), Adolph 
(deceased;, Caroline (Mrs. August Colloff, 
of Oak Harbor) and Ida (Mrs. Roose). 
To Mr. and Mrs. Roose were born two 
children: William, born October 25, 1886, 
died December 20, 1892, and buried in 
Oak Harbor Cemetery; and Lyndon, born 
Augusta, 1893. the life of her parents' 
pleasant and attractive home on Water 
street. Oak Harbor, which property Mr. 
Roose had purchased in the spring of 
1885. Our subject and his amiable wife 
are members of the Lutheran Church: in 
his political preferences he is a stalwart 
supporter of the Democratic party. He 
comes of a good family, and the name .of 
Roose is entitled to be permanently asso- 



590 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ciated, not only with the industrial, but 
also with the intellectual development of 
our time. 



REUBEN M. BABCOCK, charcoal 
manufacturer and landowner. This 
old and highly-respected citizen of 
Williston, Allen township, Ottawa 
county, is a native of New York State, 
born in Columbia county, October 24, 
1820, and is the son of John and Clarissa 
(Gray) Babcock, of Berkshire county, 
^Iass. , and Columbia county, N. Y. , re- 
spectively. 

Our subject received a better educa- 
tion than fell to the lot of most boys of 
his day, attending the public schools of 
his native place in his boyhood, and then, 
for three years, going to the college at 
Farmington, Trumbull Co., Ohio, from 
which he was graduated at the age of 
twenty-two years. He taught school for 
several years, both in Burn township, 
Athens county, and in Belmont county, 
Ohio. He then decided to learn a trade, 
and took up that of carpenter for twenty- 
one years, part of the time being spent at 
Farmington, and a part at Pittsfield, 
Mass. ; during this time he helped to build 
three steamers for the Ohio river trade. 
Later he gave up working at his trade 
and went to Michigan, settling in Ash 
township, Monroe county, where he en- 
gaged in the manufacture of staves, giving 
employment to a number of men. In 
connection with this enterprise he carried 
on farming, and also went into the real- 
estate business, in which latter he was 
fairly successful. While at this place he 
also began the manufacture of charcoal, 
running four kilns. At the end of twenty- 
one years spent in Michigan, Mr. Bab- 
cock came to Ottawa county, this State, 
and located at Martin, in Clay township, 
where he built four kilns, and continued 
the manufacture of charcoal. Here he 
remained one year, and then selling out, 
removed to Williston, Allen township, 



in 



where he built six charcoal kilns. He 
purchased a tract of 160 acres of timber- 
land, near Williston. and used the timber 
which he cleared from it to make his 
charcoal. Here he erected a comfortable 
dwelling house, with all necessar\' barns 
and outhouses, and has made his property 
a highly-cultivated farm and pleasant 
home, where he is spending his declining 
years in the enjoyment of the fruits of 
his labor. 

Mr. Babcock was married, Maj' 23, 
1850, to Miss Lucy M., daughter of 
Thomas and Electa (Williams) Ensign, of 
Pittsfield, Mass., and children were born 
of this union, of whom the followin 
record is given: ^Villiam H., born 
Pittsfield, Mass., September iS, 1852, 
was educated in the public schools of 
Michigan. Reuben E., more fully spoken 
of farther on. Lucy E. , born March 3 1 , 
18^7, was married March 21, 1877, to 
Nelson Richards, a farmer of Monroe 
county, Mich., and they have four chil- 
dren — Frank, born May 11, 1879; Judy, 
October 3, 1884; May, March 3, 1887; 
and Pearl, December 4, 1889. Emily E., 
born September 6, 1859, in Ohio, was 
married November 18, 1884, to Alsom 
Phile, son of Henry E. Phile (whose 
sketch will be found elsewhere) ; two chil- 
dren have been born to them — Eva and 
Alsom E. Edwin H. Babcock, was born 
in Ash township, Michigan, June 13. 1865, 
and received his early training in the high 
school at Genoa, Ottawa county, this 
State, which was supplemented by a 
course in a private school at Port Clinton, 
conducted by Miss Mothly; he afterward 
attended the high school at Ada, and 
subsequently the Business College at 
Cleveland, from which institution he 
was graduated with honor; after this 
he went to Ann Arbor, and entered the 
high school, at which he pursued his 
studies in geology and botany; he was 
married June 3, 1890, to Miss Cora M. 
Chapman, of Bowling Green, Ohio, who 
was a graduate of Ann Arbor (Mich.) 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPIIICAL RECORD. 



501 



College, and two children are the result 
of this union — Corvvin, born December i, 
1892, and Edna, born January 7, 1894. 
Mr. Babcock resides in LaPlata, Mo., 
where he is engaged in the manufacture of 
charcoal. James Babcock was born in 
Ash township, Monroe Co., Mich., Sep- 
tember 6, 1863, and died in youth. Two 
other children died in infancy. I^euben E. 
Babcock, above mentioned, was born at 
Pittsfield, Mass., September 22, 1854, and 
received his education in the public schools 
of Ada, Ohio, and Valparaiso, Ind., 
where he attended the high school. De- 
ciding to adopt the profession of a lawyer 
he entered the Law Department of Ann 
Arbor (^fich.) University, graduated in 
1887, and was admitted to the bar at 
Columbus, Ohio, the same year; he prac- 
ticed in Toledo for two 3'ears. On 
March 31, 1883, he was married to Addie 
Carpenter, a daughter of Erastus Car- 
penter, of Pittsfield, Mass., and one son, 
named after his father and grandfather, 
blessed their union. Mrs. Babcock grad- 
uated at Pittsfield, Mass. The promising 
career of this brilliant scholar and fine 
lawyer was cut short by his sudden death 
at Williston, July 10, 18S9, from heart 
failure. His death was deeply felt, not 
only by his immediate friends but by his 
associates at the bar and business men 
who knew his worth. 

John Babcock, the father of our sub- 
ject, was born in 1780 at Berkshire, 
Mass., and was a son of John Babcock, 
the latter a native of England, who took 
arms against the mother country during 
the war of the colonies for independence 
in 1775. John Babcock, Jr., received a 
very limited education, and learned the 
tade of a cabinet maker in Pittsfield. 
He was married March 17, 1808, to 
Clarissa H. Gray, who was born in 1787, 
and they became the parents of eleven 
children, as follows: Thaddeus G., born 
April 7, 1809; John G., born April 28, 
181 1 ; Sylvia Ann, born March 22, 1S13, 
now the widow of Henry Roberts; Eliza 



A., born May 5, 1815, deceased Novem- 
ber 21, 1854; James M., born July 4, 
1S18, at New Lebanon, N. Y. ; Reuben 
M., our subject; Edwin H., born Novem- 
ber 4, 1822, died October 9, 1863, at 
the Chestnut Street Hospital, Philadel- 
phia, from the effects of a wound received 
during the Civil war; Adaline A., born 
February 16, 1825, died at Pittsfield, 
Mass., iniS93; George H., born April 20, 
1826, at New Lebanon, N. Y. ; Horatio 
N., born July 12, 1828, died January 23, 
1853; and Clara A., born February 4, 
1830, deceased wife of Frank Sparks. 
The parents of this large family have both 
passed away, the father having died July 
22, i860, the mother in 1S57. 

Thomas Ensign, father of Mrs. 
Reuben M. Babcock, was born May 27, 
1790, at Pittsfield, Mass., and was a car- 
penter and joiner by trade. He was 
married February 16, 18 14, to Electa 
Williams, whose father was a blacksmith, 
born in Connecticut, and they became 
the parents of five children: Mary E. , 
born May 19, 181 5, married September 
22, 1835, to Calvin Carver; Kezia, born 
April 10, 18 19, who was married April i, 
1838, to William Treadwell; Edgar N., 
born October i, 1821; Lucy M., born 
December 22, 1823, wife of our subject; 
and James M., born April 2, 1826, who 
died in youth. Mr. Babcock is a stanch 
Republican, and the family are members 
of the Free Methodist Church. 



PETER LICKERT, one of the most 
prominent farmers of Benton 
township, Ottawa county, is a son 
of Daniel and Catherine (Pfaff) 
Lickert, and was born in Hesse, Ger- 
many, January 1, 1852. 

The parents of Daniel Lickert, John 
and Sophia (Hassell) Lickert, were born 
in Hessen, Germany, in 1755 and in 1770 
respectively. They had ten children, 
five sons and five daughters. Daniel 
Lickert was born in Germany January i. 



592 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



1824; married Catherine Pfaff in 1847, 
and they had nine children, seven sons 
and two daughters, seven of whom are 
living, two sons having died. Daniel 
Lickert had the misfortune to fall from a 
scaffold, thus breaking his right leg in 
three places. Peter Lickert's maternal 
grandfather, John Pfaff, was born in 
Hessen, Germany, about 1780, and the 
maternal grandmother, Sarah (Suerbrei) 
Pfaff, was born about 17S4. Mr. Lickert 
is related to the Crolls, who were also old 
settlers of Benton township, by the mar- 
riage of his uncle, Peter Lickert, Sr. , to 
Miss Fulkert, a sister of Mrs. Henry 
Croll's father. 

Peter Lickert, the subject of this 
sketch, lived in Hessen, Germany, until 
he was thirteen years of age, and acquired 
there a liberal education in the German 
language. He came to America to stay 
with his uncle, Peter Lickert, Sr. , who 
lived near Elliston, in Benton township; 
here he has since had his home, and he 
owns one of the finest farms not only of 
Benton township, but of Ottawa county. 
At the age of fifteen he commenced life 
for himself by working on a farm for one 
year, receiving seven dollars a month. 
He then learned the carpenter's trade, in 
which he has always been very proficient, 
and has since planned and superintended 
the erection of his fine dwelling and all 
the outbuildings, besides other structures 
and many buildings for his neighbors. On 
February 18, 1874, Peter Lickert was 
imited in marriage with Miss Sophia 
Ernsthausen, of Elmore, Harris town- 
ship, Ottawa county, and they have had 
eight children, namely: Henry, born De- 
cember 5, 1874; Clara, April 27, 1876; 
Sophia Catherine, January 28. 1878; ^fary 
Elizabeth, May 18, 1880; William Henry, 
August 15, 1882; Edward, June 19, 1885; 
George Daniel, August 3, 1888; and John 
Henry, April 4, 1892. Mary died May 
12, 1882. Mrs. Lickert has always been 
a faithful adviser and helper to her hus- 
band. She was born in Toledo, Ohio, 



October 15, 1851. Her parents moved 
to Genoa, in Clay township, Ottawa Co. , 
Ohio, when she was three j'ears of age, 
and remained there nine years, thence 
moving to Gibsonburg, Sandusky county, 
where they lived eight years, and where 
she obtained her education. She then 
went to Elmore, in Harris township, Ot- 
tawa county, and remained there until 
her marriage, in 1874. Her father, Cas- 
per H. Ernsthausen, was born in Ger- 
many January 15, 1828, and came to 
America in 1842. Her mother was born 
in Germany September 15, 1827. They 
were married, in 1850, in Toledo, Ohio; 
have since lived in the State, and have 
had seven children, five of whom are 
still living. Mrs. Ernsthausen's mother, 
grandmother of Mrs. Lickert, whose 
maiden name was Sophie Gerwin, was 
born in Germany about 181 2, and died in 
Elmore, Ohio, in 1878. 

For eight years after his marriage Mr. 
Lickert continued to work at his trade. 
In 1877 he planned and built the Method- 
ist Church at Rocky Ridge, Benton town- 
ship; in 1882 he built the hotel at 
Graytown, Benton township, and a lit- 
tle later a large planing-mlil at Gray- 
town, Benton township. For seven 
years, from 1881 to 1888, he was 
land agent for Mr. A. W. Cutler, who 
owns extensive tracts of land in Ottawa 
county. In 1875 Mr. Lickert purchased 
a farm from Martin Witty, near Elliston, 
Benton township, hired a man to run it, 
and continued at his trade; about that 
time, also, he was associated with O. G. 
Guss in the erection of a planing-mill at 
Rocky Ridge, but they were soon burned 
out, in consequence of which he sustained 
a loss of two thousand dollars. He then 
went to Graytown and erected the mill 
now owned by W. H. Lachmiller, ope- 
rating it for one year, when Mr. Lachmil- 
ler came in as a partner, the firm being 
known as Lickert & Lachmiller. Mr. 
Lickert sold his interest in the mill to Mr. 
A. F. Frese in 1885, and purchased 440 



1 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



593 



acres of tiiiiberland in Sections 12, 13 and 
14, Benton township, on which there 
were no buildings and no fences. In the 
short space of ten years he cleared 330 
acres of land, took out part of the stumps 
and fenced the entire 440 acres. In 
walking over this farm to-day, tilled by 
modern methods, one would scarcely 
realize that only a decade ago it was all a 
wilderness. Thus the hand of industry 
brings order out of chaos, and a home 
out of the wilderness. He sold off 200 
acres of his original purchase, leaving 
himself 240 acres of highly productive and 
well-tilled land on which are three good 
barns and two spacious houses. It was 
through the efforts of Mr. Lickert and 
Mr. Muggy that School District No. 1 1 
was organized, and a fine brick building 
erected, where the rising generations may 
be trained to usefulness in the world. All 
Mr. Lickert's children who are old enough 
to attend are having the advantages of 
this school which their father helped to 
organize. Politically Mr. Lickert is a 
Republican, and an earnest supporter of 
his party- He was president of the 
school board in his township for several 
years and has ever taken an active part 
in educational matters. 



AUGUST FLECKNER. To the 
residents of Oak Harbor, Ottawa 
county, and to the traveling pub- 
lic, in general, there is perhaps 
no name in this section more familiar, or 
more respected, than that of August 
Fleckner, the genial proprietor of the 
"Wheeling Hotel," at Oak Harbor, and 
one of the most progressive citizens of 
Salem township. 

Born in Prussia, Germany, December 
31, 1 85 1, he is a son of Frederick Will- 
iam and Caroline (Wiltke) Fleckner, 
both natives of Germany, the former 
born August 23, 1824, the latter on Janu- 
ary 8, 1 83 1. They were married in their 
native land in February, 1848, and in 



1872 emigrated to America, locating in 
Oak Harbor. Their famil}' consists of 
five children, namely: Robert, born Feb- 
ruary 25, 1849, a resident of Oak Harbor; 
August, our subject; Frederick William, 
born August 30, 1853, a prominent agri- 
culturist of Carroll township; H. Otto, 
born January 11, 1856, a resident of Oak 
Harbor; and Hugo H., a farmer of Car- 
roll township. The father died March 3, 
1875; the mother is now residing with 
her son in Carroll township. 

August Fleckner, the subject proper 
of these lines, received his primary edu- 
cation in the schools of his native land, 
afterward learning the trade of a gardener, 
at which he worked until twenty years of 
age, when he entered the German army, 
seeing three years' service. In 1874, on 
receiving his discharge, he emigrated to 
America, locating in Oak Harbor, Ottawa 
Co., Ohio, where he remained eight 
years, working at his trade. In 1882 he 
moved to Cleveland, Ohio; but returning 
to Oak Harbor the following year he has 
since been a constant resident of that 
town, for the past eleven years engaged 
in the hotel business. He was united 
in marriage at Oak Harbor. May 12, 
1S77, with Augusta Louisa Feitz, a 
daughter of Gottleib and Caroline (We- 
zer) Feitz, born in Prussia, Germany, 
August 12, 1852. By this union there 
were three children, viz. : August, born 
April II, 1878; Oscar Emanuel, born 
February 4, 1881; and Bernhardt Harry, 
born July 29, 1884, and died August i, 
same year. Mrs. Fleckner's parents were 
both natives of Germany, the father hav- 
ing been born therein November, 1822, 
and the mother on February 15, 1826. 
They were married February 16, 1848, 
and to their union were born thirteen 
children, only three of whom are now 
living, namely: Augusta Louisa, wife of 
August Fleckner; Caroline, born April 
12, 1 86 1, now the wife of John Forman, 
of Oak Harbor, and Frederick, born No- 
vember 18. 1869, residing in Toledo, 



594 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



Ohio. The {ather died in his native land 
November 25, 1874; in 1S80 the mother 
came to America, and is now living with 
her son-in-law, August Fleckner, at the 
advanced age of seventy years. 

Politically Mr. Fleckner is an ardent 
supporter of the Democratic party, and 
wields a strong political and social influ- 
ence throughout the country, being one 
of the most progressive men of his time 
and place. The family are members of 
the Lutheran Church. 



JOHN MITCHELL, proprietor of the 
"Lake House," Port Clinton, Ot- 
tawa county, a well-established and 
popular hotel, is a native of New 
York State, born October 14, 1833, at 
Ithaca, a son of Patrick and Ann (O'Neil) 
Mitchell, natives of Ireland, who came to 
this continent about the year 1828. 

Patrick Mitchell was a soldier in a 
British regiment stationed at Quebec, 
Canada, for about a year, then left for the 
United States, locating at Ithaca, where, 
in 1832, he married Ann O'Neil. Here 
for a time he followed the trade of stone 
mason, and some \ears later served in 
what was known as the Florida war, 
under Gen. Wool, having enlisted at 
Utica, N. Y. , in Compan}' D, Third 
United States Infantry; also served in the 
Mexican war, enlisting at Pontiac, Mich., 
and on his return from that campaign, in 
1847, he died at Detroit, Mich. Later 
his widow (who with her only child, our 
subject, occompanied her husband during 
the Florida war), married Patrick Gillick; 
she died, in 1866, at Milford, Oakland Co., 
Mich., her second husband following her 
to the grave one year later. 

John Mitchell, our subject, spent his 
childhood in Utica, N. Y. , and his boy- 
hood in Fennville and Milford, Mich., 
until he was eighteen years old, when he 
moved to Detroit and hired out as team- 
ster to Reeves & Jennison, contractors 
and builders. After working for them 



about a year they took a contract to build 
a large cement mill at Ottawa City, and 
sent him there to take charge of their 
teams, which he did until the mill was 
completed; after that he sailed the lakes 
about three years, as man before the 
mast, running chiefly between Toledo and 
Buffalo, and occasionally to Lake Huron. 
He afterward worked among the farmers 
on the Peninsula, and was the first to fol- 
low fishing at Port Clinton with pound 
nets. 

In 1 86 1 Mr. Mitchell raised Company 
I, Forty-first O. V. I., for service in the 
Civil war, of which companj', when or- 
ganized, he was elected captain. At the 
camp of instruction, Cleveland, he was 
by some unaccountable error, through no 
fault of his own, deprived of his rank, 
and obliged to go as a private, which he 
did, remaining with Company I until De- 
cember, 1864, during which time he had 
been promoted to second lieutenant, then 
to first lieutenant, later to captain. The 
war being nearly at an end, he resigned 
and settled on a farm he had bought on 
Catawba Island, which he cleared up and 
put into fruit. In the fall of 1866 he was 
elected sheriff of Ottawa county, and 
held the office four years. In 1870 he 
went into the lumber business, and four 
years later was re-elected sheriff, serving 
four years more. After this he followed 
lumbering extensively, in partnership with 
Alphonse Couche (since deceased), at va- 
rious localities — Port Clinton, Rocky 
Ridge, and several places in the State of 
Tennessee. After that he rebuilt a large 
gristmill at Oak Harbor, ran it several 
years, and then sold it to a Mr. Barnes. 
He then took charge of the " Central 
Hotel " at Oak Harbor, conducting it 
two years; after which he came to Port 
Clinton, and bought the " Lake House, '* 
of which he has since been proprietor. 

On February S, 1858, Mr. Mitchell 
was married at Port Clinton, Ohio, to 
Miss Nancy Ann Napier, who was born 
April 25, 1S40, daughter of Benjamin 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



595 



and Erepta (Landon) Napier, the former 
by birth a Scotchman, the later being of 
Enghsh descent. Mr. Napier was a 
sailor on the lakes from his boyhood until 
seventy years of age, when he died of 
cholera at Chicago, 111. ; his wife passed 
away at Marblehead, Ottawa Co., Ohio, 
in 1890, at the age of eighty-six j-ears. 
The children of John and Nancy Mitchell 
are: Jennie Ann (born in Port Clinton 
lighthouse), John, Catherine, Delia, Clar- 
ence, James, Alpha, Frank and Robert 
Emmett. 



ERNST HEMINGER, a promi- 
nent agriculturist and manufac- 
turer, of Salem township, Ottawa 
county, and a representative, pro- 
gressive business man, was born in Salem 
township, April 12, 1851. 

The parents of our subject, Frederick 
and Katherina (Holt) Heminger, natives 
of Germany, emigrated to America and 
settled in Salem township, Ottawa Co., 
Ohio, in October, 1850, when that section 
of country was still in its primitive condi- 
tion. Their family consisted of ten chil- 
dren, as follows: Rosa, wife of Andrew 
Shegor, of Port Clinton, Ohio, and Fred- 
erick, of Cleveland, Ohio (children of the 
father by a former marriage); Ernst, the 
subject proper of this sketch; ^^'illiam, of 
Oak Harbor; Albert, of Lakeview, Oregon; 
August, of Erie count}', Ohio; Louis, of 
Carroll township, Ottawa Co., Ohio; 
Amelia, wife of John Minke, also of Car- 
roll township; Nettie, wife of Ferdinand 
Shellhorn, of Sandusky, Ohio, and Chris- 
topher, of Erie county. The father de- 
parted this life January 16, 1887; the 
mother is still living, and is now a resi- 
dent of Oak Harbor. 

Ernst Heminger, the gentleman whose 
name introduces this sketch, received his 
preliminary education in the district schools 
of his native township, his early boyhood 
days being spent about the farm. On 
leaving school he served an apprenticeship 



term to the trade of a carpenter, which 
vocation he followed for nearly ten years, 
then embarking in agricultural pursuits, 
lumber manufacturing and also in the 
manufacturing of wine and cider, his busi- 
ness relations extending over a large ex- 
tent of territor\-. In his different enter- 
prises, Mr. Heminger has ever proved 
himself a man of sound judgment and ex- 
cellent business qualifications, and it is 
needless to say that success has crowned 
his efforts. 

Our subject was united in marriage, in 
Salem township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, April 
16, 1877, with Miss Mina Huttenlocher, 
whose parents, Michael and Katheriue 
(Grain) Huttenlocher, both natives of the 
Fatherland, crossed the ocean to the New 
\\'orld and settled in Salem township, 
Ottawa Co., Ohio, in 1852, where they 
have since resided. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Heminger have come nine children, as 
follows: W. F. August, born March 25, 
1878; C.William, born December 7, 1S79; 
E. Harman, born February 4, 1881; C. 
Anna, born March 13, 1884; Louis, born 
June 14, 1886; Rosa, born April 3, 1889; 
Emma, born March 30, 1891; Olga, born 
July 30, 1893, and Elizabeth, born Sep- 
tember 13, 1895. The family are devout 
members of the Lutheran Church. So- 
cially they enjoy the respect of the entire 
communit}-. In his political preferences 
Mr. Heminger affiliates with the Demo- 
cratic part}-. 



GEORGE BICKFORD, the owner 
of a fine vineyard on Put in Bay 
Island, is a native son of Ohio, 
born in Sandusky City, Erie 
county, August 24, 1S34. He is one of 
the eighteen children of Hezekiah and 
Mary Charlotte (Gibaut; Bickford, the 
former born in Maine, May 2, 1808, the 
latter on the Isle of Guernsey, in the Eng- 
lish Channel, September 13, 1815. The 
paternal grandfather settled in Erie coun- 
ty, Ohio, at a very early day in the his- 



59G 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



torj' of that locality, and there he and his 
wife spent the remainder of their lives. 
The father of our subject removed to 
Canada about 1840, and continued his 
residence in that country until called to 
the home beyond, April 6, 1879; his 
wife also died in Canada. Of their larp^e 
family of children ten grew to mature 
years, and nine are now living, as follows: 
Charles, who resides in Essex county, 
Canada; Sarah, wife of \\'illiam McLean, 
of the same place; George, subject of this 
sketch; Clarissa Ann, wife of JacobTuffle- 
myer, of Esse.x; Hezekiah, also of Essex; 
John, who is living in Fort Wayne, Ind. ; 
William, Mary Jane (wife of Maxim 
Reyno), and Robert, all three living in 
Essex county, Canada. 

We now take up the personal history 
of George Bickford, and feel assured that 
it will prove of interest to many of our 
readers, for he is both widely and favor- 
ably known in the locality where he re- 
sides. When about six years of age he 
removed with his parents to Canada, and 
was reared to manhood in Essex county, 
in the Province of Ontario, where he ac- 
quired his education in the public schools. 
He also learned the trade of blacksmith- 
ing there, and in 1856 he left his home in 
that locality to return to his native city, 
where for one season he engaged in fish- 
ing. In the spring of 1857 he located in 
Put in Bay Island, where for thirty-eight 
years he has made his home, and the 
length of his residence is equaled by the 
high regard in which he is held. During 
the greater part of the time he has fol- 
lowed blacksmithing and fishing, but dur- 
ing the past ten years has exclusively en- 
gaged in the cultivation of grapes. He is 
an energetic, industrious and enterprising 
man, and his earnest and well-directed 
labors have brought to him success. 

Mr. Bickford has been twice married. 
On July 14, 1 861, he wedded Mathilda 
Poskile, who died August 30, 1865, leav- 
ing two children — Hezekiah, born Sep- 
tember 30, 1S62; and Jennie, who was 



born February 11, 1864, and died March 
30, 1S67. For his second wife, Mr. Bick- 
ford chose Elizabeth, daughter of James 
and Hannah (Leard) Edwards, and born 
in Gosfield, Canada, February 13, 1843. 
The}' were married in Kingsville, Canada, 
February 14, 1867, and have had six chil- 
dren, their names and dates of birth being 
as follows: Ezra, January 14, 1868; 
Edith, June 12, 1869; Bertha, December 
27, 1870, died December 26, 1886; 
Hannah, July 4, 1S74, died December2i, 
1886; Mina, October 3, 1878; and Ada 
May, August 7, 1882. 

Mr. Bickford has served as township 
trustee, has been trustee of the public 
lawn of Put in Bay, and has held other 
minor positions, faithfully discharging his 
duties, and proving true to the trust re- 
posed in him. His political support is 
given to the Republican party, and he 
attends the Reformed Episcopal Church. 



ENOS E. WILLIAMS, a prominent 
farmer of Carroll township, ranks 
among the oldest living pioneers 
of Ottawa county, having arrived 
here with his parents in 1834, when he 
was but a year old, and then the county 
was one vast forest, and still a part of 
Sandusky county. With the exception 
of four years spent in Indiana, he ha& 
been a constant resident of the county 
since that early date. His birth occurred 
in Guernsey county, Ohio, October 14, 
1833, and in 1S34 his parents, Nehemiab 
and Hester (Pickering) Williams, brought 
him to what is now Bay township, Otta- 
wa county. The sketch of his life can 
not be better written than by giving it in 
his own words: 

' ' I recollect when there were no roads 
and but very few bridges in the county, 
and at one time I was acquainted with 
every family in Port Clinton. At that 
time Lower Sandusky, Venice, and Mon- 
roe, Mich., were the nearest milling 
points, and to one or the other of these 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQBAPEICAL RECORD. 



597- 



towns the people were obliged to carry 
their grain to have it ground, many often 
going to Monroe with it _ in canoes, the 
trip occuping nearly two weeks. I have 
lived in Carroll township constantly since 
i860, and have by my own hard work 
cleared up thirty-six of the forty acres of 
land I now reside on. I have run a 
threshing machine, worked at the carpen- 
ter trade, farmed a little, fished a little 
and done nothing the greater part of the 
time." At present Mr. E. E. Williams 
is a successful fruit grower, having now 
over 1,100 peach trees under cultivation 
on his farm. 

Mr. Williams has been twice married. 
On March 12, i860, he wedded Mrs. 
Dorotha Leithenburg, a native of Ger- 
many, whose parents were early settlers 
of Ottawa county. In the spring of 1 870, 
she was called to her final rest, and on 
the 19th of the following November, Mr. 
Williams was united in marriage with 
Mrs. Eliza Melissa (Root) Saddoris, widow 
of Elias Saddoris, and they have become 
the parents of five children — Eugene E. , 
born August 20, 1871, now a student for 
the ministry, and is at present living on 
the homestead; Nina E., born June 4, 
1872; Eva L., born February 23, 1875, 
died May 2, 1877; Maurice E. , born 
March 21, 1877; and James E., born 
April 25, 1880, died August 8, 1895. 

Mrs. Williams' birth occurred Decem- 
ber 14, 1835, and she is the daughter of 
Rev. V. S. and Lovica (Foote) Root, the 
former born in the Empire State, March 
4, 1 8 10, and the latter, also a native of 
the same State, born December 14, 1803. 
Her mother died November 21, 1847; the 
father, who has reached the advanced age 
of eighty-five years, is a native of Tustin, 
Osceola Co., Mich. Rev. Root located 
in Carroll township, Ottawa county, in 
1840, and there continued to make his 
home until 1880. He filled many im- 
portant county and township offices, be- 
ing the first notary public and the second 
justice of the peace appointed in the town- 



ship. In early life he taught school and 
also practiced law for many years, but 
later engaged as a laborer in the Lord's 
vineyard. He is a man of fair legal abil- 
ity, excellent judgment and sound com- 
mon sense, while his unswerving integrity 
and general rectitude of life have gained 
for him an enviable reputation wherever 
he is known. 

Mr. Williams has served his fellow 
citizens as road supervisor and school 
director, and for the past twelve years 
has been master of the Grange. The 
family are consistent members of the 
United Brethren Church, and belong to 
the Good Templars Society; he is also 
connected with the Knights of Honor, and 
has efficiently filled the office of reporter 
in that body for nine years. He has been 
successfully elected three times to repre- 
sent his lodge in the Knights of Honor in 
the State of Ohio. PoHtically he is a 
true-blue Republican. Surrounded by 
an interesting family, Mr. Williams is a 
thoughtful, devoted husband and a kind 
indulgent father. Among men he is gen- 
ial and companionable, manly and fear- 
lessly independent in character and 
thought; and consistent and temperate in 
all respects. He is a practical farmer and 
fruit grower; a man of taste and culture 
with broad and liberal views, and his in- 
tegrity is incorruptible. His social stand- 
ing is high, and he and his family have 
the esteem of all. 

We can not well conclude this sketch 
without some favorable mention of Mr. 
Williams' eldest son — Eugene E. — who 
has early had a taste for literature, and 
knows the value of books. He is also 
aware of the fact that toil and frugality 
are essential to success, and by careful 
study and the practice of the latter prin- 
ciples is fitting himself to take a promi- 
nent place in this world, and point out to 
others the duties to be performed in order 
to fit themselves for the world to come. 
He is a writer of no mean ability, and has 
compiled a very interesting history of Ot- 



598 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



tawa count}'. On September 20, 1S95, 
he entered the Sandusky Conference of 
the United Brethren Church, where he re- 
ceived Hcense to preach. He is at. pres- 
ent engaged in teaching school at Lime- 
stone, Ohio. 



JOHN K. TEETZELL, M. D., a lead- 
ing physician and surgeon, whose 
skill and ability have won him high 
rank among his professional breth- 
ren, was born April 23, 1S59, in Blen- 
heim, County of Kent, Ontario, Canada, 
son of John and Eliza (King) Teetzell. 

The grandfather of our subject was a 
native of W'urtemburg, Germany. On emi- 
grating to this country he landed at New 
Jersey after a tempestuous voyage which 
consumed more than three months, cross- 
ing the water in one of the old-fashioned 
sailing crafts of those days. He made 
his home in what was then Log Jail, now 
Trenton, N. J., and after an active and 
well-spent life passed away at a ripe old 
age, respected and beloved by all who 
knew him. The father of our subject 
first saw the light at Trenton, N. J., in 
1 8 19, the year in which Queen Victoria 
was born. When a young man he re- 
moved to Canada, locating in Ontario, 
afterward went to St. Thomas, Elgin 
county, Ontario, (then known as Up- 
per Canada), and later took up his 
residence at Blenheim, County of Kent, 
where he filled the office of sheriff 
for nine years. He is now spending 
his declining days in retirement, en- 
joying the fruits of his former toil. His 
wife, who was a native of Cornwallis, 
Kings county. Nova Scotia, removed to 
Fingall, Ontario, where their marriage 
was celebrated. Her death occurred in 
Blenheim, May 31, 1891. In the family 
were ten children, five of whom are yet 
living, as follows; Rosanna, wife of S. 
T. Martin, a prominent banker, and 
mayor, of the city of Chatham, Ontario, 
Canada; William H. and James D. (twins). 



the former a wholesale druggist, of Chi- 
cago, and the latter a retired real-estate 
dealer, residing in Morpeth, County of 
Kent, Ontario;" Elizabeth, widow of W. 
A. Smith, and a resident of St. Thomas, 
Ontario, and Dr. John K. 

Dr. John K. Teetzell obtained both 
his preliminary and college education in 
the County of Kent, Ontario, and when 
si.xteen years of age left home for Chicago, 
where he learned the drug businress under 
the instruction of his brother, W. H. He 
also took a business course in Devilines 
Literary & Commercial College, Jackson, 
Mich., completed his course in pharmacy 
and chemistrj', and during that time began 
reading medicine with Dr. Myar Mc- 
Laughlin, an eminent physician of Jack- 
son, Mich. In 1S80 he entered the Med- 
ical Department of the State Universit}' 
of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and was 
graduated from that institution with honor 
in the class of '84. He then took a post- 
graduate course in three different hospitals 
in New York City, a special course in 
surgery and a course in the diseases of 
women and children at the Maternity 
Hospital in that city. The following year 
he passed in recreation and travel, and in 
1887, with a thorough knowledge of his 
profession to fit him for his life work, he 
entered upon the practice of medicine in 
Toledo, where he still retains an office. 
He built up for himself a large practice 
there, his skill and ability being widely 
recognized. In 1893 he removed to 
Genoa, where he opened a branch office, 
and his high reputation and thorough 
competency have already won for him a 
a large and constantly increasing business. 
He is a thorough student of his profession, 
and his brethren of the medical fraternity, 
as well as the public, acknowledge his 
superior worth, both professionally and 
personally. 

The Doctor was united in marriage, 
March 17, 1S81, in Crawford county, 
Ohio, with Miss Martha L., daughter of 
David and Margaret (Schultz) Burgert, 





-^^ 







-^<^^4^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



599 



who shares with her husband the regard 
in which he is held. In his political views 
the Doctor is liberal, and he is not con- 
nected with any religious organization. 
He does ever3thing in his power to per- 
fect himself in his chosen calling, and is 
contemplating a trip to Europe during 
the 3'ear 1896, in order to perfect himself 
in g3-necology by study in European hospi- 
tals. He possesses a verj- genial and 
affable manner, is an interesting conver- 
sationalist, and is verj- popular in the 
town in which he makes his home, and 
also in Toledo, where he still practices, 
making weekly visits to that city. 



WILLIAM JOHN SAUERWEIN 
is a native of Elmore, Ottawa 
county, born September 29, 
1864, and is a son of John 
George and Catherine Elizabeth (Krontz) 
Sauerwein, early settlers of this section 
of Ohio. 

The father was born in Hessen, Ger- 
many, March 19, 1S18, was educated in 
that country, and there married Catherine 
Schneider. Emigrating to America, he 
located in Cleveland, Ohio, and subse- 
quently removed to EUiston, Ottawa 
county, where his wife died, March 18, 
1S62. On January 23, 1863, he married 
Catherine E. Krontz, of Elmore, who was 
born in Hessen. Germany, June 30, 
1843, and came alone to America when 
thirteen years old, being forty-five days 
upon the water, during which some se- 
vere storms occurred. She has since 
spent the greater part of her life in El- 
more. Her grandfather, George Krontz, 
was born in 1788. Her parents were 
Peter and Catherine (Schneider) Krontz, 
the former born in 18 16, the latter in 
1813. In 1877 her father departed this 
life, her mother dying in 1 869. Mr. and 
Mrs. Sauerwein had five children: Mary, 
born November 11, 1863; William J., 
September 29, 1S65; George October 3 1 , 

38 



1867; Elizabeth, December 27, 1869; 
and Anna Margaret, August 31, 1872. 

Our subject was obliged to leave 
school at the age of thirteen years on ac- 
count of the death of his father. He then 
began work in the stave factory of H. V. 
Becker, of Elmore, where he was em- 
ployed for about nine years. Since 1879 
he has been an employe in the flouring- 
mill of C. Metsch & Co., of Elmore, and 
his faithful service and fidelity to duty is 
well indicated by his long continuance 
with that firm. On November 12, 1891, 
William Sauerwein married Miss Minnie 
E. Smith, of Elmore, daughter of John 
and Mary Jane (Logan) Smith. Her 
grandparents were J. B. Smith and Nancy 
A. (Archer) Smith, pioneer settlers of 
Ohio, of 1833. The former was born in 
\'irginia, in 1786, made farming his life 
work, and died in 1839. His wife was 
born in 1788, died in 1868, and was laid 
to rest in the old cemetery at Elmore. 
Her father, at the time of his last sick- 
ness, owned ninety-nine slaves whom he 
set at liberty, at the same time giving to 
each a cottage and small piece of land. 

John Smith, father of Mrs. Minnie E. 
(Smith) Sauerwein, was born in Wayne 
county, Ohio, May 29, 181 8, and came 
with his parents to Ottawa county, in 
1833. He was married July 7, 1839, to 
Amelia W^ilson, who died May 18, 1856, 
and was buried in the old cemetery at 
Elmore. They had seven children: Mary 
Jane, born June 13. 1 840; Susan, May 20, 
1842; Emanuel, February 4, 1844; Jere- 
miah, May 31, 1846; Henrietta, in 1848; 
John H., January 18, 1850; and Nancy 
Ann, June 16, 1852. On September 29, 
1857, the father of this family wedded 
Mary Jane Logan, daughter of James and 
Mercy (Sebring) Logan, and born in 
Pennsylvania December 11, 1834; by this 
marriage there are five children, as fol- 
lows: Sarah E., born August 23, 1858, 
died October 15, 1858; James L., born 
July 29, i860, died March 6, 1864; David 
E. Ellsworth, July 12, 1862, now of To- 



600 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ledo (his wife, Alice , died in 1894 

leaving four children); Elta Elnora, born 
October 17, 1865, died April 13, 1870; 
and Minnie Estella (Mrs. Sauerwein) born 
July 26, 1 87 1. Mr. Smith died October 
12, 1886. For twenty-one years he was 
school director, and several years served as 
township trustee, proving a capable of- 
ficer. He accumulated a handsome prop- 
ert}', and erected in Elmore one of its 
finest homes, which is now occupied by 
his widow and Mr. and Mrs. Sauerwein. 
He was a very prominent and influential 
citizen, enjoying the esteem of all who 
knew him. He was an active worker in 
the Christian cause, and had been an 
elder in the Presbyterian Church for man}- 
years up to his death. 

Mrs. Smith (mother of Mrs. Sauer- 
wein) li%-ed in her native State (Pennsyl- 
vania) up to the age of sixteen, receiving 
her education there, and thence removed 
to Ohio, where she has since resided, 
having since her marriage had her home 
in Ottawa county. Her father, James 
Logan, was born in 1802 in Ireland, came 
to America in 1820, and in 1834 wedded 
Mrs. Mercy (Sebring) McF"all, who was 
born in Pennsylvania, in 1798. She had 
one child, Hugh, by her first husband, 
and three by her marriage to Mr. Logan, 
viz.: Mary Jane (Mrs. Smith); Elizabeth 
Macfallen; and Ann, who died at the age 
of twenty-four. Mr. Logan was for many 
years as elder in the Presbyterian Church. 
His father, John Logan, was a native of 
Ireland, where he followed farming; he 
married a Miss Miller, a native of Scot- 
land. Mrs. Smith's maternal grandmother 
Elizabeth (Bennett), was born September 
3, 1766, in Pennsylvania, and died June 
25, 1855; she had nine children. Mrs. 
Sauerwein was born in Elmore, and com- 
pleted her education in the public schools 
of her native city in 1886. She has made 
a special study of instrumental music, and 
is a fine performer on the piano and 
organ. In the family are two interesting 
children — Erma M., born October 27, 



1892 
1S95 



and Olive Grace, born January 18, 

In politics our subject is a stalwart 
Republican, but has never sought office. 
A prominent and active member of the 
Presbyterian Church of Elmore, he is 
serving as one of its elders and directors, 
and is also superintendent of the Sunday- 
school. He does all in his power to pro- 
mote the work of the church and advance 
the cause of Christianity, and his well- 
spent life has won him high regard in 
which his estimable wife also shares. 



c 



ONRAD MILLER, who is widely 
and favorably known in Elmore, 
Ottawa county, was born Jan- 
uary 8, 1S52, in Westphalia, 
Germany, where he spent his boyhood 
days and attended school. His ancestors 
lived for some generations in that coun- 
try. The maternal grandfather of our 
subject was born in Germany, in 1783, 
and was a miller by trade. The father 
of our subject, Simon Miller, was born in 
1 8 17, and learned the brick mason's 
trade, which he followed through the 
greater part of his life; he died in 1876, 
and his wife, Minnie (Henning), who was 
born in Germany, in 1S18, survived un- 
til 1S94. They were the parents of six 
children: \\'illiam, born in 1845; Fred, 
November 14, 1848; Conrad, January 8, 
1852; William F., in 1855; Louisa, in 
1858; and William F. in 1861. Fred and 
Conrad are the only members of this 
family now living. 

At the age of eighteen Conrad Miller 
left home to learn the butcher's trade, 
serving a two-years' apprenticeship, and 
then following that pursuit in Germany 
for eleven years. He is now an expert, 
there being no kind of meat that he can 
not prepare. He was married November 
5, 1876, to Miss Augusta Kroos, of Lippe 
Detmold, Germany, born in that country 
February 16, 1852. Her father, Fred 
Kroos, was there born in 1803, and died. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



601 



in 1855. He was a gardener by trade 
and lived at Schoedmar, Germany. His 
wife, who bore the maiden name of Min- 
ne Meyer, was born at Ahsen, Ger- 
many, in 181 5, and died in 1870. Their 
family numbered six children, namely: 
August, who died at the age of eighteen 
years; William; Minnie Caroline; Fred, 
who died in 1889; Augusta and Henry. 
Of those living Mrs. Miller is now the 
only one in America. She remained at 
home until eleven years of age, and from 
that time until her marriage cared for 
herself. To her husband she has been a 
faithful companion and helpmeet, aiding 
him in securing the competence which 
they now enjoy. 

In December, 18S0, Mr. and Mrs. 
Miller sailed for America, landing in New 
York in January, 1S81, and coming di- 
rect to Ohio. They located on a farm 
which was their home forsi.K months, and 
then removed to the village of Elmore, 
buying a small place, which, however, 
was soon sold. Mr. Miller next pur- 
chased four nice lots and a fine residence 
on Fremont street, and to-daj- has one 
of the most pleasant homes in Elmore, 
characterized by its neatness both within 
doors and without. For five and a half 
years he engaged in clerking in the hard- 
ware store of Wolf & Bendig, after which 
he returned to his old trade, and for 
eight and one-half years he has been en- 
gaged in the butchering business, six years 
for Mr. Wittie. He thoroughly under- 
stands his trade, and his long connection 
with one store indicates the faithfulness 
and integrity that is above question. He 
and his wife have many warm friends, 
and are widely known. 



DR. HENRY JOHN HELLWIG, 
veterinary surgeon, Elmore, Ot- 
tawa county, is the son of hon- 
ored pioneers of Ottawa county, 
Justus and Elizabeth fLang) Hellwig. He 
was born June 23. 1868, on the old home- 



stead farm near Elliston, Ohio, and ac- 
quired his education in the schools of that 
place, after which he engaged in the 
operation of the honie farm for eight 
years, carrying on the place for his mother 
for some years after his father's death. 
He there made a specialty of stock rais- 
ing, keeping on hand fine grades of Per- 
cheron horses, and from his boyhood he 
has always been a lover of fine horses. 

In 1890 the Doctor went to New 
Hamburg, Canada, in order to study vet- 
erinary surgery with Dr. William Sterl- 
ing, of that place. After six months he 
returned home to spend the summer, and 
then went to Toronto, Canada, where he 
took a regular course in the Ontario Vet- 
erinary College, from which he graduated 
in the class of 1892. When his studies 
were ended he located in Elliston, spend- 
ing four days in each week there and 
three days in Oak Harbor, practicing his 
profession. In the fall of 1893 he re- 
moved to Elmore, where, in two )'ears, he 
has built up an enviable reputation as a 
veterinary surgeon, and enjoys a very ex- 
lensive practice. On June iS, 1891, the 
Doctor was united in marriage with Miss 
Elva Hammond, of Elliston. Her father, 
Henry Hammond, was born in Harris 
township, Ottawa county, January 25, 
1845, and is a thorough mechanic, having 
been employed by the Toledo Bridge 
Company for twenty years, superintend- 
ing the erection of the bridges after the 
material is prepared. He served in the 
army for three years, where he was 
wounded, January 4. 1864. 

On April 1 1 , 1 866, Mr. Hammond mar- 
ried Emilv Gyde, who was born in Ottawa 
county, Ohio, February 25, 1848, and 
for a time was engaged in teaching school 
in Ottawa county. Two children were 
born to them: Emily (Mrs. Hellwig), 
and William, the latter of whom is a 
bridge builder. The grandfather, Anson 

I Hammond, was born in Ohio about 1820, 
and died in a hospital at Savannah, Ga.. 

; during the Civil war. His wife, who 



602 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



bore the name of Margaretta Witty, was 
born in Germany, October 9, 1822, and 
died February 6, 1891. The maternal 
grandparents were WiUiam and Harriet 
(Meeker) Gyde, the former of whom was 
born in England, in 18 13, and was a car- 
penter by trade, but also pursued the oc- 
cupation of farming, while the latter was 
born in Butler county, Ohio, in 1829. 

Mrs. Hellwig was born in Elliston, 
Ohio, January 4, 1867, and, after attend- 
ing the public schools of that place, was 
a student in the normal school of Oak 
Harbor. In 18S4 she began teaching in 
this section of the State, and for six years 
was numbered among the successful and 
popular teachers of Ottawa county. Mrs. 
Hellwig is a member of the M. E. Church, 
and president of the Epworth League. 
Both the Doctor and Mrs. Hellwig have 
music-loving natures, his violin making 
an excellent accompaniment to her organ 
or piano, and in their home their friends 
ma}' always be sure of a refined literarj- 
treat. 



JOSEPH SLIGER, one of the repre- 
sentative self-made farmer citizens 
of Benton township, Ottawa county, 
is a native of Pennsylvania, born 
March 28, 1848, son of Henry and Anna 
(Hardman; Sliger. 

Henry Sliger was born in March, 
1818, in Bedford county, Penn., where 
he was reared to manhood, and on Sep- 
tember 18, 1842, there married Anna 
Hardman, a native of the same State, 
born November 22, 1823. To their union 
were born eleven children, six of whom 
are living, Joseph Sliger being the only 
one in Ohio. They came to Ohio in 1852, 
settling in Richland county, where Mr. 
Sliger cleared up a farm and made a com- 
fortable home for his family, living there 
until about 1868, when he sold out and 
removed to Sandusky county. Here he 
cleared another farm and became owner 
of a nice property, which he lost by sign- 



ing papers to assist his friends in business. 
Here his wife died, and shortly afterward 
he went to Michigan, where he passed 
away April 7, 1886. Mr. Joseph Sliger's 
maternal grandfather, Jacob Hardman, 
was born about 1790 in Pennsylvania, 
and came thence with a team to Richland 
county, Ohio, where he died in i860; his 
wife, who was born about 1 790, died in 
1856. 

Joseph Sliger was a mere child when 
his parents came to Richland county, 
Ohio, where he lived until eighteen years 
of age, obtaining his education in the dis- 
trict schools. At the age of twenty-three 
he was married September 14, 1871, to 
Miss Jenette Smith, of Sandusky county, 
Ohio, and the}' settled in Sandusky coun- 
ty, where they remained for six years. 
They then came to Section 1 1 , Benton 
township, Ottawa county, where they 
bought forty acres of mill land, not a foot 
of which was cleared. There was no 
road to their new liome, and they cut a 
road through the timber some distance to 
get onto their land, on which they built a 
frame house by addition to shelter them, 
and at once began clearing away the tim- 
ber that they might raise something for 
their sustenance. On going over the 
farm now one would not realize the work 
that has been accomplished by him and 
his faithful wife in the developing of that 
part of the township; the land is all 
cleared, not only of timber, but also of 
stumps, is well fenced, and equipped with 
comfortable buildings, and the well-kept 
condition of the place and all the sur- 
roundings gives evidence of the neatness 
and taste of the owners. In connection 
with general agriculture he is also engaged 
in bee culture, having at various times 
nearly forty swarms, from which he has 
sold 100 gallons of honey in a season, 
and for seven seasons he has also operated 
a threshing outfit, in which business he 
has made a reasonably fair success. In 
addition to his own home business he has 
done much contracting in the line of get- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQBAPHICAL RECORD. 



G03 



tins out timber for different parties. Mr. 
and Mrs. Sliger have always been busy, 
striving to make home pleasant for them- 
selves and their children, and their efforts 
have resulted in a very cheerful and hap- 
py home. 

Mrs. Jenette (Smith) Sliger was born 
May 7, 1S51, in Sandusky count3^ Ohio, 
where she lived until 1877, acquiring at 
the public schools as complete an educa- 
tion as the times would afford. Her 
mother dying when she was quite young, 
her help was needed in the home, and 
this somewhat curtailed her advantages 
for an education, for which she had a 
great desire. Her elder sister, Calesta, 
was a teacher and away from home much 
of the time, thus leaving a great deal for 
Mrs. Sliger to do; but this early experi- 
ence has of course added much to her suc- 
cess in managing her own home, and she 
has been of great assistance to her hus- 
band in securing the home. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Sliger have been born four children: 
Newton, August 31, 1872; Anna, June 18, 
1874; Edwin, August 14, 1885, and May, 
May 8, 1890, of whom Edwin died when 
only two months old. The others are 
living with their parents on the farm, and 
have been very faithful in helping them 
in various ways. Special mention should 
here be made of Newton and .\nna; they 
have improved every opportunity to secure 
an education, having adopted the profes- 
sion of teaching. In addition to their 
countrj- schooling, Newton attended the 
high school at Rocky Ridge for a time, 
and Anna the high school at Oak Harbor, 
leaving when in her senior year to accept 
a position as a teacher, which occupation 
she has followed for three years, and is 
now among the most promising teachers 
in Ottawa county. Newton taught one 
term, and was obliged to discontinue the 
work on account of his health. They are 
truly ambitious, self-made young people, 
and, if health permits, they will no doubt 
make creditable records for themselves. 
Daniel Smith, father of Mrs. Sliger, 



was born in Pennsylvania July 11, 1814, 
and December 6, 1834, was married to 
Miss Jenette Holcomb, who was born June 
30, 1 81 5. To them were born seven chil- 
dren, four of whom are living — two sons 
and two daughters. Daniel Smith was 
one of the first justices in Sandusky coun- 
ty, an office he held for thirty-three years. 
The grandfather, Daniel Smith, Sr. , was 
born about 1777, and in his family were 
thirteen children. They were among the 
pioneers of Sandusky county, coming to 
this region when it was a forest, out of 
which thev cleared up a farm and made for 
themselves a comfortable home. [To the 
above sketch Mr. Sliger adds in the early 
part of November, 1895: "We are pack- 
ing our household goods preparatory to 
starting for Los Angeles, Cal., where we 
intend making our future home. " — Editor. 



REV. ERNEST WALTER 
Y A E C K E R, son of Robert and 
Louisa (von Weber) Yaecker, was 
born in Duesseldorf, Germany, 
May 8, 1S67, was educated in the scien- 
tific schools of Germany, and took the 
theological course in the Northwestern 
College of Illinois, from which he gradu- 
ated in 1888. 

Carl Yaecker, the father of Robert 
Yaecker, was born in Germany, February 
7, 1 81 2, and died in that country in 1890. 
Robert Yaecker was born April 17, 183S, 
in Kronenberg, Germany, and he now 
lives in Duesseldorf. He married Louisa 
von Weber, who was born in Pohlhausen, 
Rhine Proving, Germany, in 1838, and 
they had eight children, seven of whom 
are now living, all in Germany except the 
subject of this sketch. An uncle of Rev. 
E. W. Yaecker was a soldier in the war 
of the Rebellion, and died in Anderson- 
ville prison. Robert Yaecker was for a 
time in the hardware business, sold out 
and is now foreman in a large iron pipe 
factory. At one time he had a nice sum 
of money in one of the banks of Germany, 



604 



COMyrEilORATTTE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



but lost much of his hard earnings in con- 
sequence of the failure of the bank. His 
wife, Louisa, died in Germanj- in 1S71. 
Her parents, who were descendants of 
German nobility, died at an advanced age. 

While in Germany Rev. E. W. Yaecker 
learned the trade of truss and limb manu- 
facturing and followed it for some time. 
He embarked for America in 18S5, and 
encountered a severe storm at sea, dur- 
ing which the machiner}- of the ves- 
sel got out of repair, and they were 
adrift for half a day until repairs could 
be made, when the vessel proceeded 
on her course. Soon after reaching 
America our subject took up his theo- 
logical studies, and since his gradua- 
tion has been engaged in the active work 
of the ministry. He was first located in 
Cleveland for one year as pastor of the 
Evangelical Association (he is a member 
of its Erie Conference), after which he 
preached at EUiston, in Benton township, 
Ottawa county, for one year, was located 
for four \-ears in Pennsylvania, and then 
returned to Elliston, where he has been 
since March, 1894. He fills three appoint- 
ments, all in Benton township, namely: 
Elliston, Rocky Ridge and Blackberry, in 
which there is a large membership. Since 
coming to Benton township he has re- 
ceived his naturalization papers, which 
were issued 1 890. 

On May 8, 1890, the Rev. E. \\'. 
Yaecker was united in marriage with Miss 
Mar}- Albertrne Kopf, who was born Au- 
gust 1 1, 1869, inMunster. Alsace-Loraine, 
and they have had three children — Wal- 
ter Ernest, born September 27, 1891; 
Robert Arthur, June 13, 1893; and Henry 
Emerson, September 10, 1894 — all living. 
Mary A. Kopf, now Mrs. Yaecker, came 
to America at the age of five years with 
her widowed mother, who settled in Cleve- 
land, Ohio, and she was educated in the 
schools of that city, graduating in 1S83. 
Mrs. Yaecker has also made a study of 
music, and is proficient on the organ and 
piano. Her father, Albert Kopf, was born 



in Muhlburg. Baden, Germany, in 1824, 
and died in the Fatherland in 1871. Her 
mother, whose maiden name was Ruhland, 
came from a wealthy family and was born 
at Munster, Germany; she is now living 
in Cleveland, Ohio, where she located 
upon coming to America. Mr. and Mrs. 
Albert Kopf were the parents of three 
children, Mrs. Yaecker being the only one 
of them now livine. 



JACOB S. PICKARD, proprietor of 
the only barber shop in Rock}' 
Ridge, is one of the best in his line 
in Ottawa county. He is an Ohioan 
by birth, having first seen the light Au- 
gust 4, 1840, in Wayne county, where 
his early years were spent. At the age 
of six he was bound out, and the people 
with whom he lived, instead of sending 
him to school, kept him doing little er- 
rands for them, thus depriving him of 
even a show for an elementary education. 
At the age of eight years he ran away 
from those to whom he was bound out, 
and went to work for a farmer for three 
dollar per month, remaining with him 
five years. At the age of thirteen he 
took up the carpenter's trade with his 
brother, working at same one and one- 
half years for his board and clothes. He 
then went to work on a farm again for 
eight dollars per month, and so continued 
until the outbreak of the Civil war. 

In 1861 Mr. Pickard enlisted for three 
months in the Seventeenth Ind. \'. I., at 
the end of that time re-enlisting, but his 
health was so poor that he was rejected. 
He remained at home for six months, and 
having somewhat regained his health he 
entered, in August, 1862, Company E, 
Si.xty-fifth O. \. I. ; he was again taken 
sick, and in the fall of 1863 was dis- 
charged, but at the end of eight months 
he had so far recovered that he again en- 
listed, this time in the One Hundred and 
Twenty-ninth O. V. I., and served out 
his time. Mr. Pickard was in several 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPmCAL RECORD. 



605 



skirmishes, and in the hot battles of Cum- 
berland Gap and Shiloh. In the fall of 
1S64 he went to Nashville as teamster 
for the pjovernment, and there remained 
for five months. In January, 1865, he 
went to Graytown, in Benton township, 
Ottawa Co., Ohio, to work in the saw- 
mill of Walker & Harman, with whom he 
continued some ten years. About 1875 
he began work in the stave factory of 
Joseph Traults, at Graytown, where he 
labored four years; then, after spending 
several years on a farm, he took up and 
learned the barber's trade. He is self- 
made in his vocation, and is known as 
one of the most skillful tonsorial artists in 
the county. Mr. Pickard has a neat 
place of business, and, it being the only 
establishment of the kind in Rocky Ridge, 
he has all the custom he can convenient- 
ly handle. He has purchased a comfort- 
able home on Third street, and has met 
with well-merited success, being now 
able to enjoy life as he deserves. 

On August 14, 1865, Mr. Pickard was 
married to Miss Nancy Ann Bennett, of 
Port Clinton, and to their union were born 
si.\ children, their names and dates of 
birth being as follows: Annie, September 
5, 1868; William Henry, November 27, 
1870; Alvin Francis, September 8, 1872; 
George Frederick, January 22, 1875; 
Lanoria Jane, October 4, 1876; Jacob J., 
January 8, 1883; of whom, Alvin F. died 
May 6, 1875; Jacob J. died June 29, 1883; 
and Annie died May 29. 1884; Lanoria 
Jane is married to Frank Riser, of Rocky 
Ridge; William H. is engaged in the 
stave business in Paulding county, Ohio; 
George F. is a clerk for C. F. Frese & 
Co., of Graytown, and is known as a 
capable, energetic young man. Mrs. 
Nancy Ann Pickard died April 7, 1883, 
after eight years' illness, and Mr. Pickard 
then remained a widower a few years, 
caring for his three remaining children. 
In 1887 he was married to Mrs. Bell Mor- 
gan, of Rocky Ridge, by whom he had 
the following children: Frank S., born 



July 17, 1 88-, deceased August 28, 1890; 
and Ella Belle, born January i, 1890. 
On April r, 1895, Mr. Pickard was mar- 
ried to Mrs. Jennie Baker, of Rocky Ridge, 
a lady of Scotch-Irish descent. 

The parents of our subject were John 
and Mary (Shrolley) Pickard, the former 
of whom was born in 1797, in Pennsyl- 
vania, and passed from earth in 1882, in 
Benton township, Ottawa Co., Ohio. 
The paternal grandparents of Mr. Pickard 
were John and Ellen Pickard, the former 
of whom, born in Germany in 1740, died 
in 1858, at the advanced age of one hun- 
dred and eighteen years; the grandmother 
was born in Ireland in 1742, and died in 
Indiana in 1858, being one hundred and 
sixteen years old. For twenty years prior 
to his death the grandfather was blind and 
deaf. The parents of Mr. Pickard's first 
wife were of French descent. 



WASHINGTON D. SMITH, who 
was one of the brave defenders 
of the Union in the war of the 
Rebellion, is a son of James A. 
and Jane (McCormick) Smith, and was 
born in Harris township, Ottawa county, 
Ohio, February 7, 1837. 

James A. Smith was born in \'irginia, 
June 5, 1806, and his wife, whose maiden 
name was Jane McCormick, was born in 
Canada in 181 1. They had nine chil- 
dren — five sons and four daughters — four 
of whom are now living. The father of 
James A. Smith was John B. Smith. 
Mrs. James A. Smith's father was born in 
Ireland. 

Washington D. Smith remained at 
home until he was nineteen years of age, 
then went to Indiana, where for two 
years he worked on the Wabash and Erie 
canal, and also on a farm. He then re- 
turned to Ohio, and learned the stone and 
brick mason's trade, which he had just 
completed attheoutbreakof the Rebellion. 
On April 27, 1861, Mr. Smith responded 
to President Lincoln's call for seventy- 



606 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



five thousand men for three months, en- 
listing inCompany I, Twenty-first O. V. I. 
He served his time and immediately re- 
enlisted in the same company for three 
years or during the war. In 1863, under 
the bounty plan, he again re-enlisted, re- 
ceiving the four-hundred dollars bounty 
for three years or during the war. Mr. 
Smith was in some of the hardest battles 
of the Rebellion, among which may be 
mentioned those of Stone River, Chicka- 
niauga, and Atlanta. He was also with 
Sherman on his famous march to the 
sea. After the battle of Chickamauga he 
was taken prisoner October 2, 1S63, was 
held only four days, and then allowed to 
return to his regiment. Mr. Smith re- 
gards as one of the most interesting scenes 
he ever witnessed the battle of Missionarj- 
Ridge, which he viewed from a distance 
of three miles. He was in the grand re- 
view at Washington at the close of the 
war, then returned to Ohio, has since 
given his attention to his trade and to 
farming, and for the last twenty-three 
years has lived in Benton township. 

Politically Mr. Smith is an ardent 
supporter of his party's ideas. He is a 
member of the G. A. R., of the I. O. O. 
F., and of the P. of H. On July 25, 1870, 
he was united in marriage with Miss Sarah 
Davenport, of Carroll township, Ottawa 
Co., Ohio, and they have had four chil- 
dren, as follows: James Edson, born June 
27, 1871, died March 11, 1880; Emma, 
born October 10, 1872; Lula, born No- 
vember 5, 1875; and Mary Elizabeth, 
born September 6, 1886. Mrs. W. D. 
Smith's father was born in 1807 in Ohio; 
her mother was born in 1809. They had 
nine children — four sons and five daugh- 
ters — five of whom are still living. Miss 
Emma Smith, the eldest daughter of W. 
D. Smith, was born in Harris township, 
Ottawa county, where she lived until 
three years of age, when her parents 
moved to Benton township. As did also 
her young sisters, she acquired a liberal 
Literary education in the public schools of 



Graytown. She has been away from 
home the greater part of the time since 
sixteen years of age, and is at present, 
and has been for the past four years, en- 
gaged in Decatur; at the time of this 
writing she was at home visiting her 
parents. Lula Smith, the second daugh- 
ter of the subject of these lines, was born 
November 5, 1875, in Benton township, 
where she has since lived. She was edu^ 
cated in the public schools of Graytown, 
in Benton township, and completed her 
course of studies in 1894, under the su- 
pervision of Principal A. L. Ferris. In 
October, 1894, Miss Lula began her work 
as a teacher in one of the public schools 
of Carroll township, Ottawa county, where 
she has very successfully taught her first 
year. Her ambition is to pursue her 
studies further as soon as possible, and to 
make of herself a professional teacher. 



ALFRED C. JOHNSON, manu- 
facturer of brick and tile, Martin, 
Ottawa county, and superintend- 
ent of and stockholder in the 
Toledo White Lime Company, was born 
February 7, 1850, in ttie Kingdom of 
Sweden, son of Charles Johnson, who 
followed the occupation of fishing in that 
country. 

When our subject was but a year and 
a half old his father died, and when Al- 
fred had reached the age of si.\ years the 
mother came with her family to America, 
locating in Sandusky, Ohio. His edu- 
cational privileges were very meager, and 
he early began to earn his livelihood in 
connection with the fishing business. He 
then began sailing on the lakes, following 
that life until twenty-four years of age, 
when, thinking he might bend his ener- 
gies to a more profitable business, he 
came to Martin, Ohio, and entered into 
partnership with his father-in-law, A. E. 
Salisbury, in the stave manufacturing 
industr\', with which he was connected 
until 1886, at the same time also engag- 





^-'^-^'^ttS-a--*^ 



1 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



607 



ing in mercantile pursuits at Martin. 
In 1886 Mr. Salisbury withdrew, and Mr. 
Johnson continued the enterprise alone 
until 1889, when he embarked in the 
brick and tile manufacturing, business 
which he yet conducts. 

In 1880 Mr. Johnson entered the em- 
ploy of the Toledo White Lime Company 
as superintendent, and has since served 
in that capacity, operating the works at 
Clay Center, Ohio. In 1890 he became 
one of the stockholders in the company, 
and the two industries with which he is 
now connected yield him a good income. 
Through his business ability and progres- 
sive ideas he has succeeded in making 
the lime works a paying concern, and un- 
der his supervision many improvements 
have been made in the kilns, and in the 
use of the best machinery. He is now 
superintending the construction of a 
branch railroad which is to be run from 
the factory to Clay Center, and he has 
charge of the erection of a new kiln in 
connection with the present one. 

On October 13, 1875. Mr. Johnson 
married Miss Mary Salisbury, daughter 
of A. E. Salisbury, a prominent business 
man of Martin. She was born October 
22, 1855, '" Randall, Cuyahoga Co., 
Ohio, was educated at Martin, Genoa and 
in Berea (Ohio) College, and made her 
home with her father until her marriage. 
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson now have one 
daughter, Lottie A., who was born July 
5, 1876, in Martin, where she attended 
school, completing her literary education 
in the high school of Toledo, after which 
she entered a business college of that city, 
taking a full business course. She is now 
a bookkeeper, stenographer and type- 
writer in the office of the Toledo White 
Lime Company, and is a most estimable 
young lady, possessed of superior busi- 
ness ability. 

His success in life Mr. Johnson owes 
to no man, it being the reward of his own 
efforts. He began life without capital, 
but energy and industry are the traits of 



character which have brought him suc- 
cess. He was self-educated, and is en- 
tirely self-made, but possesses good busi- 
ness abilit}', and the energy and determin- 
ation that helped him to accomplish what- 
ever he has undertaken. His straight- 
forward dealing in all transactions has 
won him the confidence and good will of 
all with whom he has been brought in 
contact, and his life furnishes an e.xample 
well worthy of emulation. His political 
support is ever given to the Republican 
party, of whose principles he is a stanch 
advocate. The family reside in Toledo. 



JOHN McINTYRE LEMMON. Few 
men are better or more favorably 
known throughqut northern Ohio, or 
indeed throughout the State, than 
was the one whose name is here given. 
In the various relations of citizen, soldier, 
member of the bar and judge upon the 
bench, his record has been so full of all 
that is to be emulated in the conduct of 
life that it is with more than ordinary 
pleasure we include a sketch of his career 
in this volume. Necessarily condensed, 
owing to the limitations of such a work, 
we present only tho salient points, from 
which, however, a correct idea can be ob- 
tained of the character of the man who 
possessed the love and admiration of his 
fellow-citizens, as well as the respect and 
esteem of all who ever had dealings with 
him. 

Judge Lemmon was a native of Ohio, 
born July 25, 1839, in Townsend, San- 
dusky county, a son of Uriah Blake and 
Emily Amanda (Mclntyre) Lemmon. His 
ancestrj' were Scotch-Irish, and he in- 
herited much of the vigorous, well-bal- 
anced temperament which marks that 
race. His father's family, in this country, is 
traced back to Hugh Lemmon, who left 
Ireland when seventeen years old, coming 
to New York, where he learned the trade 
of a tailor, at which he worked for several 



■608 



COMMEMORATIVE BTOOHAPUWAL RECORD. 



years. He then removed to Pennsylvania, 
where he married into a family named 
McHenry, of Scotch origin. He had a 
family of twelve children, of whom James 
Lemmon, Sr. , the grandfather of our 
subject, was the second. He was born in 
Northumberland county, Penn., July 17, 
1779; was married to Rebecca Blake in 
1S05; was a volunteer soldier in the war 
of 181 2; removed to Ohio in 1827, and 
died at his home on North Ridge, Town- 
send, Sandusky county, May 7, 1854. 
Uriah Blake Lemmon, the father of our 
subject, died at Clyde, this State, Febru- 
ary 16, 1887, when nearly seventy-nine 
years old. His wife departed this life July 
12, i860, in Townsend township, San- 
dusky county. 

The present generation can scarcely 
comprehend the manner in which the 
early settlers of this and other western 
States were obliged to live, in those early 
days. The country was wild and sparsely 
inhabited. It was miles to the house of 
the nearest neighbor; the only and chief 
mode of travel was by ox-teams; no roads 
were laid out, no bridges built; dense for- 
ests surrounded the log cabin of the lonely 
settler. It depended on his strong right 
arm to wrest from the wilderness a living 
for his little family, and too often sickness 
and death resulted from the too great la- 
bor, and on the mother's weaker should- 
ers was placed the burden of caring for 
her little ones. The home in which Judge 
Lemmon opened his eyes upon the world 
differed but little from those which 
abounded throughout the West. A log 
cabin with two rooms, in this case one 
above the other, through whose chinks 
peeped the sun by day, and the moon by 
night; innocent of lath and plaster, the 
crevices daubed with mud which needed 
constantly to be renewed to keep out the 
heat of summer and the chilling rains and 
snows of winter. The only heat to be 
obtained was from an immense fire-place 
in one end of the living room, at 
which, also, all the cooking was done. It 



was lonesome in the little home until the 
faces of children brightened the bare in- 
terior and childish voices rang out among 
the trees, and doubtless the mother's heart 
often longed for her girlhood's home while 
the wear)' hours stole on, her husband 
hard at work and often absent for a week 
at a time. The home place comprised 
1 20 acres of land which our subject's father 
purchased at a low price, and which was 
covered with heavy timber. He was a 
carpenter bj' trade, and worked at this 
after he was married, by this means sup- 
porting his family, while in the few leis- 
ure hours he had he cleared off his farm 
and prepared it for cultivation. It was 
a hard life, and involved an amount of la- 
bor which few men of the present day 
would care to undertake. Of such stuff, 
however, were our pioneers made, and we 
who reap the benefits of their toil can 
never sufficiently thank and honor them. 
The father of Judge Lemmon was a 
man of limited education, but of exxel- 
lent judgment and practical wisdom, and 
determined that his children should have 
all the advantages that he could afford 
them. His wife was well-educated, a 
great reader, and possessed fine conver- 
sational powers. Until he was about 
twelve years of age Judge Lemmon at- 
tended the district school, which was then 
held for three months in the winter and 
three and a half in the summer. Soon, 
however, his help was needed on the farm, 
and he was reduced to the winter term 
only. When eighteen years of age he 
attended a select school for six weeks. 
These tastes of knowledge only gave the 
ambitious boy a hunger for more, and he 
employed all his spare time in studying, 
so well profiting thereby that at the age 
of nineteen he secured a teacher's certifi- 
cate and took charge of a school at Clyde. 
At the close of this school he entered 
Oberlin College, remaining there three 
terms. He then taught school again for 
several terms, and in the spring of 1859 
accompanied an uncle to Missouri, where 



II 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



609 



he located in Memphis, the seat of Scot- 
land count)'. 

In November of the same j^ear Judge 
Lemmon went to Jefferson City, Mo., 
where he took the decisive step of his 
career, beginning the studj- of law under 
James Proctor Knott, then attorney-gen- 
eral of that State. During the time he 
spent there he met and became acquainted 
with men who afterward were well- known 
characters in the Civil war, among them 
being Sterling Price, Claiborne Jackson, 
afterward governor, Stringfellow and 
Atchison. In i860, owing to the illness 
of his mother, the young lawyer returned 
to Ohio, and read law in the office of J. 
R. Bartlett, of Fremont, and in the 
winter following took charge of the school 
in his home district. When news of the 
firing on Fort Sumter reached Fremont 
on that eventful April day in 1861, j-oung 
Lemmon did not hesitate as to his duty. 
He enlisted in Company F, Eighth O. V. I. , 
for three months' service. Before the 
company left Fremont, however, he was 
taken with the measles, and did not re- 
join his company until the regiment 
reached Fort Denison; soon afterward he 
was again taken sick, and was compelled 
to go home. In October of the same 
year, having regained his health, he again 
enlisted ki Company B, Seventv-second 
O. V. I., which was organized under 
Ralph P. Buckland, of Fremont. It may 
be mentioned incidentally here, that at a 
reunion of this regiment held in Fremont 
in October, 1893, Judge Lemmon read 
a most interesting biograph}' of Gen. 
Buckland, who served throughout the 
war with great bravery, and who was 
afterward elected to Congress. 

While waiting for this regiment to be 
completely organized, Mr. Lemmon went 
over the county making speeches in favor 
of a vigorous prosecution of the war, and 
urging his friends and neighbors to enlist. 
On January 18, 1862, his regiment was 
sent to Camp Chase, and thence to Cin- 
cinnati and Paducah, where it was placed 



in a division under Brigadier-General W. 
T. Sherman. His first fight was on 
April 2, 1S62, two days before the battle 
of Shiloh, and at that memorable battle 
his regiment saw hard service. It is a 
curious circumstance that the only injur- 
ies Mr. Lemmon received in his military 
career, which lasted throughout the en- 
tire war, were received on the first two 
days of the battle at Shiloh. On the first 
day he was wounded in the left arm by a 
musket ball, and the ne.xt day a ball 
struck his right arm, benumbing it so 
that he lost the use of it for a time. In 
the afternoon of the same day he was dis- 
abled by a shell from the Rebel batteries 
exploding and throwing a heavy piece of 
timber against him. 

Mr. Lemmon was in the expedition un- 
der Gen. Grant which started November 
26, 1862, and went as far as Oxford, Miss., 
and on the return accompanied his regi- 
ment to Moscow, Bolivar and Corinth. 
This expedition was full of hardships and 
privations. After the surrender of \'icks- 
burg, he was in the siege of Jackson under 
Sherman, and then in the expedition to 
Brandon, Miss., which to him was the 
hardest service seen during the war. The 
weather was exceedingly hot, and he was 
on provost-guard duty a part of the time. 
They marched back to Jackson under a 
burning sun, and he received a sunstroke 
which affected his eyes so that they were 
never afterward strong, and also his 
head, which troubled him in extremely hot 
weather. In June, 1864, Mr. Lemmon 
was detailed as judge-advocate of a mili- 
tary commission in Memphis; which was 
a military court organized for the trial of 
criminal cases for violation of both com- 
mon and military law by citizens. Some 
very important cases were brought before 
this court, and one man, convicted of be- 
ing the leader of a band of guerrillas, was 
hanged. Judge Lemmon served for seven 
months as judge of this court, and was re- 
lieved at his own request, having gained 
an enviable reputation for the manner in 



610 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



which he performed his responsible duties. 
Judge Lemmon participated in the cam- 
paign, under Gen. Canby, against Mobile, 
and in the siege of Spanish Fort, whence 
his command was marched to Mont- 
gomery, Ala., and the welcome news re- 
ceived that the war was at an end. Two 
hundred guns were fired in honor of the 
great event. During his service Judge 
Lemmon, who enlisted as a private, was 
promoted to a second lieutenancy. May 
23, 1862, and was made captain July 23, 
1863. 

In June, 1865, the war being over, 
Judge Lemmon was mustered out of serv- 
ice, and returned home. He had been 
married, March 29, 1864, to Miss Annie 
Covell, at Perkins, Erie county, this 
State, and, as his health was poor on 
his return from the army, he settled in 
Clyde, a quiet little place, where he pur- 
sued his law studies, practiced his profes- 
sion, and also carried on the business of 
claim agent and insurance agent. On 
June II, 1886, he was elected the first 
mayor of Clyde, and in April, 1867, was 
re-elected to the same position. His law 
practice now grew so large that he gave 
up all other occupations, and devoted his 
entire time to his profession. He became 
widely known as thoroughly conversant • 
with every phase of legal knowledge, and 
as a man of unerring judgment and great 
ability. In 1881 he received a flattering 
offer to go to \ew York City and devote 
himself entirely to corporation law at a 
large salary, and where he would have un- 
doubtedly made both fame and fortune, 
but his love for a quiet and retired life 
prevented his acceptance. 

In October, 1866, Mr. Lemmon was 
appointed, without solicitation on his 
part, as the successor of Charles P. Wick- 
ham, judge of the common pleas court of 
the First Sub-division of the Fourth Judi- 
cial District of Ohio. He had only 
shortly before declined to accept the 
nomination for the same office at the 
hands of his party friends. In 1887 he 



was again asked to fill the place, but de- 
clined, as he did not then wish to wholly 
give up his practice. 

In the summer of 1887 Judge Lem- 
mon, with his wife, made a tour through 
France, England, Scotland and Wales, 
the first vacation which he had enjoyed 
in twenty-three years of incessant activ- 
ity, hoping thereby to gain renewed 
health and strength. In Jul}', 1888, how- 
ever, he was seriously threatened with 
nervous prostration if not with paralysis, 
from which, later, he fully recovered. He 
died August 17, 1895, ^t his home in 
Cljde, deeply regretted by all who knew 
him. His last days were daj'S of com- 
fort and peace, for he had secured a com- 
fortable competence, and felt that he had 
completed his part in the busy world. 
He was a Republican, and though not an 
active politician did much for the good of 
his party. His character was above re- 
proach, and his record as a jurist unsur- 
passed in the State. 



WILLIAM H. LACH. MILLER, 
one of the most enterprising and 
public-spirited citizens of Ben- 
ton township, Ottawa county, 
was born in Elmore, same county, April 
25, 1S58, son of William and Mary (Roh- 
terd) Lachmiller, who settled at Elmore 
in the year of his birth. 

The boyhood of our subject was passed 
in attending the public schools of Elmore 
up to the age of fourteen, when he was 
confirmed in the German Lutheran 
Church, of which he is still a member. 
When fifteen years old he removed, with 
his parents, to Woodville, Sandusky coun- 
ty, where, for seven years, he assisted his 
father in the manufacture of wagons, and 
soon after his marriage, in 1 881, he re- 
moved to Benton township, Ottawa coun- 
tj-, where he has since been identified with 
business interests, first engaging as clerk 
in the store of C. F. Frese & Co. At the 
end of two years he severed his connection 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



611 



with this firm and embarked in business 
for himself, engaging in the hunber trade 
in company with Peter Lickert, under the 
firm name of Lickert & Lachmiller. On 
March i, 1885, Mr. Lickert sold out his 
interest in the concern to Frese & Co. , 
the name changing to Lachmiller & Frese 
Bros., and so continuing for four years, 
when Mr. Lachmiller purchased the Frese 
Brothers' share, thus becoming sole 
owner of the business. At the end of 
one year he sold a third interest to his 
brother-in-law, John F. Shoemaker, pur- 
chasing this share again, however, in 
1894, since which time he has conducted 
the business alone. He carries a stock of 
lumber, shingles, etc., ranging in value 
from $5, 000 to $10,000, and his large and 
flourishing trade is ever on the increase, 
the hum of the mill being heard unceas- 
ingly from 7 A. M. to 6 p. m. 

In 1883, when Mr. Lachmiller ven- 
tured into business, he had but $1,000, 
which he invested in his plant, going in 
debt for the remainder, and by diligent 
attention to his affairs he has not only 
succeeded in paying that debt, but now 
has a lumber stock and mill free of all in- 
cumbrances, the value of which is not 
less than $17,000. Aside from the lum- 
ber industry and his large mill Mr. Lach- 
miller owns property in Graytown, Oak 
Harbor and Toledo, valued at $10,000. 
By the foregoing it will be seen that in 
the short space of twelve years this com- 
paratively young man has, by his own 
individual efforts, made for himself the 
snug fortune of over $25,000. This is 
indeed a business record of which any 
young man would have great reason to 
feel proud. Many a young man has be- 
come wealth}' by inheritance; but for a 
man to start with only $1,000, and in the 
short period of twelve years work out a 
fortune such as he has, is a record of 
which few can boast. Mr. Lachmiller 
is very public-spirited, takes great interest 
in educational matters, having for eight 
years been a member of the school board 



of the village of Graytown, and is justice 
of the peace in the township where he 
now lives. 

On April 28, 1880, Mr. Lachmiller 
was united in marriage with Miss Mary 
Eliza Shoemaker, of Woodville, Sandus- 
ky county, who was born in Sandusky 
county September 18, i860, daughter of 
a thrifty farmer of that section. She re- 
ceived a liberal education in the public 
schools of Woodville, where she spent her 
girlhood days. At the age of fourteen she 
was confirmed in the German Lutheran 
Church, of which she is still a member. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Lachmiller have been 
born five children, all of whom are living, 
their names and dates of birth being 
as follows: Bertha, January 25, 188 1; 
Achsa, January 26, 1883; Eddie, May 30, 
1885; Leah, September 5, 1887; and Em- 
ory, January 23, 1892. The eldest, Ber- 
tha, has now nearly completed the course 
in the public school of Graytown; she has 
a decided talent for music, of which she 
will make a specialty, it being her parents' 
intention to give her the advantages of a 
course in some institution where this — one 
of the finest of the arts — is thoroughly 
taught. 

William Lachmiller, father of our sub- 
•ject, was born in Germany, February 26, 
1S27. He served in the standing army 
of his country two and one-half jears, 
attaining the rank of lieutenant two years 
before his discharge. In 1854 became to 
America, and in 1855 settled in what is 
now Toledo, Ohio, then but a hamlet, 
where he at one time owned the block of 
property between Oak and Adams streets, 
on Summit street. He purchased this 
block for $400, selling it one year later 
for $500, and it is now valued at half a 
million. In 1857 Mr. Lachmiller came 
to Elmore, where he j'et resides, hale and 
hearty at the ripe old age of sixty-nine 
years. In 1857 he married Miss Mary 
Rohterd, who was born in Woodville 
November 5, 1839, and their entire mar- 
ried life has been passed in Sandusky and 



612 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGBAPHICAL RECORD. 



Ottawa counties. Nine children were 
born to them, eight of whom are still liv- 
ing, the eldest being William H. This 
record would be incomplete without men- 
tion of Mrs. Lachmiller's parents. They 
were among the earliest settlers of San- 
dusky county, coming here when the coun- 
ty was a wilderness, and the only path 
was the Indian trail. Mr. and Mrs. 
Shoemaker cleared for themselves a home 
in this region, and many a time has Mr. 
Shoemaker carried a grist on his back to 
Fremont, a distance of twelve miles. 
Thus our ancestors labored, and we enter 
into the fruits of their labors. 



GEORGE MYERHOLTS, a sub- 
stantia! farmer of Benton town- 
ship, Ottawa Co., Ohio, is one of 
the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Henry 
Myerholts, and was born November 13, 
1865, in Harris township, Ottawa county, 
where he lived until eighteen years of age. 
He then started out to seek his fortune, 
with fifty cents in his pocket. He ob- 
tained employment in Sandusky count}" 
on a farm, receiving $18 per month the 
first season and $19 the ne.xt. 

He was emplojed by his father the 
next four summers, receiving $20 a month, 
and spent the winters "batching in the 
wilderness," clearing on his father's land 
in Benton township. As he was now 
twenty-one years old, and having saved 
$500, he and his brother John bought 
forty acres of timbered land, and they 
worked diligently, clearing and cutting 
timber. Two years later forty acres more 
were purchased, and another two years 
saw them the owners of 120 acres, one 
hundred being under cultivation and well 
underdrained, with a fine house and out- 
buildings, and an orchard planted. They 
lived together while clearing their farms, 
doing their own cooking. During the 
autumn of 1891 they dis.solved partner- 
ship, John taking eighty acres and George 
forty, while George purchased forty acres 



near by. He has now a fine farm of 
eighty acres, well under cultivation and 
underdrained, with a comfortable house 
and a fine barn, sufficiently large to hold 
his hay and grain. In the season of 1895 
he raised 100 bushels of potatoes, 300 of 
wheat, over 2,000 of corn, and fifteen 
tons of hay. His farm is well stocked 
with horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. He 
has a fine orchard and vineyard, while 
the garden is well supplied with small 
fruits. 

On May 14, 1891, George Myerholts 
was united in marriage to Miss Mary 
Ferris, a daughter of James Ferris, of 
Benton township, and two children have 
been born to them: A son, born March 
21, 1892, and died a week later; and 
Nellie Elizabeth, born March i, 1893. 

Mrs. Myerholts, when a girl, was 
obliged to remain at home much of the 
time to assist in caring for the younger 
children, and was thus deprived of school 
advantages that the others enjoyed. She 
had some opportunity to attend the dis- 
trict school until thirteen years of age, 
but from that time until she was nineteen 
she was deprived entirely of every educa- 
tional privilege. She then resumed her 
studies at the district school, and so thor- 
oughly applied herself that at the end of 
eighteen months she obtained a teacher's 
certificate. She began teaching at twen- 
ty-one years, and followed that profession 
for six years. The worthy example and 
merited success of such young people fur- 
nish great encouragement to the young, 
as well as to those of mature j'ears, and 
should prove strong incentives to industry 
and virtue. 



RICHARD BARNES, a thrifty and 
well-known farmer of Benton town- 
ship, Ottawa county, is a son of 
Hamilton and Renew (Sweet) 
Barnes, and was born July 24, 1840, in 
Lorain county, Ohio. 

Hamilton Barnes, the father, was bora 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



613; 



in 1803, in New York, lived there until 
thirty years of age, and then came to 
Ohio, where he died in 1893; the mother 
was born in New York in 1804. They 
were married about 1825, and ten chil- 
dren were born to them, four now living, 
viz.: A. H., H. S., E. L. and Richard. 
Grandfather Barnes was born about 1775, 
the grandmother about 1783. 

Our subject lived in his native county 
until twenty-four years of age, obtaining 
his education in the district school, which 
he attended during the winter until six- 
teen years of age. From the time he was 
twelve years of age he was obliged to 
work on the farm summers, with only a 
meagre opportunity for schooling even in 
the winter. At the age of si.xteen he 
struck out in life for himself, and for two 
3'ears worked on a farm for thirteen dol- 
lars per month, at the end of which time 
he returned home and worked the home- 
stead for two years. Coming to Ottawa 
county, he worked here on a farm for one 
summer, and then going to Saginaw, 
Mich., he worked for one season in the 
salt works, after which he returned to 
Ohio. For one year he was laid up with 
typhoid fever, and on recovering he went 
to Elmore, Ohio, where, for some time, 
he was engaged in getting out stave tim- 
ber. 

In 1864 Mr. Barnes was married to 
Miss Mary Yost, of Elmore, and he then 
settled on the old farm, buying out the 
heirs. In July, same year, he enlisted in 
Company H, First O. V. H. A., re- 
maining in the service until the close 
of the war; he was in no special 
battles, his regiment being mainly en- 
gaged in foraging. In July, 1S65, he 
returned to his home on the old farm, 
but alter a residence there of two years 
sold out and settled in Section 14, Ben- 
ton township; the township was at that 
time a forest, there being not even a road 
by which to reach his farm, and a road 
had to be cut before he could move on 
to his property. He at once erected a 



comfortable house, and settled down to 
clearing his new land. He remained 
here for fourteen years, when he pur- 
chased a place at Limestone on which he 
lived three years, and on selling out he 
came to Section ii, Benton township, 
where he purchased sixty acres more land. 
He and his brother now divided up their 
property, Richard taking the Limestone 
property and fifteen acres of the first 
piece purchased in Section 14. In 1882 
he sold the Limestone property, and gave 
his entire attention to the improving of 
the farm whereon he now lives. The 
place is systematically cultivated, and a 
fine orchard, good fences and comfort- 
able buildings add considerably to its ap- 
pearance and value. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Barnes have come 
two children: Phcebe, born January 14, 
1865, died May 23, 1883; and Bertha L. , 
born August 16, 1868, married February 
16, 1893, to Oliver Kincaid, of Nevada, 
and had one child, Leah, born March 25, 
1894, died October 25, 1895. Mrs. Mary 
Barnes was born in Harris township, Ot- 
tawa county, December 17, 1846, at- 
tended the Portage River schools, obtain- 
ing what education could be gained therein 
in her day, and lived in her native town- 
ship until her marriage to Mr. Barnes. 
Her father, John S. Yost, was born in 
Pennsylvania in 18 10, her mother, Phcebe 
Ferris Yost, in Clark count}-, Ohio, De- 
cember25, 1814. There were seven chil- 
dren in their family, six of whom are liv- 
ing — three in Kansas and three in Ohio. 



EDWIN H. FALL, member of the 
enterprising firm of A. Couche & 
Co., exporters of logs, is one of 
the prominent and highly re- 
spected citizens of Port Clinton, Ottawa 
county. He is a native ' of Ohio, born 
September 5, i860, in Fremont, San- 
dusky county, a son of Amos W. and 
Hannah (Kistler) Fall, who have been 



614 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



residents of Port Clinton for the past 
thirty-five years. 

Amos W. Fall followed sailing on the 
lakes for about twelve years or until 1873, 
when he commenced working for Al- 
phonse Couche in the lumber business, 
attending to the elevators in shipping 
grain and lumber, and getting out timber 
for shipment to Europe. For a number 
of years he was traveling purchaser for 
Mr. Couche, and had the management of 
large shipments of various kinds of tim- 
ber and lumber to domestic and foreign 
ports, his wide experience thus acquired 
having been of great service to him in the 
conduct of the business of the firm since 
Mr. Couche's death in 1891. Mr. Fall 
was married March 8, 1859, at Fremont, 
Ohio, to Miss Hannah Kistler, and the 
children born to this union are Abbie E. , 
Edwin H., Jennie E., Mary, Ida B., 
Josephine, Amos W., Jr., and Alice, all 
born in Port Clinton, Ohio, e.xcept the 
eldest two. 

Our subject grew to manhood in Port 
Clinton, Ohio, where he attended school 
during the winter seasons and worked at 
various jobs in the employ of Alphonse 
Couche during the summer seasons. He 
worked for no other man. He began by 
hauling sawdust, and later, was employed 
at everything in the sawmill and outside, 
in regard to the shipment of timber, lum- 
ber and grain. He also traveled occa- 
sionally, as salesman and purchaser for 
Mr. Couche. In the month of March, 
1882, he commenced working in the of- 
fice as bookkeeper, which position he has 
held ever since, and in June, 1887, he be- 
came equal owner; he also has charge of 
business outside the office. From his 
long acquaintance with the details of the 
business firm, and his care and fidelity in 
the performance of his duties, he was en- 
trusted with the general management in 
the absence of Mr. Couche, who between 
1886 and 1 89 1 spent from si.x to eight 
months of each year in France, going in 
the fall and returning in the spring. In 



August, 1894, Mr. Fall was appointed 
guardian for the minor heirs of Alphonse 
Couche. In November, 1894, he com- 
menced on his own account, and inde- 
pendent of his log-exporting business, 
dealing in lumber, building material, wood 
and coal, in which line he is enjoying a 
lucrative patronage. In fact he is one of 
the busiest men in Port Clinton, where 
he is popular in both business and social 
circles, being a gentleman of pleasing ad- 
dress and genial disposition. 

On July I, 1885, Mr. Fall was mar- 
ried to Miss Emma J. Richardson, who 
was born December 8, 1863, in Portage 
township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, daughter of 
David and Pauline (Adleman) Richard- 
son, and the names and dates of birth of 
their children are as follows: Clara P., 
April I, 1886; Arthur E., December 15, 
1887; David W., November 16, 1890; 
Mable M., November 21, 1S92, and Ed- 
win H., June II, 1895, all born at Port 
Clinton, Ohio. 



JOHN STANG, contractor of public 
works — government, railroad, etc. — 
capitalist, merchant and banker, 
whose residence is in Lorain, Ohio, 
is one of the most progressive and busiest 
of busy citizens in the "Buckeye State." 
A native of Germany, he was born 
February 19, 1836, in Allmershausen, 
Hessen, a son of Augustus and Marguer- 
itha (Herwig) Stang, of the same nativity. 
At the district school of the neighborhood 
of his birthplace our subject received a 
liberal education up to the age of four- 
teen, when, like all other boys, he was 
put to learn a trade, the one chosen for 
him being that of woolen-cloth making — 
chiefiy broad-cloths. There being several 
branches in that business, it took Mr. 
Stang five years to complete his appren- 
ticeship, at the end of which time he re- 
solved to turn his face toward the New 
World, and emigrate to a land where 
there was more scope for a young man of 




^;<//'^/^VX ^<^Wt>«^ 






COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHWAL RECORD. 



615 



ambition. One of the main reasons for 
his leaving the Fatherland was his dislike 
to the system of the German Government 
in compelling 30ung men at the age of 
from twenty to twenty-five years to serve 
forthrec or fouryearsin the army, and giv- 
ing for their services onlj' their board and 
clothing, whether in time of peace or time 
of war. At the age of nineteen Mr. Stang 
set sail from the port of Bremen, and after 
a voyage of fifty-three days — during which 
long passage the vessel was nearly ship- 
wrecked, the foremast having been com- 
pletely dismantled by a stroke of lightning 
— the ship reached New York, a sorry- 
looking craft, but the passengers were 
safely landed October i6, 1855. From 
that city Mr. Stang at once set out for 
Lorain (then called Black River), Ohio; 
but on his arrival there he found there 
were no woolen-mills, and consequently 
he had to turn his attention to some other 
trade than the one he had learned. There 
being a shipyard at Black River, he se- 
cured employment therein at seventy-five 
cents per day, and worked hard to acquire 
that trade, in the meantime learning the 
English language. Soon he received more 
wages, and when the shipyard stopped 
from the lack of orders for new vessels, 
he took up house-carpentry (chietly among 
farmers); but in 1859, house-build'ing 
being very quiet, he bought a half interest 
in a small lake vessel, and went sailing. 
Now his first serious misfortune happened 
to him — the breaking of his leg while try- 
ing to make port in a storm, which acci- 
dent laid him up for six months, during 
which time he lost all his savings, includ- 
ing his interest in the vessel. 

On his recovery Mr. Stang commenced 
business "on his own hook," to use his 
own expression, as contractor in house and 
barn building, also sub-contracting for 
part of vessel work, as well as erecting 
mills, and whatever came in his way in 
that line. He found people very kind, 
all the work he could do being given him, 
and he was never out of a job. Thus he 

30 



continued until 1864, in which year, there 
being a lively demand for ship timber and 
plank, he bought oak timber, which he 
cut, hauled and manufactured into bills 
such as the United States Government 
used for gunboats. This he shipped to 
New York by order of Hiram Smith, who 
had a contract for supplying an entire 
shipyard in that city. In 1865, the Civil 
war having closed, no more gunboats 
were required, and as the New York 
parties could not sell the lumber they had 
not used, they failed, taking down with 
them the contractor, Mr. Hiram Smith, 
of whom mention has just been made. 
Mr. Stang tried to collect from him, but 
found that Mr. Smith's wife owned all the 
belongings — the timber on hand, saw- 
mills, house, horses, mules, wagons, etc., — 
everything in fact; and as a consequence 
our subject lost nearly all he possessed, 
nothing being left him except nine yoke 
of oxen and two span of horses. As he 
had no work to occupy the animals on, he 
had nothing for it but sell them to satisfy 
his creditors; then getting together his 
carpenter tools he commenced the world 
afresh, poor in pocket but rich in experi- 
ence. Succeeding in getting bridge work, 
at first in the county, later on railroads, 
he procured fresh teams and commenced 
the buying and selling of timber at Lo- 
rain, Cleveland and Buffalo, selling also a 
large amount for export, shipping from 
Quebec to England, and so securely pro- 
tecting. himself that he incurred no more 
losses. In this line he continued until 
about 1885. In 1873 he also constructed 
pile-drivers, building all the docks at Lo- 
rain for the C. L. & W. R. R. Co., as 
well as bridges on that road as far as the 
Ohio river. In addition to all this he 
built docks in Cleveland, and the first 
1, 100 feet of the breakwater at that city, 
for the government, which class of work 
naturally caused him to drift into dredging. 
In 1 88 1 he built all the docks for the 
Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad Com- 
pany, at Huron, Ohio, after which he 



616 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



constructed the docks, and dredged from 
Erie, Penn., to Toledo, Ohio. He also 
built several government piers along the 
south shore of Lake Erie, and the range- 
light cribs in Sandusky Bay. For two 
years he dredged for the government at 
Bay City, Mich.; built railroad bridges 
from Cleveland to Akron for the Valley 
road, at the time of its construction, now 
some twenty-two years ago; in 1881 and 
1882 he built all the wooden trestles, and 
put in the foundations for the iron and 
wooden bridges between Cleveland and 
Ft. Seneca and Wolf Creek, on the Nickel 
Plate road, putting in over two million 
feet of pine beside the oak timber, which 
contract amounted to $110,000; he put 
m the foundations for a double-track rail- 
road bridge across the Ohio river, near 
Wheeling, W. Va. (while this work was 
in progress the Johnstown flood took 
place, and Mr.' Stang came near losing 
his pile drivers, caissons, timber, rafts, 
etc., the water was so high in the river, 
and the under current so full of large 
rafts of logs, loose lumber, old bridges 
etc. , the worst sight, he says, he ever set 
his eyes on, and, he adds, he would rather 
take his chances on Lake Erie any day). 
At Cleveland he built a dry-dock for the 
Ship Owners Dry Dock Co., and in 1885 
he built foundations for the Cleveland 
central viaduct at a cost of $65,000, for 
the city, which bridge is nearly a mile in 
length. In 1879 Mr. Stang bought a 
tract of timber land in Ottawa county, 
Ohio, erected a saw and stave mill, and 
cut off most of the timber, which land his 
son John J. is now farming. Our sub- 
ject has also done some wrecking — rais- 
ing sunken vessels, tugs and dredges, and 
pulling some off the shore when stranded, 
which was always hard and incessant 
work, there being no rest, day or night, 
till the job, once commenced, was suc- 
cessfully completed. During the past 
two years he has been busy dredging a 
harbor and river three miles south of Lo- 
rain, and got seventeen feet of water up 



to the Johnson Company Steel Plant at 
Lorian, at which city he this season built 
the extension on the government pier. 

In addition to all the above-mentioned 
vast amount of contract and other work, 
Mr. Stang, in 1867, along with another 
party, built a sailing vessel at a cost of 
$16,000, in which he had a quarter inter- 
est. She sank or was shipwrecked near 
Au Sable river. Lake Huron, while on 
her wa\- to Chicago with a cargo, the 
captain being drowned. The vessel was 
raised, however, and Mr. Stang sold out 
his interest, though at a loss, as soon as 
she arrived at Buffalo. He built all the 
docks, for the past seven years, at Fair- 
port, Ohio, and also at Conneaut, as well 
as the e.xtension docks for the Sandusky 
& Columbus Short Line Railway Co., at 
Sandusky, Ohio. Among his commercial 
interests, he operates a grocery store, and 
is interested in the Lorain Fish Co., Lo- 
rain Lumber & Mfg. Co., of which he is 
president, real estate and banking, being 
president of the Citizens Savings Bank 
Co., of Lorain. He says his health is 
good, and that he hopes to see Lorain 
built up to the dignity of a city before he 
dies. 

Mr. Stang has been twice married, 
first time, in 186 1, at the age of twenty- 
six years, to Miss Mary Brown, of Lo- 
rain, Ohio, and by this union his home 
was blessed with two sons and two 
daughters, namely: Christina M., wife 
of H. Little; W. F. and John J., attend- 
ing to their father's timber interests; and 
Lizzie, wife of P. Jackson. The son 
John J. has for the past eleven years 
operated the saw and stave mill already 
referred to, and been clearing the land. 
In March, 1872, the dear mother of these 
children was called from earth, deeply 
lamented by all, and mourned to the ut- 
most by her bereaved husband and fam- 
ily. In October, 1872, Mr. Stang be- 
came united in marriage with Mrs. Cath- 
erine Brown, who had four children — all 
sons — by her first husband, who had died. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



617 



five j^ears before her second marriage. 
In his political sympathies Mr. Stang is a 
stanch Republican, and an enthusiastic 
admirer of Lincoln and Harrison, his first 
Presidential vote being cast for the for- 
mer. In religious faith he is a member 
of the German Evangelical Church, while, 
socially, he is affiliated with the Ro5'al 
Arcanum, Knights of the Maccabees and 
Knights of Honor. 

Such is the record of one of the busi- 
est men in northern Ohio, one, who from 
the commencement of absolutely nothing, 
a poor immigrant lad, has, by persever- 
ance, assidious toil, sound judgment and 
a life of integrity, built up solid enter- 
prises, established businesses on founda- 
tions of positive safety, and, withal, made 
for himself a name second to none in the 
commercial and social world. 



weeks, Mrs. Stang died, leaving a kind 
husband and two little children, as well 
as many friends, to mourn their loss. She 
was educated in the schools of Lucas 
county, and made a special study of in- 
strumental music, in which she was pro- 
ficient, although she studied it only for her 
own pleasure and that of her friends. Her 
father, Moses Perry, was born February 
9, 1830, and her mother on February 25, 
1840, and both are yet living; their family 
consisted of twelve children: James, Vic- 
tory, Maryettie, Virginia, William, Henry, 
Napoleon, Georgia, Pearly, Frank, Nel- 
son and Albert, seven of whom are now 
living. 

Mrs. Perry's mother, Maryann Shovar, 
was born October 3, 1820, and her father, 
Henry Shovar, was born April 8, 18 16; 
Mrs. Shovar died February 24, 1894, but 
Mr. Shovar is still living. 



JOHN J. STANG, an enterprising and 
thorough business man of Benton 
township, Ottawa county, is the son 
of John and Mary (Brown) Stang, 
a biographical sketch of whom appears 
above. He was born April 20, 1866, in 
Lorain county, Ohio, where he lived until 
eighteen years of age, receiving his educa- 
tion in the public schools, which he left 
just one year before completing the pre- 
scribed course of study. 

Mr. Stang came to Benton township. 
May 22, 1884, at the age of eighteen, and 
took charge of his father's e.xtensive busi- 
ness in that township. He and his father 
together have 525 acres of land, on which 
are twelve acres of fruit, consisting of 500 
apple trees, 500 pear trees, and 200 
quinces. The orchard is young, but bids 
fair to become one of the best in that sec- 
tion of the county. 

On January 17, 1889, he was married 
to Miss Virginia L. Perry, of Lucas coun- 
ty, Ohio, and to them were born two chil- 
dren: Harvey Edward, October 14, 1890, 
and John Perry, October i, 1893. On 
January 2, 1895, after an illness of two 



DANIEL MUGGY. This gentle- 
man takes prominent rank among 
the progressive well-to-do farmers 
of Ottawa county, especially in 
Benton township, where his industry and 
public spirit have been no small factors 
in the advancement of the community 
and the development of its interests. 

John C. Muggy, father of our subject, 
was born in Germany in 18 16, and the 
mother, Ellen (McMahan), was born in Ire- 
land in 1820. They came to America in 
early life, and not long after settling in this 
country they both happened to be en- 
gaged to work for the same family, the 
Johnsons, of New York City. Here they 
met, and they were married in Johnson's 
parlor about 1840. To their union came 
ten children, si.x of whom are living, Dan- 
iel being ne.xt to the eldest. John C. 
Muggy was one of the pioneers of Ottawa 
county. He came here about 1852, and 
after clearing up one large farm removed 
to Catwaba Island, where he cleared one 
hundred acres of land and put out sixty 
acres to fruit, spending the remainder of 



618 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



his life on that tract. When he landed 
in this country he had but fifty cents; at 
the time of his death his property was 
valued at $75,000, all accumulated by 
hard work and careful attention to busi- 
ness. The result speaks for itself, and 
our subject has no doubt inherited the 
energy and ambition of his pioneer father, 
for like him he is a self-made man, one 
who has earned his right to that title by 
hard work and judicious management of 
his affairs. The paternal grandfather of 
our subject was born in Germany in 1 764, 
and was a teacher in the public schools 
of his native country during the later 
years of his life; he lived tc the advanced 
age of ninety-eight, and his wife, who was 
born in Germany in 1772, died at the ad- 
vanced age of ninety-two. Mr. Muggy's 
maternal grandparents were born in Ire- 
land, and died comparatively young. 

Daniel Muggy first opened his eyes to 
the world December 31, 1845, in New 
York City, living there until brought bj' 
his parents to Danbury, Ottawa Co., 
Ohio, where he had his home six years. 
The family then removed to Catawba 
Island, whence, after a residence of four- 
teen years, our subject came to Benton 
township, purchasing a farm in Section 
30, whereon he lived one year. He then 
purchased a farm in Clay township, same 
county, which he soon sold, and return- 
ing to Benton township settled on land 
in Section 13. Mr. Muggy has cleared 
up three large farms in Ottawa county, 
also developing a fiuit farm on Catawba 
Island, and on all these tracts he erected 
buildings and made other valuable im- 
provements. In 1887 he purchased his 
present farm in Benton township, which 
was all timber at the time, and in the 
eight years of their residence thereon he 
and his family have succeeded by hard 
labor in clearing the land entirely of tim- 
ber, removing all the stumps, etc., and 
the place has been well fenced and equip- 
ped with good buildings — an achievement 
which is indeed worthy of notice. After 



the Civil war Mr. Muggy engaged in fish- 
ing for a time on Lake Erie, and, besides 
attending to his general agricultural inter- 
ests, he has for the past several years been 
extensively engaged in fruit growing, hav- 
ing twelve acres in fruit; he has also for 
some time dealt in nursery stock. His 
business ability has never been allowed 
to rust for want of use, for since his re- 
moval to his present farm he has, in 
addition to all his other interests, been 
engaged in handling farm machinery, and 
the prosperity which has attended his la- 
bors is only the reward which is sure to 
follow persistent energy and attention to 
business. There is probably no man of 
his age who has aided more in the de- 
velopment of Benton township than 
Daniel Muggy, and he is now reaping the 
fruits of his toil in the enjoyment of the 
home which he and his estimable wife 
have, by their care and labor, converted 
into one of the finest farms in the vi- 
cinity. 

On December 23, 186S, Mr. Muggy 
was married to Miss Susan E. Tillotson, 
of Catawba Island. Roy, the eldest 
child is now in Lima, Ohio, engaged in 
the insurance business. George, another 
son, by profession a school teacher, was 
born on Catawba Island, where he lived 
until four years of age; his education 
has been obtained in the same manner 
that his father obtained his handsome 
farm, by : ' hard digging; " he attended 
the district schools in Clay township un- 
til fifteen years old, then in Benton town- 
ship for three years, when he began 
teaching, a profession he has since fol- 
lowed; though yet young he is regarded 
as a leading educator. Unlike many young 
men he does not waste his summer vaca- 
tions, but has helped his father on the 
farm. In addition to his study in the 
common schools he attended the Ohio 
Normal University, at Ada, Ohio, where 
he thoroughly fitted himself for his chos- 
en calling. He is now in St. Louis, Mo., 
as agent for the Oak Harbor File & Sup- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGBAPHICAL RECORD. 



619 



ply Co., {or the present season, but he 
will resume teaching in September. In 
his own neighborhood, where he is best 
known, he will probably have the same 
distinction as his father and grandfather 
before him, that of being a "self-made 
man," and he has a bright outlook for the 
future. 

Mrs. Susan E. Muggy was born De- 
cember II, 1847, on Catawba Island, 
where she attended the public schools, 
acquiring a liberal education, and re- 
mained in her native town until her mar- 
riage to Mr. Muggy. She is the daughter 
of O. Tillotson (who was born in Cleve- 
land in 1805) and Elizabeth Wonnell 
(who was born in Maryland in 18 17); the 
father died May 25, 1873, and was buried 
in Shook cemetery, Ottawa county, by 
the side of the mother, who had passed 
away on Catawba Island January i, 1858. 
They were the parents of three children — 
one son and two daughters. 

Mr. Muggy's history would not be 
complete without some mention of his 
long service in the Civil war. When 
eighteen years of age he enlisted in the 
battalion of sharpshooters formed at 
Cleveland by G. M. Barber, and he par- 
ticipated in many skirmishes and hard- 
fought battles, seeing active service at 
Chickamauga, Ringgold, Dalton, Resaca, 
Big Shanty, Kenesaw Mountain, Look- 
out Mountain, Missionary Ridge, siege of 
Atlanta, Nashville and Atlanta. Though 
always in front and in the hottest of the 
fight, he went through the war without 
a wound or any sickness, a record 
equalled by few soldiers of the Rebellion. 



JOHN E. MYERHOLTS, an enter- 
prising and prosperous young farmer 
of Benton township, Ottawa county, 
was born January 22, 1864, near 
Elmore, Harris township, Ottawa Co., 
Ohio, where he spent his boyhood days, 
and received his education. 

Grandfather Myerholts was born No- 



vember I, 1794, and died July 2, 1857, 
at the age of si.xty-three years; his wife 
was born December 18, 1797, and died 
March 21, 1892, aged ninety-five years. 
Grandfather Dusing was born July 18, 
1 804, and died April i , 1 880, aged seventy- 
six years; his wife was born February i, 
1809, and died June 24, 1892, aged 
eighty-three years. 

Henry Mj'erholts, the father of John 
E., was born in Germany in 1832, and 
when two years old came to America with 
his parents, who settled on the pike near 
Woodville, Sandusky Co. , Ohio, where they 
spent the remainder of their lives. Henry 
Myerholts started out for himself in Har- 
ris township, Ottawa county, when twenty- 
five years old, cleared the farm where he 
now lives, and in 1856 was married. His 
wife, the mother of the subject of this 
sketch, was born in Germany in 1836, 
and when a year and a half old came to 
America with her parents, who settled in 
Wood county, Ohio, where she was 
reared, receiving her education in the. 
district schools of the township where 
they resided. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Myer- 
holts had children as follows: Clara, born 
in 1857; Henry, in 1858; Ricca, in 1859; 
Fred, in 1861; John, in 1864; George, in 
1865; Amelia, in 1867; Mary, in 1869; 
Louisa, in 1871; August, in 1875; and 
Lucy, in 1879. One daughter lives in 
Michigan, a son in Wisconsin, and the 
remainder in Ohio. The mother of Henry 
Myerholts (Sr.) was born in Germany, 
March 21, 1797, and died in Sandusky, 
Ohio, at the age of ninety-five years. 

When a young man John E. Myerholts 
came with his father to Benton township, 
where they purchased quite a tract of 
land, and he now has a fine farm of his 
own of eighty acres near that of his 
father. When he purchased the farm, 
it was nearly all timber, but by hard work 
he has cleared this away, and erected a 
nice frame house, a barn and outbuildings 
for hisstock. The farm is now fenced, under 
good cultivation, and in every way shows the 



620 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



care and industry of the owner. For sev- 
eral years prior to his marriage he and his 
brothers ' ' bached. " as they call it, cutting 
timber and clearing their farms in the 
winter, and at times having several men 
helping them. They worked in the woods 
until noon, then came up and cooked their 
own dinner. They did their own baking 
and cooking, John being a general cook and 
able to bake bread, pies, etc., and, in 
fact, do any kind of housework. Thus he 
worked ou until the time of his marriage, 
when he had his farm well cleared and 
under cultivation, buildings completed, 
and all in readiness. On September 8, 
1892, John E. Myerholts was united in 
marriage with Miss Emma Libba, of San- 
dusky county, Ohio, who is to him a 
faithful wife and helper, and they have 
one child, Mabel Hazel, born October 
20, 1894. 

Mrs. Myerholts was born April 28, 
1873, in Sandusky county, Ohio, where 
she was educated, and where she lived 
until her marriage. Her father, Mr. Libba, 
was born in Germany in 1833, came to 
America when quite young, and settled in 
Sandusky county, near Woodville, where 
he cleared a farm, making a pleasant 
home for himself and family. His wife 
was born in Germany in 1843 and came 
to America when si.xteen years of age. 
Their children were: Henry, born in 
1864; John, in iSGG; Flora, in 1868; Anna, 
in 1870; Emma (Mrs. Myerholts), in 1873; 
William, in 1875; Edward, in 1878; Car- 
rie, in 1880; and Rica, in 1884. All but 
one are living and are residents of Ohio. 

Mr. Myerholts has set out a nice or- 
chard of apple trees, and before long will 
have an abundance of fruit for his own 
use and to spare. He is also somewhat 
engaged in the stock business. It is just 
to him to say, that, as a young man, he 
has made his mark in the world, securing 
a nice farm well cultivated, fenced and 
under-drained, with good team and tools 
with which to work. His record as a 
young farmer is one worthy ol emulation. 



LOUIS WILSON WALKER 
SPOHN, a representative farmer 
and highly-esteemed citizen of 
W^ashington township, Sandusky 
count}', Ohio, was born January 31, 
1864, on the farm which is still his home, 
and is a son of David and Catherine 
(Spohn) Spohn. They were both natives 
of Pennsylvania, and, emigrating west- 
ward in 1854, took up their residence in 
Sandusky county, Ohio, where the father 
secured from the government forty acres 
of land in Washington township. This 
was a wild tract, on which not a furrow 
had been turned or an improvement 
made; but it had not long been in his 
possession when it was transformed into 
rich and fertile fields. Success attended 
his well-directed efforts, and as his finan- 
cial resources increased he added two 
hundred acres to his farm. The improve- 
ments he placed upon it and the care and 
attention which he gave to it made it one 
of the most desirable properties in his 
section of the country, and the owner 
was ranked among the leading farmers. 
His death occurred in 1871, when he was 
aged fifty-seven years, and his wife, who 
survived him several years, passed away 
in 1885, willing the old homestead to her 
son, Louis. 

Our subject is one of the three living 
children in a family that once numbered 
thirteen members. The educational 
privileges which he received were those 
afforded by the common schools, but 
through contact with the world, experi- 
ence and observation he has added great- 
ly to his store of knowledge, and is to- 
day one of the well-informed men of the 
community. A well-spent life has also 
made him highly esteemed, and gained 
him the confidence and good will of many 
friends. An interesting event in his life 
occurred on the 4th of October, 1884, 
when was celebrated his marriage with 
Miss Mary Shenfield. a daughter of a well- 
to-do farmer of Washington township, 
Sandusky coiintx'. One child now graces 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOaRAPHICAL RECORD. 



621 



this union, a daughter, Bertha, who was 
born February 21, 1890. 

Mr. Spohn votes with the Republican 
party, and, as every true American citi- 
zen should do, manifests an interest in 
political affairs, but has never been an 
office seeker. He belongs to the Meth- 
odist Church, and his life is in harmony 
with his professions, while his upright, 
honorable career has gained him a wide 
circle of warm friends. He is a worthy rep- 
resentative of a family that has been con- 
nected with the history of Sandusky 
county since its pioneer days, and mani- 
fests a deep and abiding interest in all 
that pertains to the welfare of the com- 
munit}', and its upbuilding. 



EDWARD STONE, of Benton town- 
ship, Ottawa county, is to-day 
one of the active men of Benton. 
He was born in Canada July 4, 
i860. His father J. B. Stone, was born 
in 1804, in Canada, died in 1874, in Iron- 
dale, Clinton county, N. Y. , and is buried 
in the cemetery at Redford, in the same 
county. His widow was born in Cork, 
Ireland, in 1824, and is still living in Bos- 
ton, Mass. The\' were the parents of si.\ 
children — three sons and three daughters, 
as follows: Edward, our subject; Henry, 
who is employed as a lumber contractor 
in Harriettstown, Franklin Co., N. Y. ; 
John B., a resident of Boston, Mass., a 
competent engineer, and at present run- 
ning hydraulic presses; Jennie, living in 
Cambridge, Mass. ; Anna, in Chelsea, 
Mass. ; and Rosa, in Kittery Point, Maine. 
When Edward Stone was seven years 
of age, his people moved to New York 
State, where they lived until 1873, when, 
at the age of only thirteen years, he 
struck out in life for himself. His first 
move was to Cleveland. Ohio, where he 
worked in a meat market for two months. 
He then went to Toledo, remaining only 
a month; was office boy in Deshler, 
Henry Co., Ohio, for two months; took 



charge of a machine in the hoop factory 
there, where he remained one year; then 
went into a machine shop, at the same 
place, and was there fifteen months. He 
then went to Sandusky City, Erie Co., 
Ohio, where in 1875 he embarked as a 
deck hand on the steambarge " Yose- 
mite," running on the lake between San- 
dusky and Bay City, Mich. At the 
close of the season on the lake Mr. Stone 
went to Mooretown, Canada, engaged as 
clerk in one of the hotels, remained there 
two months, was on a farm for a short 
time, and then returned to the lakes, on 
the steamer "Huron City," running be- 
tween Alpena and Buffalo. At the close 
of the season Mr. Stone made a visit of 
two months in Toledo, Ohio, and then 
went to Harris township, Ottawa Co., 
Ohio, where he spent the winter cutting 
timber on Joseph Terault's farm. He 
then returned to the lakes again, making 
his headquarters at Cleveland, remained 
during the sailing season, returned to Ben- 
ton township as hoop worker for the 
winter, and in the spring went back to 
the lakes. At the close of that season 
Mr. Stone went to Lindsey, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio, as fireman in a stave factory, 
remaining si.\ months, and then engaged 
as engineer in a tile yard, and remained 
one year. He next worked by the month 
for two years on a farm in Sandusky 
county, and was engaged in hoop working 
for a year in Paulding county, Ohio. For 
six months he was employed in the cam- 
bric mill at Boston, Mass. ; worked also 
at East Brookfield, Mass., in a wheel 
factory, and as engineer in a pottery at 
Spencer, Mass. ; also drove a 'bus in 
Providence, R. I., four months, and from 
there went to a summer resort at Saranac 
Lake, N. Y. Mr. Stone then returned 
to Ohio b)' way of Canada, and began 
farming. After about eight months, and 
while at Peter Lickert's, he was united in 
marriage, March 17, 1888, with Miss 
Kattie R. Harman, of Harris township, 
Ottawa county, and they have had two 



622 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



children, namely: Jennie May, born De- 
cember 30, 1888; and Daniel Edward, 
born September 20, 1892. Mr. and Mrs. 
Stone remained one summer at Mr. Lick- 
ert's where he was employed in clearing 
and getting out timber. They then came 
to the farm on which they now live, con- 
taining eighty acres, fourteen of which 
Mr. Stone has cleared himself and fenced 
and tilled. In addition to his farming, he 
deals in all kinds of stock, selling to local 
dealers. 

Politically, Mr. Stone is a Democrat. 
His estimable wife is the daughter of Jacob 
and Martha (Randall) Harman, and was 
born in Harris township, Ottawa county, 
received a literary education in the public 
schools of that township, and lived there 
until her marriage. Her parents, Mr. 
and Mrs. Harman, are now living in Har- 
ris township. 



ELI L.\ VIGNE, general merchant 
and postmaster at Martin, Ottawa 
county, well worthy of represen- 
tation in this volume, is numbered 
among the most prominent and influential 
citizens of the county, and belongs to 
that type of representative Americans who 
advance the public welfare, while pro- 
moting individual prosperity. 

A native of Michigan, he was born in 
La Salle township, Monroe county, Feb- 
ruary 7, 1847, and is a son of Joseph and 
Mary (Jenaur) La Vigne, both of whom 
were natives of Michigan, and were of 
French-Canadian parentage. The father 
followed the occupation of farming in that 
State, but both he and his wife are now 
passed away. Their family numbered 
eleven children, si.x of whom are still liv- 
ing, namely: Joseph, a resident of La 
Salle township, Monroe Co., Mich.; 
Eliza, wife of Samuel Arguett, of Wayne 
county, Mich.; Eli, subject of this sketch; 
Dolphus, who is living in Wayne county; 
Moses, a resident of Monroe county. 



Mich. ; and Rosaline, wife of Charles 
Bomier. 

In taking up the personal history of 
our subject we present to our readers the 
life record of one who is widely and fa- 
vorablj- known in Ottawa county. The 
public schools afforded him his educational 
privileges, and to his father he gave the 
benefit of his services until twenty-six 
years of age, working on the home farm. 
In 1872 he came to Ohio, and has since 
been a continuous resident of Martin. 
For a few years he was in the employ of 
the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern 
Railroad Company, and in 1875 he em^ 
barked in business as a general merchant 
at Martin, and is still conducting one of 
the leading establishments of the kind in 
the county. His genial and affable man- 
ner has won for him the esteem and pat- 
ronage of the residents of Martin and 
the surrounding locality, and he carries 
a large stock of goods to meet the grow- 
ing demand of his trade. 

In Erie township, in his native county, 
on August 8, 1876, Mr. La Vigne was 
married to Agnes Baron, who was born 
May 18, /SsS, and is a daughter of Noel 
and Margaret (Mominee) Baron, natives 
of La Salle township, Monroe county. 
Five children have been born to our sub- 
ject and his wife, their names and dates 
of birth being as follows: Gertrude, 
born in Martin, May 26, 1877; Clarence, 
March 9, 1879; Mary Ettie, November 
17, 1881 ; Alice. April 21, 1884; and Bes- 
sie, April 24, 1890. 

Mr. La Vigne is now serving his sec- 
ond term as postmaster of the village of 
Martin, having first been appointed by 
President Cleveland to a second term. 
He is a sound Democrat in his political 
views, and the religion of himself and fam- 
ily is that of the Roman Catholic Church. 
He possesses business ability of a high or- 
der, and his keen discrimination, enter-- 
prise and sound judgment have brought 
to him success. He is one of the most 
popular and influential citizens of his 





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COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPHWAL RECORD. 



623 



adopted county, and is public spirited in 
an eminent degree, taking an active inter- 
est in all that pertains to the welfare of 
the community and its advancement. A 
pleasant, genial gentleman, his circle of 
friends is limited only by the circle of his 
acquaintances, and all who know him 
have for him the highest regard. 



JOHN YOUNG, owner of a fine farm 
in Allen township, Ottawa county, is 
one of the many German settlers 
who came to Ohio in an early day, 
bringing with them the habits of industry, 
thrift and perseverance acquired in their 
native land, and which have enabled them 
to become important factors in the growth 
and progress of the State of their adop- 
tion. 

Our subject was born in Spiesheim, 
Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, April lo, 
1838, and is the son of John and Cather- 
ine (Young) Young, both natives of the 
same province as their son. His boyhood 
days were spent in school and upon his 
father's farm, and in 1856 he came with 
the family to America. They settled in 
Lake township, Wood Co., Ohio, and 
here, when old enough, he carried on 
farming until February 13, 1865, when, on 
the last call for men to take arms against 
the Rebellion, he enlisted in Company 
B, One Hundred and Eighty-ninth Ohio 
Infantry, under command of Col. Henry 
Kingsbury. He served in this regiment 
for eight months, and on September 28, 
same year, received his discharge at 
Nashville, Tenn. He then returned to 
Wood county where he worked on his 
father's farm for upward of twenty jears, 
at the end of which time he went to Hills- 
dale county, Mich., where he bought land 
and farmed two years. In 1886 Mr. 
Young returned to this State, and pur- 
chasing fifty-three acres of partially- 
cleared land in Allen township, Ottawa 
county, began the improvements, which 
have made it such a valuable piece of 



property. He now has a comfortable 
dwelling, etc.. and is regarded as one of 
the solid, thorough-going and intelligent 
men of the county. Mr. Young was mar- 
ried July 30, 1871, at Genoa, Ohio, to 
Katie, daughter of John and Susanna 
(Bihn) Young, who were farmers of Ot- 
tawa county, and of this union there are 
seven children, as follows: Matilda, born 
August 20, 1872, was married March 29, 
1894, to John Vogelpohl, a farmer of 
Lucas county, Ohio, and has one child — 
Willie, born April 15, 1895; Charles J., 
born June 29, 1874, is farming in Ottawa 
county; while Magdalena, born April 26, 
1876, MaryE., June 3, 1879, Lewis J., No- 
vember 25, 1882, and Katie E., July 18, 
1889, are all at home with their parents. 
One child died in infancy. 

John Young, the father of our subject, 
was born in Germany in 1802, and was a 
farmer by occupation. He was there 
married to Miss Catherine Young, who was 
born in 1800, and they emigrated to this 
country when their children were quite 
young. They at first settled in New York 
State, near Niagara Falls, where they re- 
mained for three years, then came to Ohio 
and made their home in Lake township. 
Wood countv. They were the parents of 
seven children, all born in Germany, of 
whom the following record is given: 
Philip, the eldest, is a farmer in Wood 
county; Charles is a stone mason, and 
lives in Toledo; Elizabeth married Joseph 
Kapp, a farmer of Wood county, and both 
are deceased, the former dying September 
2, 1 89 1, the latter on August 26, same 
year (they left five children); John, our 
subject, is the fourth in order of birth; 
Andrew is married, lives at Toledo, and is 
the father of four children, two of whom 
are living; two died in Germany. The 
parents of this family died in Wood coun- 
ty, the father in August, 1866. and the 
mother in September, 1862. 

It is a curious coincidence that the 
names of the fathers of both Mr. and Mrs. 
Young should be John Young, and that 



C24 



COyfUEMORATIVE BIOQRAPEICAL RECORD. 



those of our subject's mother and his wife 
should both be Catherine Young. The 
father of our subject's wife was also a na- 
tive of Germany, his birth taking place in 
Spiesheim, Hesse-Darmstadt, February 
21, 1819. He followed farming in the 
old country, until his emigration to Amer- 
ica, in 1857. He settled in Clay town- 
ship, Ottawa Co. , Ohio, where he carried 
on farming for a number of years; he now 
resides in Genoa, that county, where he 
is a mail carrier. He was married in 
1843, in Germany, to Susanna Bihn, 
daughter of Peter Bihn, and to them have 
been born si.x children: Mary E. , born 
January 22, 1844, now the widow of 
Jacob Long, a farmer, and residing in 
Michigan; Katie, born August 6, 1S48, 
now the wife of our subject; Jacob, born 
January 28, 1854, married, and living in 
New York City; Phillipina M., born 
December 31, 1856, now the wife of John 
Ernst, a jeweler, residing in Genoa; John, 
born August 4, 1858, a butcher by trade, 
and living in Huntington, Ind. ; Matilda, 
born October 24, 1862, died at the age of 
eleven years, in Ohio. 

Mr. Young is highly estc^emed by his 
fellow citizens, and held the office of 
school director in Lake township. Wood 
county, for two years, and in Allen town- 
ship, where he now resides, for the same 
length of time. He is a strong Republican, 
and has the best interests of his com- 
munity at heart. He and his family are 
regular attendants at the Lutheran 
Church. 



WILLI.\M ERNSTHAUSEN is 
the ownerof oneof the fine farms 
of Ottawa county — a tract of 
land of 100 acres on which 
stands a comfortable and commodious 
brick residence, and substantial barns and 
outbuildings for the care and shelter of 
the stock and grain. Well-kept fences 
divide the land into fields of convenient 
size, and the place is under a high state 



of cultivation and improved with all mod- 
ern accessories. The ownerof this desir- 
able farm is recognized as one of the most 
successful agriculturists of the community, 
and is well deserving of mention in this 
volume. 

He was born in Genoa, Ohio, Decem- 
ber 31, 1862, and is a son of Casper and 
Dorotha (Gerwin) Ernsthausen. The 
father was born in Germany, June 15, 

1826, and was a son of Henry Ernsthau- 
sen, who was born in the same land in 
1790, and was by trade a carpenter. The 
great-grandfather, Fred Hunter, was born 
in 1779. and his wife, Sophia, was born 
in 1786. He served in the German army 
from 1803 until 1812, and was instrumen- 
tal in saving the life of Prince Bismarck, 
the father of Germany's late chancellor, 
and in recognition of this service was pre- 
sented with a tea-set by the Prince. The 
ancestry of the Gerwin familj- can be 
traced back in the following manner: 
The grandfather of our subject, Lewis 
Gerwin, was born in Germany, August i 5, 
1798, and was a wagon maker by trade. 
In 1826 he married Sophia Hunter (who 
was born in Hanover, Germany, March 
II, 1803), and to them were born seven 
children, of whom five are living, all resi- 
dents of America. His father, Henry 
Gerwin, was born in Germany, in 1762, 
and wedded Clara Brightholdt, who was 
born in 1767. The mother of our subject 
was born in German}-, November 12, 

1827, and tiiere resided until she was 
nineteen years of age, when in 1847 she 
crossed the Atlantic to the New World, 
and after two years spent in New York 
became a resident of Toledo, Ohio, where 
her marriage wtth Casper Ernsthausen 
was celebrated. 

We now take up the personal history 
of their son William, in whom the citi- 
zens of Ottawa count}- are deeply inter- 
ested. When he was only a year old his 
parents removed to Ohio, where they 
lived five years, when they came to the 
farm which is now his residence. His 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



625 



shly- 

modern 



youth, therefore, was largely passed within 
its boundaries, and he early became famil- 
iar with all the duties that fall to the lot 
of an agriculturist. To his father he con- 
tinued to give the benefit of his services 
until twenty years of age, when he started 
out in life for himself. He is now the 
owner of one hundred acres of the old 
home place, and is surrounded by all the 
comforts and conveniences that go to 
make life worth living. In addition to 
his own farm he controls and operates 
sixty acres of land belonging to a sister- 
in-law. He employs two hands upon the 
place to aid him in the cultivation of the 
various crops adapted to this climate, and 
his average yearly yield of grain is one 
thousand bushels of wheat, one thousand 
si.x hundred bushels of corn, and seven 
hundred bushels of oats. He also deals 
quite extensively in stock, making a 
specialty of the raising of horses and hogs 
The excellence of his farm, its hi 
cultivated appearance and the 
accessories, all together make it one of 
the most valuable places in the county, 
and give the owner rank among the most 
prominent agriculturists. 

.\n important event in the life of Mr. 
Ernsthausen occurred December 8, 1886, 
when was celebrated his marriage with 
Miss Carrie E. Otto, daughter of Ludwig 
and Margaretta (Schafer) Otto. Her father 
lost his parents during his early life, so we 
have no account of the family. He was 
reared in Germany, became a shoemaker 
by trade, and served for one year and six 
months in the war of the Rebellion. He 
was married January 16, 1S56, to Miss 
Otto, whose father was born in Germany 
in 1803, and whose mother, Margaret 
Korb, was born in the same year. They 
had five children, three of whom are now 
living. Great-grandfather Schafer was 
born in Germany in 1770, and his wife 
was born about the same time. Mrs. 
Otto was born in Prussia April 12, 1832; 
at the age of nineteen came to America, 
locating in Clyde, Ohio, which was her 



place of abode for twelve years. Mr. 
Otto died in 1864, leaving three children 
— May Jennie, born August 14, 1859; 
Matilda, born July 26, 1861; and Carrie 
E , born February 2, 1864. The last 
named is now the wife of our subject. 
Her birth occurred in Elmore, and she 
acquired her literary education in its pub- 
lic schools, and also received superior in- 
struction in instrumental music. She is a 
lady of culture and refinement, presiding 
with grace over her home, which is noted 
for its hospitality. Four children bless 
this union: John F. , born January 15, 
1888; Bertha E., born August 8, 1889; 
Clarence \V., born October 11, i89i;and 
Mabel M., born July 21, 1894. 

In his political views Mr. Ernsthausen 
is a Republican, taking an active interest 
in the growth and success of his part}', 
and doing all in his power to advance its 
interests. For some time he has been 
president of the school board of his dis- 
trict, and the cause of education and all 
other interests calculated to promote the 
general welfare find in him a warm friend. 



CHARLES H. GRAVES, one of 
the prominent members of the 
Ottawa county bar, was born 
June 6, 1872, in Clay township, 
Ottawa Co., Ohio. He was reared amid 
pleasant surroundings, and his childhood 
was similar to that of other boys of the 
period, he thoroughly enjoying and par- 
ticipating in the sports of the time. He 
is a son of John H. and Mary (Joseph) 
Graves, residents of Harris township, Ot- 
tawa county, the father a native of Prussia, 
the mother of Baden, Germany. 

Our subject received his early educa- 
tion in the public schools of Oak Harbor, 
Ohio, where he was graduated in 1889. 
He then taught school two years in Salem 
township, and at the same time pursued 
the study of law under the tutorship of 
Charles I. York, of Oak Harbor, Ohio. 
In 1 891 he entered the Law Department 



C2G 



commemohative biographical record. 



of the University of Michigan, at Ann 
Arbor, where he took a thoroug^h course 
in law, being graduated from that institu- 
tion in 1893 with the degree of Bachelor 
of Laws. He was admitted to practice 
as an attorney and counselor at law in the 
State of Ohio, on June 9, 1893, at the 
age of twenty-one years. Returning to 
Oak Harbor, he at once embarked in the 
practice of his chosen profession, and to- 
day, although a young man, enjoys a large 
and lucrative clientage, and ranks among 
the leading members of the bar. 

Politically, he is a Democrat. Socially, 
he is a member of Oak Harbor Lodge 
No. 495, F. tv: A. M., and formerh' he 
belonged to Fremont Chapter No. 64, R. 
A. M. ; at present he is a member of Oak 
Harbor Chapter, U. D. , Royal Arch 
Masons. He possesses a keen analytical 
mind, is quick to grasp a situation, and 
his abilities, both natural and acquired, 
lead one to predict that his career as a 
lawyer will be one of marked success. In 
social life he has the respect of all who 
know him. 



FERDINAND L. MILLER. Among 
the prominent and well-to-do 
farmers of Salem township, Ot- 
tawa county, who can now look 
back nearly half a century to the days 
when that township was nothing more 
than a vast unbroken wilderness, and re- 
call the many dangers and hardships ex- 
perienced by them; the discouragements 
incident to an early life on the frontier; 
and who, as the reward of many years 
of hard, honest labor, have now acquired 
a comfortable competence to tide them 
over the balance of life's journey, there 
is probably no one deserving of a more 
prominent place in this biographical record 
than the gentleman whose name intro- 
duces this brief sketch. 

Our subject is a native of the Father- 
land, born in Baden March 16, 1834. 
His parents, George and Lena Miller, 



emigrated to 
in Danburj' 



also natives of Germany, 
America in 1857, locatin; 
township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, of which 
township, they were honored and re- 
spected citizens for many years. They 
have both long since passed away from 
earth, the father dying in 1864, the 
mother in 1874. 

Ferdinand L. Miller received his pre- 
liminary education in the public schools 
of his native land, and since early youth 
he has constantly been engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits, his long e.xperience in 
this honorable branch of industry making 
him one of the most practical farmers of 
the county, his well-tilled fields, comfort- 
able home and barns bearing striking 
evidence of this fact. In 1854 Mr. Miller 
crossed the ocean to the "New World," 
locating first in Sandusky county, Ohio, 
thence, in 1859, moving to Ottawa coun- 
ty, same State, locating in Danbury 
township; in 1865 he settled on his pres- 
ent farm in Salem township, of which 
he has since been a continuous resident, 
honored and respected by all who know 
him for his thrift, honesty and many 
other sterling qualities. 

Mr. Miller was united in marriage in 
April, 1865, with Miss Mary Wiganist, of 
Riley township, Sandusky county, a na- 
tive of Germany. To this union were 
born si.\ children, five of whom are living, 
viz.: Amelia, born Januarj' 37, 1867, now 
the wife of Henry Godeman, of Toledo, 
Ohio; Elizabeth, born August 17, 1868, 
wife of J. F. Mylander, of Salem town- 
ship; Ellen, born October 26, 1870; John, 
born February 21, 1874; and Katherine, 
born August 16, 1877, the latter three 
residing on the homestead farm in Salem 
township. In 1880 the father was called 
upon to mourn the demise of his faithful 
wife, and the children that of a kind and 
loving mother, Mrs. Miller passing away 
during that year. In 1881 Mr. Miller 
was again united in marriage, his second 
wife being a Miss Rosina Koser, a native 
of Germany, born October 24, 1844. To 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



627 



this union have been born three children, 
viz.: Rosa and George (twins), born Feb- 
ruary 20, 1882, the latter of whom died 
in infancy; and Matie, born August 17, 
1886, died September 23, 1890. 

Mr. Miller has ever taken an active 
interest in the welfare and progress of his 
township; but although he has frequently 
been requested, by his man}' friends, to 
accept positions of trust, he has never 
been an office seeker, always refusing to 
accept them, recognizing the fact that 
the duties in connection with his home 
and farm commanded his unremitting 
time and attention. In his political views 
our subject votes with the Democratic 
party. The family are strict adherents 
of the Evangelical Church. 



JACOB S. STEWART, one of the 
earliest pioneers of Allen township. 
Ottawa county, and a brave soldier 
in the Civil war, was born in Vinton 
county, Ohio, August 6, 1844, a son of 
John N. and Letitia (Sain) Stewart, both 
also natives of this State. 

The subject of this sketch was edu- 
cated in the public schools of Sandusky 
county, on leaving which he worked on a 
farm for si.\ months. The Civil war break- 
ing out, he felt called to go to the defense 
of the old flag, and, although only a boy, 
offered his services,enlisting July 24, 1862, 
in Company F, One Hundredth Ohio In- 
fantry. He took part in the siege of 
Kno.wille, Tenn., and in the battle of 
Strawberry Plains, in the same State. His 
regiment was then sent back to Kno.wille, 
and was placed among those who went 
with Sherman on that famous "March to 
the Sea," near Atlanta. Mr. Stewart re- 
ceived a severe wound in his right leg, 
from the effects of which he suffered for 
si.x months. In that engagement he saw 
men fall all around him, and out of a force 
of 309 men, over two hundred were 
killed, or died from the effects of their 
wounds. When Mr. Stewart had par- 



tially recovered, he rejoined his company, 
which was then a part of Twenty-third 
corps. They left Atlanta and marched 
to City Point, North Carolina, and then 
to Goldsborough, where they met General 
Sherman. Mr. Stewart received his final 
discharge at Cleveland, Ohio, in 18.65, 
and coming to Allen (then Clay) town- 
ship, Ottawa county, purchased si.xty 
acres of unimproved land. On this he 
built a log cabin, in which he lived for 
twenty-five years, in the meantime being 
diligentl\- at work clearing off the timber 
and cultivating the soil, and to-day he is 
the happy owner of one of the most pro- 
ductive and best improved farms in the 
township, with a comfortable residence 
and all necessary attachments, the result 
of his untiring industry and perseverance. 
Mr. Stewart was married, March 12, 
1879, to Minerva C, daughter of Oscar 
and Philindia (Baldwin) Billings, of Wood- 
ville township, Sandusky county, and they 
are the parents of four children: Rollin 
L. , born December 26, 1S81; Oscar T., 
April 12, 1886; DaseyM., December 23, 
1S90; and Harley, born June 12, 1880, 
died February 25, 1883. John N. Stew- 
art, the father of our subject, was born 
in Ohio, May 6, 181 5, and was of Scotch 
and English descent. His father fought 
against the English in the war of 18 12 at 
Fort Stevenson, in Fremont. John N. 
was a tanner and currier, and assisted his 
father for a time at his trade. He after- 
ward worked in the flour-mills, and was 
also in the employ of Carder & Fuller; 
in his later years he returned to farming. 
Mr. Stewart was married to Letitia, 
daughter of Jacob Sain, a farmer of Vin- 
ton county, this State, and by this mar- 
riage eight children were born, three of 
whom still survive: Jacob S., our subject; 
Spencer, a mail carrier at Toledo; and 
Emma V., wife of Stephen Heckathorne, 
of Toledo. Levi S. was killed during the 
Civil war, in 1862, in the skirmish 
on Cheat Mountain, West Virginia. Os- 
car Billings, father of Mrs. J. S. Stewart, 



628 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



was born in the State of New York in 
1824, where he was a farmer for many 
years. He came to Ohio in 1841, where 
he was engaged at his trade in Woodville, 
Sandusky county. At the breaking out 
of the Civil war he enhsted in the three- 
months' service, after which he removed 
to Minnesota, where he was engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. His first wife was 
Mary Boose, who died two years after 
marriage, leaving one child. He subse- 
quently married Miss Philindia Baldwin, 
October 27, 1858, and of this marriage 
there were ninechildren: Minerva C, 
born in Elmore, Ottawa county, July 3, 
1859, became the wife of our subject; 
Sarah J., born in Woodville, Sandusky 
county, June 22, 1862, married Bradford 
Lindsey, a farmer of Allen township, and 
of this marriage four children were born, 
viz.: Orvil, Clarence, Leroy and Edith; 
Nelson O., born March 10, 1863, is a 
barber in Genoa, Clay township (he mar- 
ried Annie Fuller, of that township, and 
they have one child named Harold); Ar- 
thur T., born August 31, 1864, is unmar- 
ried and lives in Allen township; Lorenzo 
A., born March 3, 1868; Leonard G., 
born December 11, 1871, in Woodville 
township, Sandusky count}'; Casper A., 
born July 23, 1874, in Harris township, 
Ottawa county; Mirtie B., born August 
29, 1S76, in Harris township, and Laura 
born May 28, 1880, are all single. The 
mother of these children was born in 
Woodville, and was a daughter of Nelson 
and Catherine E. Baldwin. 

The subject of this sketch is a Re- 
publican, a member of the G. A. R. , and 
with his family attends the Church of the 
United Brethren. He still suffers from 
the effects of a wound received while in 
the army, and is obliged to use crutches a 
part of the time. In his noble wife he 
finds a true helpmate, and she has been 
of inestimable service to him. In 1889 
she began the weaving of carpets, and she 
has made many thousand yards, adding 
materially in this way to their income. 



BARNEY VALIQUETTE is one of 
the young and progressive farmers 
of Carroll township, Ottawa coun- 
ty, of which township he is na- 
tive born, his birth having occurred Sep- 
tember 28, 1870, and he is a son of James 
and Elizabeth (Doroucher) \'aliquette. 
The early life of our subject was spent 
upon the homestead farm, and in the 
public schools of the neighborhood he ac- 
quired his education. In connection with 
his farm duties he also assisted his father 
in mercantile pursuits. On February 6, 
1895, he was united in marriage with 
Miss Dora Pickard, a daughter of Andrew 
and Serdelia (Moore) Pickard. 

James Valiquette, the father of our 
subject, was born in Monroe, Mich., No- 
vember 23, 1S23, and is a son of Joseph 
and Monique (Ganier) Valiquette, both 
natives of Monroe county, Mich., and of 
French-Canadian ancestry. In their fam- 
ily were nine children, four of whom still 
survive, namely: James; T. Isadore, a 
resident of La Crosse, Wis. ; Henry, of 
Toledo, Ohio; and Matilda, wife of Ra- 
phael Navare, of Toledo. The father of 
this family served with distinction in the 
war of 1812, and was a prominent farmer 
of his native countj', where his death oc- 
curred in February, 1861. His faithful 
and devoted wife survived him for some 
years, and passed from earth in Carroll 
township. Like the majority of the 
youth of his day, James Valiquette re- 
ceived only such education as could be 
obtained in the primitive log schoolhouse, 
and only at such times as he could be 
spared from the farm duties, which in 
those days took precedence to education. 
In 1846, he came to Ottawa countv, the 
trip from Michigan being made by way of 
the canal, and on his arrival made his 
home in Carroll township, which at that 
time was a vast forest, inhabited princi- 
pally by Indians. Here he has since re- 
sided and to-day ranks among the oldest 
living pioneer residents in the county. In 
1848 he began merchandising, which he- 



COMMEMORATIVE SIOOIiAPIIICAL RECORD. 



629 



continued in connection with agricultural 
pursuits until 1885, since which time he 
has lived a comparativels' retired life, 
resting in the enjojment of tiie fruits of 
his former toil. 

In Monroe count}-, Mich., May 26, 

1850, was celebrated the marriage of 
James Valiquette and Elizabeth Dorouch- 
er, daughter of Lawrence and Moniqne 
(Saucombe) Doroncher, who were the 
parents of nine children, six of whom are 
still living: Lawrence, Saucombe, Luke, 
Cleopha (widow of Anthonj' Miltz), Marie 
(wife of Henry Latour), and the mother 
of our subject. Mrs. Valiquette was born 
in Monroe, Mich., July 22, 1829, and by 
her marriage has become the mother of 
children whose names and dates of birth 
are as follows: Elizabeth, April 11, 

1851, died April 25, 1879; Caroline, April 
15, 1853, died April 25, 1861; Saucombe, 
July 29, 1855; Clara, October 7, 1859, 
now the wife of D. M. McLean, of Kala- 
mazoo, Mich.; Annie, July 10, 1861; and 
Barney. 



FREDEI^ICIC COOK is a native of 
Germany, born June 18, 1852. 
His father died a few months prior 
to the birth of his son, and when 
Frederick was three years old he was 
brought by his mother and a friend of the 
family to this country. Mrs. Cook re- 
mained in New York, and gave her son 
to one of the friends that accompanied 
her on the voyage in order that he might 
have a good home and education. With 
his foster-parents he went to Sandusky 
county, Ohio, and by them was reared on a 
farm, where he worked from early age 
until he had attained his majority. For 
his services he received only his board 
and clothing, being granted no education- 
al privileges, and the only knowledge he 
acquired during this period was through 
experience and observation. 

When he had attained his majority, 
Frederick Cook left his foster-parents, 



and for a year and a half worked as a 
farm laborer. He then took up the trade 
of carpenter and joiner, which he followed 
some five years, and he afterward was 
employed for several years as a journey- 
man in the same line of business. After 
saving enough money from his meager 
earnings he went west to the State of 
Kansas to visit his mother, who had mar- 
ried in New York and was then living up- 
on a farm in the " Sunflower State." He 
spent a year or more in that place, work- 
ing on farms until he had obtained enough 
money to take him to Ohio again, when 
he once more settled in Sandusky county, 
working at carpentering two years. 
Abandoning that pursuit, he then rented 
a farm in that locality, which he operated 
until 1887, when he removed to Ottawa 
county, and purchased a farm in Clay 
township, containing seventy acres, most 
of which was improved. He then cleared 
the remaining eleven acres, and trans- 
formed the whole into rich and fertile 
fields. He has made many improvements 
upon the place, planted an orchard, 
erected a good barn and other necessary 
outbuildings, and to-day has one of the 
best cultivated farms of the neighbor- 
hood. 

On September 5, 1876, in Woodville 
township, Ottawa county, Mr. Cook 
wedded MaryBlausey, daughter of Henry 
Blausey, a farmer of that township. 
Nine children came of that union, their 
names and dates of birth being as follows: 
Henry, who was born in Woodville town- 
ship, January 5, 1877. and now aids in 
the operation of the home farm; Ricke, 
October 8, 1878; Minnie, September 27, 
1880; August, May 11, 1882; Caroline, 
September 5, 1884; Lucy, September 25, 
1886; Lena, January 18, 1889; Julia, 
April I, 1 891; and Lewis, December 18, 
1893. Mrs. Cook died December 20, 
1893, and Mr. Cook was again married 
July 5, 1894, his second union being with 
Tillie Zesing, who was born Mays, '872, 
daughter of Charles and Minnie (Tropp) 



C30 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



Zesing, farming people of Wood county, 
Ohio. 

In his political views, Mr. Cook is a 
stanch Democrat, has held the office of 
school director for several years, and is a 
warm friend of the cause of education. 
He is numbered among the leading agri- 
culturists of Ottawa county, and his 
straightforward, honorable life well en- 
titles him to representation in its volume. 



JAMES PALMER, M. D. That a 
smooth sea never made a skillful 
mariner is fully realized by all who 
have successfully carried to comple- 
tion any undertaking on the sea of life. 
The world is indebted to-day for its great- 
est achievements to men who have come 
upward through adversity; to men who 
are self-made; to men who from early 
manhood have been compelled to stand 
alone and fight single-handed for what 
they believe to be true, and for their own 
best interests. 

The subject of this sketch is one of 
Ottawa county's self-made men. He is a 
native of England, born December 9, 
1832, in the Parish of Harlington, some 
thirteen miles west from London, and is 
a son of Thomas and Ann (Palmer) 
Palmer, the former of whom was born in 
1 801, and lived to be ninety-three years 
of age; the latter was born in 1803, and 
died in 1887. Seven children — si.\ sons 
and one daughter — were born to them, 
one of the sons being now a shoemaker 
in Saginaw, Mich. ; another (our subject) 
a physician in Oak Harbor, Ohio; the 
other three being farmers; the daughter 
resides in Canada. Robert Palmer, the 
maternal grandfather of this family, rep- 
resented the fifth generation of Palmers 
who rented the same farm in England. 
One of Dr. Palmer's uncles served in the 
ever-memorable Crimean war of 1854-56, 
in which the quadruple alliance — England, 
France, Sardinia and Turkey — was en- 
gaged in a sanguinary struggle with Russia. 



When our subject was nine \ears old 
(1 84 1) his parents emigrated to this coun- 
try, bringing their family and settling in 
Cuyahoga county, Ohio, where for four 
years they made their home, the father 
following his trade, shoemaking. It was 
here our subject received his first school- 
ing, only three months in all, the rest of 
his time being occupied in farm labor, he 
working by the day or month as occasion 
presented. In 1845 the family moved to 
Canada, settling on a farm in that por- 
tion of Middlesex county that is now in- 
cluded in Elgin county, and here our 
subject had his home until he was twenty 
years of age, his time and energy for the 
most part being devoted toward assisting 
in the clearing up and developing of a 
homestead for his parents, although for 
nearly three years (owing to illness which 
seized him when eighteen years old, 
through exposure in the timber) he was 
unable to do much hard work. In 1852 
he went to live with his brother, Thomas 
K. , of Port Burwell, now in Elgin county, 
Ontario, but soon afterward moved with 
him to St. Thomas, a few miles northwest 
of Port Burwell, and here he was con- 
verted to Christianity, uniting with the 
Baptist Church. At the same place, and 
through the kindness of his brother, he 
received another three-months' schooling, 
making in all six months' education up to 
the age of twenty-one. 

From early boyhood Dr. Palmer had 
looked forward to the possibility of the 
practice of medicine being his life work, 
such being his devout wish; but lack of 
means all along stood in the way of his 
accomplishing his desire in that respect. 
Moreover, more money would have to be 
earned, to accomplish which he com- 
menced, after leaving school the second 
time, to learn the trade of carpenter, 
which he continued several years, among 
other work assisting in erecting all the 
Great Western railroad buildings, includ- 
ing docks, at Windsor, Canada. About 
the year 1858 our subject moved to 




^^/^a^z^ 




^^t-^'-Z-^^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



631 



Painesville, Lake Co., Ohio, where he 
began the study of medicine under the 
preceptorship of Dr. R. F. Dow, and 
with him diligently pursued his prelimi- 
nary readings, completing same with a 
three-years' course at the Medical De- 
partment of the Western Reserve Uni- 
versity, Cleveland, Ohio, where our sub- 
ject was graduated with the degree of 
M. D. Immediately thereafter he opened 
an office in Cleveland, where for si.x 
months he enjojed a good practice; his 
business relations in Painesville, however, 
were such that he deemed it advisable to 
remove thither. In 1893, after building 
up an extensive practice in that city, the 
Doctor, for reasons that will presently be 
explained, transferred his practice to Oak 
Harbor, Ottawa county, where he has 
since remained. 

Dr. James Palmer has been twice 
married, first time at St. Thomas, Canada, 
January i, 1857, to Miss Margaret L. 
Card, of that city. In 1883, while they 
were on a visit to Canada, Mrs. Palmer 
was taken ill, and died there before she 
could be removed to her home in Paines- 
ville. On November 22,1 887, Dr. Palmer 
was wedded to Miss Mary B. Beatty, of 
Butler county, Penn. In 1893, as already 
related, the Doctor removed from Paines- 
ville to Oak Harbor, hoping that his wife's 
health would be improved by the change, 
for she had been unwell for some time. 
Only temporary relief, however, was se- 
cured to the patient, for on April 2, 1894, 
she passed to the home beyond. Her 
brothers are the proprietors of one of the 
largest rose gardens in the world, same 
being located at Oil City, Penn., and 
their productions received first premium 
at the World's Columbian Exposition, 
held at Chicago in 1893. Dr. Palmer is 
a typical self-made man, and the enviable 
position he now holds in his chosen pro- 
fession is conclusive proof that "where 
there's a will there's a way." Let every 
young person who may read this sketch 
remember that what has been accom- 

40 



plished under adverse circumstances can 
be done again, and that a man with en- 
ergy, perseverance and application will, 
in any sphere of life in this wide country, 
always find "room at the top." The 
Doctor attributes his success in life to his 
adherence to the principles of rectitude 
instilled into him by his mother, whom he 
remembers with true filial devotion and 
loyalty. 



NATHAN PIERSON. The splendid 
farm of this gentleman in Carroll 
township, Ottawa county, is a 
standing monument to his indus- 
try, perseverance and good management, 
and he is numbered among the prominent 
representative agriculturists of the com- 
munit}'. He was born on the homestead 
farm where he still resides, November 18, 
1845, ^nd is a son of Alfred and Mary C. 
(Lindsley) Pierson. His elementary edu- 
cation was obtained in the common 
schools of the district, after which he at- 
tended a commercial college in the citj' of 
Sandusky, Ohio. After completing his 
education, Mr. Pierson followed the vo- 
cation of teaching for ten years, being em- 
ployed in the schools of Harris, Carroll 
and Clay townships, Ottawa county; but 
since the expiration of that time, he has 
devoted his whole attention to agricultural 
pursuits. 

On October 15, 1871, Mr. Pierson 
married Miss Lucinda Moore, a daughter 
of Cyrus and Esther Moore, who were 
early residents of Erie township, Ottawa 
county, where the widowed mother is 
still living, the father having gone to the 
final home. Around the domestic hearth 
of our subject and his wife are gathered 
their little family of three children — Stella 
M., born September 4, 1872; Ethel M., 
born May 19, 1875; and Alfred F., born 
November 26, I S79. For two terms Mr. 
Pierson held the position of trustee, and 
is now serving as township treasurer. He 
has been clerk of Harris township, and 



632 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHWAL RECORD. 



also of Elmore corporation. He has been 
quite prominent in local affairs, and in 
politics is an earnest advocate of Demo- 
cratic principles, of which part)' he is a 
stalwart supporter. Surrounded by his 
interesting and intelligent family, Mr. Pier- 
son is a thoughtful and devoted husband, 
and a kind, indulgent father. Among 
men he is genial and companionable; 
manly and fearlessly independent in 
thought and character, and consistent 
and temperate in all respects. His social 
standing is high and his integrity incor- 
ruptible. As a friend he is true and loyal; 
a man of taste and culture, with broad 
and liberal views; and a man, all in all, of 
large body, soul and mind. 

The father of our subject, Alfred Pier- 
son (deceased), was one of the prominent 
farmers of Carroll township, as well as 
one of its pioneers. His birth occurred in 
New Jersey in March, 1815, and he was 
a son of John and Elizabeth (Miller) 
Pierson, who were of English and Ger- 
man ancestry. He was reared and edu- 
cated in his native State, where he also 
learned the trade of blacksmith and buggy- 
spring maker, and there followed those 
pursuits until 1838, when he came to Car- 
roll township, at that time still a part of 
Sandusky county, Ohio. For a number 
of years he worked at his trade in con- 
nection with farming, but in later years 
abandoned the former, and devoted his 
time entirely to agricultural pursuits. 

On October 16, 1837, in New Jersey, 
Alfred Pierson was united in marriage 
with Mary C. Lindsley, who was born in 
Chatham township, Morris Co., N. J., 
February 17. 18 1 9, a daughter of Luther 
and Nancy (Lace}') Lindsley, natives of 
that State, coming to Ottawa county in 
1S38, where the father engaged in farm- 
ing. His death occurred March 31, 1858; 
the mother departed this life March 25, 
1850. They had a family of nine chil- 
dren, of whom Mrs. Pierson is the only 
one now living. To Mr. and Mrs.. Pier- 
son were born si.\ children, namel}': 



Elizabeth, born July 22, 1838, died 
March 29, 1856; Lewis, born October 9, 
1842, is living on the old homestead; 
Nathan is ne.xt in order of birth; Phcebe, 
born December 22, 1848, died December 
ir, 1862; Alfred, born November 25, 
1855, died June i, 1856; and Hetta, born 
March 3, 1857, is the wife of R. B. Sono- 
crant. The eldest son, Lewis, received 
his education in the district schools, and 
since early life has been principally en- 
gaged in farming, On December 10, 
1864, he married Lucina Davenport, a 
daughter of Edson and Jane Davenport, 
and to them was born one child, who 
died in infancy; the mother departed this 
life October 29, 1869. In his political 
views, Lewis Pierson is a Democrat, and 
has served as assessor of his township 
two terms. He always takes an active 
part in all measures tending to advance 
the welfare of the county, where he is 
highly respected, and is a practical and 
progressive farmer. 

The father was also a strong Demo- 
crot, and held several important positions 
of honor and trust, being county com- 
missioner several terms, infirmary di- 
rector five years, treasurer of the town- 
ship si.xteen years, and also filled other 
township offices. Locating in Carroll 
township in an early date in the history of 
the country, he and his faithful wife ex- 
perienced all the hardships and trials in- 
cident to pioneer life. Here in the dense 
forest, by which they were surrounded 
for miles on every side, Mr. Pierson carved 
out a home for himself and family, subse- 
quentl}' clearing up and improving an ex- 
cellent farm. In this home the family 
also experienced some of the hardships of 
pioneer life, mitigated, however, by va- 
rious pleasures common to backwoods life 
in those early days. In the vast forest 
around them was game of all kinds, and 
though their white neighbors were few 
and far between, a warmhearted neigh- 
borly feeling existed among them, and 
! their social intercourse at the frequent 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPHICAL RECORD. 



633 



house and barn raisings and quilting bees, 
was of the most friendly character. In 
after years Mr. Pierson devoted close at- 
tention to his agricultural interests, and 
was considered one of the most industrious 
citizens, as well as one of the most syste- 
matic and intelligent farmers of the dis- 
trict. He was deservedly popular among 
all classes in the community, and his de- 
mise left a blank not easily filled. 



LAURENXE D. RYAN, one of the 
most prominent and successful 
farmers of Carroll township, Ot- 
tawa county, and a gentleman 
honored and respected by all who know 
him, was born Februarj' i8, 185 i, in the 
township where is still his home, and is a 
son of Edward P. and Monique (Du- 
Ruchie) Ryan. His father was for many 
years engaged in the grocery business and 
in trading in furs, but the greater part of 
his life was devoted to agricultural pur- 
suits. He served as auditor of said coun- 
ty in i860 and 1862. He was born in 
Detroit, Mich., October 31, 18 16, of 
Irish descent. His father was a brick- 
layer and mason by trade, and put up 
the first brick building ever erected in the 
city of Detroit. Edward Ryan married 
Miss Du-Ruchie, a lady of French line- 
age, born in Monroe county, Mich., De- 
cember 22, 1826. They came to Ohio in 
1846, locating in Carroll township, where 
Mr. R3an purchased land and transformed 
it into a fine farm. They went through all 
the experiences and hardships incident to 
pioneer life, and were honored and re- 
spected residents of the township. The 
father died June 20, 1S67, the mother 
July 10, 1875, and their memory will 
long be cherished by those who knew 
them in life. They had a family of 
twelve children, as follows: Luke P., 
the eldest, was born at Sandy Creek, 
Monroe Co., Mich., June i, 1842, and is 
now residing in Toledo. William, born 
at Monroe City, August 5, 1844, enlisted 



in 1 86 1, in Company I, Forty-first O.V. I., 
and served through the war of the Rebel- 
lion; on October 31, 1867, he accident- 
ally shot himself while duck hunting. 
Elizabeth was born at Locust Point, Ot- 
tawa county, February 26, 1847, and 
died in infancy. Laurence D. (i), born 
at Locust Point, March 7, 1849, died in 
infancy. Laurence D. (2) is the ne.xt 
younger. Clarissa was born in Carroll 
township, May 31, 1853. Edward was 
born April 13, 1855. Napoleon B., born 
July 29, 1857, resides in Allen township, 
Ottawa county. Clement V'. is also liv- 
ing in Allen township. Josephine was 
born in Carroll township, Ottawa county, 
July 4, 1859, and died August 6, 1881. 
Eugenie, born March 20, 1861, died 
September 8, 1872. Dean Richmond, 
bornJune3, 1867, died February 2, 1868. 

Laurence D. Ryan was reared to 
manhood on the old homestead farm, 
and received the advantages of a fair ed- 
ucation in the district schools of Carroll 
township. Within its borders he has 
spent his entire life, and from early youth 
has been engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
He is an enterprising, progressive citizen, 
always taking a leading part in interests 
that are calculated to improve the coun- 
ty and communit}^ in which he resides. 
He is an industrious and practical farmer 
whose busy and ".veil spent life commands 
the respect of all, and his character is be- 
yond reproach. In Carroll township, 
Ottawa county, July 15, 1873, he was 
married to Miss Lucina A. Gyde, who 
was born in Carroll township, August 14, 
1850, a daughter of William and Harriet 
B. (Meeker) Gyde. The marriage has 
been blessed with four children: Hattie, 
born March 20, 1876; Ernest, born July 
3, 1878; Elva L. , born April 30, 1883; 
and Nellie E., born August 15, 1889. 

Mr. Ryan has frequently been solicited 
to accept official positions of trust in his 
township, but having no aspirations in 
that direction he has always declined to 
become a candidate, believing that in 



634 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPHICAL RECORD. 



order to achieve success it was necessary 
for him to give his entire time and atten- 
tion to his farming interests. This he 
has done, and his well-directed efforts 
have brought to him a comfortable com- 
petence. 



HENRY ANDERSON. Each com- 
munity has its representative citi- 
zens, men who are devoted to its 
best interests and to the advance- 
ment of all that pertains to its welfare. 
Among this class is numbered Mr. Ander- 
son, and the record of his life is as follows. 
He was born in Auburn, N. Y. , Sep- 
tember 18, 1835, and is the son of William 
and Sarah (Sanders) Anderson, the former 
born in Pennsylvania, in August, 1800, 
the latter born September 16, 1806. 
They were married in 1823, and had a 
family of nine children, of whom eight are 
now living. The family is of Scotch 
origin, and the great-grandfather of our 
subject, John Anderson, was born in Edin- 
burgh, Scotland, in 1771. He was a 
farmer by occupation, for many years 
served as justice of the peace, and died 
in 1846. His wife was a Miss La Bruer. 
The maternal grandfather, Henry Sand- 
ers, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1766, 
and his wife was born in 1 763. He owned 
and operated a distillery, and died in 1841. 
During his infancy, Henry Anderson 
was brought by his parents to Sandusky 
county, Ohio, where he made his home 
until seventeen years of age. He then 
went to Fremont, and he was a resident 
of that place until 1866. His education 
was acquired in Woodville, Ohio, where 
his childhood and youth were quietly 
passed. When President Lincoln issued 
his first call for 75,000 volunteers to crush 
out the Rebellion in its infancy, Mr. An- 
derson was among the first to enlist, and 
after serving for three months he entered 
the mechanical department of the army, 
where he continued some eighteen months. 
He then joined the navy, and for fourteen 



months served as steward on one of the 
boats engaged in the Union service. 
When the war was over and the country 
no longer needed his aid, he returned to 
Ohio, and settled in Fremont. For a 
year thereafter he was engaged in clerking, 
and in 1868 he went to Elmore, where he 
began business as a dealer in harness and 
saddlery, carrying on operations along 
that line for about six years. In 1874 he 
began the development of a farm which 
had been inherited by his wife from her 
father's estate. This farm he cleared of 
timber, fenced and drained it, and soon, 
where once were wild forest trees, ap- 
peared waving fields of grain, a substan- 
tial residence, barns and outbuildings, a 
good orchard, containing a variety of 
fruits, the latest improved machinery, and 
all other accessories of a model farm of 
this latter part of the nineteenth century. 

In 1874 Mr. Anderson was united in 
marriage with Miss Mary C. Nellis, of 
Elmore, and their union has been blessed 
with a son, George A. , who was born May 
10, 1875. Her father, David Nellis, was 
born August 6, 1806, and her mother, 
Caroline Nellis, was born October 22, 
1809. They had a family of six children, 
of whom three yet survive. Mrs. Ander- 
son is second cousin to Commodore Perry 
of naval fame, and is also a distant rela- 
tive of Gen. Anderson. Her grandfather, 
John Nellis, was a native of Germany, 
born in 1786, and his wife was born in 
the same country in 1787. Her maternal 
grandfather, Mr. Stedman, was born in 
New York, in 1783, and his wife was a 
native of the Empire State, her birth oc- 
curring in the same year. Her great- 
grandfather on her father's side was born 
about 1764. 

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are pleasantly 
located in Elmore, in a fine home on 
Main street, and he is now doing a thriv- 
ing business in the harness and saddlery 
trade. He is energetic and enterprising, 
and his success has come to him through 
labor, constant and concentrated. His 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



635 



son George is a yoiinp; man of high ambi- 
tions, of superior intellect and business 
ability. He completed a course of study 
in the Elmore High School in 1893, and 
then took a thorough business course in a 
commercial college of Poughkeepsie.N. Y. 
He has since been engaged in business 
with his father, aiding in the labors of the 
farm and of the store, and both Mr. An- 
derson and his son have the confidence of 
the public, and the esteem of the social 
world. 



Hl^.NRY O. MYLANDER, a car- 
riage maker and blacksmith of 
Oak Harbor, and a popular and 
progressive citizen, was born upon 
the old homestead farm in Salem town- 
ship, Ottawa county, February 27, 1864, 
and is the eldest son of Casper and Flora 
(Brinkmyer) Mylander. The public 
schools of the neighborhood afforded him 
his educational privileges, and he spent 
the days of his boyhood and youth upon 
his father's farm until eighteen years of 
age; but not wishing to make agriculture 
his life work he then began to learn the 
blacksmith's trade in Oak Harbor. A few 
years later he embarked in business for 
himself, and carried on operations for 
about eight years, when he found that his 
health was failing. This necessitated a 
change of employment, and selling out, 
he accepted a position on the steamer, 
"Frank E. Kirby," plying on the lakes. 
He continued in that employ for three 
summers, working at the blacksmith's 
trade during the winter. On the expira- 
tion of that period he returned to Oak 
Harbor, and in December, 1894, again 
began business for himself in that place. 
Mr. Mylander was married in Port 
Clinton. Ohio, March 17, 1885, to Miss 
Annie Holder, daughter of Christian and 
Mary Holder, who was born in \^'itten- 
berg, Germany. Thej' now have two in- 
teresting children: Eleanora F. R. , born 
November 24, 1885; and Clara Lucilla 



Mary, born July 27, 1889. They gladden 
the home with their presence, and the 
little household is noted for its hospitality 
which is cordially extended to the many 
friends of our subject and his wife. In 
his political views, Mr. Mylander is a Dem- 
ocrat, but has had neither time nor inclin- 
ation for public office, although he faith- 
fully performs every duty of citizenship as 
it comes to him. He is now doing a good 
business as the leading carriage maker and 
blacksmith in Oak Harbor, where by cour- 
teous treatment, fair dealing and an earnest 
desire to please his customers he has built 
up an excellent trade. He is enterprising 
and progressive, and well deserving of the 
success that may come to him. 



JACOB HARMON, who is numbered 
among the native sons of Ohio, was 
born in Pickaway county, January 
18, 1835, and is a son of Jacob and 
Susan (Peer) Harmon. The father was 
born in Knox county, Penn., in 1790, and 
died in 1853, his remains being interred 
in the cemetery of Elmore, Ohio. The 
mother was born in Virginia in 1800, and 
in their family were two children — Jacob, 
subject of this sketch, and Mrs. Dorotha 
Schafer, of Toledo, Ohio. The paternal 
grandmother of our subject was born in 
1772, and little else is known concerning 
the ancestry of the family. 

During the infancy of Jacob Harmon, 
his parents came to Ottawa county, Ohio, 
locating in Harris township, where they 
spent their remaining days. Upon the 
old homestead he was reared to manhood, 
and his early life was very similar to that 
of farmer boys of the neighborhood. At 
the age of twenty-three he was united in 
marriage with Miss Martha Randall, of 
Benton township, Ottawacounty, who was 
born in Trumbull county, Ohio, March 9, 
1837. Her father, Daniel Randall, was 
born in Allegany county, X. Y. , in 1800, 
and her mother's birth occurred in 1812, 
while her maternal grandmother was born 



636 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in 1 79 1. Her paternal grandfather was 
born in 1790, his wife in 1793. They 
became the parents of eight children, six 
of whom are now living. Of the eight 
children born to Mr. and Mrs. Randall, 
six yet survive. During the early girl- 
hood of Mrs. Harmon, the parents re- 
moved to Lorain county, where she at- 
tended the public schools of Pittsfield, 
concluding the prescribed course of study 
there. She then lived in Benton township 
until her marriage. 

Mr. and Mrs. Harmon began their 
domestic life on a farm on the old river 
road, where the)' lived some three years, 
after which they removed to Minnesota, 
where our subject was engaged in the 
manufacture of potash for a year, return- 
ing then to his father's farm in Harris 
township, Ottawa county, where he re- 
mained until 1875, when he became owner 
of forty. acres of timber land in Section 5, 
same township. This he at once began 
to clear, and as the trees were cut and the 
stumps removed he plowed and planted 
the land, till now he has it under a high 
state of cultivation. He also planted a 
fine orchard, and the place is to-day one 
of the best improved farms in his part of 
the county. 

The home of our subject and wife has 
been brightened by the presence of seven 
children, their names and dates of birth 
being as follows: Daniel, March 18, 1859; 
George, July 11, 1862; John, July 6, 
1864; Elizabeth, April 26, 1867; Eph- 
raim, October 22, 1871: Katie, November 
5, 1869; Jacob, July 13, 1874; they lost 
two children — Daniel, who died October 
23, i86i; and John, who died November 
7, 1892. For many years Mr. Harmon 
has served as supervisor of Harris town- 
ship, and has also been school director of 
his district five years. He has experienced 
many of the hardships and trials of a pio- 
neer life, and for some years after locat- 
ing upon his present farm, he expected 
each spring that his home would be flood- 
ed as the river rose. He has ridden on 



horseback from Portage river to Toussaint 
creek when the water was deep enough to 
wet his feet as the horse made its way 
through the woods. The cabin home 
stood in the midst of a dense forest, and 
it seemed to Mrs. Harmon that the trees 
could never be cleared away so that she 
might look across the country to her 
neighbors. 

This has happened, however, and as 
the years have passed advancing civiliza- 
tion has done away with the trials of 
frontier life, and to-day Mr. and Mrs. 
Harmon are the owners of a fine and 
valuable farm. The success which has 
crowned their efforts is well-merited, and 
their lives are busy and useful. Their 
son, Jacob, now operates the home farm, 
and cares for those who cared for him 
during his childhood, relieving them of 
much labor and anxiety. 



DANIEL M. LOWE, a farmer and 
wholesale butcher of Allen town- 
ship, Ottawa county, was born in 
Franklin county, Penn., March 
16, 1845, and is a son of Philip and Mary 
Nancy (Lower}') Lowe, of the same place. 
He received his early education in the dis- 
trict schools of his native county, and for 
sometime worked by the month on va- 
rious farms, afterward returning home 
and learning the blacksmith's trade with 
his father, which occupation he followed 
some three years. At the expiration of 
that tima he became overseer of slaves on 
a plantation in Maryland, remaining there 
two years, or until the beginning of the 
Civil war in 1861. 

On leaving Maryland, Mr. Lowe re- 
turned home and assisted his father upon 
the farm for about four months, when he 
went to Somerset county, Penn., and 
worked in a tannery for the same length 
of time. Although he did not enlist as a 
soldier, Mr. Lowe had some exciting ex- 
periences during the war. While in Som- 
erset county, the Rebels crossed the Po- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



637 



tomac and the owner of the tannery with 
his employes were obliged to leave tlieir 
occupation. They fled to Yorktown, 
with a string of twenty-two six-horse 
teams, with neighbors and people from 
different parts of the country. There 
they remained three weeks until the enemj- 
was repulsed, when they returned to their 
work. The calm, however, was of short 
duration, as the Rebels again came upon 
them, and forced our subject and his em- 
ployer to take refuge in the mountains, 
with the same stock. There they hid for 
three days, and then once more returned 
to the tannery, only to be driven out the 
third time, the Rebels this time carrying 
oH the best of the farm stock, including 
his father's. Discouraged in his attempts 
to go on with his work at this point, Mr. 
Lowe again returned to his father's home, 
but even here his ill-luck pursued him. 
One day while out on a creek near his 
home, he was seized by a party of the 
enemy and forced to drive the stock be- 
longing to his neighbors to their camp 
across the Potomac. Here he was kept 
as a prisoner four da\s, herding cattle. 
^^'atching his opportunity, he got away 
one dark night and reached his home in 
safet}'. He worked on the farm some si.x 
months when he was again surprised by 
the Rebels which invaded our countrx', 
this time taking with them the remainder 
of the farm stock. 

Mr. Lowe remained on the old home- 
stead untiFhis marriage, March 30, 1865, 
to Miss Susan A. Talhelm, daughter of 
William and Susan Talhelm, of Washing- 
ton township, Franklin Co., Penn. He 
then came to Ohio, locating in Sandusky 
county in 1866, and for two jears worked 
by the month on a farm, at the end of 
that time renting a farm for himself. In 
1878 he removed to Clay (then Allen) 
township, and in addition to farming took 
up the business of a butcher, in both of 
which pursuits he has been successful, 
having a good trade in the surrounding 
county, and a fine, productive farm. Mr. 



and Mrs. Lowe are the parents of ten 
children, of whom the following record is 
given: Susan A., born April 9, 1866, is 
the widow of Charles Brown, and the 
mother of two children, one of whom lives 
with his grandfather, our subject, the 
other at Lulu, Mich.; Emma C. , born 
September 18, 1S67, is the wife of Jacob 
Youncker, a farmer in Allen township, 
and they have three children: Clara E., 
born October 18, i86g, married William 
Jacobs, and resides in Coleman, Mich. 
(she is the mother of five children); Al- 
bert, born June 4, iS/i; William C. , 
June 15, 1873; John P., March 24, 1S75; 
Franklin D., January 3, 1877, died May 
12, 1882; Herman E., born October 18, 
1878; Jessie B., born July 14, 1881; 
Myrtle M., born January 3, 1884, died 
Maj' 6, of the same year. 

Philip Lowe, grandfather of our sub- 
ject, was of Scotch nativity. His son 
(also named Philip), the father of our sub- 
ject, was born in Franklin county, Penn., 
where he carried on farming and also 
blacksmithing. He married Nancy Low- 
ery, who was of Pennsylvania birth, and 
ten children were born to them, viz. : 
William, Philip, John, Martin, Daniel, 
Josiah, Henry, Jacob, Barbara and Su- 
san. The wife of our subject was born 
in Pennsylvania. Her parents were na- 
tives of Pennsylvania, the father born 
October 5, 1845, and they are still living 
in Pennsylvania. Her grandparents were 
born in Germany. Mr. Lowe is an ar- 
dent Republican, and with his family at- 
tends the Church of the United Brethren. 



WILLIAM J. BAKER, one of the 
prominent agriculturists of Allen 
township, Ottawa county, was 
born in Devonshire, England, 
February 28, 1847, and is a son of James 
and Eliza (Bailey) Baker, the former a 
native of Devonshire, the latter of Corn- 
wall, England. He received a limited 
education in the schools of his native coun- 



638 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



t)', attending to his studies during; the 
winter seasons and working upon his 
grandfather's farm in Cornwall, in the 
summer, until he was sixteen years old. 
He then learned the trade of a carriage 
maker, spending five \'ears as an appren- 
tice and one 3ear afterward as a journey- 
man. 

On February 20, 1869, Mr. Baker left 
the home of his birth for America, find- 
ing his way to Ohio, and locating in 
Woodville township, Sandusky county, 
where he followed carpentering and paint- 
ing some eight years. He then married 
and moved to Allen (then Clay) township, 
and began work on a farm of seventy-five 
acres owned by his wife, the larger por- 
tion of which was unimproved. He did 
much hard work on this place, letting not 
a moment go to waste, and succeeded in 
clearing the land, erecting a large, com- 
fortable dwelling house, barns, outhouses, 
and making other improvements which 
to-day testify to his industry and enter- 
prise. The marriage of our subject took 
place September 13, 1877, when he was 
united to Miss Mary E. Kent, daughter of 
Anson and Mercy (Wood) Kent, farmers 
of Allen township. To them has been 
born a family of five children, as follows: 
Delia P., born June 24, 1878, was edu- 
cated in the schools of Allen township, 
and is housekeeper for her widowed father; 
Eliza M. was born July 29, 1880; Mary 
E. on April i, 1884; Florence M. on Au- 
gust 2, 1886, and Dorothy H. on August 
14,1891. All the younger children are 
attending school in Allen township. Mrs. 
Baker, the wife of our subject, was born 
in Clay township, Ottawa county, Au- 
gust 21, 1856, and there obtained her 
education. Her father died April 28, 
1864, and her mother was again married, 
this time in December, 1869, to John 
Tiplady, of Allen township. He died 
January 5, 1892. The mother is still liv- 
ing, and resides in Allen township with 
her daughters, Carrie, who was born Oc- 
tober 31, 1870, and Inez, born October 



27, 1874. Mrs. Baker passed peacefully 
away March 13, 1894, leaving a devoted 
husband and five young daughters to 
mourn the loss of a faithful and loving 
wife and mother. 

James Baker, the father of our sub- 
ject, was a native of Devonshire, England, 
where he was a farmer. He was married 
in 1845 to Eliza Bailey, and a family of 
twelve children was born to them, of 
whom the following record is given: Will- 
iam J. is the subject of this sketch; Annie 
M. is the wife of Walter Hewitt, of Island- 
ville, Mass.; Eliza, wife of Francis Bailey, 
is residing in California; Rachel is the 
wife of Dr. Hobert Hewitt, of Glenwood 
Springs, Garfield Co., Colo.; Richard is 
a school teacher and farmer, residing in 
Allen township; Frances resides in Mor- 
rison, Colo. ; Elizabeth is the wife of 
Francis Monroe, owner of a coffee plan- 
tation in San Jose, Costa Rico, Central 
America; John H. is in the United States 
mail service at Toledo; Thomas sleeps in 
in the Denver (Colo.) cemetery, and the 
three younger children sleep in the old 
home churchyard in England. Mr. Baker, 
in his political views, affiliates with the 
Prohibition party. In religion he and his 
family are in sympathy with the Disciples 
Church, the services of which they attend 
at Genoa. Mr. Baker is looked upon as 
a man of principle, upright in his business 
relations and a good citizen. 



CHARLES R. TSCHUMY, a rep- 
resentative citizen, and a leading 
watchmaker and jeweler of Oak 
Harbor, Ottawa county, is a na- 
tive of Sandusky county, Ohio, having 
first seen the light August 21, 1S58, in 
Fremont. 

His parents, Frederick and Marie 
(Birmley) Tschumy, were both born in 
Baden, Germany, the former December 
25, 1823, the latter August 10. 1825. 
They were married in the Fatherland, 
and in 1849 immigrated to America, lo- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



639 



eating first in New Orleans, La., where 
they resided several years, the father 
working at his trade, that of a cabinet 
maker, at which he was an expert. From 
New Orleans the family moved to Fre- 
mont, Sandusky Co., Oliio, afterward, in 
1863, to Port Huron, Mich., where Mr. 
Tschumy engaged in the manufacture of 
pumps. In 1864 they removed to Na- 
poleon, Henry Co., Ohio; thence, in 
1866, to Oak Harbor, where they con- 
tinued to reside for many years, enjoying 
the love and respect of all who knew 
them. The father's death occurred March 
10, 1874, his faithful and loving wife sur- 
viving him until December, 1886, when 
she, too, passed away. The Tschumy 
family consisted of eleven children, five 
of whom are yet living, viz. : Frederick 
J., a marine engineer, residing in Cleve- 
land, Ohio; Emma, the wife of Ira 
Neville, aresident of Teegarden, Marshall 
Co., Ind. ; Louis H., a prominent builder 
and contractor of Toledo, Ohio; Charles 
R. ; and Louisa, now the wife of William 
Heminger, of Oak Harbor. 

Charles R. Tschumy, whose name in- 
troduces these lines, received his prelim- 
inary education in the public schools of 
Oak Harbor, on leaving which he was 
apprenticed to the trade of watch-mak- 
ing, entering the employ of Otto Brown, 
a practical watchmaker from Germany, 
who was at that time doing business in 
Oak Harbor. After completing his ap- 
prenticeship our subject worked, at in- 
tervals, for James Moore, of Toledo, and 
gained further information regarding the 
details of his trade, more especially the 
use of tools for manufacturing the finer 
parts of watches, though it is mainly 
through his own energy and skill as a 
mechanic that he has attained the 
thorough knowledge of and perfection in 
his business he to-day possesses. From 
his early boyhood Mr. Tschumy has been 
of an inventive turn of mind, and when 
but eleven years of age he modelled and 
built, unaided, a miniature engine, the 



parts being composed principally of wood, 
the motive power being compressed air 
instead of steam; and po.ssessing these in- 
ventive faculties to so great a degree, he 
has become a thorough master of the 
many technical details of his business. 
Mr. Tschumy has been engaged in watch- 
making since 1872, and his reputation as 
a practical, thorough watch-maker and 
business man is recognized far and near, 
work being sent him from many places 
outside of the State in which he lives. 
The jewelry department of his large and 
handsome store is well stocked with the 
finest quality of goods, and his prompt- 
ness, strict integrity and skill as a work- 
man have established for him a reputa- 
tion and trade not excelled, if equalled, 
by any firm in the county. 

In 18S4 Mr. Tschumy was united in 
marriage, at Oak Harbor, with Belle 
Vining, who was born in Bellevue, Huron 
Co., Ohio, May 8, 1858, daughter of 
Calvin and Harriet (Croney) Vining, na- 
tives of Virginia. The family consists of 
six children, viz.: Ina and Edna (twins), 
Beulah Marie, Grace, Florabell. and an 
infant yet unnamed, besides a daughter, 
Lula, by a previous marriage of Mrs. 
Tschumy. Our subject is a member of 
Lodge No. 516, K. of P., also of Oak 
Harbor Lodge No. 735, I. O. O. F. , and 
in his political views he favors the Dem- 
ocratic party. The family are consistent 
members of the M. E. Church. A bio- 
graphical sketch of Mr. Tschumy, to those 
who know him, would be incomplete 
were mention of his musical abilities 
omitted. In his home life he has always 
found relief from his routine of duties in 
literature and music, and for a number of 
years he has been leader of the Oak Har- 
bor Band, and his assistance in all social 
and Church gatherings has added much 
to his popularity and success. He is also 
an ardent lover of the science of astron- 
omy, and he is the possessor of a small 
telescope, with which he spends many a 
pleasant evening in the contemplation of 



640 



OOMMEMOBATJVE BIOORAFniCAL RECORD. 



different heavenly bodies, especially the 
planets. He renders much aid to the as- 
tronomy classes in the public school by 
kindly illustrating to them the various 
systems treated in their text-books. He 
is regarded as an honorable man, above 
reproach in all things, kind to everyone, 
generous to those who are in need, a man 
of strong convictions of right and wrong, 
and ever fearless in upholding that which 
he knows to be right. 



SAMUEL MINIER is a native of 
Salem township, Ottawa Co. , Ohio, 
his birth having occurred July 15, 
1847, on the old homestead farm, 
the third farm which was opened up in 
the township. It is still his home and 
has been his place of abode through child- 
hood and manhood. He received such 
limited educational privileges as the dis- 
trict schools of that day afforded, and 
from early youth has been engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. As soon as old 
enough to handle the plow he began work 
in the fields, and it was not long before he 
was familiar with farm work in all its de- 
partments. The pursuit to which he was 
reared he has made his life work, and to- 
daj' he is one of the enterprising agricul- 
turists of the community, the owner of a 
highly-cultivated tract of land, which in 
its neat appearance indicates the careful 
supervision of the owner. His business 
transactions are conducted with the ut- 
most fairness, and his industry and honesty 
have won him the respect and confidence 
of all who know him. 

Mr. Minier has been twice married; 
first time to Miss Rachel Beard, a resi- 
dent of Stark county, Ohio, and they be- 
came the parents of two children — Joseph, 
who is residing in Salem township, Ot- 
tawa county ; and Flora Belle. The mother 
of this family, who was a most estimable 
lady, passed away February 5, 1877, and 
one year later, December 19, 1878, Mr. 
Minier married Miss Susanna Kleinhans, 



who was born September 5, 1847, daugh- 
ter of John and Maria (Hiueline) Klein- 
hans, well-known people of Ottawa coun- 
ty. Five children grace this marriage — 
four sons and one daughter — their names 
and dates of birth being as follows: Claude 
A., October 5, 1879; Gwendolen, Febru- 
ary 27, 1 881; George S., August 3, 1883; 
Orville Earl, May 6, 1885: and Lloyd D., 
June 4, 1890. The family are well-known 
in this communit)-, the household is the 
abode of hospitality, and our subject and 
his wife hold an enviable position in social 
circles. Mr. Minier is a member of La- 
care Tent, Knights of the Macabees, and 
in his political views is a stanch Dem- 
ocrat, ha\ing supported that party since 
attaining his majority. He is a worthy 
representative of an honored pioneer fam- 
ily, and well deserves representation in 
this volume. 



ALBERT A. CLEMONS, a lead- 
ing fruit grower of Danbury town- 
ship, Ottawa count}-, and a son 
of Alexander demons, was born 
on the old homestead at Marblehead, 
Ohio, April 9, 1840. Since infancy he 
has been a resident of that community, 
where by his good qualities and genial 
disposition he has endeared himself to the 
residents of that as well as other sections 
of the county, and, throughout, his friends 
are legion. His education was acquired 
in the public schools of Marblehead, and 
from early boyhood until 1S62 he was en- 
gaged in farm work. 

In August, 1862, Mr. demons en- 
listed in Company G, One Hundredth 
O. Y. I., with which regiment he par- 
ticipated in numerous engagements, in- 
cluding the siege of Knoxville, and the 
battles of Franklin, Resaca, Atlanta and 
Nashville. He was a faithful soldier, al- 
wajs found at his post of dutj-, and at the 
close of the war was mustered out and 
discharged at Goldsboro, July 20, 1865. 
On returning to his home in Marblehead 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



641 



he became connected with his brother in 
the quarrying business, being owners of 
one of the largest quarries in the State. 
They carried on operations under the firm 
name of demons Sons until 1890, when 
business was discontinueil, and the part- 
nership dissolved, since which time our 
subject has devoted his entire attention to 
fruit growing. 

At Sandusky City, Ohio, in 1875 Al- 
bert demons was united in marriage with 
Miss Josephine Catherman, a daughter of 
Samuel and Clarissa Catherman, the for- 
mer a native of Pennsylvania, the latter 
of Ohio, both now residents of Sandusk}' 
City. To this union has been born one 
child, Georgie D. , who is still with her 
parents. Mr. demons is a member of 
Peninsular Lodge, No. 607, K. of P., and 
of R. B. Richardson Post, No. 454, G. 
A. R., while in politics he is an ardent 
supporter of the Republican party. As a 
citi;?en he is broad guaged and enterpris- 
ing, and can worthily be accredited with 
having done his share in developing the 
interests of the county. While -not a 
Church member, he is a supporter of all 
religious efforts, and gives liberal financial 
aid thereto. The family hold prominent 
place in social circles. 



HERMAN W. ENGLEBECK. Of 
German descent, this gentleman 
was born in Portage township, 
Ottawa Co., Ohio, December 23, 
1836, a son of Herman and Caroline 
(Fechtler) Englebeck, natives of the F'a- 
therland. Leaving their old home they 
crossed the Atlantic to America, and about 
1835 located in what is now Portage town- 
ship, Ottawa Co., Ohio, which was then 
a part of Sandusky county, there continu- 
ing their residence until called to the home 
beyond. Of their family of nine children, 
si.\ are still living, namely: William, who 
resides in Weston, Wood Co., Ohio; Her- 
man W. , in Portage township, Ottawa 
county; John R. , a resident of Denver, 



Colo. ; Henry J. , who is living in Lakeside, 
Ohio; Katherine, wife of Capt. William 
Slackford, and a resident of Portage town- 
ship; and George, who is located in Des 
I^foines, Iowa. 

Our subject was reared in the usual 
manner of farmer lads, receiving such edu- 
cational advantages as were obtainable in 
the district schools of the neighborhood, 
and from his boyhood daj's up to the 
present time has been engaged in agricul- 
tural pursuits, winning a well-merited suc- 
cess, and becoming the owner of one of 
the most fertile farms and productive or- 
chards of the township. He enjoys the 
reputation of being a thorough and prac- 
tical agriculturist and fruit grower, and 
his well-tilled fields and fruit-bearing or- 
chards indicate his care and supervision. 
His handsome residence and neat sur- 
roundings bespeak thrift, and the home is 
noted for its hospitality. 

The ladj' who presides in the Engle- 
beck residence, was, in her maidenhood, 
Nancy Wonnell, and in Port Clinton, on 
the 1 8th of December, 1859, she became 
the wife of our subject. Her parents were 
earl\- settlers of Portage township, Otta- 
wa county, where she was born April 17, 
1838. The children of this marriage are 
six in number: Oscar W., born Septem- 
ber 18, 1 86 1, was married July 3, 1883, 
to Lizzie Lickfelt, and has one son, Ar- 
thur; Charles Grant, born December 6, 
1864. married Jennie Fall, and with his 
I wife and two children, Amos and Helen, 
resides in Port Clinton; Effie Josephine, 
born July 3, 1863. was married April 9, 
1887, to Burton Elwell, and died January 
25, 1893, leaving a daughter. Florence E., 
who is still Hving; Carrie Leah was born 
March 7, 1871; Bertie Hayes, born June 
6, 1875, died March 8, 1876; Nannie 
Belle, born July 20, 1879, completes the 
family. 

In all the duties of husband, father, 
neighbor and citizen, Mr. Englebeck is 
found faithful, and occupies a high place 
in the esteem of those who know him. 



642 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPUICAL RECORD. 



He is a representative farmer, one whose 
example may well be followed, for his 
character is above reproach and he is 
worthy of the highest respect. For al- 
most sixty j'ears he has resided in Ottawa 
county, and well deserves mention among 
the honored pioneers. 



Scott 



HENRY BOWE. one of the de- 
scendants of George Bowe, Sr. , 
a well-known pioneer of Sandusk)' 
county, was born June 6, 1843, in 
township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
where he still resides. He lived with his 
parents on the old farm in Scott township 
until he was twenty-one years, when he 
began life for himself, working the old 
farm on shares. 

In 1864 Mr. I3owe took a trip to Green 
Baj% Lake Superior, and Ft. Wayne, Ind. 
In the following jear he again visited Ft. 
Wayne, Ind., where he remained a few 
months, and then returned home and 
worked on the old farm one year. He 
then again went to Indiana, returning, in 
1867, to the old farm where he remained 
until his marriage, January 27, 1847, to 
Catherine Fry, of Jackson township, San- 
dqsky county. To them have come four 
children: Sarah A., born August 31, 1878, 
died August 14, 1887; Mary Annie, born 
April 1 1, 1880, at the present time study- 
ing music; Roulif, born August 10, 1S83; 
and Lulu L. , born January 27, 1889. 

A part of the farm, where Mr. Bowe 
now resides, he obtained from his father. 
To it he has added forty acres more, 
erected substantial buildings, and now 
has the place under good cultivation. In 
addition to his farming he is engaged in 
the oil business. His first lease was in 
18S6, and provided that Mr. Bowe should 
have one-eighth of the oil, $300, and an 
oil well in five years. The wells were 
not drilled, nor were they expected to be 
— hence the lease practically amounted to 
very little. In 1887, he leased his farm 
again, this time for one year, he to 



have one-eighth of the oil, but no wells 
were put down. In 1888 another lease 
was drawn, but nothing was done. On 
April 8, 1895, ^he first real business for 
oil began on Mr. Bowe's farm. Accord- 
ing to the lease he is to have $300, and 
one-sixth of the oil, besides which a well 
is to be put down every sixty days until 
there are six wells in all. In addition to 
this Mr. Bowe has at the present time 
just drilled and shot a well of his own 
which promises to be a very good one. 
The wells now running are producing 
about twenty barrels each per day. One- 
sixth of the oil, together with the well 
owned by himself, returns a fine income 
from the oil business. 

Mr. Bowe's father, George Bowe, Sr. , 
was one of Sandusky county's pioneers. 
He relates a striking incident in his own 
life while living in Scott township. One 
day, about the year 1843, while laboring 
on his farm, there suddenly appeared be- 
fore him an image of his father, as natural 
as life; he spoke and the vision vanished. 
He at. once went to the house, related the 
incident to his wife and family, and after 
a little consultation it was decided that 
he had better go to Buffalo and visit his 
father. Accordingly he left at once for 
that cit}', and on coming there he found 
his father a corpse. At that time the old 
gentleman was about seventy-five years 
old, thus making the date of birth of our 
subject's paternal grandfather about the 
year 1768. The father of our subject was 
born in France in 1802, and came to 
America in 1832, settling in New York 
State, where he remained three years. 
Thence he came to Ohio, and in Scott 
township entered 210 acres of land, one- 
half for himself and the other half for his 
sister. In 1834-35 he married Catherine 
Wegstein, daughter of Michael Wegstein, 
born in Baden, Germany, in 18 13. To 
them were born ten children, three of 
whom died in infancy, the others being: 
George, Jacob, Frederick, Henry, Mich- 
ael, David and Mary C. Of these, Fred- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



043 



erick and Man' C. died some time ago, 
while the remainder are yet living. The 
father of our subject acquired a large 
property in Scott township, owning at one 
time 600 acres of land. He died June 3, 
1872, and was buried in the Bradner 
Cemetery. 

Our subject's maternal grandfather, 
Michael Wegstein, was born about 1779, 
in Baden, Germany, where he was mar- 
ried, and had a family of si.\ children. In 
1832 he started for America, but on the 
voyage his wife took sick, died, and was 
buried in mid-ocean. Of his family only 
two are now living. One son, Michael, 
was captain of Company H, Seventy- 
second Ohio Volunteers, and was killed at 
the battle of Shiloh. 

Mrs. Bowe, wife of our subject, was 
born June 7, 1849, in Jackson township, 
Sandusk}' Co., Ohio, where she lived 
until her marriage. Her father, George 
Fr}', a pioneer of Sandusky county, was 
born in Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia, 
in 1798, came to America in 1835, and in 
1843 was united in marriage with Miss 
Mary Gust, who was born March 14, 
1 82 1, and died in 1880. They had nine 
children, five of whom are living. He 
died November 26, 1890. He helped to 
construct the Maumee pike, the famous 
Ohio road. Mrs. Bowe's maternal grand- 
father, Casper Gust, was born about 1790, 
and his wife about 1799. They were the 
parents of ten children. 



JEPTHA L. OGDEN, one of the 
most successful farmers and fruit 
growers of Carroll township, Ot- 
tawa county, was born in Morris 
county, N. J., November 28, 1827, and 
is one of a family of six children, only 
two of whom now survive, our subject 
and his sister Ruth, wife of Henry Jide. 
Their parents, Jeptha and Rachel 
(Munson) Ogden, were also natives of 
New Jersey, the father born July 24, 
1795, the mother on June 12, 1788. They 



came across the mountains from New 
Jersey with teams to Ottawa county, the 
trip occupying a month, and reached Port 
Clinton, May 25, 1838. After resting a 
few days in that city they proceeded in a 
scow by river to Carroll township, where 
they located on the land now owned by 
our subject. The farm was then a per- 
fect wilderness, but they at once began 
to clear and develop the land, which has 
now been placed under a high state of 
cultivation. In the log house which was 
there erected the deaths of both parents 
occurred, the mother dying February 23, 
1874, the father on May 15, 1877. 

The subject of this sketch passed his 
boyhood and youth after the manner of 
most farmers' sons, acquiring his educa- 
tion in the old log schoolhouse of the 
district, at an early age being trained to 
those habits of industry and economy 
which have proven the secret of his suc- 
cess in life. In connection with general 
farming he is also engaged in fruit grow- 
ing, in which he is meeting with a well- 
deserved success. In Ottawa count\-, on 
November 28, 1852, Mr. Ogden was mar- 
ried to Miss Margaret Cover, a daughter 
of Adam and Elizabeth Cover, and they 
became the parents of six children: Sa- 
phroni, born September 26, 1853, now 
the wife of John Meeker; Reuha,born Sep- 
tember 18, 1855, was married February 
II, 1874, to Charles Humphrey, and died 
July 19, 1882; Philina, born February 8, 
1857, now the wife of Daniel Day, of 
Port Clinton, Ottawa county; Rachel E., 
born April 14, 1862, now the wife of 
Charles Humphrey; Jeptha William was 
born September 29, 1864; Alice, born 
April 6, 1 87 1, is the wife of Edward Jide; 
and one child died in infancy. The 
mother of this family died February 18. 
1879, and F"ebruary 8, 1881, Mr. Ogden 
was again married, this time to Mrs. 
Mary Giger, widow of Henry Giger, and 
sister of his first wife, and her death oc- 
curred November 19, 1888. On Feb- 
ruary 13, 1892, Mr. Ogden wedded Mrs. 



644 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Clemenza Almira (Mattock; Conn, widow 
of Philip Conn. She was born in Coshoc- 
ton county, Ohio, June 5, 1842, and is a 
daughter of Isaac and Matilda Mattock, 
the former of whom now makes his home 
in Adams, Defiance Co., Ohio. By her 
former marriage Mrs. Ogden became the 
mother of five children: Emma, born 
August I, icS63, died August 11, 1866; 
Matilda, born December 11, 1865, mar- 
ried January 8, 1 884, to William Schmaltz, 
of Defiance county; Marj', born March 
19. 1873, married April 28, 1889, to 
William Tittle; Euphema, born April 22, 
1 881; and Theodocia, born June 16, 1883. 
In his political views Mr. Ogden is a 
Democrat, and in religious faith the family 
attend the services of the United 
Brethren Church. From his early boy- 
hood our subject's life has been spent in 
Carroll township, and from a wilderness, 
inhabited mostly by savages with only a 
few white settlers, he has seen the coun- 
try converted into finely-tilled land, 
dotted with handsome residences, in 
which work he has contributed his share, 
and he enjoys and respect of all who 
knew him. 



F 



1846, 



REDERICK HOLTKAMP, who 
is successfully engaged in farming 
in Harris township, Ottawa coun- 
ty, was born in Prussia, June 26, 
a son of Frederick and Angeline 
(Schope) Holtkamp, also natives of Prus- 
sia. They were both born in 181 5, and 
the father, now at the age of eight}' years, 
a hale and hearty old man, is living with 
our subject; they were the parents of 
three children, Frederick being the only 
survivor. The paternal grandfather, 
who also bore the name of Frederick, was 
born in Prussia, in 1775. He was a liter- 
ary man, highly educated, and spent the 
greater portion of his life in Germany. 
His wife was born in Prussia in 1786, and 
they were the parents of seven children. 
The great -grandmother of Mr. Holtkamp 



was born in Prussia, in 1755, but further 
than this the ancestry of the family can 
not be traced. 

During the first fourteen years of his 
life, Frederick Holtkamp, the subject 
proper of this review, remained in the 
land of his birth, and then accompanied 
his parents on their emigration to the New 
World, the family locating at Elmore, 
Ohio, where the father purchased a tract 
of land and began farming. Our subject 
remained under the parental roof until he 
had attained his majority, when he 
started out to make his own way in the 
world. As a helpmeet on life's journey 
he chose Miss Mary Hubcr, of Monroe, 
Mich., who was born in Hessen, Ger- 
many, March 23, 1835, and is a daughter 
of John and Agnes (Lisben) Huber, na- 
tives of the same locality, the former 
born November 11, 1805, and the latter 
in 1806; of their eight children, four are 
now living, all residents of the Buckeye 
State. Her paternal grandmother, Helen 
Pricker, was born in Hessen in 1778, and 
her maternal grandmother, Maria Hof!- 
spier, was born in 1773, while the great- 
grandmother was born in 1749, nearly 
one ccnturj' and a half ago. 

Mr. and Mrs. Holtkamp began their 
domestic life upon a farm near Elmore, 
Ohio, where they lived for some years, 
and then removed to the village of El- 
more, which was their place of abode six 
years, and where he was in the tailoring 
business. In 1875 he purchased the farm 
which he yet owns, and at once began to 
clear and develop it, placing it under a 
high state of cultivation. The e.xcellent 
buildings which he has erected, the fences 
always kept in good repair, the well-tilled 
fields, and the fine orchard with its va- 
riety of fruits, all indicate the care and 
supervision of a painstaking owner. He 
also devotes some time to stock-raising, 
selling to local dealers, and has made this 
a profitable part of his business. He and 
his famih- are all members of the Meth- 
odist Church of Elmore, and are people 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



645 



whose well-spent lives have won them 
the respect and confidence of all with 
whom they have come in contact. In his 
political views Mr. Holtkamp is a Re- 
publican, but has never sought or desired 
the honors or emoluments of public office. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Holtkamp have been 
born children as follows: (i) Mary, 
the^ eldest, married O. O. Overmyer, a 
wealthy farmer of Lindsey, Ohio. (2) 
Angeline married A. Coleman, of Genoa, 
Ohio, who lives on a farm which he 
bought of Mr. Holtkamp. (3) Lizzie 
married Rev. P. S. Ingersoll, of Nor- 
walk, Ohio, who is at the present time in 
Minnesota. (4) John H., who is a grad- 
uate of the German Wollace, of Berea, 
Ohio, is now minister at McKeesport, 
Penn. (5) Henry C. , is an expert uphols- 
terer in Toledo, Ohio. (6j Frank E. is a 
printer, at the present time in Cairo, 111., 
where he has an interest in the Cairo 
Daily People. (7) Caroline is one of El- 
more's noted dressmakers. (8) Daniel 
Webster H., who is in his "teens" yet, 
is still at home on the farm with his 
father; during spare time he devotes him- 
self at his desk writing; he is correspond- 
ent for the Cleveland Press, which work 
he likes and takes much interest in, and 
some day expects, when old enough, to 
follow; he is a bright and energetic joung 
man, standing high in society; he is a 
member of the Elmore Band, in which 
he plays cornet; he and his little sister 
Emma, who is but sixteen years old, 
and a graduate of the Elmore High school, 
play cornet solos. (9) Emma is a re- 
markable musician, being especially a 
very fine piano player. 



HENRY DIERKER. Among the 
worthy citizens that Germany has 
furnished to Ohio, to become 
prominent in her agricultural in- 
terests, is the gentleman whose name 
opens this review, and who was born in 



Hanover, Germany, on the 8th of July, 
1851. 

The father of our subject died during 
the early childhood of the latter, after 
which the mother, whose maiden name 
was Gertrude Buck, came to America. 
In the family were eleven children, six of 
whom are now living. Mrs. Dierker 
spent her remaining days in Ohio, and her 
death occurred in Wood county, March 
24, 1879. Henry Dierker remained in 
his native land until nine years of age, and 
then came with his mother to America. 
His first home in this country was in San- 
dusky county, Ohio, and in 1863 he re- 
moved to Wood county, where he spent 
the succeeding ten years of his life, com- 
ing to Ottawa county in 1S73, at which 
time he located in Section 6, Harris town- 
ship, where he has since made his home. 
Mr. Dierker here cleared a farm, fenced 
and tiled it, and has made all the improve- 
ments that are found upon a model farm 
of the 19th century. The land is highly 
cultivated, and the neat and thrifty ap- 
pearance of the place indicates the care- 
ful supervision and systematic manage- 
ment of the owner. He is also success- 
fully engaged in stock raising, making a 
specialty of cattle and hogs. 

On April 6, 1873, Mr. Dierker mar- 
ried Miss Mary Zilch, of Lorain county, 
Ohio, where she was born January 28, 
1854. In i860 her parents came to Har- 
ris township, Ottawa county, and here she 
was educated. Her father was born in 
Hessen, Germany, February 18, 1809, 
and came to America in 1851, his death 
occurring in Harris township, Ottawa 
county, in 1892. Her mother, who bore 
the maiden name of Gertrude Schuch, 
was born in Hessen, Germany, October 
27, 1 8 16, and their marriage was cele- 
brated in that country in 1838. By their 
union was born a family of eight children, 
only two of whom are now living — Mrs. 
Dierker and Mrs. Konetzka. 

Our subject and his wife are the par- 
ents of nine children, namely: Henry, 



646 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



born January 21, 1874, died February 8, 
1874; Anna, born February 8, 1875, died 
March 2, 1875; Emma, born August 17, 
1876, died August 10, 1888; Eliza, born 
July 15, 1878; Mary, born December 9, 
1880; Louisa, born July 4, 1883; Ger- 
trude, born December 30, 1887; Freder- 
ick, born December 5, 1890; and Clara, 
born January 24, 1893. The family is 
widely known in Ottawa county, and Mr. 
and Mrs. Dierker have the warm regard 
of many friends. 



GEORGE E. POST. This promi- 
nent and enterprising gentleman, 
who is extensively engaged in the 
manufacture of lumber, at Mar- 
tin, Clay township, Ottawa county, was 
born in Tvvinsburgh, Summit county, 
Ohio, March 28, 1844, and was one of 
seven children composing the family of 
Eben and Maria (Davis) Post, the former 
of whom was a native of Ohio, the latter 
of Connecticut. 

Zina Post, paternal grandfather of our 
subject, was born about the j'ear 1775, 
and was a pioneer of Hudson, Summit 
county, Ohio, where he was engaged in 
farming. His wife, Rena Post, was about 
ten years younger than he, and survived 
him several years. They had a family of 
eight children of whom are living the fol- 
lowing: Aurelia, married to Augustus 
Foote, for many years connected with the 
Second National Bank of Cleveland, Ohio; 
Alvira, married to Chauncy Fowler, a 
carriage trimmer at Hudson, Ohio; Ann, 
married to Horace Chamberlin, a farmer, 
also living at Northfield; Cynthia, wife of 
Nelson Wate, a miner in California; Brad- 
ford, who for several years was a farmer, 
and is now a retired merchant. William, 
one of the sons, lived on the old home- 
stead, taking care of his parents to the 
close of their lives. He bought up all 
the shares in the property, and when he 
died, about nine years ago, he was worth 
some $30,cx)0. His death was caused by 



blood poison, the result of a wound he 
received in one of his fingers, a common 
table-fork having struck it. 

Eben Post, the father of our subject, 
was born in 18 16, in Ohio, and was a 
farmer in Twinsburgh township. Summit 
county. He died in Hudson June 5, 
1887, aged seventy-one years; his wife, 
who survives him, is living on the old 
homestead at Hudson. They were the 
parents of seven children, as follows: 
Lewis A., born June 20, 1842, at Twins- 
burgh, Summit Co., Ohio, is now in the 
cheese business in Andrew county, ^fo. 
(he married Miss Mary Pease, and they 
have had three children, of whom two 
survive); George E. is our subject; Will- 
iam, of Hudson, Ohio, married Cora 
Morse, of the same place; Aurelia was 
also born and educated in Hudson, and 
married Lyman Laudenslager, a liveryman 
of that place; the remaining children were 
Clark, Zina and May, the latter of whom 
died at the age of seventeen, in Hudson. 
When a young man, Eben Post bought 
an eighty-acre lot in Twinsburgh town- 
ship. Summit county, a portion of which 
he cleared, and getting it well cultivated, 
and converted into pasture land, he com- 
menced keeping a dairy, and making 
cheese. Prospering in this, he bought 
two more forty-acre lots, and in the spring 
would go west to purchase cows for dairy 
purposes, and then sell to the farmers, in 
which line he continued year after year. 
Later in the season he would buy cattle 
for the Standard Packing House Co., at 
Cleveland. He then bought a farm, near 
Hudson, of 125 acres, to which he moved, 
and afterward he would buy cows bv the 
car-load, in Illinois, Indiana, W'isconsin 
and Missouri, shipping them by rail in- 
stead of driving them by road. 

Georg E. Post, the subject proper of 
these lines, remained at the place of his 
birth until he was seventeen years old, 
receiving all his education at the schools 
of the neighborhood, with the exception 
of two or three terms attendance at the 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



647 



schools of Hudson, Summit county, 
whither the family had removed in i860, 
when our subject was sixteen years old. 
His first work was as a farmer boy upon 
his father's farm, and in 1866, when 
twenty-two jears old he went south with 
his uncle, Bradford Post, traveling 
through Kentucky, Tennessee and Geor- 
gia, the uncle buying a farm east of 
Chattanooga. Our subject remained with 
him all winter, selling a few lots of cheese 
in Atlanta, Ga., then in the spring re- 
turned home, remaining there until he 
came to Clay township, and took up 
work in a lumber mill at Martin, which 
was then owned and operated by H. W. 
Salisbury. He worked in this mill for 
a year, learning all branches of the busi- 
ness, and the following year bought a 
half interest therein, the name and style 
of the new firm being Salisbury & Post. 
Being a man of good executive ability 
and progressive ideas, Mr. Post soon suc- 
ceeded in acquiring control of the busi- 
ness, bought out the interest of his part- 
ner, and for fourteen years has operated 
it in his own name, building up an ex- 
tensive trade and giving employment to a 
large number of men. By his strictly 
honest and enterprising business methods 
he has made of it a financial success, 
and to-day is the only lumber manufac- 
turer in Martin, which heretofore has 
continued several similar industries. Not 
contented with his work at ^fartin, Mr. 
Post has pushed his enterprises as far as 
Cleveland, where he has purchased a 
building lot in the southern portion of 
that ^city, on which he is erecting, at a 
cost of upwards of $3,000, a fine busi- 
ness block, 20 X65 feet, which will be an 
ornament to the city, and no doubt, will 
prove a good investment. The building 
and lot are valued at $5,000. 

Mr. Post was married, at Kent, Ohio, 
November 11, 1865, to Miss Frances 
Brewster, who was born in 1844, daugh- 
ter of John Brewster, a prominent farm- 
er, of Stow township, Summit county, 

41 



and one child has come to this union, 
Clarence, born July 2, 1875, at Martin. 
He received his education in the public 
schools of Martin, Ohio, also attending 
for one term the high school at Hudson; 
he is now in Hudson, Ohio, with his 
uncle, in the livery business. Mrs. Post, 
who was a devoted wife and mother, and 
a woman of most estimable character, 
passed away March 26, 1891, having 
fallen a victim to that dread complaint, 
Bright's disease, and her remains were 
deposited in the cemetery at Hudson, 
Ohio. Her memory will long be cher- 
ished by her bereaved husband and son, 
and the hosts of friends who have enjoyed 
her hospitality and friendship. 

Mr. Post is a man of genial disposi- 
tion, a pleasant conversationalist, very 
popular with and highly esteemed by his 
fellow citizens. He is a Republican in 
political views, and votes from principle, 
being in no sense an office seeker, and is 
interested in whatever tends to the de- 
velopment or progress of the commun- 
ity in which he lives. 



JOHN L. WHEELER, a well-known 
highly-respected resident of Oak 
Harbor, is a native of Ottawa coun- 
ty, Ohio, born in Salem township 
August 22, 1857, a son of Charles and 
Mary (Fought) Wheeler. 

The father of our subject, a retired 
agriculturist of Salem township, first saw 
the light near Bridgeport, Conn. , April 27, 
1827, being a son of John and Mary 
(Wheeler) Wheeler, both natives of Con- 
necticut and very early settlers of Ottawa 
county, they having located near Elmore 
in 1833, and they were highly-respected 
residents of that township up to the time 
of their decease. Mr. Wheeler's educa- 
tional advantages were confined to those 
afforded by the old logschoolhouse of half 
a century ago, his early life being spent 
in acquiring a thorough knowledge of the 
many duties in connection with the farm. 



648 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



When a lad six years of age he came with 
his parents to Ottawa county, and has 
been a continuous resident thereof for 
nearly fifty years, honored and respected 
by the entire community as a man of 
sound character and many other excellent 
qualities. 

Mr. Wheeler was married in Hessville, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, July 13, 1847, the 
lady of his choice being a Miss Mary 
Fought, daughter of George and Mary 
Fought, early settlers of Sandusk\- county. 
To this union were born seven children, 
as follows: Samuel, Levi, John L. , Al- 
bert, Laura E. (wife of George Fry), Mary 
Melissa (wife of George Gordon) and 
Harve\'. The mother passed to the home 
beyond November 16, 1888. In 1864 
Mr. Wheeler enlisted in Company I, 
Fifty-fifth O. \'. I., and served until the 
close of the war, being mustered out near 
Cincinnati in June, 1865, shortly after- 
ward returning to his home in Salem town- 
ship. Our subject is one of the few old 
pioneer settlers who have lived to see 
what was at one time a vast, unbroken 
wilderness transformed into thriving towns 
and prosperous villages. In his political 
preferences Mr. Wheeler is a stanch sup- 
porter of the Republican party. 

John L. Wheeler, the gentleman 
whose name introduces this sketch, re- 
ceived his preliminary education in the 
public schools of his native township, on 
leaving school served an apprenticeship 
term to the trade of a plasterer, which vo- 
cation he has followed throughout his en- 
tire life, and his reputation as a workman 
and as a citizen who has ever been found 
willing to do all in his power to advance 
any cause which has had for its culmina- 
tion the welfare of his town and county, 
is a most enviable one indeed. He was 
united in marriage, August 22, 1892, with 
Mrs. Angeline Alice (Young) Smith, widow 
of Duncan Smith, whose death occurred 
November 16, 1883, and a daughter of 
George Young, of Carroll township, Ot- 
tawa county. This union has not been 



blessed by the birth of any children. Mrs. 
Wheeler had three children by her former 
marriage, viz.: George D., a prominent 
photographer of Oak Harbor, born Octo- 
ber 16, 1874; Alice M., born October 18, 
1876, and Emma Jane, born January i, 
1 88 1. The family enjoy the respect and 
esteem of a large circle of friends. Mrs. 
Wheeler has conducted a millinery bazaar 
and fancy-goods business ever since her 
first husband was drowned, some seven 
years ago; in fact she raised her family in 
business, and is one of Oak Harbor's 
brightest and most industrious women. 

George Young, an enterprising agri- 
culturist, trapper and lumber manufac- 
turer, of Carroll township, father of Mrs. 
J. L. Wheeler, is a native of Center town- 
ship, Berks Co., Penn., born November 
30, 1 82-, a son of John and Susannah 
(Keen) Young, natives of Pennsylvania, 
of German ancestry. When a lad six 
years of age Mr. Young came with his 
parents to Stark county, Ohio, where he 
received his primary education. When 
twenty years of age he left the parental 
abode and went to Harrison county, Ohio, 
where he found employment at his trade, 
that of a carpenter, remaining there about 
six years. He then moved to Sandusky, 
Erie county, where he remained until 
1850, being employed in the car shops. 
In 185 1 he embarked in the fishing in- 
dustry at Port Clinton, Ottawa county, 
and has since been a continuous resident 
of that county, for the past twenty-five 
years extensively engaged in the manu- 
facture of lumber and also in the building 
of bridges. He was united in marriage 
April 28, 1846, with Miss Maria Jane 
Zouvers, daughter of Solomon and Susan- 
nah E. fHoy) Zouvers, born October 2, 
1828. To this union have been born 
nine children, their names and dates of 
birth being as follows: John, May 15, 
1847; Angeline Alice, January 6, 1850, 
now the wife of John L. Wheeler, of Oak 
Harbor; Susanna E., March 26, 1852, 
wife of George Reid, of Oak Harbor; 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



G49 



Marj' Jane, May 15, 1854, wife of Mor- 
gan Sharpe; Catherine E., September 3, 
1856, wife of Louis Daly, of Havana, 
Huron county; Emma P., October 20, 
1858, wife of Martin Smith, of Toledo; 
Marian A., March 18, 1861, wife of H. 
C. Mylander, of Oak Harbor; George D., 
April 26. 1863; Robert Eugene, October 
6, 1865. Mr. Young has been a member 
of the board of directors of the Oak Har- 
bor Infirmary for the past six years. 



LYSAXDER CURTIS BALL. The 
subject of this sketch was born in 
Rockingham county, Vt., March 
26, 1795. His father, Eusebius 
Ball, a native of Massachusetts, served in 
the war of 1812, and died in the State of 
New York at about the age of si.xty years. 
When eighteen years old, Lysander C. 
Ball went to Trenton Falls, N. Y., where 
he learned the trade of blacksmithing. 
At twenty-three, he moved to Boston, 
Mass., and soon after started westward 
for Detroit, on foot, arriving at Lower 
Sandusky, Ohio, in April, 18 18. He saw 
but one house on the present site of 
Cleveland when he came through there, 
and on reaching the Sandusky river there 
was no way of crossing it but in little In- 
/dian bark canoes. At Fremont there 
were but three or four log cabins, and 
very little enterprise, yet he found em- 
ployment with Thomas L. Hawkins, who 
owned a good pair of o.xen, and Mr. Ball, 
being very skillful in the management of 
them, helped to build the first dam across 
the Sandusky river, his compensation 
for one month's labor being a pair of 
shoes. 

The roads westward through the old 
"Black Swamp," as it was then called, 
being perfectly impassable at the time, 
Mr. Ball was persuaded to establish him- 
self in business at Fremont, and like 
many others with small means took 
" Hobson's choice. " He placed his little 



blacksmith shop on ground now occupied 
by State street, between the Croghan 
House Block and Buckland's corner. 

Mr. Ball was married, Februarj- 23, 
1823, to Miss Eveline Patterson, daugh- 
ter of Reuben and Eunice TDanforth) 
Patterson, and took up his residence in a 
log cabin adjoining the back part of what 
is now "Croghan House" lot. In this 
cabin two children were bom to them, 
the first dying in infancy. He afterward 
built and for many years occupied a resi- 
dence and shop on Front street, north of 
the \Vheeling depot, which property was 
in later years purchased by the Wheeling 
& Lake Erie Railroad Company. In 
1853 he moved thence to a farm north of 
the city, but adjoining the corporation, 
where he continued to reside until his 
death, which occurred March 21, 1877, 
when he was at the age of eighty-two 
years. His residence was on high ground 
overlooking a bend in the river from 
which the scenery is delightful. Being a 
lover of the beauties of natural scenery, 
he employed his sound, well-balanced 
mind and his industrious hands in work- 
ing a magical change in his home sur- 
roundings. 

In the life and character of Mr. Ball, 
the virtues of industry, temperance, 
frugality, truth and integrity, order and 
peace, were conspicuously displayed. A 
model husband and father, a good and 
generous neighbor, carried away by no 
excitement, misled by no shams or false 
appearances, loving his home and family 
so that except on duty he was seldom 
away from it, he led that peaceful and 
complete life which entitles him to a last- 
ing and honored remembrance. 

Mrs. Eveline Ball was born February 
15, 1800, in Onondaga county, N. Y. At 
the age of sixteen she came with her par- 
ents, in large moving wagons, to Ohio, 
and in 181 8 they located at Lower San- 
dusky, and spent the first winter in one 
of the block houses of Fort Stephenson. 
Mrs. Ball rthen Eveline Patterson} taught 



650 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



a small school in one of the block houses, 
and one of her best and most capable 
pupils was an Indian boy. Mrs. Ball was a 
most excellent and highly-respected lady, 
who, with her husband, embarked in mar- 
ried life and bravely met their many trials 
with womanly fortitude, until separated 
by death. She passed away December 
25, 1883. Their children were — (i) Eve- 
line and (2j Alvira, the eldest of the family, 
both unmarried, who reside on a part of 
the old homestead, where they wish to 
remain during their natural life. (3) 
Thaddeus Ball, born November 9, 1830, 
who was reared and educated in the best 
schools and society the country afforded 
in pioneer days. In i860 he married 
Sarah E. Kelley, formerly of Fostoria. 
His occupation was farming and fruit 
growing, in which he took much pleasure, 
until he became broken down in health. 
He died November 2, 1886. Their chil- 
dren were — Katie E. Ball, Thomas L. , 
Frank I., Emma A., and Hattie, all of 
whom now reside in Oregon. (4) Oscar 
Ball, born April 4, 1833, rose from the 
humble occupations of farm life to posi- 
tions of honor and trust in his community. 
In 1862 he became auditor of Sandusky 
county, and held the office until the fall 
of 1865, when he was appointed to fill an 
unexpired term as treasurer. He is now 
postmaster in McMurray. State of Wash- 
ington. On October 11, 1858, he mar- 
ried Miss Ella Amsden, of Fremont, and 
their children are — Edward A., Jennie E., 
Sarah D., and John R., all living at home. 
(5) Sarah Uanforth Ball, born June 23, 
1 836, was for a number of years a teacher in 
the country and in the city schools. She 
married. October 26, 1859, Stephen M. 
Emerson, attorney at law, Ballville town- 
ship, who died in Kansas, August 12, 
1863. Mrs. Emerson passed away in 
Fremont, April 7, 1886. They had a 
son who died in infancy, and a daughter, 
Jessie Eunice Emerson, whose home is at 
Green Spring Sanitarium, Ohio. (6) Ly- 
sander Curtis Ball, Jr., was born in Lower 



Sandusky, December 3, 1839. He lived 
on the farm with his father and family 
until the fall of 1862, when he spent some 
time in Kentucky, having, in company 
with many other citizens of Fremont, re- 
sponded to the call for troops to defend 
his native State from invasion. On Oc- 
tober 20. 1863, he enlisted in the navy of 
the United States, as master's mate, to 
perform duty in the Mississippi squadron. 
He was in several engagements along the 
Mississippi river and on the Yazoo, and 
in the one which occurred April 22, 1864, 
our vessel, the "Petrel," was captured 
and destroyed by the Confederates. Mr. 
Ball was then ordered to the ram "Vindi- 
cator " for duty, where he served until 
March 16, 1865, when he was promoted 
to acting ensign, and sent to the U. S. 
steamer "Juliet" for duty, where he re- 
mained until the close of hostilities. He 
reached home July 12, 1865, and was 
honorably discharged November i, 1865. 
In the same year he married Miss Hannah 
Morrison, and is now living on a farm in 
North Dakota. Their children were — 
Eva, Charles, Alma and Ball. In 1893, 
the eldest, a most lovable daughter, was 
taken from them by death. A son and a 
daughter are now clerking in a dry-goods 
store in Jamestown, North Dakota. 



REUBEN PATTERSON. The early 
settlement of Sandusky township, 
Sandusky county, was not so rapid 
as that of the eastern part of the 
county, because the land was more low 
and wet, the timber more dense, and the 
air more full of malaria, which caused 
fever and ague. Such was the condition 
of the country when Reuben Patterson 
and his wife, Eunice (Danforth) Patterson, 
and family, in the fall of 18 16, came in 
wagons from the State of New York to 
the wilds of Ohio. They located first at 
Huron, in Erie county, which was then 
the stopping place of many western immi- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



651 



grants. The following spring they re- 
moved to the Peninsula, in Ottawa county, 
but here sickness so afflicted them that 
their new home with improvements had 
to be abandoned. In the spring of 1818 
the}' moved to Lower Sandusky, and 
found temporary shelter in a small log 
house in the old fort, which had been 
used during the war of 18 12-13 by U. S. 
military officers. Comforts and conven- 
iences were out of the question, and the 
floor of the house was made of clay. 
There was but one bedstead, in a corner, 
and during the day all the clothing was 
piled upon it. At night the beds for eight 
persons were made mostly on the bare 
ground. One gate of the fort served as a 
part of the floor. Mr. Patterson and his 
sons during the winter cleared a piece of 
land on the west side of the river, and in 
the spring of 18 19 the family moved into 
the log cabin they had constructed on 
this place, which is known as the Whit- 
taker Reserve, in Sandusky township. In 
the meantime his eldest daughter, Eve- 
line, taught school in one of the block 
houses of the fort, having some Indian as 
well as white children under her care. 

About the year 1821-22 Mrs. Eunice 
Patterson, being well provided with pur- 
chase mone)', mounted her horse and, in 
company with Lysander C. Ball and 
James Whittaker, traveled through the 
wilderness, one hundred miles, to attend 
the government sales of public lands at 
Delaware, Ohio. She there bought the 
tract which became their homestead, and 
it has for many years been known as the 
Patterson Farm, on the east side of the 
Sandusky river, just north of Fremont. 
The incidents of this heioic trip were 
often related by her to her grandchildren. 
She was remarkably determined and cour- 
ageous in business matters, but kind and 
generous to a fault in her home. 

The children of Reuben and Eunice 
Patterson were: (i) Sear Patterson, who 
retained his residence in the State of New 
York. (2) Alvord Patterson, who married 



Miss Julia Webb, in New York State, and 
subsequently came to Lower Sandusky, 
where he died; their children were — Eve- 
line Patterson, who married John Shan- 
non, and died at Fremont in 1893; Will- 
iam Patterson, now married and living in 
South Dakota; Fanny Patterson, who 
married, lived and died in Iowa; Cordelia 
Patterson, who died in childhood at Lower 
Sandusky. (3) Eveline Patterson, mar- 
ried to Lysander C. Ball, whose sketch 
appears above. (4) Danforth Patterson, 
who married Miss Sarah Perry, and for a 
number of years lived on the Patterson 
farm, where each passed away, leaving 
no children. (5) Harriet Patterson, mar- 
ried to James Moore, whose sketch is 
given elsewhere. (6) Julius Patterson, 
married to Miss Margaret Leary, by 
whom he had eight sons and two daugh- 
ters^ — Robert C, Danforth, Rodolphus 
D., Sardis B., John P., Rawson, Oscar, 
Charles M., Sarah and Juliette. Julius 
Patterson was for many years a successful 
farmer, also a contractor on public works. 
He led an honest and temperate life. He 
was born May 17, 1S08, and died at his 
residence in Fremont May 23, 1887. (7) 
Caroline Patterson died at the age of 
twelve years from the effects of a fall on 
the ice in the river, which she crossed in 
attending school. The death of Reuben 
Patterson occurred June i, 1840, at 
Lower Sandusky, and that of his wife, 
Eunice Patterson, December 17, 1839, 
the latter at the age of sixty-five years. 

Mrs. Eunice Patterson was a daughter 
of Gen. Asa Danforth, who was born 
July 6, 1746, at W'orcester, Mass.; he 
entered military life at fourteen years of 
age, served in the war of the Revolution, 
was at the battle of Lexington, and dis- 
tinguished himself by many brave and 
patriotic achievements. He was one of 
the first to begin the manufacture of salt 
at Onondaga, N. Y. He died September 
2. 18 1 8, at the age of seventy-three. The 
stories of his eventful life are stranger 
than fiction. 



652 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



JOHN W. WORST. Prominent among 
Sandusky county boys, who, by 
their own exertions under difficulties, 
worked their way up from the com- 
parative obscurity of Hfe on a farm to 
that of holding responsible offices at the 
county seat for several successive terms, 
and retired from the same with a clean 
record and the good will of their fellow 
citizens, is the subject of this sketch. 

John W. Worst, attorney at law, of 
the firm of Meek, Dudrow & Worst, Fre- 
mont, Ohio, was born in Ballville town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohio, September 3, 
1847, a son of Jacob and Hannah (Parks) 
Worst. Jacob Worst was a native of the 
Keystone State, and when a young man 
in pioneer days, came to Lower San- 
dusky. He grew up on a farm and 
learned the trade of shoemaker, at which 
he worked for some time in Lower San- 
dusky. In 1845-46 he served as a sol- 
dier of the Mexican war, under Gen. 
Zachary Tajlor. He located on a farm 
in Ballville township. In November, 
1861, he enlisted in Company B, Seventy- 
second Regiment, O. V. I., for three 
years or during the war, and served un- 
der Gen. U. S. Grant, in the Western 
Department. He was killed at the battle 
of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, on Sun- 
day morning April 6, 1862. His widow 
is still living on the family homestead. 

Our subject was one of a family of 
nine children, and fifth in the order of 
birth. He was reared on a farm, ed- 
ucated in the public schools, and grad- 
uated from the Fremont High School 
with the class of 1872, having worked 
his way chiefiy by teaching country schools 
for twelve successive terms. He had also 
during this time read law as he had op- 
portunity. Having finished his course of 
study, he ne.\t served as superintendent 
of the schools at Green Spring, Seneca 
county, two years, and at Elmore, Ot- 
tawa county, eight years. From 1882 
to 1 88 5, Mr. Worst served as school ex- 
aminer of Sandusky county, and in the 



fall of 1887 was elected county clerk, 
which office he held six years. Unlike 
man\' other teachers, he did not confine 
his mind solely to school matters, but 
during these years became interested 
financially in the timber and lumber bus- 
iness in Paulding county, Ohio, where he 
has for a number of years been engaged 
in the manufacture of stave heading and 
lumber. He has, more recently, in con- 
nection with other parties, opened up an 
extensive lumber interest in Missouri. 
Having had a good opportunity, during 
his service as Clerk of Courts, to observe 
the practice of law, he continued to read 
on that subject, under the tuition of B. 
R. Dudrow, and was admitted to the bar 
at Columbus, Ohio, on December 6, 1894. 
Mr. Worst is a member of the Sons 
of Veterans, and of McPherson Post, No. 
367, I. O. O. F. and Encampment, and 
has passed all the chairs in each. In 
1872, he married Miss Calista S. Long, 
daughter of Rev. M. Long, an early 
pioneer of Sandusky county, and an 
United Brethren divine for more than 
fifty years, whose death occurred Novem- 
ber 18, 1 89 1. To our subject and wife 
were born three children: M. Le Clare, 
Cleo G. and Vonnieda Grey. 



BF. JACKSON, editor of the Clyde 
lintcrf^risc. Ch'de, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born June 17, 1861, in 
Chester county, Penn. After se- 
curing the rudiments of a good education 
in the common schools of the county, he 
learned the printer's art in Downingtown, 
Pennsylvania. 

In 1 88 1 he came to Clyde, and began 
the stud)- of law, teaching school during 
the winters in order to pay expenses. In 
1884 he bought a half-interest in the En- 
terprise, which was then in bad financial 
condition. A year later he became sole 
proprietor, and began a series of improve- 
ments and a systematic pushing of the 
business that soon placed the paper on a 



COMMSMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



658 



paying basis, so that it is now a most 
valuable property and an influential fam- 
ily journal. Meantime Mr. Jackson found 
time to pmsue his legal studies, and in 
1894 was admitted to the bar by the Su- 
preme Court of Ohio. He does not prac- 
tice law, however, but devotes all his en- 
ergies to his newspaper business. 

Mr. Jackson was married November 
20, 1884, to Miss Margaret Taylor, and 
they have two sons — Howard H., born 
December 7, 1885, and Arthur Taylor, 
born May 31, 1894. 



CASPER H. MEILANDER, one of 
the most progressive and prosper- 
ous farmers of Ottawa county, 
was born in Prussia, Germany, 
and is a son of William and Anna Louisa 
(Speakamon) Meilander, both of whom 
were also natives of Prussia. In Novem- 
ber, 1854, they emigrated with theirfam- 
ily to America, locating in Pemberville, 
Wood Co., Ohio, where the mother passed 
away in September, 1S55. The father 
afterward removed to Salem township, 
Ottawa county, where he resided until 
his death, which occurred January 16, 
1887. In the family were seven children, 
five of whom are living at the time of this 
writing (summer of 1895), namely: Henry, 
residing in Bedford, Cuyahoga county, 
Ohio; Casper H., the subject of this 
sketch; Mary, wife of Martin Seberlin, a 
resident of Cleveland; Louisa, wife of Dr. 
L. Schimansky, a ph3sician of Oak Har- 
bor; and Ann, wife of Frederick Hage- 
myer, whose home is in Pemberville, 
Ohio. 

The subject proper of this record ob- 
tained his education and was reared to 
manhood in the land of his birth, and in 
April, 1854, left his home in Germany for 
the United States. His first location was 
in Cleveland, Ohio, but after a few 
months he removed to Pemberville, Wood 
county, where he made his home for a 
year, and then, returning to Cleveland, 



was a resident of that city until 1861. 
On April 16 he located in Salem town- 
ship, Ottawa county, where for the past 
thirty-four years he has been one of the 
most honored and respected citizens. He 
devotes his time and energies to agricul- 
tural pursuits, and his good management 
and business ability have brought to him 
success. 

Mr. Meilander was married in Cleve- 
land, April 16, 1861, to Flora Brinkmyer, 
who was born in Prussia, Germany, Sep- 
tember 4, 1836, daughter of Herman and 
Margaret (Grotthouse) Brinkmyer, and 
their family numbered seven children: 
William, born in January, 1862, died 
June 3, 1S76; Henry Otto, born February 
27, 1864, is doing business in Oak Har- 
bor as one of the firm of Meilander & 
Williamson, blacksmiths and wagon mak- 
ers; Louis F. , born January 20, 1866, 
aids in the operation of the home farm; 
Clara, born May 7, 1868; Mary, born 
January 31, 1 87 1 , is the wife of John Han- 
son, a resident of Clay Center, Ohio; 
Flora, born February 27, 1873, is the 
wife of Henry Longanbach, and they re- 
side near Fremont, Sandusky Co., Ohio; 
and Louisa, born September 12, 1875, 
is the wife of George Glaser, of Carroll 
township, Ottawa county. 

Mr. Meilander has served as township 
trustee for three years, and was treasurer 
for twenty years. What higher testi- 
monial could be given of his faithful serv- 
ice than his long continuance in office .'' 
His public and private life arealike above 
reproach, and his example is well worthy 
of emulation. In political views he is a 
Democrat, and the family attend the Lu- 
theran Church. 



GABRIEL DUBRIE. a prominent 
and progressive farmer of Carroll 
township, Ottawa county, was 
born in Lucas county, Ohio, Sep- 
tember 4, 1846, and is a son of Gabriel 



654 



COMMEMORATIYE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and Cleophe (Page) Dubrie, the former 
of French ancestry, the latter of German. 

Our subject's mother died when he 
was but two years old, and he was only 
four when his father also departed this 
life, after which he was adopted by Jan- 
uary Valiquette, of Carroll township, by 
whom he was reared to manhood. In 
the district schools of the neij^hborhood 
he acquired his education, and at a very 
early age began to assist in the labors of 
the fields. With the Valiquette family 
he remained until he had reached the age 
of seventeen years, and on February 26, 
1864, he enlisted in Company I, Forty- 
first O. V. I. For two years he remained 
in the service of his country, during 
which time he participated in numerous 
important engagements. At the close of 
the war he was mustered out and dis- 
charged at Columbus, Ohio, in 1865, and 
returned to Carroll township, where he 
has since made his home. 

On November 15, 1870, in Fremont, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, Mr. Dubrie was 
united in marriage with Mary Jane Sono- 
crant, who was born in Lucas county, 
Ohio, August 20, 1 849, a daughter of 
John and Matilda Sonocrant. Mr. and 
Mrs. Dubrie have three children: Gabri- 
ella J., born August 16, 187 1, now the 
wife of Daniel O'Hearn, of Sandusky 
City, Erie county; and Lester J., born 
June 4, 1876, and Stanley R., born Octo- 
ber 2, 1877, still at home. At the time 
of his parents' death, Mr. Dubrie had a 
baby sister, but since then he has heard 
nothing of her. 

Both our subject and his worthy wife 
were reared in the faith of the Roman 
Catholic Church, and in his political 
views Mr. Dubrie is a stanch I^epublican, 
always advocating the men and measures 
of that party. He may truly be said to be 
a representative self-made man, being 
left an orphan almost in infancy, he has 
from a small beginning, by dint of inde- 
fatigable energy, coupled with sound judg- 
ment and good management, attained a 



comfortable competence. He is now the 
possessor of a fine farm, well equipped with 
commodious buildings, and is a thorough- 
ly practical as well as theoretical agricul- 
turist, one who has proven himself as 
capable as he is popular. 



DAVID GILLARD. M. D. This 
well-known physician and surgeon 
of Port Clinton, Ottawa county, 
was born at Venice, Erie Co. , 
Ohio, July 30, 1852, and is the son of John 
and Margaret (Hynes) Gillard. His mother 
died when he was thirteen years old, after 
which he went to live with his brother. 
Dr. Edwin Gillard. He attended the 
public schools in Sandusky for one year 
(1866), and then entered Oberlin College. 
After leaving college he took a course of 
reading in medicine with his brother, 
which he supplemented with a course in 
Hahnemann Medical College at Cleve- 
land. 

Dr. Gillard began the practice of 
medicine in Port Clinton on March 6, 
1878, which he has carried on very suc- 
cessfully ever since. He is widely and 
favorably known throughout this section 
of the country, and has gained the con- 
fidence of the people, both by his un- 
doubted skill in all branches of his pro- 
fession and by his integrity of character. 
He has a very extensive and constantly 
increasing practice, often more than he 
can attend to, and, while being a general 
practitioner, he has made a specialty of 
surgery, in which also he has been re- 
markably successful. He has held the 
position of surgeon for the L. S. &. M. S. 
Railway Company since 1S90, and is 
major surgeon of the Fourth Ohio Regi- 
ment, Patriarchs Militant. He is also a 
member of the encampment and canton 
of the I. O. O. F. ; of the Maccabees and 
of the Knights of Honor. He was brought 
up in the faith of the Episcopal Church, 
but is not exclusive in his views on relig- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



655 



ious subjects. In politics he is a Re- 
publican. 

Mrs. Clara H. Gillard, M. D., wife of 
Dr. David Gillard, was born April 4, 
1862. in Bay township, and is a daughter 
of Edward and Mary (Lattimore) Hyde. 
Her father is a retired farmer, living, with 
his wife, at Port Clinton, Ottawa county. 
Their children are: John, Elizabeth, 
Alice, Olive and Clara. John married 
Lucy Park, and is a farmer in Bay town- 
ship, Ottawa county (they have six chil- 
dren); Elizabeth is the wife of Roswell 
Robinson, and lives in Port Clinton; Alice 
married David McRitchie, who is in the 
meat business at Port Clinton, and has one 
child; Olive is the wife of Charles Freer, a 
fish dealer, and lives in Port Clinton. 

Mrs. Gillard grew to womanhood in 
Port Clinton, Ottawa county, attended 
the public schools in that place until 
1S79, and taught school one year in Bay 
township. After her marriage to Dr. Gil- 
lard, November 22, 1881, she became in- 
terested in the study of medicine, and, 
after completing a course of reading with 
her husband, went to Chicago, where she 
became a student in the Hahnemann 
Medical Cellege, from which she grad- 
uated in 1889. Returning to Port Clin- 
ton, she opened an office in connection 
with her husband, and has been practic- 
ing ever since. She has a large clientele, 
and is very popular with all classes. She 
is an enthusiast in the Hahnemann meth- 
ods of treatment, and has been unusually 
successful therein. Mrs. Gillard is a lady 
of culture and refinement, always inter- 
ested in whatever tends to the advance- 
ment of her se.x and the general good of 
the (Hiblic. She takes an active part in 
the studies of the Chautauqua Circle, of 
Port Clinton, from which she was grad- 
uated at Lakeside, August 21, 1895, and 
is a valuable member of that organization. 
She served one year as president of the 
Ladies' Literary and Social Club, and 
this year is corresponding secretary of the 
same. 



A sketch of the parental family of Dr. 
Gillard may not be out of place in the 
biographical record, and is herewith given. 
John Gillard, the father of our subject, 
was born October 30, 18 14, at London- 
derry, Ireland, and was of Scotch and 
Irish descent. His father, whose name was 
Richard, was a native of County Donegal, 
Ireland. His people went from Scotland 
to Ireland, and were linen dealers. He 
learned the trade of a flax dresser, and 
subsequentlj' owned mills of his own and 
prepared flax for the market. He also 
carried on the business of a commission 
merchant, dealing in yarn in the city of 
Londonderry, Ireland. He afterward 
went to Scotland, settling in the vicinity of 
Glasgow, near the same mill to which he 
had formerly shipped yarn. He lived to 
an advanced age. Nothing further is 
known of this branch of the family as 
the father of Dr. Gillard came to this 
country before his parents removed to 
Scotland. The Gillard family were mem- 
bers of the Scotch Presbyterian Church, 
until some trouble arose between our sub- 
ject's father and the minister, after which 
he united with the Episcopal Church. 

John Gillard, the father of our sub- 
ject, grew to manhood about a mile and 
a half from Londonderry, Ireland. He 
attended a subscription school until four- 
teen or fifteen years of age, working 
meanwhile upon his father's farm, and 
learned the trade of wagon maker. Af- 
terward he went to Londonderry and 
entered the service of a gentleman, as 
coachman; he had the reputation of being 
the best coachman in the city, and re- 
ceived the munificent sum of four dollars 
a week and his board, which was consid- 
ered good wages in those days. In the 
employ of this man he remained for some 
four or five years, and then having deter- 
mined to try what the New World held in 
store for him, set sail on May i, 1833. for 
America. It was a comparatively seri- 
ous matter to make a voyage across the At- 
lantic in those days, as steam had not come 



CoG 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



into general use for traveling purposes and 
the sailing vessels were very slow. He 
was just two months making the voyage, 
which was rendered not only more tedious, 
but even dangerous, by the breaking out 
of typhus fever, from which fifteen pas- 
sengers died. They were quarantined for 
two weeks at Quebec, Canada, whore they 
landed. Mr. Gillard at first worked in a 
livery stable in Quebec, then went into 
the country two and a half miles from 
the city, entering the employ of a Mr. 
Hunt, with whom he remained four years. 
He was married to Miss Margaret Hynes, 
a daughter of John Hynes. She was born 
in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1821, and 
died December i, 1864, at Venice, Ohio. 
After his marriage Mr. Gillard, with his 
wife, went to Buffalo, N. Y. , where he 
worked for a short time in a quarry for 
the government, which was then building 
the Erie canal. Leaving Buffalo he came 
to Venice, Erie Co., Ohio, and for a 
while worked on a farm. He then be- 
gan hauling flour and carrying the mail 
between \'enice and Sandusky, which oc- 
cupation he followed some eleven years. 
At the expiration of that time he went 
into partnership with Mr. Haywood, for 
whom he had formerly worked, in the 
sheep business, at which they made a 
great success, owning at one time about 
five thousand sheep. This occupation he 
followed for five years, but the price of 
wool fell, under a Democratic adminis- 
tration, and he disposed of his sheep, 
selling them at a low price. He then 
bought a farm near Venice, and carried 
on farming until 1874. In the meantime, 
his wife having died, Mr. Gillard was mar- 
ried, the second time, September 18, 
1866, to Miss Ida Matt, who was born in 
Baden, Germany, March 30, 1846. By 
his first marriage he had seven children, 
as follows: William, who was born July 
3, 1840, enlisted in 1861 in the One 
Hundred and Twenty-third Ohio In- 
fantry, and was made corporal of his 
company (he was killed at the battle of 



Winchester, Va. , in June, 1863); James 
was born May 17, 1843; Edwin, June 20, 
1 845 ; Samuel. December 1 1 . 1 847 ; David, 
July 30, 1852; Louisa, January 28, 1859; 
and Martha, April 1 1, 1862. By his sec- 
ond marriage Mr. Gillard had six chil- 
dren: Mary W., born September 5, 1867, 
wife of Duglass Borden; John W., Sep- 
tember 28, 1870; Belle O., .August 8, 
1872; Stella A., January 16, 1876; R. H., 
January 9, 1879; and Ann L. , January 5, 
1 88 1. John Gillard was a Whig in the 
olden times, and remembers helping to 
build a log-cabin for a demonstration dur- 
ing the log-cabin and hard cider cam- 
paign, and also remembers shaking hands 
with President ^^'illiam Henry Harrison 
in Sandusky, Ohio. After the formation 
of the Republican party he joined its 
ranks, and has always been an ardent 
advocate of its principles. He hauled the 
first engine used on the old Mad River 
railway at Sandusky, when it was carried 
from the boat on the lake to the main 
train on the track. In addition to his 
other occupations Mr. Gillard for many 
years practiced as a veterinary surgeon, 
in which he was very successful. He is 
postmaster at Rocky Ridge, having served 
under Harrison's administration, and so 
far under that of Cleveland. .Mthough 
arrived at a good old age, Mr. Gillard is 
hale and hearty, with a clear head, has 
never used tobacco, and is strictly tem- 
perate. He once suffered an attack of 
Asiatic cholera, which was the worst ill- 
ness he ever had. He has the respect 
and esteem of the entire community, and 
in peace and prosperitj' is passing the 
closing days of a well-spent life. 



FREDRICK JORDAN. Among 
the progressive farmers of Salem 
township, Ottawa county, none 
are more deserving of representa- 
tion in this volume than the gentleman 
whose name begins this sketch. He is 
one of the worthy citizens that Germany 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



057 



has furnished to Ohio, his birth having 
occurred February lo, 1845, in Baden. 
His parents, Christopher and Barbara 
Katherine (Walterj Jordan, were also na- 
tives of the same country, and when 
their son Fredrick was a \'ear old came 
to America. 

Our subject obtained his education in 
the district schools of Erie county, Ohio, 
and since his youth has been engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. In 186 1 he accom- 
panied his jKirents on their removal to 
Ottawa county, the family locating in 
Salem township, where he has since 
made his home. To-day he ranks among 
the most popular and progressive farmers 
of his time, taking an active part in all 
matters tending to the advancement of 
the township and county. On April 27, 
1S70, in Salem township, Mr. Jordan was 
united in marriage with Miss Rachel 
Lapp, daughter of Henry and Doratha 
(Draves) Lapp, who were both natives of 
Mecklenburg, Germany, the former born 
August 18, 1824, and the latter August 
20, 1823. Mr. Lapp is still living, but 
his wife departed this life November 9, 
1893, in Oak Harbor. They emigrated 
to the United States in 1852, and located 
in Sandusky, Erie Co., Ohio, where the 
father engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
After a two-years' residence there they 
removed to Salem township, Ottawa 
county, locating about a mile south of 
Oak I-Iarbor, where they made their home 
until 1883, when Mr. Lapp abandoned 
farm life. He has since lived retired in Oak 
Harbor, and is one of the most highly- 
esteemed residents of that town. The 
family numbered four daughters, but only 
two are now living — Rachel, who was 
born in Mecklenburg, Germany, and is 
the wife of Fredrick Jordan; and Amanda, 
who was born April 21, 1S54, and is the 
wife of Frederick Beck, a resident of 
Salem township, Ottawa county. 

Mr. and Mrs. Jordan have an inter- 
esting family of seven children, all of 
whom are living, namely: Charles H., 



born April 26, 1872, who is now studying 
dentistry in Chicago; Julia A., born Sep- 
tember 10, 1874, who is now the wife of 
Carl W. Sperling, of Oak Harbor, their 
wedding having been celebrated Septem- 
ber 4, 1894; Fredrick P., born September 
23, 1876; Emma Magdelena, born Oc- 
tober 6, 1878; Albert F'ranklin, born Oc- 
tober 28. 1880; Odessa Regina, born 
November 21, 1882; and Paul Grover, 
born November 5, 1884. Mr. Jordan is 
a member of the Ivnights of the Macca- 
bees, and with his family attends the 
Lutheran Church. In his political views 
he is a Democrat, but has neither time 
nor inclination for public office. His life 
work has been that of a practical farmer, 
and he is one who has found pleasure in 
the performance of his duties and in lead- 
ing an upright, honest life. He holds to 
the theory that whatever is worth doing 
at all is worth doing well, and his aim has 
been to put this principle into effect. As 
a result success, not only in material 
things, but in the higher walks of life as 
well, has crowned his efforts. 

The Jordans have long been promin- 
ently connected with the history of Ottawa 
county, and this work would be incom- 
plete without further mention of the 
parents of our subject, Christopher and 
Barbara K. Jordan, both of whom were 
natives of Baden, Germany, the former 
born July 6, 1809. They emigrated to 
America in 1846, locating first in Craw- 
ford county, Ohio, where they resided one 
year, removing thence to Margaretta town- 
ship. Erie county, where they resided 
fourteen years. In 1861 they came to 
Ottawa county, locating on the farm which 
is now the home of their son Fredrick, 
and until 1870 Christopher Jordan was 
actively engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
He has since lived a retired life, making 
his home with his son Fredrick, who man- 
ages the farm. His is now in his eighty- 
sixth year and is the oldest living resident 
of the township, if not of Ottawa county. 
He has retained his mental and physical 



658 



COyrMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



vigor to a remarkable degree, but during 
the past few months has been suffering 
from cancer of the throat. 

Mr. and Mrs. Jordan had a family of 
seven children — Jacob, who was born 
April 3, 1843, and is living in Astoria, 
Oregon; Fredrick, mentioned above; 
Christopher, who died in infancy; Kath- 
erine, wife of Albert Bichalmyer, of Cleve- 
land, Ohio; Magdelene, who was born 
December 18, 1848, became the wife of 
Frank Stang, and died in Denver, Colo. ; 
Caroline, born May 3, 1852, died July 6, 
1894; and Peter, born April 5, 1859. who 
is now living in Astoria, Oregon. The 
father of this family served as trustee of 
the township for one term, but was never 
a politician in the sense of office-seeking. 
For thirty-five years be has been a con- 
stant resident of Salem township, and 
those who know him best know how much 
his strong arm and tireless industry have 
done, toward the removal of the primitive 
forest and the development of the ma- 
terial prosperity of this section of the 
county. But never in his devotion to 
material things has he forgotten the higher 
duties of life, for whatever tends to pro- 
mote moral or intellectual culture and 
social reform has found in him a read}' 
helper. He is always to be found on the 
side of whatever is true and honest, what- 
ever is just and pure. He is one to whom 
the hand of deserving charity never ap- 
pealed in vain. Whatever tends to ele- 
vate humanity in the social, moral or 
educational scale receives his support. 
He has been a devoted husband and 
father, attentive to all home duties, and 
as a friend and neighbor has always been 
held in high esteem. 



WILLIAM KING. This promi- 
nent agriculturist, who is closely 
identified with the interests of 
Allen township, Ottawa county, 
of which he has been a resident for the 
past twenty-eight years, is a native of 



New York, having been born in Niagara 
county, that State, January 11, 1837. 
His parents were Sherman and Rebecca 
(Benedict^ King, the former a native of 
Connecticut, and the latter of Massachu- 
setts, of English descent. 

Mr. King was brought up on a farm 
in the State of his birth, receiving his 
education in the district Schools. In 
1856 he came to Ohio, and locating near 
Fremont was for some time employed by 
Mr. Samuel King, a farmer of Sandusky 
county. For ten years he remained in 
that count}', engaged in farm work, and 
in 1867 came to Clay township, Ottawa 
county, settling in that part which has 
since been set off and named Allen town- 
ship. Here he has continuously carried 
on agricultural pursuits, and has done 
much toward the improvement and up- 
building of his community. Mr. King 
was married January 11, 1858, to Mary, 
daughter of George and Sarah (Lones) 
Roberts, both of whom were natives of 
Perry county, Ohio, and of German an- 
cestry. The father was born March 22, 
1807, and passed away July 7, 1880; the 
mother was born February i, 18 10, near 
Rushville, Perry county, and died at her 
home in Sandusky county, August 10, 
1S87, Their marriage took place in Feb- 
ruary, 1834, and for nearly half a century 
they fought life's battle together. They 
were among the very earliest settlers of 
Sandusky county, having come there 
when that section of the county was a 
vast wilderness. They cleared away the 
forests and planted orchards, sowed the 
grains, tilled the soil, made for them- 
selves and children a comfortable home, 
and lived to see towns spring up around 
them, churches and schoolhouses built, 
and all the comforts and conveniences of 
civilization brought within their reach. 
For forty-seven years they were valued 
members of their community, and they 
died honored and respected by all. 

Mrs. King, the wife of our subject, 
was born in Sandusky county August 24, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



659 



1840, and to her and her husband seven 
children have come, namely: S. Ervin, 
born August 21, 1859, resides in Saun- 
ders county, Neb.; Sarah P., born Janu- 
ary 17, 1 861, is the wife of Herman 
Bunte, and resides at Curtice, Allen 
township, Ottawa county; Kosie E. 
married William Gerkensmyer, and also 
lives at Curtice; Solomon P. resides in 
Allen township; Viola R. is the wife of 
Robert Oberst, and lives in Jackson 
township, Sandusky county; Mary M. 
and Cynthia Edna live at home with their 
parents. Mr. King has always been a 
firm adherent of the Democratic party, 
and is looked upon as one of the intelH- 
gent, reliable men of the count}-. His 
family are faithful attendants at the 
Methodist Protestant Church in Curtice. 



LAWRENCE WEATHERWAX is 
one of the oldest residents and 
leading farmers of Ottawa county. 
He was born in New York, Octo- 
ber 3, 181 3, and comes of an old Ameri- 
can famil}'. His grandfather, John L. 
Weatherwa.x, was born April 18, 1764, 
and married Anna Williams, who was 
born September 14, 1763, and they be- 
came the parents of Andrew W'eatherwax, 
born September 28, 1788. His business 
was that of a glass blower. Having arrived 
at years of maturity he married Lydia 
Fulton, who was born in 1 780, and 
among their children was the subject of 
this review. 

Lawrence Weatherwax spent the first 
eight years of his life in the State of his 
nativity, and then accompanied his par- 
ents on their removal to Ohio, remaining 
with them until his marriage. April 2, 
1837, with Nancy M. Weatherwax. She 
was born iMarch i, 1821, in New York, 
where she acquired her education, com- 
ing to Ohio with her parents in 1836. 
Her father, Adam Weatherwax, was born 
February i, 1793, in Albany, N. Y. , and 
her mother, who bore the maiden name 



of Elizabeth Fulton, was born in 1796. 
They were married in 18 16, and had a 
family of three children, of whom two are 
living. The paternal grandparents of 
Mrs. Weatherwax were John L. and 
Anna (Williams) Weatherwax, the former 
born in Holland, April 18, 1764. the lat- 
ter on September 14, 1763. Their family 
numbered twelve children, their names 
and dates of birth being as follows: Cath- 
erine, July 28, 1785; Elizabeth, October 
28, 1787; Andrew, September 28, 17S8; 
Jacob, May 26, 1790; Adam, February 7, 
1793; Sebastian, December 30, 1795; 
George, May 7, 1797; Leonard, February 
22, 1799; Anna, March i, i8oi; Maria, 
in 1803; Anna, February 16, 1805; Mag- 
dalene, December 28, 1807; and Abra- 
ham, February 27, 18 10. Mr. Fuller, 
the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Weather- 
wax, was born in 1756, and his wife, 
Olive, was born in 1759. 

Soon after their marriage Lawrence 
Weatherwax and his wife located on the 
farm where they now live, in Harris 
township, Ottawa county, and their home 
has been blessed with six children, viz. : 
Elizabeth, born June 13, 1838, is now 
Mrs. Paden, of Nebraska, and has four 
children: Lydia, born April 2, 1S40, is 
the wife of S. P. Klotz, of Lenawee 
county, Mich; , and has one child ; Nancy, 
born August 28, 1842, is the wife of Ira 
Mannahan, and has five children; John, 
born May 20, 1S44, died October 2>6, 
same year; Maria Jane, born Julj' 18, 
1855, is now the wife of L. F. Leedore; 
Martha, born July 23, 1859, is the wife 
of Mr. Wotring, who operates the old 
home farm. 

During the greater part of his life, 
Mr. Weatherwax followed agricultural 
pursuits, but is now enjoying a well- 
earned rest — the deserved resvard of a 
useful life. His career has always been 
an honorable and upright one, and to-day 
he is one of the most highly esteemed as 
well as one of the oldest residents of his 
adopted count}-. 



660 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



PETER R. KLEINHANS, son of 
William and Alzada Kleinhans.and 
the only one surviving of their 
children, is a substantial farmer 
of Erie township, Ottawa count}', residing 
on the homestead farm there. He was 
born in Erie township, November i, 1846, 
and has been a resident of same all his life. 
William Kleinhans, now deceased was 
one of the pioneer settlers of Erie town- 
ship, and one of the successful and pro- 
gressive farmers located there. He was 
born in Williams township, Northhamp- 
ton Co., Penn., October 16, 18 10, son of 
George Henry and Elizabeth (Richardson) 
Kleinhans, who were of German and Irish 
ancestr}', and was reared a farmer's boy. 
He lived in his native township until he 
was twenty-one j'ears of age, in 1832 re- 
moving to Ohio and locating in Erie town- 
ship, Ottawa county, where he cleared up 
the land and made himself a home, in 
which he resided the remainder of his life. 
In 1839, at Port Clinton, Portage town- 
ship, Ottawa county, William Kleinhans 
was united in marriage with Alzada Deer, 
and they had five children, of whom only 
one, Peter R. , survives. William Klein- 
hans was one of the progressive residents 
of the township, and took an active part 
in all movements tending toward the ad- 
vancement of the interests of the com- 
munity. He died June 3, 1893, at the 
advanced age of eightj'-two years. Mrs. 
Kleinhans, who was the daughter of Ti- 
mon and Melinda (Russell) Deer, was born 
in Onondaga county, N. Y. , became one 
of the pioneers of Erie township, having 
settled here about 1834. and was an es- 
teemed and honored resident of same for 
over sixty years. She passed away at the 
home of Timothy Perry, in Port Clinton, 
August 24, 1894, at the advanced age of 
seventy-six years and seven months, her 
husband and four of her five children hav- 
ing preceded her to the other world. Her 
life was a continuous career of mercy and 
benevolence, and she will long be remem- 
bered by her friends and neighbors, to 



whom she was always ready to adminis- 
ter aid in sickness or in want. 

Peter R. Kleinhans was reared to man- 
hood on the homestead farm, educated 
in the district schools of the township, 
and since early life has been engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. Since the death of 
his father he has been managing the home 
farm. In Sandusky township, Sandusky 
count}', Mr. Kleinhans was united in mar- 
riage. May II, 1873, with Rachel T. 
Tucker,daughter of Nelson K.and Miranda 
(Bergoon) Tucker, and born in Sandusky 
township November 20, 1853. They 
have had four children: William Nel- 
son, born March 20, 1875; Sarah Eliza- 
beth, born June 30, 1876; Rodney O. 
Dell, born July 23, 1878, and Bessie 
Miranda, born February 2, 1885. Mr. 
Kleinhans has efficiently filled several 
township offices, is a member of the 
Grange, and politically has affiliated with 
the Democratic party. The family at- 
tend the United Brethren Church. 



FRANKLIN H. MARTIN, who is 
numbered among the native sons 
of Ottawa county, and now living 
in Clay township, was born in El- 
more, Harris township, November 8, 1856. 
His parents, JohnC. and Eva (Brandt) 
Martin, were both natives of Fairfield 
county, Ohio, the father born June 22, 
1818, and son of William Martin, who 
followed the occupation of a day laborer. 
John acquired but a limited education, for 
the schools of those days were not then 
free, and followed the occupation of farm- 
ing, working by the month until the spring 
of 1850, when he removed to Ottawa 
county, purchasing 1 1 1 acres of land in 
Harris township, which was covered with 
timber. For four years he lived on that 
farm, clearing thirty acres, which he 
placed under a high state of cultivation 
and paying off the taxes and mortgages 
which the original owners failed to do. 
He was making preparations for securing 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



661 



a full title when the first owners, in an 
underhand way, bought the place which 
left Mr. Martin without a farm and with- 
out any profit for his four-years' hard 
labor. He also lost seven horses and four 
head of cattle which died in a mysterious 
way. Going to Elmore he then embarked 
in the livery business, which he followed 
until 1859, when he rented a farm near 
that place, continuing its cultivation for 
seven years. His next removal took him 
further down the Portage river, where he 
bought eighty acres of land, entirely cov- 
ered with timber. During his seven-years' 
residence thereon he cleared and culti- 
vated a considerable portion, built a log 
cabin and outbuildings, and otherwise 
improved the place. On selling he came 
to Clay township, where he purchased 
eighty-three acres of land, two miles east 
of the town of Martin, near the boundary 
line of Benton township. Having built a 
log cabin into which the family moved, he 
began the arduous task of improving the 
land, and in course of time accomplished 
the work by the aid of his sons. The log 
cabin was replaced by a substantial frame 
residence, good barns were built for the 
shelter of his stock and grain, a fine 
orchard was planted, and other improve- 
ments added until the farm became one 
of the valuable properties of the. county. 
The trials and difficulties which Mr. Mar- 
tin had to bear in those days were of a 
self-sacrificing nature. He frequently had 
to take his grain to the mill on horseback 
in order to supply his family with bread — 
two days being consumed on the trip — 
during one of which trips he contracted 
cholera, and had to lie in the woods all 
night, for if he sought shelter in a home 
he would probably have given the disease 
to some member of the family. He re- 
turned to his own home, and one of his 
own children was stricken with the con- 
tagion and died, and his wife almost lost 
her life. 

On November 24, 1842, in Fairfield 
county, Ohio, Mr. Martin married Miss 



Eva Brandt, who was born in that coun- 
ty, November 5, 1823, and they became 
parents of nine children, four of whom 
are living, as follows: (i) Adam W., who 
was born October 14, 1843, in Fairfield 
county, and acquired his education in El- 
more, Ohio, is now a butcher and farmer; 
in April, 1871, he wedded Ammesta Hul- 
burt, of Canada, and is living near the old 
homestead, operating half of the original 
farm. (2) John Wesley, born December 
26, 1846, in Fairfield county, was edu- 
cated in Elmore, and is now farming in 
his native county. (3) Rachel was born 
May 14, 1854, in Harris township, Otta- 
wa county, was there educated, and is 
now the wife of James Brownlo. They 
became the parents of ten children— -four 
sons and six daughters — their names and 
dates of birth being as follows: Eva, Oc- 
tober 27, 1874; Lillie, December 30, 
1875; Lizzie, February 1, 1877; Emma 
E., January i, 1879; Sarah, January 4, 
1882; Annie, May 19, 1884; James, June 
23, 1886; John, in June, 1888; William, 
August 31, 1 891; and an infant, who was 
born April 2, 1893, and died unnamed. 
The parents of this family reside in To- 
ledo. (4) Franklin H. is the next child 
of John C. Martin. Those of the family 
who have passed away are James E. , 
born August 2, 1844, and died October 2, 
1845; Jacob, born October 2, 1848, and 
died April 30, 1850; Sylvester, born Oc- 
tober 4, 1850, and died October i, 1852; 
and twins, born April i, 1852, died un- 
named. 

John C. Martin passed away on the 
old home farm, April 18, 1892, leaving 
many friends and a loving family to mourn 
his loss. He was well-known throughout 
the county as an honest, industrious man, 
attending strictly to his own business, was 
esteemed as a good neighbor, and was a 
friend to the poor and needy. His circle 
of friends was limited only by his circle of 
acquaintances. He was always a stanch 
supporter of Republican principles, but 
never sought political office, preferring to 



G62 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



devote his time and attention to the inter- 
ests of the farm and the enjojments of 
his home. His widow now resides with 
her son Franklin at a ripe old age. She 
belongs to the class of worthy pioneer 
women who with their husbands shared 
in the labor of developing the county, and 
to whom great credit is due for the efforts 
they put forth. She has now reached the 
ripe old age of seventy-two years, and for 
more than half a century she traveled 
life's journey by the side of her late hus- 
band, sharing with him in all the joys and 
sorrows that fell to his lot. 

Franklin H. Martin, whose name 
opens this record, has spent his entire 
life on the old homestead, and upon his 
father's death assumed the management 
and care of the farm. On June 6, 1880, 
he was joined in wedlock with Mary E. 
Deal, daughter of Samuel and Jane Deal, 
of Iowa, and children as follows graced 
their union, their names and dates of 
birth being: Jane H., May 29, 1 881; Pearl 
L. , March 11, 1884; JohnD., March 23, 
1887; I\atie E., August 31, 1S89; Alice 
M., April 18, 1892, and died July 3, same 
year; and Ruth L., born April 21,1894. 
Mrs. Martin was born in Emmet coun- 
ty, Iowa, June 4, 1854. Her father died 
when she was quite young , and her mother 
when she was only eight years of age. 
She has two brothers and one sister, as 
follows: John S., who was born April 19, 
1852, and is a fruit grower of Oregon; 
Matilda, who was born July 30, i860, 
and became the wife of Frederick Sim- 
mons, died in Iowa, June 30, 1889; and 
George Deal, born December 27, 1862. is 
farming in Nebraska. 

Mr. Martin is numbered among the 
progressive and enterprising agriculturists 
of Ottawa county, and is now e.xtensively 
engaged in market gardening, in which 
he is meeting with good success. In his 
political views he is a Republican, but 
has never sought or desired public office, 
although he faithfully performs all duties 
of citizenship. 



M 



ICHAEL PUTMAN, Jr., son of 
Michael and Elizabeth (Bates) 
Putman, was born in Hancock 
county, Ohio, January 16, 185 i. 
When he was a year old his parents moved 
to the farm where they now live, in Sec- 
tion 29, Scott township, Sanduskj' county. 
It was heavily timbered, no roads had 
been made, and in fact the country was 
practically a wilderness. He remained 
at home until he was twenty-three years 
old, receiving his education in the college 
at Tiffin, Ohio, where he made a special 
study of surveying. Shortly after his re- 
turn from college he was married to Miss 
Melissa Inman, of Scott township, and 
moved to the home of his father, working 
his farm for one year. He then bought 
eight}' acres in Section 2 1 , Scott township, 
where he now lives. 

At the age of twenty-five years Mr. 
Putman was elected county surveyor of 
Sandusky county. He then moved 'his 
family to Fremont, the county seat, where 
he remained eight jears, at the expiiration 
of which time they returned to the farm 
where he now resides. Mr. Putman has 
been township clerk for two years, and 
justice of the peace for one year. When 
he came to his farm it was in a wild state, 
but he has cleared it, erected substantial 
buildings and made a comfortable and 
pleasant home there. The present sys- 
tem of ditching in Sandusky county was 
originated with Mr. Putman when he was 
county surveyor, the law providing that 
the county surveyor shall have charge of 
the ditching. In 1880 $62,000 was e.\- 
pended in Sandusky county, under Sur- 
veyor's Putman's direction, in putting in 
suitable ditches, and so carefully had he 
estimated the cost of the work that when 
completed it was entirely free from debt, 
and a credit to his business abilit)'. 

In 1892 the oil industry was begun on 
Mr. Putman's farm. The first lease gave 
him $180 every six months, until wells 
were running, and he then received one- 
eighth of the oil. This well was located 



COMMEMORAJ IVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



663 



on Section 21, and is producing eight 
barrels pet day. Other wells are being 
sunk on the farm, for each of which Mr. 
Putman receives $100 royalty and one- 
si.xth of the oil, which is pumped through 
pipes to Cleveland, over one hundred 
miles. Mr. Putman now has a fine farm 
of 160 acres, and, in addition, works his 
father's farm of eighty acres. 

To him and his wife have come three 
children: Alfred, born February 1 1, 1876; 
Lewis, born August 10, 1881, and Hazel 
Maudolin, born October 26, 18S2. Alfred 
received his early education in the dis- 
trict sch<^ols, later attending the academy 
at Fostoria, and began teaching at the age 
of sixteen years, an occupation which he 
has followed several terms; his attention 
is to law or medicine. 

The father of our subject, Michael 
Putman, Sr. , was born December 22, 
1S15, in Pennsylvania, and when four 
years old, came to Wayne county, Ohio, 
where he lived until he was twenty. 
Thence he removed to Hancock county, 
where he remained one year, at which 
time he was married to Miss Elizabeth 
Bates, on March 23, 1837. For many 
years they have been residents of Scott 
township, and were among the pioneers 
of that part of the county, coming hither 
when all was a wilderness, and clearing a 
comfortable home. Mrs. Putman was born 
October 22, 18 16, in Stark county, Ohio, 
and when a girl came to Hancock county, 
where she remained until her marriage. 
To them have been born children whose 
names and dates of birth are as follows: 
Alpheus, November 10, 1837; Mary Ann, 
April 29, 1839; Sarah Ann, March 9,1841; 
Eliza Jane, August 16, 1842; Jacob, May 
22, 1844; Andrew, October 20, 1848; 
Hannah, September 8, 1850; Michael (our 
subject), January 16, 185 1; Sophronia, 
Afarch 6, 1854; Fanny, August 15, 1857; 
and Amanda, July 6, 1859. 

The paternal grandfather, Jacob Put- 
man, was born in 1783 in Pennsylvania, 
and was one of the early settlers of San- 

42 



dusky county. His wife was born in 
1789, in Pennsylvania. To them were 
born ten children, three of whom are liv- 
ing — one in Ohio and two in Indiana. 
The maternal great-grandfather, Jacob 
Gross, was born about 1750. The ma- 
ternal grandfather, Andrew Bates, was 
born in Pennsylvania in 1787, and was a 
farmer. He served in the war of 1812. 
His wife, Anor Homon, was born in 1790. 
To them were born ten children, of whom 
are living: Mrs. D. Phillips (of Scott 
township), Adam and William Bates, 
Susan Strouse, Anor Smith, Louisa Mil- 
ler, and Mrs. Elizabeth Putman. Great- 
grandfather Bates was a soldier in the 
Revolution. Alpheus was a captain in 
the Civil war, and was wounded in the 
battle of Shiloh; Jacob served in the Re- 
bellion, and was shot at Vicksburg. and 
Andrew was also in the Civil war. 

Mrs. Melissa Putman, wife of Michael 
Putman, Jr., is a daughter of William 
and Calista (Barringer) Inman, and was 
born on a farm in Scott township, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, April 27, 1S50. Her 
education was obtained at Tinney, Scott 
township, where she lived most of the 
time until her marriage. Her father was 
born February 14, 1816, in New Jersey, 
and when a bo}' removed with his parents 
to Sandusky county, the family settling 
on a large farm of 400 acres near Fre- 
mont. Here he went to school, and at 
the age of twenty-two years was gradua- 
ted from the public schools of that place. 
He was then married to Miss Calista Bar- 
ringer, of Fremont, and they shortly af- 
terward, about 1 844, purchased a forty- 
acre farm in Scott township, to which he 
added until at one time they owned 200 
acres. He made two trips to California 
in the interest of gold mining, in which 
he was successful, making quite an amount 
of money. He died in 1892, and was 
buried in the Metzger Cemetery. Mr. In- 
man's father, Brazil C. Inman, was born 
about 1785; his mother was born Octo- 
ber 15, 1 8 16, about nine miles from Col- 



GW 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



umbus, Ohio, where she lived until she 
was fifteen years old, and where she at- 
tended school. She then came to San- 
dusky county, remaining there the greater 
part of her life. Her father, William 
Barringer, was born about 1791, and was 
a farmer by occupation; he was killed by 
a falling tree. His wife, Sarah Cammell, 
was born about 1793. To them were 
born four children — two sons and two 
daughters. Mrs. Putman's paternal grand- 
father was born about 1759; her maternal 
grandmother, Jane Cammell, was born 
about 1760. 



HENRY BREDBECK, who occu- 
pies a prominent position among 
the prosperous fruit growers and 
agriculturists of Uanbury town- 
ship, Ottawa county, was born in New 
York City, September 7, 1842, of Ger- 
man parentage. 

He is a son of Gerd and Martha Bred- 
beck, both natives of Hanover, Germany. 
The paternal grandparents, John H. and 
Martha Bredbeck, were also born in the 
Province of Hanover, and continued to 
reside in the Fatherland until they crossed 
the dark river of death. At the age of nine- 
teen the father of our subject went to 
London, England, where for a number of 
years he worked in a sugar refinery, but 
emigrated to this country at an early date, 
and for some time was engaged in the 
grocery business in New York City. In 
1847 he came to the Buckeye State, lo- 
cating in Danbury township, Ottawa 
county, where he resided until his death 
in March, 1883. He was a wide-awake 
and enterprising citizen, highly esteemed 
by all his friends and acquaintances for 
his many sterling qualities. His wife still 
makes her home in Danbury township. 

In 1847 Henry Bredbeck came with 
his parents to Ohio, where his father en- 
gaged in agricultural pursuits up to within 
a short time of his death. After leaving 
the district schools of Danbury township, 



where his education was begun, our sub- 
ject entered Oberlin College, at Oberlin, 
Ohio, and continued his studies for two 
terms. Being familiar with farm duties 
from his early boyhood, he decided to 
make that his life work, in which he has 
been very successful, and has also been 
extensively engaged in fruit growing, one 
of the important industries of Ottawa 
county. He was married in Danbury 
township, February 26, 1867, Mrs. So- 
phia Wedekind, a daughter of Frederick 
and Martha Schraeder. They became 
the parents of seven children, but only 
four of them are still living, their names 
and dates of birth being: Herbert, June 10, 
1 871; Minnie, December 19, 1875; Fred-- 
erick, February 26, 1877; and Estella, 
March 20, 1879. 

Mr. Bredbeck has been called upon to 
fill in several positions of honor and 
trust, having served as township trustee 
and school director two terms each. He 
has been the efficient president of the Ot- 
tawa Count}' Agricultural Society, and for 
fifteen years has been a member of the 
board of Erie County Agricultural Asso- 
ciation. He is a stockholder and director 
of the German American Bank of Port 
Clinton, Ohio, and for many years has 
been a director of the Erie County Farm- 
ers Mutual Insurance Company, and a 
member of the Grange. His residence is 
one of the finest in the township, and all 
its surroundings bespeaks care and cul- 
ture, while he owns and operates most 
successfully one of the best fruit orchards 
in the vicinity. 

In the career of Mr. Bredbeck, we 
find one of the best examples of what may 
be accomplished by industry and perse- 
verance, and although he disdains the pos- 
session of any qualities that entitle him to 
the mention which his many friends be- 
lieve him to be worthy of, yet it is in no 
spirit of adulation that we say of him that 
his life is illustrative of the success that 
attends honest, well-directed endeavor 
and conscientious adherence to duty. Al- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPHICAL RECORD. 



665 



though unassuming in manner, he is a 
very popular man, and his friends are 
numbered by the score. He devotes to 
agriculture and fruit growing the care and 
attention that warrants success, and to- 
day he ranks with the leading business 
men of Ottawa county. His life might 
well serve as an example worthy of imi- 
tation by the future generations, as the 
valuable property which he now posses- 
ses is the direct result of his own indus- 
try and good management. 



I 



SAAC M. FLORO is numbered among 
the native sons of Ottawa county, his 
birth having occurred in Erie town- 
ship, April 28, 1848, a son of John 
and Lydia Floro, well known and es- 
teemed people of the community. In the 
usual manner of farmer lads he was reared, 
obtaining his education in the district 
schools of the neighborhood, and aiding 
in the labors of the farm as soon as he 
had reached a sufficient age. The occupa- 
tion to which he was reared he has made 
his life work, and to-day he is ranked 
among the progressive and prominent 
farmers of the township. He is thorough 
and painstaking in all his work, and his 
home place, with its neat appearance and 
good improvements, indicates the saga- 
cious supervision of a careful owner. 

On June 6, 1873, at Locust Point, 
Ohio, was celebrated the marriage of Isaac 
M. Floro and Miss Mary Finkin, who was 
born in Erie township, March 16, 1854, 
and is a daughter of ^fartin and Elizabeth 
(Sinclair) Finkin. Her father has now 
departed this life, but her mother is still 
living in Carroll township, Ottawa county. 
Mr. and Mrs. Floro are the parents of 
children, as follows: Martin, born April 
12, 1874; Henry, born June 8, 1876; Nana, 
born -September 25, 1878, now the wife 
of William Dewitt, a resident of Carroll 
township, Ottawa county; Hattie, born 
June 12, 1881; George W., born Decem- 



ber 27, 1886; and Calvin L. , born July 8, 
1892. died August 21, 1893. 

Mr. Floro is a justice of the peace in 
Ottawa county, and has efficiently filled 
various township offices, discharging his 
duties with credit to himself and satisfac- 
tion to his constituents. His political 
support is given to the Democracy, and 
he is an enterprising citizen, deeply inter- 
ested in all that pertains to the welfare of 
the community. He was deputy master 
of the Ohio State Grange for Ottawa 
county for twelve years, having been ap- 
pointed by Col. J. H. Brigham, then 
master of the Ohio State Grange. 



ALEXANDER SCRYMGER, a rep- 
resentative agriculturist, and one 
of the most popular men in Clay 
township. Ottawa county, was 
born in the State of New York, Novem- 
ber 26, 1839. 

Our subject grew up on the farm, ob- 
taining what meagre education could be 
derived from the district school of those 
days, and assisting his father, until the 
Civil war broke out, and the youth of the 
country responded with alacrity to the 
call for help. In August, 1862, he enlist- 
ed in Company K, One Hundredth Ohio 
Infantry, in which regiment he served 
three years, during which time he took 
part in the battles of P'ranklin, Nashville, 
and Limestone Station, all in Tennessee, 
besides in several minor engagements. 
He spent six months in the terrible prison 
of Belle Isle, enduring many hardships 
and sufferings. In 1865 he received his 
discharge, and, returning to Ottawa coun- 
ty, resumed the peaceful occupation of a 
farmer. In i867,Mr. Scry mger was mar- 
ried to Miss Alice Frayer, and three chil- 
dren have come to them: William, born 
February 16. 1869; Ida, born January 4, 
1872; and Maud, born August i, 1878. 
Mr. Scrymger remained in Bay township 
until 1877, when he came to Clay town- 
ship, and purchased fifty-three acres of 



600 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



land. This he has brought to a high state 
of cultivation, having a fine orchard, 
fruitful fields and a fine dwelling house, 
with all necessary barns, outbuildings, etc. 
Mr. Scrymgeris widely known through- 
out the county as an able business man, 
progressive in his ideas, with a fund of 
sound common sense, and withal as a 
man of genial disposition. His popular- 
ity with all classes of men is well-known, 
and has been shown by his election, in 
the fall of 1886, to the office of county 
commissioner, on the Democratic ticket, 
by a large majority of the popular vote, 
and his re-election on the same ticket. 
During his administration several im- 
portant public works were carried through 
such as the building of bridges, dykes, and 
other much-needed improvements, on 
which achievements Mr. Scrymger is en- 
titled to a large share of the credit. He 
also held the office of trustee of the town- 
ship, for three years, and has filled other 
minor positions. He is an active mem- 
ber of his party, and in every respect is 
one of the leading men of his township. 



NICHOLAS FOX is a fruit grower 
and proprietor of a flour and feed 
store at Put in Bay, Sandusky 
county. Among the most prom- 
inent and influential residents of this lo- 
cality there is probably no one more 
worthy of mention in this volume than 
the gentleman whose name is here re- 
corded. 

Mr. Fox was born in Bavaria, Ger- 
many, September 22, 1839, and is a son 
of John Adam and Eva (Parr) Fo.x, who 
were also natives of that country, and 
there spent their entire lives, the former 
dying in January, 1871, while the latter 
survived until April 24, 1S78. By occu- 
pation the father was a fanner and weaver, 
and these two pursuits he successfully fol- 
lowed in his native land. In the family 
were ten children, five of whom became 
residents of the United States, namely: 



Andrew, who died in Brenham, Texas, in 
1 878; John A., who resides on Middle Bass 
Island; Nicholas, subject of this sketch; 
George A., who died in Texas, in 1887; 
and Catherina, who died in Brenham, 
Texas, in 1886; of the remaining five 
members of the famil}- two died in in- 
fancy, and the others reside in their na- 
tive land. 

Nicholas Fox was reared and educated 
in Germany, and resided upon his father's 
farm until twenty-four years of age, aiding 
in the labors of the field and becoming fa- 
miliar with farm work in all its depart- 
ments. In 1 863 he bade adieu to home and 
friends and crossed the broad Atlantic to 
America, reaching New York City on the 
29th of December. Aftera month he pushed 
on toward the West, and selecting Put in 
Bay as a suitable place to make his home 
purchased a good farm, and at once be- 
gan the cultivation of grapes, having had 
considerable experience in that line of 
business in his native land. He now has 
extensive and valuable vineyards, and by 
energy and perseverance has acquired the 
success which crowns his efforts. 

In Sandusky City, Ohio, November 
9, 1869, Mr. Fox married Miss Wilhel- 
mina Buddenhagen, a daughter of 
Charles and Marie (\\'ardo_, Buddenhagen, 
and born in Mecklenburg. Germany, July 
15, 1851. To this marriage have come 
four children, as follows: Henry, born 
August 2, 1870, is the present mayor of 
Put in Bay Island, a notary public and 
agent for the Detroit & Cleveland Steam- 
ship Line; George A., born April 19, 
1872, is also a member of the firm of Fox 
& Sons, of Put in Bay Island; Louisa, 
born November 28, 1875; and Andrew 
N., born January 28, 1SS5. In his polit- 
ical views, Mr. Fox is liberal, voting for 
the man rather than for the party, and he 
has never sought office, preferring to give 
his time and attention to his business in- 
terests. In addition to his vineyards and 
store he is the owner of the finest dock 
and warehouses on Put in Bay Island, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



007 



and he carries forward to successful com- 
pletion whatever he undertakes. He 
would be a desirable acquisition to any 
community, and Ottawa county numbers 
him among its valued citizens. 



HENRY SETHMAN, a successful 
and enterprising fruit grower of 
Danbury township, Ottawa coun- 
ty, is a native of that township, 
having first seen the light of day in the 
old log house which stood on the land 
now occupied by his handsome and im- 
posing residence. His birth occurred 
September i8, 1856, and he is a son of 
Carsten Henry and Mary (Muller) Seth- 
man, both now deceased. 

The father of our subject was born in 
the Province of Hanover, Germany, Sep- 
tember 12, 1822, and there he was reared 
and educated. Besides being engaged in 
farming, he carried on a hotel, and also 
operated a distillery. In 1847 he emi- 
grated to the New World, and after reach- 
ing New York City there engaged as a 
clerk in a grocery store for about a year 
and a half, when he embarked in the 
grocery business for himself. On dispos- 
ing of his store in 1855 he located in 
Danbury township, Ottawa county, in 
September, and followed farming with 
good success. He here made his home 
until within a few weeks of his death, 
which occurred Januar\' 12, i8go, at the 
residence of his daughter Sophia — Mrs. 
Charles A. Smith — of Lansing, Mich. 
The mother of our subject was born in 
Hanover January 9, 1830, and in 1847 
came to the United States. For a year 
after her arrival in this country she made 
her home in Baltimore, Md., but at the 
expiration of that time she went to New 
York City, where she married Mr. Seth- 
man. She passed away at her residence 
in Danbury township November i, 1886. 
In the familj' were seven children, as fol- 
lows: John H., born January 31, 1853, 
died February 14 of the same year; John 



D., born October 5, 1854, died Decem- 
ber 26, 1867; Henry is the next in order 
of birth; Diedrich, born January 9, 1858, 
died May 27 following; Claus D., born 
July 9, i860, died January 26, 1876; 
Sophia, born June 29, 1867, is the wife 
of Charles A. Smith, of Lansing, Mich. ; 
and Mary M., born April 8, 1870, died 
April 15, 1870. 

Henry Sethman remained under the 
parental roof, assisting in the labors of 
the home farm, where he has spent his 
entire life engaged in the cultivation of 
the land, but now gives his attention 
more particularly to fruit culture. His 
education was acquired in the district 
schools of the neighborhood, and by sub- 
sequent reading and observation he has 
become a well-informed man. On No- 
vember 15, 1887, he wedded Miss Henri- 
etta Weigman, daughter of James and 
Mary E. (Smith) Weigman, the marriage 
ceremony being performed in Holt, Ing- 
ham Co., Mich. By this marriage there 
is one son — Clarence Henry, born March 
4, 1890. Mrs. Sethman's father was born 
at Mud Creek, Sandusky Co., Ohio, and 
her mother on the Sethman homestead. 
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Weig- 
man resided for a number of years in 
Sandusky county, and later removed to 
Lansing, Mich., wherethey and the grand- 
parents of Mrs. Sethman now reside. 
She is the eldest in their family of four 
children, and was born in Holt, Mich., 
July 14, 1870; the others are Charles A., 
born June 29, 1873, and died June 29, 
1888; Henry, born September 21, 1875; 
and an infant yet unnamed. 

Mr. Sethman is a valued member of 
Oliver H. Perry Lodge, No. 341, F. & 
A. M., of Port Clinton, Ohio. In politics 
he is an earnest supporter of the princi- 
ples of the Democratic party, and he and 
his family are Lutherans in religious be- 
lief. He is a typical illustration of a 
practical farmer, his well-tilled fields and 
well-kept fruit orchards showing thrift 
and a thorough acquaintance with his eg- 



608 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPUICAL RECORD. 



cupation. His residence is one of the 
finest and most attractive in the county, 
and after a day of toil in his extensive 
orchards he knows how to enjoy an even- 
ing of rest amidst his home comforts, 
brif^htened by his faithful and loving wife 
and their little, interesting son. [Since 
the above was written we have received 
the lamentable news of Mr. Henry Seth- 
man's accidental death, which occurred 
on Thanksgiving Day, 1895. He was 
handling a revolver in the kitchen of his 
own house, and by some means one of 
the cartridges exploded, the bullet enter- 
ing the left side below the heart. He 
screamed, " Oh, Will, I'm shot!" and fell 
to the floor a corpse. The funeral was 
held on the following Sunday afternoon, 
under the auspices of the Masonic frater- 
nity of Port Clinton. — Editor. 



FRANCIS M. O'CALLAGHAN, a 
well-known farmer and trader of 
Allen township, Ottawa county, 
and a veteran of the Civil war, is 
a native of the Emerald Isle, having been 
born in Dublin April 4, 1840. His parents, 
William and Henrietta (Walker) O'Calla- 
ghan, were both born in Ireland, and his 
paternal grandfather, Andrew O'Calla- 
ghan, was a clergyman of the English 
Church. 

William O'Callaghan was what is 
known in the old country as a country 
gentleman, and was the owner of a large 
estate in and near Dublin. He was the 
father of fourteen children. In 1850 he 
emigrated to this country, when our sub- 
ject was a lad of ten years of age, but the 
climate not agreeing with him he returned 
to Ireland and from there went to Liver- 
pool, England, at which place he died. 
Francis M., our subject, was one of the 
family who decided to remain in America, 
and he lived for eight years in Detroit, 
Mich., earning his own livelihood, and at 
the same time attending school and fitting 
himself for business. About this time a 



tumor made its appearance on his face, 
causing him great suffering, and he con- 
cluded to go back to Dublin, and have an 
operation performed. This he did, and 
after remaining abroad one year returned 
to this country, coming to Ohio and en- 
tering the brewing business at Toledo, 
at which he worked for three j'ears, for 
the next three j'ears engaging in the con- 
fectionery business. In the spring of 186 1 
the call to arms was heard, and all over 
the North volunteers gladly sprang to the 
defense of the "stars and stripes;" our 
brave young Irishman was not lacking in 
love for the country of his adoption, 
whose institutions he appreciated, and on 
October 5, 1861, he enlisted in the Sixty- 
seventh Ohio Infantry, and took part in 
many desperate conflicts. Among these 
were the battles of Winchester, Deep- 



bottom and Fort Wagener, S. C. 



In 



the latter engagement he was severely 
wounded, being shot through the neck, 
and was sent to a hospital, where he re- 
mained for a year. He received his dis- 
charge January 17, 1865, after a service 
of over three years. When the war was 
over Mr. O'Callaghan spent several years 
as a sailor on the great lakes. He helped 
to construct a vessel called the " Rough 
and Ready," of which he was mate for 
about two years, and then built the 
" Raven," which he commanded for five 
years, carrying freight, etc. Giving up 
his life on the water, our subject next 
turned his attention to trading in Lucas 
county, this State, and also farmed to 
some extent. After two years of this oc- 
cupation he came to Williston, Ottawa 
county, where he bought twent)' acres of 
land, built a comfortable residence and 
other buildings and made numerous im- 
provements. Here he has since made 
his home and is known as a successful 
trader and prosperous farmer. 

Our subject was married October 31, 
1867, in Lucas county, this State, to 

Elizabeth H , and to them have 

come fourteen children; Olivia G., born 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGItAPniCAL RECORD. 



CG9 



May 12, 1869, is the wife of Charles 
Fislibact:, an employe of Harte & Co., 
Cleveland; Frances, born November 12, 
1870, married William Rath, of Willis- 
ton, and has one child, Eddena S. ; Edith 
May, born May 215, 18 — , is the wife of 
Francis Watson, of Williston, and has 
one child, Freddie; Julia E., born August 
18, 1S76; Henry M., born April 30, 
1878; Edward F. , born March i, 1881; 
Arthur W., born December 18, 1882; 
Agnes H., born December 29. 1884; 
Laura B., born March 4, 1889; Marion, 
July 21, 1892. Those deceased are 
Robert C, born February 15, 1872, died 
May, 1872; Maudie C. , born January 2, 
died in June, 1876; Geneva, born Septem- 
ber 3, 1 89 1, died April 30, 1894. Mr. 
O'Callaghan is a Democrat and a warm 
supporter of President Cleveland. The 
family are all members of the Episcopal 
Church, and are well and favorably known 
throughout the communitj'. 



WILLIAM GRANT ELWELL, 
of Erie township, Ottawa coun- 
ty, a thorough and experienced 
railroadman, is a son of Thomas 
Franklin and Ellen (Mananay) Elwcll, 
and was born in Ottawa county, Ohio, 
July 22, 1862. 

Thomas Franklin Elwell was born in 
New York State March 30, 1822, was 
married September 5, 1841, and died 
October 22, 1866. His wife was born 
September 26, 1824, and died September 
27, 1893. They had ten children born 
to them, as follows: Arthur, June 20, 
1842; George F. , January 22, 1844; An- 
genette, March 12, 1846; Alice E., Octo- 
ber 23, 1848; Amanda L., July 18, 1851 ; 
Rosetta, June 26, 1854; Ross J., June 26, 
1854; Martha E., August 19, 1858; Will- 
iam Grant, July 22, 1862; and Zelpha, 
September 2, 1864. All but two are liv- 
ing; Zelpha, who died August 8, 1887; 
and Amanda, March 24, 1893. 

William G, Elwell lived in Ottawa 



county until his marriage. He received 
a liberal education in the public schools 
of Lacarne, Erie township, Ottawa coun- 
ty, and in 1879 began the study of teleg- 
raphy with C. F. Hosford in the Lake 
Shore railway office at Lacarne, where 
he remained for one year. He was then 
baggageman at Oak Harbor, Salem town- 
ship, Ottawa county, for one year, after 
which he returned to Lacarne and com- 
pleted his study of telegraphy in 1882, 
accepted the position of night operator 
at Marblehead Junction, in Danbury town- 
ship, Ottawa county, which he held for 
some time, and then for eighteen months 
was out of office work. From Marble- 
head Junction Mr. Elwell went to Rocky 
Ridge, Benton township, where he was 
night watch for two years. He then 
accepted the position of night operator 
at Shawville, in Ridgeville township, Lo- 
rain county, which he held some six 
months, after which he went to Lacarne, 
and was night operator there for four years. 
He was next promoted to the position of 
.station agent at Lacarne, Ohio, and con- 
tinued in that capacity for two years, being 
further promoted to be station agent, oper- 
ator, and agent of the United States Ex- 
press Co. at Rocky Ridge, which positions 
he now holds. For about fifteen years Mr. 
Elwell has been connected with the Lake 
Shore road as an efficient operator and a 
thorough railroad man in all lines of his 
work. 

On July 26, 1892, William G. El- 
well married Miss Lena E. Beebe, of 
Lakeside, Danbury township, Ottawa 
county, the ceremony being performed by 
Rev. T. S. Ayers, in the auditorium at 
Lake Side. Since their marriage they 
have resided at Lacarne and Rocky 
Ridge, and they have had one child, 
Lucy Maude, born October 6, 1893. Mrs. 
Elwell is a daughter of Bela B. and 
Lucy (Farnsworth) Beebe, of Lakeside, 
where she was born December 14, 1869. 
When she was one year old her parents 
moved to Defiance county, Ohio, where 



070 



COMMEMORATIVE BWORAPITIC'AL RECORD. 



they lived four years. They next re- 
moved to Seneca county, and after living 
there six years returned to Lakeside. 
Mrs. Elweil obtained her education at 
Lakeside and at Ada, completed her liter- 
ary work at the latter place in 1888, and 
in the fall of the same year began teach- 
ing at Catawba Island, Ottawa county, 
where she remained eight months. In 
November. 1889, she took charge of the 
school at Lacarne, and held that position 
four months, after which she went to 
Lakeside as clerk in the Cobb Bazaar, 
remaining there through the summer va- 
cation. In the fall of 1890 a position in 
the public schools at Lakeside was offered 
to her, which was accepted, and she re- 
mained three years, during which time 
she was married to Mr. Elweil. 

Mrs. Elwell's father, Mr. Beebe, was 
born in December, 1833, in Lorain 
county, Ohio, where he lived until 1865. 
On May i, i860, he was united in mar- 
riage with Lucy Farnsworth, who was born 
January 15, 1843, in Defiance, Ohio, and 
they had three children and adopted one 
child. The names and dates of birth of 
the children are as follows: Miles H., 
April I, 1 861; Charles L., August 26, 
1866; Lena E. (Mrs. Elwellj, December 
14, 1869; and Bertha Belle, December 2, 
1878. They are all living. Charles is in 
Detroit, Mich., and Miles is in Cleveland, 
Ohio. Mr. Beebe served three years in 
the war of the Rebellion, from 1862 to 
1865, and after returning from the war 
located for a time on Catawba Island, 
Ottawa county, thence going to Lakeside, 
where he now lives. Mrs. Elwell's 
mother married William Jackson, No- 
vember 12, 1 891; and lives in Allegan 
county, Michigan. The maternal grand- 
father of Mrs. Elweil, Oliver Farnsworth, 
was born June 18, 1796, and died in 
1882. His wife, who was Edna King, 
was born in 18 10, in Vermont. They 
were married in Boston about 1825, and 
had twelve children, nine of whom Ptir- 
vived them, 



Hugh 



RODERICK MORRISON. Among 
the prominent men of Gibsonburg, 
or, indeed, of Sandusky county, as 
well, stands Roderick Morrison, 
the subject of this sketch. Mr. Morrison 
is of Scotch parentage, and a Canadian 
by birth, having first seen the light Octo- 
ber 22, 1855, in Oxford county, Ontario. 
George and Henrietta (Macintosh) 
Morrison, his parents, were born in Scot- 
land in 1 809 and 1 8 19, respectively. They 
were married in 1841, came to Canada 
from Scotland on their wedding tour, and 
locating in Oxford county remained there 
until 1883, when they removed to Bruce 
county, where they died, the mother in 
1 885, the father on December 9, 1S93. 
They reared a family of seven children: 
Elizabeth, Catherine, Hector, Donald, 
Hugh and Mary, of whom, Hector is a 
resident of West V'irginia; Donald is a 
Presbyterian minister in Michigan; 
is an attorney in Ontario. 

R. Morrison, the subject proper of this 
review, grew to manhood on the home 
farm in Canada. In 1877 he came to the 
United states, entering the oil business in 
Butler county, Penn., but soon turned his 
attention to the lumber business, in its 
relation to the oil industry. After con- 
tinuing in this business in Butler and Mc- 
Kean cotmties for ten years, he moved to 
F'indlay, Ohio, where for four years he 
continued his business in connection with 
the oil and gas interests of that section. 
In 1893 the great oil fields of Sandusky 
county were being opened, and Mr. Mor- 
rison, with a keen e\e to business, settled 
in Gibsonburg, where he has since done 
a large business in the lumber trade. In 
addition to his home interests he also car- 
ries on the same business in Woodville, 
Sandusky county. He is also connected 
with the Gibsonburg Banking Co., of 
which he is the vice-president, and is 
everywhere known and esteemed, not only 
as a thorough business man, but also as a 
Christian gentleman. Politically, he is a, 
Democrat, in religion a Presbyterian, 





/ 



(rrnMyij 



COMMEMORATIVE BTOORAPJTTCAL RECORD. 



r.71 



In Bradford, McKean Co., Penn., on 
August 22, 1S82, Mr. Morrison was 
united in marriage with Miss Catherine 
Casey, who was born in Roulette, Penn., 
September 26, i86i, a daughter of Jo- 
seph J. and Honora (Moran) Casey. She 
received her education in part in her na- 
tive town, in part in the public schools of 
Coudersport, and after completing her 
schooling was for four years a successful 
teacher in the public schools of Potter 
count}', Penn. Mrs. Morrison's father 
was born, in 1833, in Ireland, came to 
America when eighteen years old, and was 
married in i860 to Miss Honora Moran, 
of Pennsylvania, who was born in July, 
1839. To this union were born eight 
children: Catherine (Mrs. Morrison); 
Sarah (Mrs. L. L. Forsyth, of Gibson- 
burg); William J. (deceased); May B. 
and Alice, both of whom are teachers in 
Pennsylvania; Anna F., for sometime a 
teacher, now bookkeeper for the Gibson- 
burg Banking Co. ; Lawrence D. , a teacher 
in Pennsylvania; and Iva F., a student. 
The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Morri- 
son (James Casey), was a native of Ire- 
land, born in 1796, and about 1820 wed- 
ded Miss Belle Canon. For many 3'ears 
they lived in Ireland, where they reared 
a family of seven children, two of whom 
are now living. Later they moved to 
Scotland, and thence emigrated to Ameri- 
ca, settling in Pennsylvania, where Mr. 
C3asey died in 1868, Mrs. Casey surviving 
until 1875, when she too passed away, 
at the age of seventy-two years. Mrs. 
Morrison's maternal grandfather, Law- 
rence Moran, was a native of Ireland, 
born about 1795, and his wife, Cath- 
erine (Moran) ^[oran, was born about 
1805; they emigrated to America and 
settled in Pennsylvania, rearing a family 
of nine children, seven of whom arc now 
living. 

Mr. and Mrs. Morrison have a fine 
home in Gibsonburg, and are esteemed 
by all who know them, for their social, 
business, intellectual and moral worth. 



CHRISTOPHER H. DAM- 
SCHRODER, one of the 
most prominent factors in com- 
mercial circles in Elmore. Ottawa 
county, and an enterprising and wide- 
awake merchant, was born in Toledo, 
Ohio, January i, 1840, son of Christo- 
pher and Mary (Myerholts) Damschroder. 
The father was born in Hanover, Ger- 
many, in 18 1 3, where he was for many 
years foreman of a large plantation, re- 
ceiving, however, only .$16 per year. At 
the age of twenty-one he emigrated to 
America in order to avoid service in the 
German army, but during the year after 
his arrival he had a severe attack of 
cholera. Later he went to Toledo, and, 
after working on the Ohio canal and the 
Ohio railroad for a time, learned the 
carpenter's trade, which he followed for 
six years. In 1844 he removed to Wood- 
ville township, Sandusky county, and 
engaged in farming, which he fol- 
lowed with excellent success, accumu- 
lating a property valued at $125,000. 
In 1838 he wedded Mary Myerholts, who 
was born in Germany in 1 8 1 8. Her father, 
John F. Myerholts, was born about 1795, 
and served in the memorable battle of 
Waterloo, as did the paternal grandfather 
of our subject; both spent their last days 
in America, and were buried in the old 
Damschroder cemetery. When a young 
girl, the mother of our subject worked out 
by the week, and gave her earning for the 
support of her younger brothers and 
sisters. On different occasions she walked 
to Fremont, purchased a bushel of pota- 
toes and carried them home, walking 
through the mud. Such were the experi- 
ences which fell to the lot of the early 
pioneer. She has lived, however, to see 
the country develop from a wilderness 
into one of the best counties of the State, 
and also to see her children, for whom 
she struggled hard, now in a prosperous 
condition. 

Our subject was only four years old 
when his parents removed to Woodville 



672 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



township, Sandusky county, where he 
lived until twenty-one years of age. He 
attended the district schools of the neigh- 
borhood, which were held in log build- 
ings, and in this way and through his own 
efforts has secured a liberal education, 
which has enabled him to become one of 
the successful business men of Ottawa 
county. In 1859 he started in business 
for himself as a salesman in the store 
owned by his father and J. H. Blinn. At 
the end of two years the father purchased 
his partner's interest and built a store on 
his farm near Woodville, of which our 
subject had charge for several years. In 
1864 he removed his stock of goods to 
Elmore, establishing a store in what is 
now a part of the ' ' Elmore House, " there 
remaining two years. He then spent 
three years on the opposite side of the 
street, after which he purchased the stock 
of Beach & Wilson, where he continued 
for sixteen years, when he built the hand- 
some brick block that he now owns and 
occupies, and where he has been located 
for eleven years. He carries a full stock 
of general merchandise, and his annual 
sales amount to $1 5,000, being one of the 
largest trades in the county. 

In I S63 Mr. Damschroder wedded 
Mary Frese, daughter of Henry and 
Louise (Heilbrant) Frese, and born Oc- 
tober 15, 1S44, in Woodville, where she 
lived until her marriage at the age of 
eighteen years. Her father was born in 
Germany, in 181 3, her mother in 181 5, 
and in 1838 they came to America, locat- 
ing in Woodville township, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, where Mr. Frese died in 1853. 
Five years later his widow married R. 
Berleman, and about 1865 they removed 
to Toledo, Ohio, where her death occurred 
April 6, 1893, when she was aged seventy- 
eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Frese had 
seven children: Henry, Louis, Charlotte, 
Mar)', Augustus, Charles and Louise, all 
of whom, with the exception of Henry, 
are living in Ohio, his home being in Min- 
nesota, 



Mr. and Mrs. Damschroder have nine 
children, their names and dates of birth 
being as follows: Henry L. , June 5, 1864; 
John Henry R. , October 10, 1866; Clara, 
April 26, 1869; Dora Louise, January 27, 
1 871; Bertha H., January 12, 1874; 
Augusta F., June 24, 1S76; Nellie, Jan- 
uary I, 1879; Charles F., May 14, 1881; 
and Edwin Frese, March 27, 1883. They 
have a fine home on Main street, and the 
elder children aid the father in carrying 
on their excellent store. Mrs. Dam- 
schroder is also daily found at the store, 
and is of great assistance to her husband 
in his business. He is an energetic and 
progressive business man, and their suc- 
cess is the just reward of their own 
efforts. While of German parentage, 
Mr. Damschroder is a loyal American, 
believing full}' in the principles of our 
government, and, although his business 
interests are extensive, he yet finds time 
to keep well informed on the subjects of 
the day, and to materially advance the 
interests of town and county. He is 
eminently public spirited, and no citizen 
of the community is held in higher regard 
or has more warm friends. 



AUGUSTUS HELLWIG is one of 
the most enterprising young men 
of Benton township, Ottawa coun- 
ts', of which he is a native, having 
been born September 9, 1870, on the 
farm which he now superintends, son of 
Justis and Elizabeth (Lang) Hellwig. 

Justis Hellwig was born February 1 1, 
1837, in Germany, where he was edu- 
cated. In 1 8 54 he came to Canada, where 
he lived until he was twenty-three years 
old, in i860 removing to Benton town- 
ship, Ottawa Co., Ohio, where, in 1861, 
he and Mr. Fred Kewit purchased 160 
acres of land in Section 19, which they 
divided equally between them. In 1864 
Mr. Hellwig bought the portion belonging 
to Mr. Kewit, becoming the owner of the 
entire tract. On March 30, 1862, he was 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPniCAL RECORD. 



673 



married to Miss Elizabeth Lang, of Can- 
ada, and the young couple settled on 
their new farm, then a wilderness, on 
which Mr. Hellwig had worked one year, 
keeping " bachelor's hall." They moved 
into a log cabin until a better house could 
be erected, and, by hard toil, he and his 
faithful helpmeet succeeded in makmg for 
themselves one of the finest homes in Ot- 
tawa county. They cleared off the farm, 
fenced it, put on the buildings, put out 
fruit trees and made it a really modern 
farm, continuing its improvement up to 
Mr. Hellwig's death, which occurred 
March 19, 1880. Mr. Hellwig was treas- 
urer of the township eleven years, and for 
several years was township trustee, also 
serving as real-estate assessor one term. 
Politically he was a Democrat. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Hellwig were born 
nine children, theirnames and datesof birth 
being as follows: Anna G., January 21, 
1863; Catherine Elizabeth, October 14, 
1864; George P., September 15, 1866; 
John Henry, June 23,1868; Augustus G., 
September 9, 1870; John Ernest, October 
13, 1872; William E., January i, 1875; 
Emma Augusta, December 9, 1876, and 
Carl P., May 22, 1878. Of these, Emma 
died May 29, 1^77 ; Catherine on March 
23, 1880; Anna on December 9, 1880, 
and George on November 29,1887. John 
H. was married in June, 1891, to Elva 
Hammond, of Elliston. Mrs. Hellwig 
was born February i, 1838, in Canada, 
where she was educated, living there until 
her marriage, from which time she was a 
faithful wife and kind mother. Since her 
husband's death she has continued to con- 
duct the farm, and has erected a large 
barn and made other improvements, prov- 
ing her ability in man)' ways to manage 
an extensive business. Ilcr father, Detrick 
Lang (maternal grandfather of our sub- 
ject), was born about 1800, in Germany, 
and was by trade a wagon maker. He 
was killed at the raising of a barn. His 
wife, Margaret (Bates), was born about 
1805, in Germany, and they were the 



parents of four children — two sons and 
two daughters — Margaret, Casper, Eliza- 
beth and Peter. Jolm Hellwig, paternal 
grandfather of the gentleman whose name 
opens this sketch, was born about 1804, 
in Germany, and married Anna Hetrick, 
who was born in that country about 1806. 
They were the parents of seven children, 
only one of whom is now living. John 
Hellwig died in 1864, his wife in 1865. 

Augustus Hellwig attended the public 
schools of Elliston, completing his stud- 
ies at the age of twenty. After his 
father's death the farm was left to the 
supervision of the mother and her older 
son Augustus, who remained on the place, 
working for his mother until 1893, when 
he took the management of it himself. 
He now superintends all the business of 
the farm, owns horses and machinery, 
and is carrying on a modern farming busi- 
ness on 160 acres of fine farming land, 
doing all the work with the aid of only one 
man, hired by the month. In addition to 
his farming interests he is also a stock- 
holder in the Graytown Elgin Butter Co., 
of Graytown, Ohio. His output of crops 
annually is about thirty-five acresof wheat, 
forty acres of hay, and twenty-five acres 
of corn. He is also successfully engaged 
in raising fruit, principally apples, pears 
and plums. 

On November 28, 1S95, Mr. Hellwig 
was married to Miss Emma T. I\riegcr, 
of Graytown, Ohio, who was born July 
24, 1868, at Klein Ehrenberg, Province 
of Brandenburg, Germany, where she 
was educated. In 1882 she came to 
America with her parents, locating at 
Graytown, Ohio, where they moved on 
a farm and there lived until Mr. Krieger's 
death, in 1892, after which the family re- 
moved into Graytown. In Germany Mrs. 
Emma T. (Krieger) Hellwig's father, 
William Kreiger, was a shepherd. He 
was born at Brandenburg, Germany, Sep- 
tembe r2 5, 1825, and was married in i860 
to Louisa Shertz, who was born Decem- 
ber 24, 1837, also at Brandenburg. To 



f)74 



COMMEMORATIVE BTOGRAPHWAL RECORD. 



them were born five children, their names 
and dates of birth being as follows: Har- 
man G., October 25, 1861; Bertha A., 
May 2, 1863; Mary L. , December 27, 
1865; Emma T., July 24, 1868; Augusta 
W. , August 6, 1873. William Krieger 
died March 24, 1892, near Graytown. 
Harman G. died, in 1868, at Branden- 
burg, Germany. 

Politically Mr. Hellwig is a Democrat, 
and a zealous worker for the success of 
his party. In religious affiliation he is a 
member of the Lutheran Church of Ellis- 
ton. In addition to his ability as a busi- 
ness man Mr. Hellwig is also an able mu- 
sician, and is the leader and instructor of 
the Elliston Cornet Band, one of the best 
in the county. The children of this fam- 
ily are all musicians, but at present he is 
the most devoted to it. He is a highly- 
respected young man, both in social and 
business circles, and his uprightness in 
every way has gained him universal good 
will. 



ALFRED G. WITTE, one of the 
most successful business men of 
Elmore, Ottawa county, is pos- 
sessed of the true spirit of Wes- 
tern progress and enterprise. He is 
numbered among the native sons of Otta- 
wa county, his birth having occurred in 
Harris township, October 17, 1861, and 
he has always lived in that locality. His 
primary education, acquired in the com- 
mon schools, was supplemented by a course 
in the high school of Elmore, at which 
he was graduated in 1878. He remained 
at home until twentj'-one years of age, and 
on the 31st of October, 1882, went to a 
home of his own. 

Ludwig Conrad Adolph Witte, pater- 
nal grandfather of our subject, was born 
in Guitersloh, Germany, in 1783, and in 
1813 he was married to Katherine Ost- 
haus. They had a family of eight chil- 
dren — five sons and three daughters: 



Henry, Ludwig, Fred, William, Charles, 
Johanna, Dora and Katherine. Charles 
Witte, the father of our subject, came to 
this country in 1854, and was married at 
Elmore, Ohio, in 1858, to Fredericke 
Frank, by whom he had eight children, 
their names and dates of birth being as 
follows: Clara, Januarj' 9, 1859; Alfred 
G., October 17, 1861; Emma, October 
26, 1863; William, January 4, 1865; 
Ernst, March 23, 1870; Bertha, February 
5, 1873; Edmund, March 12, 1878. and 
Franciska, September 9, 1880, died De- 
cember 30, 1 881. 

William Godfrey Frank, maternal 
grandfather of our subject, was born in 
Oren, Germany, January 6, 1792, where 
he was reared. At the age of twenty-one 
he joined the German armj', and served 
as a sergeant of riflemen in the struggle 
against Napoleon Bonaparte. He par- 
ticipated in four battles, namely, those of 
Strassburg, Sens, Montereau and Epinai, 
receiving medals for bravery, all, how- 
ever, on account of his political opinions, 
being subsequently taken from him except 
one, which his daughter still has in her 
possession. At the battle of Epinai he 
was captured, and was held prisoner one 
year, when he was released, the war hav- 
ing ended. During the time he was in 
the army he was married to Kegina Kober, 
and three daughters were born to them: 
Caroline, Louisa and Fredericke. The 
last named who is the mother of Mr. 
Witte, was born July 13, 1836, in Stutt- 
gart, Wurtemburg, Germany, where she 
lived till sixteen years of age, at which 
time she came to America. In 1858, at 
Elmore, Ohio, she married Charles Witte, 
as above related. 

On October 3 1, 1883, Alfred G. Witte, 
our subject, married Miss Evelyn Pratt, 
of Elmore, daughter of Kellogg and Cor- 
delia (Billings) Pratt. She was born No- 
vember 14, 1859, in Harris township, 
Ottawa county, and completed a course 
in the Elmore schools in 1877. Her fa- 
ther was born in New York, August 18, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHIOAL RECORD. 



675 



1 8 19, and was married March 31, 1847. 
I'or three years they lived in New York, 
after which they spent a 3'ear in Pensau- 
kee, Wis., whence they removed to San- 
dusky county, Ohio. Two years later 
they came to Ottawa county, and the 
father purchased a farm in Harris town- 
ship. About 1S70 he boup;ht a home in 
Ehnore, where he hved until his death, 
December 14, 1878. Mrs. Pratt was born 
in New York, April 10, 1830, and by her 
inarriafje became the mother of foLir chil- 
dren: (i) Emma, born July 18, 1S51, was 
married in May, 1878, to Arthur Harrison, 
and they have one child — Ellen, born 
November 3, 1878. (2) Mary Eliza, born 
March 9, 1858, has for seventeen years 
been a successful teacher, and for the past 
four years has taught in Elmore; she ob- 
tained her education in the Normal School 
at Ada, Ohio, and in Oberlin College. 
(3) Mrs. Witte is the next younger. (4) 
Elnora, born October 17, 1870, is a grad- 
uate of the Toledo Music School, and is 
now teaching music. 

Abner Pratt, the paternal grandfather 
of Mrs. Witte, was born in 1788 and 
died in 1850. His wife, Rhoda (Billings) 
Pratt, was born in 1786 and died in 1864. 
They had twelve children, of whom ten 
reached mature years. Augustus Billings, 
the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Witte, 
was born about 1773, and was the eldest 
in a family of six children. W'hen a 
young man he went on a whaling expedi- 
tion and was taken as a prisoner to 
France, where he remained two years. 
In 1803 he was married to Clarissa Eng- 
lish, of Medina county, N. Y. , who was 
born in 1781, and they became the par- 
ents of seven children^ — six sons and a 
daughter — two of whom are now living. 
The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Witte's 
mother was born about 1748, and married 
Lucina Earrington, who was born about 
the same time. Her grandfather, John 
English, served for three j'ears in the I\ev- 
olution, and was with Gen. Washington 
during the memorable winter at Valley 



Forge. During the war for Independence 
he married Desire Bagley. 

Mr. and Mrs. W^itte, for five years 
after their marriage, lived upon a farm, 
our subject purchasing a tract of land 
and also operating that which belonged 
to his father. He then rented his place 
and removed to Elmore, where he is en- 
gaged in the meat business. He runs two 
wagons in the country, supplj'ing the 
Genoa market and also an extensive home 
market. In addition to his business in 
dressed meats, he buys and ships cattle, 
sheep and hogs, and has an extensive 
trade. He is a lover of a fine horse and 
a dealer in thoroughbreds. His business 
has been a very profitable one, and in ad- 
dition to his farm and market he owns a 
fine home on Toledo street. Four chil- 
dren came to bless the home, of whom 
Jack, born May 23, 1877, died March 19, 
1 89 1, and was buried in the Gus ceme- 
tery ; the others are Bertha, born August 
24, 1883 ; Florence, born November 3, 
1884; and Carl, born March 6, 1886. 
The parents are widely and favorably 
known in the locality where they live, 
and have a large circle of warm friends. 
Mr. Witte is a member of the Knights of 
Pythias. In politics he is a Democrat, 
and is serving as a member of the coun- 
cil of Elmore, while as an official and 
private citizen he gives his support to all 
interests that are calculated to prove of 
public benefit. 



HART BEARSS, a leading and in- 
fluential citizen of Ottawa county, 
residing on Catawba Island, claims 
New York State as the place of 
his nativity, where he first opened his eyes 
to the light of day, in Putnam county, 
October 14, 1840. He is descended from 
one of the early families of that region. 
His grandparents, Joseph T. and Annie 
Bearss, had a family of thirteen children, 
of whom eight are still living, namely: 
Mary, widow of George W. Bailey; Gid- 



GTO 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



eon H. ; Louisa, widow of William Shep- 
herd, and a resident of Wood county, 
Ohio; Joseph T., of Ottawa county, Ohio; 
David, who is living in Lucas county, 
Ohio; Orson, a resident of Bureau county, 
111. ; Lucinda, wife of Ashabell Burke, of 
Portage township, Ottawa county; and 
Flora, widow of Wheeler Porter. 

Gideon H. Bearss, the father of our 
subject, is a retired fruit grower, and the 
oldest survivingpioneer settler of Catawba 
Island — a man honored and revered by all 
who know him. He was born in New 
Fairfield, Fairfield Co., Conn., August 3, 
1 8 1 5, and is a son of Joseph T. and Annie 
(Hubble) Bearss, who were also natives 
of the Nutmeg State. Like many boys of 
that day he had very limited advantages 
for procuring even a primary education, 
the duties pertaining to farm life requiring 
all his time in his bojhood days. In 1S31, 
when sixteen years of age, he left home 
and went to Putnam county, N. Y., 
where he learned the trade of shoemaking, 
following that business for thirteen years. 
In 1844 he removed to Ohio, locating on 
Catawba Island which at that time was 
known as Van Rensselaer township, and 
was an almost unbroken wilderness. Here 
he entered land and made a home for his 
family, willing heart and hands soon enabl- 
ing him to convert the raw land into a fruit- 
ful farm. In peace and contentment he has 
here lived for over fifty years, and now in 
his declining days he has given over the 
care of the farm to his children, while he 
is resting in the enjoyment of the fruits of 
his former toil. Manj' a lesson might well 
be learned from his well-spent life, which 
shows what can be accomplished by in- 
dustry, integrity and perseverance in a 
land where merit is not hampered by caste 
or class. 

Gideon Bearss was married in Putnam 
county, N. Y. , October 6, 1835, to Betsy 
Turner, daughter of Adam and Eunice 
(Rockwell) Turner. She was born in that 
county, July 12, 1809, and died on Ca- 
tawba Island, March 23, 1S78. They 



became the parents of five children, two 
of whom died in iafa:icy; George Henry 
died at Chattanooga, Tenn., while nobly 
aiding in the defense of the old flag, and 
the cause it represented; Clarasia became 
the wife of Henry Wonnell, of Portage 
township, Ottawa county, and has also 
passed away, leaving our subject the only 
surviving member of the family. The 
father has served for many years as town- 
ship trustee, and has acceptablj' filled 
other local offices. He cast his lirst 
Presidential vote for William Henry Har- 
rison, and was a stanch supporter of the 
Whig party, until the organization of the 
■ Republican party, with which he has been 
identified since its inception. 

When a child of onl}' four years Hart 
Bearss came with his parents to Catawba 
Island, whereon he has since resided, and 
during this period has witnessed its devel- 
opment from a wilderness into fine farms 
and fruit orchards, dotted with beautiful 
residences. He received a limited educa- 
tion in the village school of his day, and 
for over forty years has been connected 
with the fishing business, but for the past 
six 3'ears has devoted his entire time and 
attention to the cultivation of fruit. He 
has to-day one of the finest orchards on 
the Island, and the excellent variety of 
fruit which he raises finds a ready sale on 
the market. 

On May 29, 1863, on Catawba Is- 
land was celebrated the marriage of Mr. 
Bearss and Miss Catherine Rogers, who 
was born in Seneca county, Ohio, Feb- 
ruary 26, 1844, a daughter of Thomas 
and Verlinda Rebecca (Wheeler) Rogers, 
the former a native of England, and the 
latter of Maryland. About 1859 they lo- 
cated on the Island where they continued 
to live until called to the home beyond, 
the father dying in October, 1870, and 
the mother October 6, 1894. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Bearss were born five children: 
Alvertes, born June 29, 1863, married to 
Kate Gron October 30, 1889; Gusta 
Amelia, born October 23, 1865, the wife 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPIIWAL RECORD. 



677 



of Oliver H. Elliott, of Elyria, Ohio; 
George H., born January 15, 1868, killed 
August 15, 1887, by a fall from the 
Poughkeepsie (N. Y.) Bridge; Jennie L. , 
born November 12, 1871, now the wife 
of William Freer; and Carrie E., born 
October 26, i 874, the wife of William F. 
Leinbach, operator on the Lake Shore & 
Michigan Southern railroad, at Marble 
Head Junction, Ottawa county. 

Mr. Bearss has served as trustee of 
his township for four terms, and has 
filled other offices. He is a worthy mem- 
ber of Port Clinton Lodge, No. 341, F. 
& A. M. ; Catawba Island Lodge, No. 
2783, Knights of Honor; and during the 
Civil war he joined the one-hundred-day 
men of Company K, One Hundred and 
Thirty-ninth O. V. I., doing guard duty 
at Point Lookout, Md. In politics he is 
a stalwart Republican, is a wide-awake 
and progressive citizen, and one of the 
most esteemed residents of Catawba Is- 
land. The family attend the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, of which his wife and 
daughter Jennie are worthy members, 
and all who know them hold them in high 
regard. They have just completed their 
handsome dwelling on the old farm. 



ELIJAH LATTIMORE, who is en- 
gaged in general farming and stock 
raising, is a native of the town- 
ship in which he still resides. He 
was born February 5, 1833, on the old 
place in Bay township, Ottawa county, 
and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Stan- 
ley) Lattimore, both of whom were na- 
tives of England, and located in San- 
dusky county, Ohio, July 4, 1824. In 
March, 1829, they took up their residence 
in Bay township, which at that time was 
an almost unbroken wilderness. 

The father had come to America 
when a young man, and had settled first 
in Gjorgetown, D. C, four miles from 
the city of Washington, where he fought 



the British troops during the war of 18 12. 
Aftjr t'.ie close of that struggle he engagjd 
in vegetable gardening for about four 
years. Subsequently he removed to In- 
diana, where he was married, and in 
April, 1824, he started from that State on 
a journey to Ohio, traveling with his own 
team. During the third day of the jour- 
ney, while his horses were hitched to a 
tree by the roadside, eating their noon- 
day meal, a wind storm arose which blew 
down the tree and killed both horses. 
In consequence he was obliged to hire 
teams to convey himself and family on 
their way. From 1829 until October, 
1 8 57, they were continuous residents of 
Bay township, Ottawa county, at the lat- 
ter date removing to Rice township, San- 
dusky county. The father died there 
August 29, 1869, and the mother's death 
occurred in Port Clinton, October 27, 
1876. 

Our subject received but limited ed- 
ucational privileges, pursuing his studies 
in an old log schoolhouse, but his train- 
ing at farm labor was not meagre. From 
his early boyhoood he has been engaged 
in agricultural pursuits, and thorough- 
ly understands the business in all its 
details. He was married in Port 
Clinton, April 5, i860, to Christina 
McRitchie, a daughter of John and 
Elizabeth (Richardson) McRitchie, both 
of whom were natives of Scotland, the 
former born April 13, 1801, the latter in 
1809. They located in Bay township, 
Ottawa county, at a very early day in the 
history of this localitj', becoming residents 
in 1836. From that date until his death, 
Mr. McRitchie was prominently identified 
with its growth and development. He 
passed through all the trials and hard- 
ships of pioneer life, but lived to see this 
become a fertile region, inhabited by a 
progressive class of citizens. He died De- 
cember 15, 1888, and his wife crossed the 
river of death January 2, 1887. Their 
family numbered seven children, as fol- 
lows: George, born November 15, 1839, 



678 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 



was killed in the war of the Rebellion, 
near Atlanta, Ga., June 14. i<S64, while 
nobly serving in defense of his country; 
William, born August 29, 1845, died 
September 22, 1847; John, born January 
24, 1848, died September 24, 1850. The 
other members of the family are still liv- 
ing: Margaret, born in Perthshire, Scot- 
land, April 13, 1834, is the widow of 
William L. Cole, and is now residing in 
Port Clinton, Ohio; David R. , born in 
Perthshire, February 4, 1836, is a lead- 
ing agriculturist of Bay township, Ottawa 
county; Christina, born in Baj' township, 
February 6, 1842, is the wife of our sub- 
ject; and Mary E., born in Bay township. 
September 26, 1851, is the wife of W. A. 
Wonneli. 

Nine children grace the union of Mr. 
and Mrs. Lattimore, to wit: Robert John, 
who was born March 28, 1861, and is still 
living on the old home place; I. Elmer, 
born February 16, 1863, died February 
23, I S65; Mary Ida. born March 26, 1864, 
died August 10, following; Maggie Belle, 
born November 18, 1865, now the wife of 
H. D. Lockwood, of Plasterbed, Ohio; 
Elizabeth Jane, born January 25, 1868, 
the wife of H. L. Hineline, of Port Clin- 
ton; Harry E., born June 25, 1871, died 
August 3, same year; Mattie Adell, born 
January 16, 1873, now the wife of Frank 
Mackey, of Bay township, Ottawa county; 
Addie May, born July 27, 1875; and 
Amos, born January 16, 1881. 

Mr. Lattimore, recognized as a valued 
citizen, has been honored with a number 
of public offices of trust. In 1864 and 
1S65 he served as county auditor; was 
county commissioner for two successive 
terms; served as township treasurer some 
ten years; was township assessor ten 
years; land assessor one year; and has 
filled other local positions. He supports 
by his ballot the men and measures of the 
Democracy. Socially, he is connected 
with Port Clinton Lodge, No. 627, I. O. 
O. F. , and Lake Erie Encampment, and 
has filled every office in both; he is also a 



member of the Knights of Honor, and 
his family attends iho Method'st Episcopal 
Church. 



RUDOLPH HARTMAN was born 
in Germany September 21, 1825, 
a son of John H. and Clarissa 
Hartman, and died August 28, 
1895. He was one of two children, the 
other being Eliza, who married Henry 
Myers, and died December 21, 1894, near 
Elmore. 

The father of our subject came to 
America in 1830, locating in Woodville 
township, and, having no money, he bor- 
rowed a few dollars to buy twenty-five 
acres of land, which was then worth ten 
shillings ($1.25) per acre. The pioneer 
forests were then unbroken, the streams 
unbridged, and they had to go on foot to 
Lower Sandusky for supplies, and carry 
their articles by hand or on their backs, 
as the woods were impassable for horses 
or vehicles. Mr. Hartman bought a large 
coffee-mill, in which he and the neighbors 
used to grind their grain into meal for 
bread. Wild deer roamed at will in the 
woods, and could be seen in large herds; 
but those early Germans were not used to 
firearms, and had neither money nor guns, 
so the deer were at first left untouched. 
The simplest fare was then a luxury to 
these pioneers. Food was often scarce, 
and it was not an unusual thing for people 
to go hungry for want of it. 

When the father died Rudolph bought 
his sister's interest in the estate. He 
learned the trade of carpenter, at which 
he worked in Wood and Sandusky coun- 
ties, and in the early days he also oper- 
ated a threshing machine, and by working 
over a wide e.xtent of territory made some 
money. He owned 350 acres of land in 
Woodville township and eighty-five acres 
in Wood county, on which there are twen- 
ty-five oil wells in operation. He received 
$10,000 for the oil lease of his land, be- 
sides one-sixth of the oil. Mr. Hartman 






■ftet^^L^^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



679 



fully appreciated the abundance of wealth 
that had been placed at his disposal, and 
he thoroughly educated his family, and 
started his children well in life. In poli- 
tics he was a Democrat, and in religious 
faith a member of the Lutheran Church. 
He always took an active part in develop- 
ing the educational interests of his com- 
munity. 

On February 2, 1851, Rudolph Hart- 
man married Miss Anna Marie Louisa 
Sielschott, who was born September 10, 
1834, in Germany. Their children were: 
John, born June 12, 1853, died May i, 
1864; Henry, born February 19, 1 856, 
died April 22, 1864; Mary C, born De- 
cember 25, 1851, died January 2, 1852; 
William, born August 25, 1859, died Oc- 
tober 22, i860; Frederick, born Septem- 
ber 22, 1861, married Miss Lizzie Bruns, 
and they have two children — Oscar and 
Lydia; Louis, born July 21, 1864, mar- 
ried Minnie Bruns, and they have three 
children — Otto, Carl and Alma; Louisa, 
born July 18, 1866. married John Swan, 
and has three children — Lydia. Mabel 
and Clarence; Sophia, born July i, 1871, 
married William Leopold, and has one 
child — Arthur; George, born July 3, 1874, 
has been educated in the German and the 
public schools; Henry, born February 28, 
1880. Mr. Hartman was a man of in- 
telligence and moral worth, a kind hus- 
band and father, an enterprising citizen 
and an obliging neighbor. 

Mrs. Hartman's parents, Garhard and 
Mary (Wilker) Sielschott, also natives of 
the Fatherland, were born in 1806 and 
1805 respectively, and they both died in 
May, 1882, the mother on the 6th, the 
father on the 24th. They were married 
in about 1830, and were pioneers of ^^'ood 
county, Ohio, where they spent their 
days, and where, in Troy township, they 
now lie buried. To them were born four 
children: Engel, widow of Harmon 
Schroeder. of Wood county, who has had 
five children; Anna Marie Louisa, Mrs. 
Hartman; Mary, Mrs. Henry F'rier, of 
43 



Wood county, who has seven children; 
and Fred, who has been twice married, 
first to Julia Mirosey, who had seven chil- 
dren, and died March 20, 1882, after 
which he married Mary Welling, by whom 
he had five children. Mrs. Hartman's 
paternal grandmother, Mary Otten, was 
born about 1760 in Germany, and was 
the mother of four children, all of whom 
are now deceased. 



c 



ARMI G. SANFORD. One of 

the pioneer families of Sandusky 
county is represented at Clyde by 
an individual whom all delight to 
honor — the venerable Carmi G. Sanford, 
first president of the People's Bank. 

Mr. Sanford was born December 28, 
181 8, in Ontario county, N. Y. , son of 
Zachariah and Mary P. (Mantorj Sanford. 
The father was born near Saybrook, Conn. , 
in 1790. In 1808 he left Connecticut 
with his widowed mother, and settled on 
a farm in Madison county, N. Y. There 
he married Mary P. Mantor, who was 
born in Massachusetts in 1798, and had 
migrated with her parents to central New 
York. After their marriage Zachariah 
and Mary Sanford moved to the western 
part of the Empire State, settling on a 
farm in Ontario county. On the farm a fam- 
ily of children was growing up about them, 
and again the spirit of migration moved 
the pioneer. In the fall of 1832 the fa- 
ther brought his family to Townsend 
township, Sanduskv county, where he 
purchased an eighty-acre tract entirely 
covered with forest. \\'ith the aid of his 
half-grown boys Mr. Sanford built a cabin, 
and during the winter made a clearing for 
the spring crops. Gradually the wilder- 
ness was converted into fertile fields, and 
here the peace-loving father concluded 
his life's history. His death occurred 
May 6, 1862, and the wife survived until 
March 17, 1868. It has been said that 
Zachariah Sanford died without an enemy. 
He had brought with him from New En- 



680 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



gland the gentle but invincible spirit of the 
Puritan. He was unobtrusive in manner, 
and hospitable. His neighbors always 
spoke well of him. The wife and mother 
had deep religious convictions, and sought 
to impress the habit of piety upon her 
children. Carmi G. remembers that in 
his boyhood days he was presented by his 
mother with a sheep as a reward for hav- 
ing read the entire Bible. Seven children 
were born to Zachariah and Mary San- 
ford, as follows: Elias M., who was born 
July 17, 1817, and died in Townsend 
township, May 31, 1843, leaving a wife 
and one child; Carmi G.. subject of this 
sketch, born December 28, 181S; Henry 
A., who was born March 4, 1820, married 
Mary, daughter of Daniel Rice, and now 
lives on the home farm; Sally M., born 
December 27, 1826; William B., born 
April 7, 1828; Almira, born July 10, 1832, 
married Samuel H. Tibbals, and died 
leaving no children; George W. , born 
February 2, 1839, a resident of Townsend 
township. 

Carmi G. Sanford was fourteen years 
of age when he came with his parents to 
Sandusky county. He had attended the 
public schools in New York, but in the 
pioneer Ohio home educational facilities 
were few, and the work of clearing the 
farm was imperative. He was an indus- 
trious and willing worker, and remained 
on his father's farm until after he reached 
his majority. Then he purchased for 
himself a forty-acre wooded tract, which 
he afterward traded for another. He was 
married, March 9, 1844, to Lydia Allyn, 
daughter of Isaac and Permelia (Down- 
ing) Allyn. Isaac Allyn was born in Con- 
necticut, September 21, 1786, and at the 
age of eighteen years left home for the 
West. After traveling from place to place 
for several years, he settled in Erie coun- 
ty. About 1820, in company with Jonas 
Gibbs, he settled on the prairie in the 
northern part of Riley township, Sandusky 
count}', and there engaged extensively in 
stockraising. He raised horses and cattle, 



and was a primitive porkpacker on a large 
scale. For a few years he lived at the 
Gibbs cabin, then kept bachelor's hall 
until his marriage, June 12, 1827, to Mrs. 
Permelia Daniels. She was born June 

24. 1795, '1 Windom county. Conn., 
daughter of Cyrus Downing, who, with 
his family, migrated in 1797 to New 
York, and in 1809 to Erie county, Ohio, 
settling near Huron. He was then in 
hostile Indian territory, and prior to the 
outbreak during the war of 18 12 was 
compelled to abandon home and seek 
refuge in the fort at Cleveland. Permelia 
was married in April, 181 3, to Jeremiah 
Daniels. At that time about twenty 
families lived at Huron, and so active were 
Indian depredations in the vicinity that 
they were compelled to leave their homes 
nine times during one year. After the 
death of Mr. Daniels, the widow married 
Isaac Allyn. The latter died January 30, 
1839, and Mrs. Allyn survived until Sep- 
tember 18, 1874, living during the last 
eighteen months of her life with her 
daughter Lydia. Mrs. Allyn was a woman 
of considerable business ability and very 
industrious. One year with her own 
hands she salted more than one hundred 
barrels of pork. To Isaac and Permelia 
Allyn three children were born: Lydia, 
born March 20, 1828; Isaac M., of Riley 
township, born February 8, 1832; Per- 
melia, born Novembers, 1837, died June 

25, 1881. 

After his marriage to Lydia Allyn, 
Carmi G. Sanford began housekeeping in 
a small cabin in Townsend township. It 
was made entirely of logs and puncheons, 
except the door, which was fashioned 
from the boards of a store box. In this 
cabin Mr. Sanford lived for about ten 
years. Onlj- a small part of his little 
farm was cleared, and he had an abun- 
dance of work before him. He kept pace 
with the new methods and machinery for 
farming, and by economj' and industry 
added to his possessions until he owned 
400 well-improved acres. Like his father, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGBAPHICAL RECORD. 



631 



he was a Whig in politics, and in later 
years became a Republican. Sostrongwere 
his political convictions that he quite natur- 
ally became a leader in the community in 
which he lived. During the war he was 
active in encouraging enlistments and in 
caring for the families of soldiers, spend- 
ing time and money freely. When the 
One Hundred and Sixty-ninth O. V. I. 
was formed he was chosen captain of 
Company C, composed of volunteers 
from Riley and Townsend townships, 
and at the regimental organization in 
Fremont he was chosen lieutenant col- 
onel, Nathaniel Ha}nes being elected 
colonel. Lieut. -Col. Sanford had charge 
of the regiment on its march from Fre- 
mont to Sandusky, but through the ca- 
price of Col. Wiley he was relieved from 
service before he had been mustered in, 
much to the regret of the regiment, which 
had become very much attached to him. 
Mr. Sanford has served Townsend town- 
ship as clerk and justice of the peace, 
and his county as infirmary director and 
as county commissioner. He was a mem- 
ber of Clyde Lodge F. & A. M., and of 
Erie Commandery No. 23. In 1882 he 
removed to Clyde. He was one of the 
organizers of the People's Bank, and was 
elected its president, a position he held 
until his death which occurred Sep- 
tember 13, 1894. He was also a mem- 
ber of the marble firm of Sanford & 
Hughes, one of the largest and most act- 
ive business houses of the kind in this 
part of Ohio. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Sanford seven chil- 
dren were born, as follows: Mary P., 
born April 24, 1846, died in infancy; Win- 
field Scott, born August 16, 1847, who mar- 
ried Eliza McCartney, by whom he had 
three children — Carmi G., Jr., Cora and 
Charles F. — and who died September 8, 
1889; Flora A., born February 3, 1850, 
who married James Gaw and died Febru- 
ary 28, 1872; Morgan C, born July 25, 
1861, who married Ida White, and has 
three children — Blake, John H.and Flora; 



Kate L. , born November 7, 1864, died 
March i, 1868; Hattie M., born January 
24, 1868, and married to W. E. Hughes, 
of the marble firm of Sanford & Hughes; 
Charles G. , born January 24, 1871, died 
October 6, 1872. Mrs. Lydia Sanford 
died February 11, 1893. She was a 
whole-souled woman, happy and cheerful 
in temperament, and deeply devoted to 
her husband and children. She made her 
home one of the most attractive in the 
county, and was beloved by ail who knew 
her. Her death was a severe blow to her 
husband. Carmi G. Sanford inherited 
the gentle and courtly manners of his 
father, and by his ever-present considera- 
tion for others he seemed a survivor of an 
earlier type of men. No man speaks un- 
kindly of Carmi G. Sanford, and no man 
in Sandusky county ranks higher in pub- 
lic esteem than did he. He had a striking 
individuality, and such a whole-souled, 
good-natured disposition that all knew 
him and none knew him but to like him. 
He was a friend of the people — the capi- 
talist, the business man, the laborer and 
the street urchin. 



CAPTAN JOHN L. COLE, a pio- 
neer of Sandusky county, was born 
at Greenbush, Rensselaer Co., 
N. Y. , in 1807. He was a son of 
Lucius and Esther Cole, who died about 
the year 181 5, leaving three children — 
John L. , Mary and Lima — who then be- 
came separated and were reared by strang- 
ers. It fell to the lot of our subject to be 
bound out to a sea captain by the name of 
Tift, and to spend his time from the age 
of eight to twenty-one years on a sailing 
vessel in the New York and Liverpool 
trade; so that he did not have the privi- 
lege of attending school a single day 
After he had served his time with this salt- 
water captain, he went to visit his sister, 
Lima, at Cortland, N. Y. , and wintered 
there. In the following spring he re- 
turned to New York City, married Miss 



682 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



Elizabeth French, daughter of a Baptist 
minister, and took a position as captain 
on a packet boat on the Hudson river, 
where he remained until he was twenty- 
four years of age. 

In 1 830 Mr. Cole wasisolicited to come 
to Buffalo, N. Y. , to rig out a brig. This 
he did satisfactorily, and subsequently 
sailed as master of the vessel, for several 
seasons, on the upper lakes, his interven- 
ing winter seasons being spent in rigging 
out other vessels for similar service. He 
sailed for several seasons as captain of the 
"Wabash." About the year 1833 he 
made his first voyage to Lower Sandusky, 
in quest of pipe staves for the Southern 
sugar trade, and in the fall of that year 
laid up his vessel at that port to await its 
spring cargo of staves. While here he 
made the acquaintance of Sardis Birch- 
ard, a leading merchant and a large land 
holder, and bought of him a tract of 480 
acres of land in Scott township, on which 
he made a temporary settlement a few 
years later. In 1842 Mr. Cole and Mr. 
Birchard went to Huron, Erie county, 
and built the schooner ' ' Sardis Birchard. " 
On this vessel, owned by these two men, 
Mr. Cole sailed as captain, hailing from 
the port of Lower Sandusky and running 
the chain of lakes for a number of years, 
until he abandoned the business. He 
carried many cargoes of grain from the 
port of Chicago when the site of that city 
was little better than a malarious marsh. 
n About the year 1850 Capt. Cole sold 
his land in Scott township and bought 
upwards of three hundred acres of the 
Whittaker Reserve, to which he added 
by later purchases from other parties un- 
til he had six hundred acres. This tract, 
which was then a dense forest, he cleared 
up and improved, and it remains to-day a 
fine monument to his industry and skill. 
He was a man of small stature, but pos- 
sessed of untiring energy, practical tact 
and good common sense. Though cast 
upon the wide world without book learn- 
ing, he learned to read men instead, and 



later mastered the rudiments of English 
by the aid of his intelligent and helpful 
wife, so that he could manage his large 
business interests with marked success. 
He was a Republican in politics, and his 
wife was a member of the M. E. Church, 
Fremont. The children of Capt. J. L. 
and Elizabeth Cole were: Frances M., 
wife of J. C. Barnes, of St. Lawrence 
county, N. Y. , a student five years at 
Oberlin College (their children were John, 
Arthur, Charles, and Frank); John W., 
who died at the age of fifteen; Sardis B., 
sketch of whom follows; Hannah E., wife 
of George W. Stull, residing on the Cole 
homestead (their children were — Ida, El- 
bert, Frank, Robert, Eva, Claud and 
Fanny) ; Mercy, wife of Judge William F. 
Bailey, of Armenia, N. Y. , who removed 
to Eau Claire, Wis. , where she died, leav- 
ing no children. Sarah L. , wife of A. L. 
Dodge, druggist, of Eau Claire, Wis. , 
whose children were — Bert, Sadie, Jessie 
and Jamie; Emma, wife of S. J. Ludwick, 
of Fremont, Ohio (she died without issue); 
and Evaline, wife of L. G. Hamilton, 
jeweller, Fremont (they have one child — 
Mildred). 

After the death of his wife, Elizabeth 
(French), Junes, 1872, Capt. Cole mar- 
ried on Januarj' 14, 1875, Miss Sarah A. 
Hineline, a daughter of Hugh B. and Re- 
becca (Lattig) Hineline. His death oc- 
curred March 18, 1889, and he was buried 
in Oak Wood Cemetery. His widow re- 
sides in Fremont, Ohio. 



SARDIS B. COLE, retired farmer, 
of Fremont, Sandusky county, 
was born in Scott township, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, September 8, 
1842, a son of Capt. J. L. and Elizabeth 
(French) Cole. His early life was spent 
in the heart of the I-5lack Swamp, in his 
native township, and when eight years of 
age he came with his father's family to 
live on the historic Whittaker Reserve, 
about two miles north of Lower Sandusky. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



683 



Here he grew to manhood amid the cares 
and labors of farm life, and attending the 
home schools and those of Fremont village. 

In the year i860 he entered Oberlin 
College with the object of taking a course 
of study, but on the outbreak of the 
Civil war, when farm laborers became 
scarce, he was obliged to abandon his 
books and assist his father on the home 
farm. He afterward took a commercial 
course at Oberlin, Ohio, and served as 
bookkeeper for I. T. Lyon, of Cleveland, 
Ohio. He retained his home with his 
parents until 1866, when he married 
Miss Margaret E. Hyatt, daughter of J. 
W. Hyatt, of Sandusky township. They 
settled upon a farm in that township, 
comprising about 240 acres of choice land, 
where they lived about twenty-two years. 
Their children were: Charles W. , a 
banker at Hartford City, Ind., who mar- 
ried Miss Elizabeth Winning, of that city; 
John B., a farmer who married Miss Mat- 
tie Ernst, and lives on the Sardis Cole 
farm; Grace E., who died at the age of 
seventeen, just after having completed a 
course of study at St. Paul, Minn. ; Sar- 
dis B., Jr., a grocer of Hartford City, 
Ind.; George D., and Jessie, attending 
the Fremont city schools. 

Sardis B. Cole is a Republican in poli- 
tics, and a member of the M. E. Church. 
He is also an active member of Croghan 
Lodge, No. yj, I. O. O. F. ; a member 
of the Pioneer and Historical Society of 
Sandusky county; president of the Agri- 
cultural Society, and a liberal contributor 
to various benevolent enterprises. In 
1892 he removed to Fremont, and now 
occupies a residence near the M. E. 
Church, on Main street. 



JAMES ROSEN'BERGER, a promi- 
nent farmer of Sandusky township, 
Sandusky county, was born in the 
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, near 
the famous battle-ground, January i, 
1 8 19, a son of Henry and Jane (Shawl) 



Rosenberger, the former of whom was 
born in Virginia, and was a farmer. His 
parents came from Germany. 

Grandfather Henry Rosenberger came 
to this country in early life, and was mar- 
ried in Virginia. The grandfather of our 
subject, on mother's side, was bound out 
to work for payment of passage to this 
country; he settled in Virginia. Grand- 
father Nicholas Shawl came to Seneca 
county after our subject's father came 
here. Both grandfathers came to Seneca 
county in 1818, bought land, and returned 
to Virginia. The paternal grandfather 
died in Virginia, the maternal grandfather 
in Seneca county, Ohio. The father of 
our subject came to Ohio in October, 
1823, locating in Seneca township, Seneca 
Co., Ohio, on land his father had bought. 
Our subject's uncle John was a distiller 
and a miller in V'irginia, in the Shenan- 
doah Valley, which occupations he gave 
up, entering a quarter section of land in 
Seneca county, Ohio, in 1822. The near- 
est neighbor the Rosenberger's had at that 
time was four miles distant. When go- 
ing to see their neighbors they were guided 
by blazed trees along the way. Uncle 
John lived there about twenty-five years, 
and then moved to Iowa. The father 
of our subject was one of three sons who 
went there. There were six children by 
the first marriage, two by the last: Our 
subject's father lived in Seneca county 
until 1853, and died in Tiffin, aged eighty- 
nine. Our subject's mother was born in 
Virginia, and died at the age of seventy- 
four. The father was a Republican in 
politics, originally a Whig. They were 
members of the M. E. Church. James 
Rosenberger was one of eleven children: 
Subject, Elizabeth, William, George, Har- 
riet. David, Martha, John, Eliza, Jacob, 
and Anna, who died in infancy. Ten of 
these grew up to maturity. 

Our subject attended school in a log 
schoolhousc which had a chimney built 
of sticks plastered with mud or clay mor- 
tar. In 1843 he married, in Sandusky 



684 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



county, Miss Mary Ramsberg^, who was 
born in Maryland, November 3, 18 17. 
She is yet living. There were eight chil- 
dren born to this union: (i) Mariba M., 
born January 10, 1845, married Silas 
Saffel, and had children — William, Gus- 
tave, Jennie, George, Bertie, and Pearl. 
(2) Lucinda, born April 13, 1848, mar- 
ried Wallace Knight, whose children 
were — Oliver, Bertha, Clara, George, 
Robert and LeRoy. (3) Perry F., born 
March 15, 1850, married Anna Hummel, 
whose children were — Arthur, Burt, Er- 
mie, George, Ollie, and Willie. (4) Amos 
E., born June 17, 1852, died in infancy. 
(5) John A., born June 28, 1854, died 
when twenty-one years old. (6) Theo- 
dore, born July 12, 1856, by his first mar- 
riage had one child — Clarence — and by 
his second marriage had two children, 
LeRoy and one whose name is not given; 
they live in Kansas. (7) Mary Jane 
Rosenberger, born January 24, 1859, 
married David Burgoon; they have no 
children. 

In 1846 our subject came to Sandusky 
township, locating on Muskallonge creek, 
and he has been on his present farm since 
1854. It was then all woods. He 
cleared it up himself. He remembers 
distinctly the political campaign of 1840, 
known in history as the " Log Cabin and 
Hard Cider" campaign, which resulted in 
the election of Gen. William H. Harri- 
son to the Presidency. Mr. Rosenberger 
helped to build a log cabin out of all 
buckeye logs, at Tiffin, Ohio, on which 
they put a clapboard roof, a barrel of 
hard cider on top, a flagstaff with the 
United States flag, and on top of the pole 
a live raccoon. 



JAMES H. McRITCHIE, postmaster 
at Port Clinton, Ottawa county, was 
born in Bay township, Ottawa Co., 
Ohio, September 24, 1854, a son of 
David and Jane (Yule) McRitchie, who 
were married in Forfarshire, Scotland. 



The parents of our subject emigrated 
to America in 1832. After arriving in 
New York City they journeyed westward 
to Buffalo, there taking passage on a ves- 
sel, bound for Chicago, where they ex- 
pected to meet some friends. The ves- 
sel, however, was wrecked in a storm 
near the harbor of Port Clinton, and they 
were taken ashore at that place, stopped 
at a brick hotel that now forms part of 
the ' ' Lake House, " kept bj' John Mitchell. 
This was in August, 1832. Mr. Mc- 
Ritchie relinquished his plan of going to 
Chicago, and instead bought a farm of 
120 acres of timbered land in Bay town- 
ship, Ottawa county, which he cleared 
and which served him and his family as a 
home for many years. The countrj' was 
then almost a wilderness, and the pio- 
neers endured many privations. There 
was no work for laboring people at which 
they could earn money, except in the 
quarries at Plaster Bed, and that was 
seven miles from his farm. He was ac- 
customed to go to his work on Monday 
morning, returning on Saturday evening, 
carrying provisions with him for a week, 
and was often obliged to take his pay in 
dry goods and groceries and such like, 
in lieu of money. As soon as he was able 
to purchase an ox team he got his supplies 
from Lower Sandusky (now Fremont), 
which occupied two days — one to go and 
one to return. Having received a fairly 
liberal education in Scotland, Mr. Mc- 
Ritchie was well qualified to fill various 
positions of honor and trust to which he 
was afterward elected. He held the of- 
fices of township clerk and justice of the 
peace; later (1848! was elected auditor of 
Ottawa county, which office he held nine 
years, and in 1874 was elected county 
treasurer, in which incumbency he served 
four years. He was a member of the 
Presbyterian Church, and was an enter- 
prising and public-spirited citizen. He 
died April 7. 1883, after which his widow 
remained on the homestead until 1888, 
when she went to live with her son James 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



085 



H., at Port Clinton. Their children 
were: Jeannette, William, Maria, Ellen, 
John D., Jane, Nancy, David and James 
H., all born in Bay township, Ottawa 
Co., Ohio. Of these, Jeannette died in 
childhood; William died at the age of 
twenty-six; Maria married Darwin Hyde, 
and lived on Catawba Island, where they 
both died, leaving three children — Ho- 
mer, Ora and Lemuel; Ellen married 
Charles Darr, and lived in Bay township, 
where they both died (one of their sons, 
William, lives on the family homestead, 
the other, Frank, died at the age of six- 
teen); John D. married Sarah Legget, 
lived on a farm for a time, then moved to 
Port Clinton, and followed butchering 
(their children were — Emma, William, 
Mary, Charlotte, Ida, Ora. Clara and 
George); Jane married J. W. Mizner, 
hardware merchant, Port Clinton (their 
children were — James H., Clara, Edward 
and Grace); Nancy married James L. 
Mackey (they lived on a farm in Bay town- 
ship, where he died, after which she 
moved to Port Clinton; their children 
were Pearl, David and Alma); David 
married Alice Hyde, and follows the 
butchering business in Port Clinton (they 
have one child, Charles S.). In politics 
Mr. McRitchie was a Democrat and all 
his sons are Democrats. 

James H. McRitchie, the subject 
proper of this sketch, was raised on his 
father's farm and attended country schools 
during the winter seasons. In 1888 he 
commenced the butcher business, and so 
continued until May 22, 1893, when he 
was appointed postmaster at Port Clinton 
by President Cleveland. He is a member 
of the I. O. O. F. Lodge, No. 627, and 
passed all the chairs of Lake Erie En- 
campment, No. 232, and of Canton Ot- 
tawa, No. 60; also the National Union, 
No. 60. On November 6, 1879, he was 
married to Miss Clara E. Lattimore, who 
was born September 25, 1854, daughter 
of John and Mary (Park) Lattimore, and 
their children are: Irma A., Mack A. Mc- 



Ritchie, Hattie A. and Mabel. Mr. Mc- 
Ritchie is a typical self-made man, one 
whose record is without a stain, and, 
whether in prosperity or adversit}', he has 
ever been upright, conscientious and hon- 
orable. 



D 



ENNIS FAMILY. Arthur Nelson 
Dennis and his wife were both 
born in Maine, and in their native 
State eight children were born to 
them, one son and seven daughters, as 
follows: Lucy, who became the wife of a 
Mr. Churchill, and after his death wedded 
Elder \\'ire; Polly; Sarah; Hannah, who 
wedded Horace Flower; Betsy, who mar- 
ried Alpheus Barber; Fanny, who wedded 
Solomon Drown; Rebecca, who married 
John Kilbourne; and John. Of this family 
two came to Ohio — Mrs. Drown and John. 

Arthur Dennis moved into New York 
State, locating in the vicinity of Lyons, 
but later in life moved to Erie county, 
Penn., where he spent the remainder of 
his days. His occupation was that of 
shoemaker. Politically he was a Whig. 

John Dennis followed farming all his 
life; after leaving, the Keystone State he 
located, in about 1845, in York township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, and he owned 160 
acres of land in Lucas county, Ohio. In 
New York State he married Malinda 
Hatch, a native of Maine, to which union 
came thirteen children, namely: Alvira, 
who became the wife of Washington 
Collom; Hiram; John; Hatch; Spellman; 
Malinda, who was the wife of William 
McLain; Arthur Nelson; William George; 
Syrenus; two who died in infancy; Fla- 
vel; and one unnamed, a twin to Malin- 
da. All are now deceased except Will- 
iam. The mother of this family died 
August 10, 1854, and the father in Sep- 
tember, 1864. 

William Dennis was born in Erie, 
Penn., November 28, 1833. When sev- 
enteen years of age he entered upon an ap- 
prenticeship to the blacksmith trade, in 



686 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



learning which he spent three years, and 
which he pursued until September, 1862. 
At that time he enlisted, serving until the 
close of the war; he participated in many 
skirmishes, and was in the engagements at 
Nashville, and with his command made a 
thirty-one-days.' march with but six hours 
rest. On April 3, 1855, Mr. Dennis wed- 
ded Jane Nottage, a native of Ashtabula 
county, Ohio, who died in South Dakota 
November 3, 1885. Three children came 
to bless this union: Clara, wife of Foster 
Thompson, of Stillwater, Minn. ; Flora, 
wife of James May, of Seneca county, 
Ohio, and William N., foreman of the 
old White Lime Co., Bowling Green, 
Ohio. For his second wife William Den- 
nis wedded Ella Hinton, and to this mar- 
riage was born one child, Harry B. Will- 
iam Dennis is engaged in dealing in horses. 

Arthur Nelson Dennis (brother of 
William Dennis) came to Sandusky coun- 
ty, Ohio, in 1845, in the earlier days fol- 
lowing farming; just before the outbreak 
of the Civil war, and also during the con- 
flict, he was in the livery business. For 
a short time, however, he gave this up, 
having enlisted, but he was discharged on 
account of disability after eight months' 
service, and returning to Clyde resumed 
the livery business, continuing to follow 
it for two years. Selling out, he subse- 
quently bought a hotel and livery barn in 
Green Spring, which he conducted for 
about fifteen years, or until his death, 
which occurred December 3, 1892. Mr. 
Dennis married Mary Jane Whiteman, 
who bore him seven children, viz. : Mar- 
cellus, a drayman of Green Spring, Ohio; 
Willie, who died when four years old; 
Net E. ; George, a conductor on the " Big 
Four" railroad; Bert, yard master in the 
Short Line, at Sandusky, Ohio; "Pet," 
who died at the age of nine years; and 
Mack Charlie. 

Net E. Dennis is one of the hustling 
young men of Clyde, popular in both busi- 
ness and social circles. He is the owner 
of some valuable property there, and he 



also pays considerable attention to good 
horses. He married Alice Reed, of Green 
Spring, and two children — Lela and Jim- 
mie — have blessed their union. 



M 



ICHAEL D. THIERWECH- 

TER (deceased) was born June 
5, 1 83 1, in Jackson township, 
Lebanon Co., Penn., a son of 
Samuel and Mary (Groh) Thierwechter. 
At about the age of twenty years he came 
to Shelby, Ohio, where he began an ap- 
prenticeship at the brick-making business 
— manufacturing by hand — at the same 
time learning the trade of blacksmith. 

In 1854, became to Sandusky county, 
Ohio, and after his marriage, which event 
will be more fully spoken of farther on, 
he settled on a 142-acre farm in Sandusky 
county, near the "Four-Mile House." 
The place at that time was a dense wild 
forest, but by hard labor and assiduous 
toil he succeeded in converting it into one 
of the fine farms of that county. In an 
early day he also followed the business of 
auctioneer, during the war acting in that 
capacity in the counties of Sandusky, Ot- 
tawa, Huron, Erie, Hancock and Wood. 
About the year 1867 he rented his farm 
and moved to Elmore, Ottawa county, 
where he embarked in a general mer- 
cantile business. Here he remained un- 
til April 6, 1 ?>■/-, when he removed to Oak 
Harbor, in which then rising little village 
he continued in the same line of business 
occupying a store rented of Judge 
Kraemer, his son Emery being associated 
with him. In 1882 the latter was taken 
into full partnership with his father, and 
during the same year they built the spa- 
cious structure, now owned and occupied 
by Emerj- Thierwechter & Co. (Emery 
and A. D. Thierwechter), and the amount 
of business done within the first twelve 
months in Oak Harbor amounted to be- 
tween $25,000 and $30,000; but under the 
able management of both father and son 
the business grew so rapidly that by the 




cyft^ v^x (fT^^j^-y^tH^^^^^m^ 



A 




^&^^^,^/t,<:^^>G%'<i-^^<^><t>^^^^-^^^X-^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



G87 



time of Mr. Michael D. Thierwechter's 
decease the business had reached the enor- 
mous figure of $22 5,000 annually. From 
1882 to 1890 the firm was known as M. 
D. Thierwechter & Son, but in the latter 
year the father divided his personal inter- 
est in the concern with his son A. D. Thier- 
wechter, the firm name then becoming ^f. 
D. Thierwechter & Sons, and since the 
death of the senior member the style of the 
firm has been Emery Thierwechter & Co. 

On November 29, 18=; 5. our subject 
was united in marriage with Miss Caroline 
Waggoner, who was born June 29, 1839, 
daughter of George and Margaret (Klinger) 
Waggoner, old pioneers of Sandusky coun- 
ty. To this union were born one daugh- 
ter and three sons, as follows: Alice (Mrs. 
H. L. Miller, of Tampa, Florida), born 
September 12, 1856; Abraham D. and 
Emery (sketches of whom follow), born 
September 19, 1S58, and July 5, i860, 
respectively; and George, born May 18, 
1862. The father was called from earth 
April 27, 1 891, and in his death the com- 
munity lost a valued and progressive citi- 
zen, his neighbors a faithful friend, his wife 
a devoted husband, and his family a loving, 
indulgent father. The widowed mother 
still makes her home in Oak Harbor. 

Michael D. Thierwechter was an en- 
ergetic, hardworking man all his lifetime, 
by his straightforward business and social 
life winning the confidence of all who 
knew him. His political interests cen- 
tered in the Republican party, and he was 
once a candidate for the Legislature. In 
civic affairs, having been elected a mem- 
ber of the city council, he held that posi- 
tion several years with characteristic fidel- 
ity and loyalty. In religious faith he was 
a member of the Lutheran Church. 



EMERY THIERWECHTER, pro- 
prietor of a large mercantile busi- 
ness, is a son of the late Michael 
D. Thierwechter and his wife 
Caroline (Waggoner) Thierwechter. 



He was born July 5, i860, on a farm 
near the "Four-Mile House " in Sandus- 
ky county, Ohio, and was some seven 
years old when his father moved with his 
family to Elmore, Ottawa county, as 
related in the sketch of Michael D. 
Thierwechter. Here Emery's education 
was received, and here was laid the foun- 
dation of his future business career. Dur- 
ing school vacations he worked in his 
father's store, and for a time was engaged 
in the retail grocery store of Louis Avers. 
In November, 1876, Mr. Thierwechter 
entered the business college of Spencer 
and Bigelow, at Cleveland, Ohio, where 
he received a thorough business training. 
In 1877 his father and he rented a room 
of Judge Kraemer. at Oak Harbor, and on 
April 7 they embarked in a general mer- 
cantile business. Since the death of the 
latter the style of the firm has been 
Emery Thierwechter & Co. , Emery and 
A. D. Thierwechter being the sole repre- 
sentatives. 

That Mr. Thierwechter is a man of 
consummate business ability is proven by 
the fact that he has made a most phe- 
nomenal success in his business, and has 
established for himself a highly enviable 
reputation for integrity and probity in all 
his dealings. 

In September, 1880, Emery Thier- 
wechter was united in marriage with Miss 
Luella Bruner, a native of Fremont, and 
daughter of David and Sophia (Faust) 
Bruner, to which union have come three 
children: Caroline, born July 7, 1881, 
died September 24, 1889; Edgar Weed, 
born July 20, 1887; and Morton Emery, 
born February 13, 1889. 

Mr. Thierwechter in his political pre- 
dilections is a pronounced Republican, and 
in the fall of 1895 he was nominated by 
acclamation, by the Republican Conven- 
tion of Ottawa county, for the State Leg- 
islature. Although the county is largely 
Democratic, he ran far ahead of his ticket, 
and was defeated by a very small major- 
ity. With all his business cares and re- 



688 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



sponsibilities he has not been unmindful 
of his duty to the town of his adoption. 
He was twice elected to the city council, 
and it was during his administration as 
councilor that the city was paved and 
other improvements were made. Being 
a friend to education and progress, he 
served on the school board, and was 
treasurer thereof three years. Socially he 
holds membership with the I. O. O. F. , 
also the F. & A. M., Blue Lodge at Oak 
Harbor, and is a Knight Templar, Toledo 
Commandery No. 7. He is a stockholder 
in the Oak Harbor Oil Co., in the Oak 
Harbor Natural Gas Co., and in the Oak 
Harbor Basket Factory. In his many 
business responsibilities he has displayed 
marked ability, in that and in all other 
respects sustaining the high reputation the 
name has for so many years enjoyed. 



ABRAHAM D.THIERWECHTER 
is a member of the firm of Emerj' 
Thierwechter & Co., prominent 
and progressive merchants and 
extensive grain and produce buyers and 
shippers, of Oak Harbor, Ottawa county, 
and was born in \\'ashington township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, September 19, 1858, 
being the eldest son of Michael and Car- 
oline (Waggoner) Thierwechter. 

Our subject spent his boyhood days 
in Elmore, Ottawa Co., Ohio, receiving a 
good business education in the schools of 
that town. On leaving school he entered 
the employ of the Union Pacific Railway 
Co., with which he continued some years. 
After severing his connection with that 
line he engaged in the baking business, 
and also in a livery until 1883, in which 
j'ear he entered his father's store, being 
made a member of the firm in 1891. Mr. 
Thierwechter is a man of recognized abil- 
ity, an active, enterprising citizen, com- 
manding the respect of every one with 
whom he is brought in contact. 

Mr. Thierwechter was married at Fre- 
mont, Ohio, in January, 1883, the lady 



of his choice being Miss Caroline Vogel, 
whose parents. Christian and Salome 
Vogel, were both born in Germany, and 
crossed the ocean to this country at an 
early date, settling in Ottawa county. 
The mother passed from earth some j'ears 
ago; the father still survives, and is now 
an honored resident of Oak Harbor. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Thierwechter have come 
four children to brighten their home, viz. : 
Mildred, Luella, Homer and Pauline, all 
of whom are yet living. In his political 
afifiliations Mr. Thierwechter is an ardent 
supporter of the Republican party; Mrs. 
Thierwechter is a member of the Church 
of the Disciples. 



SD. ALLEN. M. D., a popular 
citizen and a leading physician 
and surgeon of Oak Harbor, Ot- 
tawa county, was born in New 
Castle, Lawrence Co., Penn., March 26, 
1852. 

His parents, Zebina N. and Mary A. 
(Van Eman) Allen, were born in Beaver 
county, Penn. , the father August 23, 1 82 1 , 
the mother April 20, 1828, and for many 
years have been honored and respected 
residents of Scott township, Lawrence 
Co., Penn. Mr. Allen is a cabinet-maker 
by trade, but for a number of years he has 
been engaged in agricultural pursuits, and 
in teaching school. He has also served 
two terms as auditor for his county. Their 
family consisted of seven children, three 
of whom are yet living: Our subject; 
John, residing in New Castle, Penn., and 
Amos, living at home. 

Dr. S. D. Allen, the subject of this 
sketch, received his primary education in 
the public schools of his native State, and 
subsequently became a student in Western 
Reserve College, at that time located at 
Hudson, Ohio. On graduating from this 
institution he studied medicine with Dr. 
J. W. Smith, then police surgeon of Cleve- 
land, now a resident of Wellington, Ohio, 
taking a two-years' course under his tui- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPniCAL RECORD. 



689 



tion in Wooster University, Cleveland, 
and graduating from " the Cleveland Uni- 
versity of Medicine" in 1S85. He then 
spent a year in Europe, making a special 
study of surgery, and upon his return to 
America, in 1886, commenced the prac- 
tice of his profession in Oak Harbor, 
where he has since resided. By a life of 
hard study and devotion to his profession 
Dr. Allen has been eminently successful 
as a practitioner, and has succeeded in win- 
ning the confidence and respect of the 
entire community in which he resides. 

The Doctor was united in marriage at 
Oak Harbor, October 21, 1881, with Miss 
Augusta Franck, a daughter of 'Squire 
Ernst and Louise (Frank) Franck, and to 
this union came five children, viz. : Mary 
A., born September 10, 1882; Frederick 
S., born August 8, 1884; E. Arvilla, born 
May 18, 1886; Laura L. , born August 18, 
1888; and Clara E. , born August 10, 
1890. Dr. Allen is an honored member 
of the following societies: The North- 
western Homeopathic Medical Society; 
Oak Harbor Lodge No. 495, F. & A. M., 
Forest Chapter No. 64, R. A. M., and 
Forest Council. The family are members 
of the Lutheran Church. In his political 
views our subject is a Republican. 



NATHAN F. PIERSON. The early 
history of this section of the North- 
west can easily be read in the Irves 
of the men of whom these bio- 
graphical sketches are written, and there 
is but little variety in the stories. The 
trials and privations of the pioneers in 
any new country are about the same; the 
wresting of fertile farms from the virgin 
soil, the clearing of vast forests, the 
bridging of streams, making of roads and 
building of log cabins are common expe- 
riences, and the success or failure in life 
due to the same causes, practically, as in 
the older and more civilized communi- 
ties; but we are glad to know just how 



our early settlers fared, and how they 
reached their present enviable condition. 
Nathan F. Pierson, one of the oldest 
pioneers and a prominent agriculturist of 
Clay township, Ottawa county, was born 
in Morris county, N. J., June 13, 1821. 
He is a son of Daniel and Elizabeth 
(Miller) Pierson, natives of Connecticut 
and New jersey respectively, the former 
of whom was born February 22, 1777. 
Their marriage took place in New Jersey 
June 19, 1800, and to them were born 
ten children, as follows: Jacob, June 2, 
1 801; Lewis, in 1803; Stephen, in 1805; 
Frederick, in 1806; Sarah, in 1808; 
Moses, in 181 i; Nathaniel, in 181 3; Al- 
fred, in 18 1 5; Catherine, in 18 17; and 
Nathan F., in 1821. The father died 
July 14, 1825, and the mother died July 

14. 1834- 

Our subject received a limited educa- 
tion in the countrj' schools of that day, 
and began active life on a farm, also 
working in a blacksmith shop, where he 
remained for three years. He also learned 
the trade of a wagon-maker, at which he 
continued for several 3'ears, and alter- 
nated this with work in a sawmill, farm- 
ing, carpentering and millwrighting for a 
period of seven years. He then spent 
eight years in one of the largest factories 
in Newark, N. J., bending rims, spokes, 
etc., after which he went to Michigan, 
where he spent three years working at 
his trade of a carpenter and joiner. Re- 
turning now to Ohio, he located in Harris 
township, Ottawa county, where he bought 
land, a part of which was under cultiva- 
tion. He worked this farm for two years, 
but, not liking the location, he sold out 
and came to Clay township in 1866, buy- 
ing a tract of eighty acres, a portion only 
of which was improved. It was in the 
midst of a forest, with few neighbors 
within a mile, the land swampy and the 
roads muddy. It was enough to appall 
the stoutest heart, but our subject was 
equal to the task, and with indomitable 
will and energy went to work, clearing 



690 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHJCAL RECORD. 



the land, planting an orchard, building a 
dwelling house, barns and other outbuild- 
ings, and in the course of time bringing 
the land into a high state of cultivation 
and making of it a valuable property, on 
which he is spending his last days in the 
peaceful enjoyment of the fruits of his 
labors. 

Mr. Pierson was married at Newark, 
N. J., September 20, 1847, to Sarah E. 
Brush, of New York State, and this 
happy union has been blessed with si.\ 
children, namely: Henrietta, born Jan- 
uary 26, 1850, at Newark, N. J., died 
July 30, 1850; George W., born August 
29, 1 85 1, at Newark, was educated in 
the puplic schools of Ottawa count)^ this 
State, and worked at the cooper's trade 
for several years; he then went on the 
railroad as brakeman, and worked his 
way up to the position of conductor, dur- 
ing which time he met with several acci- 
dents, finally meeting his death in the 
company's yards at St. Louis, Mo., JuU^ 
17, 1892, where a train of eighteen cars 
ran over his body, killing him instantly; 
his remains were brought back to his 
home in Clay township, and there buried; 
he was married and left one child, a 
daughter, Lillie, who is a school teacher 
at Port Clinton; Franklin, born June 5. 
1853, died in infancy; Morris NI., born 
September 20, 1855, also died in infancy; 
Andrew, born November 15, 1859, died 
July 29, i860; Francis Marion was 
born November 30, 1857, and was 
educated in the public schools of Ot- 
tawa county; he learned the trade of a 
barber and worked in Nebraska for sev- 
eral 3'ears,and also in Kansas, going from 
there to Colorado, where he now resides; 
he was married in 1882 to Miss Minnie 
Comstock, and they have one child. 

Mr. Pierson held the office of school 
director for two terms in Clay township. 
Socially he belongs to Genoa Lodge No. 
433, F. & A. M. He has been a Repub- 
lican ever since the formation of that 
partj , having formerly been a Whig. He 



and his wife are in good health, and en- 
joy the blessings of a well-spent life. 
Elisha Brush, the father of Mrs. N. 
F. Pierson, was born in June, 1796. He 
was in the general merchandise business 
at Nelson, N. Y., where he was married 
April 29, 18 19, to Chloe Crisby, whose 
birth occurred July 11, 1796. They had 
five children: Mary, born May 9, 1820; 
Sarah, November 11, 1821 ; Maria, August 
20, 1S23; Caroline, July 11, 1825; and 
John, January 2, 1829, all of whom are 
living. 



LEVI H. THRAVES, ex-county 
treasurer of Sandusky county, was 
born in Washington township, 
Sandusky Co.. Ohio, March 2, 
1847, a son of William and Marilla 
(Graves) Thraves, whose sketch appears 
elsewhere. 

Our subject was reared on a farm, and 
educated in the common schools. At the 
age of nine he came with his parents to 
Ballville township, Sandusky county, 
where he grew to manhood, finished his 
common-school education and attended 
the Fremont city schools. Being the 
youngest son. he remained with his par- 
ents, and carried on farming and stock 
raising for several years, afterward pur- 
chasing the family homestead. For ten 
years he taught school in the winter sea- 
sons, principally in Sandusky county. An 
ardent Democrat, he held the offices of 
township trustee and justice of the peace. 
In 1889 he was elected treasurer of San- 
dusky county, rented his farm and moved 
to Fremont. 

In 1875 L. H. Thraves married Miss 
Loretta Sendelbauch, daughter of John 
and Frances Floretta (Baumgardner) 
Sendelbauch, natives of Germany, who 
had moved to Fremont, Ohio, in an early 
day. Mr. Sendelbauch was an undertaker 
and a teacher of music. He taught the 
first band of music in Fremont. His death 
occurred in 1873, and his widow lives on 



C0MMEM0RA7 IVE BIOOBAPEICAL RECORD. 



691 



their old farm homestead, east of Fre- 
mont. They were members of the Roman 
Catholic Church. 

The children of L. H. and Loretta 
Thraves are: John W. , Francis F. , and 
Mary H. Mr. Thraves is a member of 
Fremont Lodge, 202, Knights of Pythias, 
also of the Order of Elks, 169. Mrs. 
Thraves is a member of St. Ann's Church, 
Fremont. 



PHILLIP R. SNIDER, a retired 
farmer, and one of the pioneer 
settlers and highly-esteemed citi- 
zens of Erie township, Ottawa 
county, was born in Warren county. New 
Jersey, March 5, 1821, and is a son of 
Henry and Margaret (Redding) Snider. 
They were also natives of that State, the 
father coming of German, the mother of 
English, ancestry. In 1835 they mi- 
grated westward to Ottawa county, Ohio, 
when it was still in a wild state. They 
were honored residents of the commu- 
nity from that time until called to their 
final rest, the father dying in 1839, the 
mother in August, 1885. They were the 
parents of six children, only two of whom 
are now living: Henry, a resident of 
Lucas county, Ohio; and Phillip R. 

The subject proper of this sketch, 
Phillip R. Snider, acquired his elemen- 
tary education in the district schools of 
his native State, and in the spring of 
1835 came with his parents to Ottawa 
county, where for si.xty years he has con- 
tinuously made his home. He was 
reared in the usual manner of farmer lads, 
and throughout his active business life 
has devoted his time and energies to agri- 
cultural pursuits. His industry, persever- 
ance and good management have brought 
to him a comfortable competence, and 
now in his declining jears he is resting in 
the enjoyment of the fruits of his former 
toil. He has been twice married; first 
time on November 7, 1844, in Erie town- 
ship, to Octalana Webster, by whom he 



had nine children, a brief record of 
whom is as follows: (i) James H., born 
September 21, 1846, married June 24, 
1866, Mary A. Minier, who was born 
September 11, 1850, youngest daughter 
of John Minier, Sr. , a pioneer of Salem 
township, Ottawa county, and the chil- 
dren of this union were as follows: James 
W. , born March 2, 1868, died January 
1894; Alverdia B., born November 
1870, married September 3, 1890, to 
V. Ruff (their children are Raymond 
born June 6, 1891, and Lina A., 
1894); Esther N., born 
married William Huber 
Adelia A., born July 12, 
Ream November 
born August 29, 



13. 

29. 

W. 

R., 

born August 19 

April 15, 1871, 

April 15, 1895; 

1873, married Edward 

I, 1893; Cornelia B., 



1875; Philip Elsworth, born January 31, 
1878; Josephine Mabel, born November 
12, 1880, died December 25, 1885; and 
Hiram Hurd, born May 8, 1882. Mr. 
and Mrs. James H. Snider live in Toledo, 
Ohio. 

(2) Margaret Ann, born May 8, 1849, 
became the wife of Benjamin Minier, and 
had children as follows: Octa L. , born 
July 13, 1869, was married November 12, 
1892, to George Stephens; ElvaE. , born 
January 17, 1870; Stella M., born March 
-3- '873, was married October 12, 1893, 
to Edward Hendricks; Elmer B., born 
December 30, 1874; Christopher C, 
born May 19, 1879; and Clarence J., born 
March 29, 1881. The mother of these 
died November 2, 1882. 

(3) Theodore L., born July 19, 1852, 
resides on the old homestead, and will 
presently be more fully spoken of. (4) 
Elva M., born March 19, 1854, died Oc- 
tober 2, 1894, married Joseph Yeisley, 
of Erie township, and had children as fol- 
lows: Edith Bell, born July 27, 1874; 
George Orvill, born July 10, 1878; Ivy 
May, born July 19, 1883, and Ralph R. , 
born July 31, 1888. (5) William Henry, 
born March 16, 1856, wedded Marj' Har- 
rison, and they have a family of four chil- 
dren — May, EUwood, Vernon, and Stan- 



692 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ley. (6) Clarissa Jane, born February 2, 
1858, is the wife of Ralph Webster, of 
Defiance, Ohio, and has one child — 
Phillip H. (7) Abigail L. , born January 
3, i860, is the wife of Albert Lewis, of 
Defiance, and they have a daughter — 
Nina. (8) Edmund K., born November 
2 2, 1 86 1, married Ozzie Pelton, and with 
their son, Munson, they now reside in 
Toledo, Ohio. (9) George Ellsworth, born 
February 26, 1864, died October 16, 1886. 

Mrs. Snider, the mother of the above 
mentioned family, died May 18, 1869, 
and on November 12, 1870, Mr. Snider 
married Mrs. Mary Webster, widow of 
James H. \\'cbster, and a daughter of 
Nathaniel and Mary Ann (Ballard) Tucker. 
She was born in Pitcairn, St. Lawrence 
Co., N. Y. , September 11, 1824. By 
her first marriage she had ten children, 
seven of whom are still living, namely: 
Jason, born January 16, 1845; Herbert T., 
born October 14. 1847, now living in 
Oakland, Cal. ; Henry Howard, born July 
30, 1849, residing in Brooklyn, Ohio; 
Ella Ann, born February 18, 1853, now 
the wife of William Laidler, of Cleveland, 
Ohio; Ralph D., born March 9, 1855, 
residing in Defiance, Ohio; Israel J., born 
April 10, 1858, living in Paulding, Ohio; 
and Nelson R., born June 25, 1862, a 
resident of Riverside, California. 

Mr. Snider has served as county com- 
missioner for six years; was a director of 
Ottawa County Infirmary six years; has 
served as justice of the peace twenty-nine 
years, and has honorably and acceptably 
filled all township offices. In politics he 
has been a life-long Democrat, and he 
and his wife are worthy members of the 
United Brethren Church. His life has 
been well spent, and during his residence 
in Ottawa county he has won the respect 
of all with whom he has come in contact. 

Thkodore L. Snider, second son of 
our subject, was born July 19, 1852, and 
since his infancy has been numbered 
among the residents of Erie township, 
Ottawa county. Its district schools af- 



forded him his educational privileges, and 
from early life he has followed the voca- 
tion of farming. After arriving at years 
of maturity, he was married in Sandusky 
City, July 12, 1877, to Sarah Pickard, 
who was born in Carroll township, Ot- 
tawa county, August 12, 1850, daughter 
of George and Abi (Moore) Pickard. Six 
children have been born to this marriage: 
Grace. July 28, 187S; Clayton, October 
9, 1879;" Pearl, March 18, 1S81; Zehnr, 
November 12, 1883; George D., Septem- 
ber 7, 1887; and Hazel Jeanette, Febru- 
ary 6, 1893. Mr. T. L. Snider is one of 
the young and progressive farmers of his 
section of Ottawa county, an enterprising 
and industrious citizen, popular and high- 
ly esteemed by all who know him. 



SAGISHMAEL BARNES, an enter- 
prising, progressive citizen of Oak 
Harbor, Ottawa county, and pro- 
prietor of one of the best equipped 
and most extensive flour mills in the coun- 
ty, was born in Monroeville, Allen Co., 
Ind., July 20, 1850. 

Henry and Mary (Curtis) Barnes, the 
parents of our subject, were both natives 
of the State of Vermont, and honored and 
respected citizens of Allen county, Ind., 
for over thirty-five years. Their family 
consisted of nine children, five of whom 
still survive, viz. : Sarah, widow of Henry 
Stevens, residing at Fort Wayne, Allen 
Co., Ind.; Sagishmael; Garmiel, residing 
in Oak Harbor; Annie, wife of Charles 
Swede, residing in Paulding, Ohio; and 
\\'illiam A. Mr. Barnes' death occurred 
in June, 1881, Mrs. Barnes dying in 
March of the same year. 

Sagishmael Barnes, the subject proper 
of this sketch, received his education in 
the district schools of his native town, 
and early in life was trained to farm work. 
On attaining the age of seventeen j'ears 
he began his career as a miller, working 
first as an apprentice, then as a journey- 
man, until 1873, when he entered into 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHWAL RECORD. 



G93 



partnership with Daniel Shani? in the 
miihng business, under the firm name of 
Shank & Co. In 1878 Mr. Barnes dis- 
posed of his interest in this mill, and re- 
movetl to Pauldinj^, Ohio, operating a 
mill at that place until his removal to Oak 
Harbor, where he purchased the mill 
which he still continues to run, having 
fitted it up with the most modern ma- 
chinery. Mr. Barnes, possessing a thor- 
ough knowledge of his business, and by a 
life of energy and perseverance, has suc- 
ceeded in building up a large and rapidly 
increasing trade, ranking to-day among 
the most prominent and influential busi- 
ness men of Oak Harbor. 

Our subject has been twice married, 
first time to Miss Mary Calvert, of Penn- 
sylvania, to which union were born five 
children, one of whom, Harlan, still sur- 
vives. On March 3, 1888, Mr. Barnes 
was again united in marriage, this time 
with Miss Maria Welden. daughter of 
Joseph and Mary (Stewart) Welden. 
There are no children by the second mar- 
riage. Politically, our subject has always 
been a Republican. The family are 
members of the Methodist Church, and 
sociallj' they enjoy the respect of a wide 
circle of friends. 



EDWARD WEDEKIND is one of 
the wide-awake, "up-to-date" 
pushing young business men of 
Port Clinton, Ottawa county. 
He is a native of Ohio, born October 
12, 1863, in Danbury township, Ottawa 
county, son of Edward and Sophia (Schrce- 
der) Wedckind, well-to-do farming peo- 
ple of Danbury township, where the father 
died in 1863, leaving one son, Edward. 
His widow afterward married Henry 
Bredbeck, farmer and fruit grower of 
Danbury township, and they became the 
parents of seven children, four of whom 
are yet living, viz. : Herbert, born June 
10, 1 871; Minnie, December 19, 1875; 



Frederick, February 26, 1877; and Estella, 
March 20, 1879. 

Edward Wedekind, our subject, grew 
to manhood on a farm, and attended 
country schools until he was about eight- 
een years of age; also Port Clinton Normal 
School. In 1884 he attended the Spen- 
cerian Business College, Cleveland, Ohio, 
one term, and in 1885 entered into part- 
nership with H. J. Rohrs, in the hardware 
business, at Port Clinton. In July, 18S7, 
he bought out his partner. 

On December 26, 1888, he was united 
in marriage with Mary J. Richardson, 
of Port Clinton, Ohio, daughter of David 
and Pauline (A.delman) Richardson, and 
their children are: Jessie Rhea and Ralph, 
born in 1889 and 1891 respective!}'. 
Sociallv, our subject is a member of the 
I. O. 6. F., K. of P. (in which he has 
passed all the Chairs) and National Union. 
Politically he is a Democrat. 



DAVID B. LOVE, member of the 
firm of Buckland & Love, Attor- 
neys at Law, Fremont, Sandusky 
county, is a native of Ohio, and 
was born January 15, 1859, in Harrison 
county. 

George Love, his father, was a native 
of Belmont county, Ohio, born in 1827, 
and while a mere boy removed with his 
mother to Harrison county, where, after 
receiving all the educational advantages 
of the common schools, he followed farm- 
ing, and in 1856 was married to Barbara 
Barclay, daughter of David and Elizabeth 
Barclay, who were among the early pio- 
neers of Harrison county. Both are 
members of the United Presbyterian 
Church, and still reside on the old 'home- 
stead in Harrison county, where the father 
has held and filled various offices of pub- 
lic trust. His father, Capt. George Love, 
served with distinction in the war of 1812 
under General Harrison. 

David B. Love, the subject of our 



694 



COMMEMORATTVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



sketch, was reared amid all the experi- 
ences of farm life, which, from the rolling 
surface and varied and fertile soils of his 
native county, afforded ample opportuni- 
ties for acquiring not only a general 
knowledge of this, but also of all kindred 
industries. He received his elementary 
education at the common schools of the 
neighborhood of his boyhood home, and 
the village schools of Moorefield, Ohio, 
working on the farm during the spring, 
summer and fall seasons, and attending 
school in the winter until he was nineteen 
years of age. He then attended Franklin 
College, at New Athens, Ohio, for two 
years, teaching school between terms in his 
home district, in order to pay for his col- 
lege instruction. For the purpose of 
specially fitting himself for the profes- 
sion of teaching, he later entered the 
Ohio Normal University at Ada, where he 
spent four years, completed the Univer- 
sity course, and graduated with honor, 
with the class of '85, receiving the degree 
of M. A. Before completing his course of 
studies, however, he decided to take up the 
study of law immediately after graduation ; 
but upon the unsolicited recommendation 
of the President of the University, he was 
elected to the superintendency of the pub- 
lic schools of Oak Harbor, Ohio, which 
position he accepted and filled for two 
years, during which time he reorganized 
and graded the schools, outlined and se- 
cured the adoption, by the Board of Edu- 
cation, of an advanced course of study, 
and graduated the first class therefrom in 
1887. To the credit of Mr. Love it can 
be said that the educational interests of 
Oak Harbor received an impetus in the 
right direction. Having decided to make 
the legal profession his future life work, he 
then removed to Fremont and renewed 
his legal studies, to which he had given 
considerable attention while teaching, in 
the office of Finefrock «S: Dudrow. In 
December, 1890, he was admitted to the 
bar, and at once opened an office for the 
practice of law, in which he continued 



alone until October, 1892, when he be- 
came associated with Horace S. Buckland, 
under the firm name of Buckland & Love. 
This firm will be dissolved in May, 1896, 
by reason of the election of Mr. Buck- 
land to the office of Common Pleas Judge. 

Mr. Love in his political preferences 
is a Republican, but does not court politi- 
cal distinction; he has been for two years 
Chairman of the count}- Republican E.xec- 
utive Committee. In i 894 he was elected 
a member of the city Board of Educa- 
tion for one year, and in 1895 was re- 
elected for two 3'ears. He still retains his 
interest in educational matters, and this, 
coupled with his former experience as a 
teacher and superintendent of schools, has 
rendered his counsel valuable in the re- 
cent educational reforms instituted by 
the Board of Education. 

In 1888. at Mt. Gilead, Ohio. Mr. 
Love was married to Miss Josephine S. 
Wood, daughter of Asa M. and Eliza J. 
Wood. Four childien have been born 
to them: D. Ewing, Esther Josephine, 
Anna Maree and C. Wendell. Mrs. Love 
graduated from the Mt. Gilead public 
schools, and afterward attended the Ohio 
Normal University, and graduated in the 
classical course in 1883. Possessed of 
superior scholarship and ability, she was 
employed there as a teacher of Latin and 
mathematics until her marriage, when she 
resigned. During her career as a teacher 
at the University she acquired the reputa- 
tion of being most thorough and success- 
ful, and received the degree of A. M. 
in 1886. 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Love are members 
of the Presbyterian Church, of the Sun- 
day-school of which he was Superintend- 
ent for four years. In his profession 
Mr. Love's course is marked by caution, 
always advising settlements rather than 
suits, and at all times making his client's 
interests his own; and blessed with a 
genial disposition, a high sense of honor 
and correct habits, we predict for him a 
successful professional career. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



695 



t 



HERMAN BUNTE. Among the 
enterprising and prosperous citi- 
zens of Allen township, Ottawa 
county, is found the gentleman 
whose name here appears, and who, be- 
sides carrying on farming, is engaged in 
the manufacture of tiles and also coopers' 
material. 

Mr. Bunte is a native of the 
" Fatherland," having been born in Han- 
over, Germany, October i8, 1849, a son 
of William and Mary (Hebbeler) Bunte, 
both also natives of Hanover, who had a 
family of nine children, si.x of whom are 
living, as follows: Mary, wife of Henry 
Gerkensmyer, residing in Clay township; 
Henry, who lives in Woodville, Sandusky 
county; Herman, our subject; William, 
who lives at Curtis, in Allen township; 
Annie, wife of Herman Strautman, re- 
siding in Clay township; and Louis, who 
lives in Allen township. The father is 
still living, near Williston, Allen town- 
ship, but the mother passed away July 
26, 1 89 1. Our subject received his edu- 
cation in the district schools of his native 
county, and spent his boyhood upon his 
father's farm. In 1866 he accompanied 
the family to America, where they settled 
in Woodville township, Sandusky Co., 
this State. Here he was engaged in 
farming for thirteen years, and in 1879 
removed to the section of Clay township 
which is now Allen township, where he 
has since carried on agricultural pur- 
suits. Not content to confine his en- 
ergies to one branch of business, Mr. 
Bunte entered upon the manufacture of 
tiles, in which he has been so successful 
as to place him among the leading manu- 
facturers of this part of the county. 
Later he still further extended his opera- 
tions by going into the lumber business in 
Centre township. Wood county, where he 
owns and operates a mill for furnishing 
boards and other material for the use of 
coopers. In this as well as in other ven- 
tures he has been remarkably successful, 

a result due to his industry, progressive 

4-1 



ideas and excellent judgment. Mr. Bunte 
was married in Covington, Ky. , Decem- 
ber 18, 1884, to Sarah Philena, daughter 
of William and Mary (Roberts) King. 
No children have been born of this mar- 
riage. 

Mr. Bunte is a stanch Democrat, and 
is interested in all that pertains to the 
growth and upbuilding of the community 
in which he resides. He and his wife are 
worthy members of the Lutheran Church, 
and command the respect and esteem of 
their neighbors. 



CYRUS ELLITHORPE, a fruit 
grower of Catawba Island town- 
ship, Ottawa county, was the first 
white child born on Kelley's Is- 
land, the date of his birth being October 
15, 1832. 

When about three years old, he re- 
moved with his parents, Henry and Eliza- 
beth (Neal) Ellithorpe, to Danbury town- 
ship, Ottawa county (then a part of 
Huron county, however,), and four years 
later came to what is now Catawba Island 
township. Here he received such a limited 
education as was obtainable in those 
days in the old log schoolhouse with its 
slab seats, and like the majority of boys 
of that date was early inured to the ardu- 
ous duties of farm life. He has always 
devoted a portion of his time to agricultu- 
ral pursuits, and during the spring and 
fall for fourteen years was also engaged 
in fishing on Lake Erie, but of late years 
his chief occupation has been fruit culture. 
On September 10, 1867, Mr. Ellithorpe 
was married on Catawba Island to Miss 
Emma Reynolds, born August 23, 1850, 
a daughter of Andrew S. and Adeline 
(Stevens) Reynolds, who located on Ca- 
tawba Island in 1855, where the mother 
still resides; the father passed away June 
20, 1892. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. 
Ellithorpe have come ten children, namely: 
Cora I., born July 7, 1868, now the wife 
of Thurman Leslie, of Toledo, Ohio;Orrin 



696 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



A., born April 1 1, 1870, was married Oc- 
tober 25, 1894, to May Tompson, of Port 
Clinton, Ohio, and they reside on Cataw- 
ba Island; Marion R., born February 5, 
1872, now the wife of Herman Mierke, of 
Fremont, Ohio; Myra E., born April 10, 
1875, wife of William Hyde, residing near 
Lacarne, Eric township, Ottawa county; 
William P., born June 16, 1877, still un- 
der the parental roof; Asa A., born Janu- 
ary 10, 1 881; Charles R. , born February 
23, 1883; Pearl B., born March 4, 1885; 
Lloyd R. , born April 22, 1889, died Jan- 
uary 31, 1892; and Mildred A., born May 
28, 1892. 

In May, 1864, Mr. Ellithorpe enlisted 
in the service of his country as a one- 
hundred-day man and was attached to 
Company K, One Hundred and Thirty- 
nitnh O. V. I. He did guard duty at 
Point Lookout, Md., and on the expira- 
tion of his term of service received an 
honorable discharge; he now holds mem- 
bership with George H. McRitchie Post, 
No. 524, G. A. R. Politically he is an 
ardent Republican. Mr. Ellithorpe can 
well be classed among the most prosper- 
ous and successful fruit growers of the 
Island, his orchards being among the best 
cultivated and most productive in his 
section of the country. He is a man of 
unassuming manner, and he and his fam- 
ily are held in high esteem as neighbors 
and friends. 



PETER BELTS devotes his time 
and energies to fruit growing 
on Put in Bay Island, where he 
is a highly-esteemed citizen. His 
name is almost a household word, so 
widely is he known and so highly is he re- 
spected. He was born in Lycoming 
county, Penn., April 20, 1832, and is a 
son of the late Peter and Mary (Stinger) 
Belts, who were also natives of the Key- 
stone State. There they spent their en- 
tire lives and passed peacefully away at 
the old homestead in Lycoming county. 



Their union was blessed with a family of 
eleven children, four of whom are still 
living: Sarah, widow of Joseph Mackey, 
a resident of Missouri; Charles, who is 
residing on the old home farm in Pennsyl- 
vania; Peter, subject of this sketch, and 
Ellis, a resident of Kansas. 

In the usual manner of farmer lads 
our subject spent the days of his boyhood 
and youth, and the duties of the farm 
left him little spare time in which to pro- 
cure even a limited education, but in the 
school of e.xperience he has learned many 
valuable lessons, and reading, observa- 
tion and contact with the world have 
made him a well-informed man, and given 
him the important position in the com- 
munity which he now fills. In 1855 
he bade adieu to his old home and mi- 
grated to Iowa, locating in Chickasaw 
county, where he was manager of a saw- 
mill for more than four years. In 1859 
he left the Hawkeye State, and took up 
his residence in Huron county, Ohio, 
where for three years he was engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. In the fall of 1862 
Mr. Betts removed to Put in Bay Island, 
and for thirty-three years has been a con- 
stant resident of that place, extensively 
engaged in the cultivation of fruit. He 
raises fine varieties, and the care and 
labor which he bestows upon his orchard 
command for its fine products a good 
price on the market. 

Mr. Betts has been twice married, 
first time to Mar\- Jane Mackey, the mar- 
riage being celebrated in Lycoming coun- 
ty, Penn., December i, 1854. Of the 
four children born of this union, two 
died in infanc}'; Sarah Catherine is now 
the wife of J. V. Hitchcock, a resident 
of Cleveland, Ohio, and Oscar resides on 
Put in Bay Island. Mrs. Betts died Au- 
gust 20, 1862, in Huron county, Ohio, 
and Mr. Betts, for his second wife, mar- 
ried, on Put in Ba\- Island, March 17, 
1864, Miss Saphroni Hughes, who was 
born in Lexington, Mich., a daughter of 
Capt. James and Helen (Ellsworth) 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



697 



Hughes. When Mrs. Saphroni Betts 
was about seven years old her father re- 
moved with his family from Le.xington, 
Mich., to Manitowoc, Wis., to make 
their home there, and Mrs. Betts resided 
there until 1863, when she came to Put 
in Bay. Capt. James Hughes, father of 
Mrs. Betts, sailed on the lakes for about 
twenty-five years, and most of the time 
sailed the Transit, one of the Goodrich 
steamers His residence was at Mani- 
towoc, Wisconsin. 

Mr. Betts is a progressive citizen, 
manifesting a commendable interest in 
everything pertaining to the welfare of 
the community and its upbuilding. In 
politics he is a stanch Republican, and 
for eleven years has efficiently served his 
township in office. He and his wife are 
members of the Reformed Episcopal 
Church, and have a wide circle of friends 
and acquaintances who hold them in high 
regard. 



DAVID LONG. None but the old 
pioneers and their families know 
of the toil and the hardships un- 
dergone by the early settlers of 
the countrj', and none have experienced 
more of these than the subject of this 
sketch, who is the oldest settler in Clay 
township, Ottawa county. 

Mr. Long was born in Medina county, 
April 24, 1830, whence he moved with his 
parents, in 1836, to Hardin countj', where 
he attended school for a few winter terms 
in the log schoolhouse of that day, with 
its puncheon floor, slab seats, and greased 
paper for windows. The schools were 
few and far between, and the advantages 
for learning very limited. In the summer 
seasons he assisted his father upon the 
farm. When he was fourteen years old, 
his father purchased a farm in Clay town- 
ship, all of which was covered with tim- 
ber. Here the young lad worked with 
his brother and father, until attaining his 
majority, when he started out for himself, 



buying eighty acres of timber land. He 
at once set to work clearing off the trees, 
planting corn and sowing wheat as fast as 
the soil was prepared. For many years 
he had to carry his grain a long distance 
by o.\-team to be ground. After several 
years of hard struggle and toil, Mr. Long 
managed to bring his land up to its pres- 
ent high state of cultivation, and is now 
reaping the benefits of his early labors. 
On February 20, 1865, he enlisted in 
Company B, One Hundred and Eighty- 
ninth Ohio Infantry, under the command 
of Col. H. D. Kingsbury and Capt. Lake- 
man, and was at Nashville, Tenn., when 
he was made cook for his company. He 
received his discharge September 13, 
1865, and returned home, resuming work 
upon his farm and building a fine resi- 
dence, barns, and making other needed 
improvements. On March 13, 1853, Mr. 
Long was married, at Genoa, this State, 
to Miss Abbie, a daughter of Andrew and 
Margaret Snider, of Clay township, and 
of tlieir union seven children have been 
born, of whom the following record has 
been given: (i) David S. was born August 
II, 1855, in Clay township, where he re- 
ceived his education; he was married to 
Miss May Sheets, August 11, 1893, and 
resides at Coleman, Mich., where he is 
engaged in the manufacture of potash; 
they have one child. (2) Sarah A., born 
January 31, 1858, was educated in Genoa; 
in 1875 was married to A. Shantan, and 
they had one daughter, Priscilla Shantan; 
after three years' married life Mr. and 
Mrs. Shantan separated, and September 
4, 1895, she married Charles Reef, who 
is doing business in Toledo. (3) Harriet 
A., born November 28, 1862, was married 
April 24, 1 882, to John Englehart, a manu- 
facturer of potash at Woodville, Sandusky 
county; they are the parents of six chil- 
dren — Lizzie, Laura, Frederick, Charles, 
Clarence and John. (4) Marj' S. , born 
February 5, 1866, was educated in the 
public schools of Clay township, and was 
married December 23, 1886, to Edward 



698 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Schneider, who was born in Cleveland, 
Ohio, March 7, 1864; he is a son of 
Frederick Schneider, a cooper, and after 
attending school there for some years, 
learned the coopering business, afterward 
taking up that of stave cutting; he is now 
working his father-in-law's farm; three 
children have been born of this union — 
Frederick D., born May 6, 1888; Abbie 
C, born December 8, 1889; and Earl C, 
born January 21, 1894. (5) Charles A. 
Long was born August 8, 1870, in Clay 
township, where he attended school; he 
was married, March 12, 1895, to Miss 
Rosie Sheffield, at Coleman, Mich., where 
he resides, being employed as engineer in 
a factory. (6) William Edward was born 
September 22, 1865, and died in January, 
1867; one child died in infancy. 

Louis Long, father of our subject, was 
born in Pennsylvania in 1803. came to 
Hardin, Ohio, and located in Medina 
county, where he was married to Julia De- 
long, who was also a native of Pennsylva- 
nia. Twelve children were born to them, 
as follows : David, Jacob, Powell, Cath- 
erine, Lewis, May, Joseph, Andrew, 
Julia, and three who died in infancy. Mr. 
Long removed to Hardin county, and 
afterward to Ottawa county, in March, 
1846, settling in Clay township, where 
he carried on farming until his death, in 
1874. His wife died four years previous. 
They were beloved and respected by all 
who knew them. 

Andrew Snider, father of Mrs. David 
Long, was born in Pennsylvania, where 
he carried on farming and also weaving. 
He married Margaret Laudenstine, and 
to them eight children were born — five 
sons and three daughters, viz. : Eliza, 
Sophia, Daniel, Andrew (a sketch of 
whom is given elsewhere;, Henry, Ed- 
ward, Hannah and Abigail, the latter 
becoming the wife of our subject. Mr. 
Snider farmed for several years in Medina 
county, this State, afterward coming to 
Clay township, where he died in 1876, 
his wife passing away in 1882. 



Francis S. Lutman, nephew of our 
subject, and who is at present residing 
with his uncle, was born in Mulberry, 
Wood Co., Ohio, September 23, 1862, 
and is the son of the late George L. Lut- 
man, a merchant at Mulberry. Francis 
studied for the ministry under the tutor- 
ship of the Rev. D. Calkins, of Mul- 
berr\-, but on account of ill health has 
had to give it up for a time. He hopes 
soon to be able to resume his studies, and 
in the meantime has a license to perform 
ministerial duties. 

The subject of this sketch held the 
office of school director for thirty years, 
and was one of the few who helped to 
establish his neighborhood. He helped 
to form the church at East Toledo, and 
worked for several years in Toledo when 
it had but a few houses. The family be- 
long to the Lutheran Church, and in pol- 
itics Mr. Long is a Democrat. Mr. and 
Mrs. Long are both enjoying a hale and 
hearty old age, surrounded by their chil- 
dren, able to look after their own affairs, 
and proud of the development of Clay 
township in which they have borne an 
important part. 



CHARLES F. HOLDER, land- 
owner and agriculturist of Allen 
township, Ottawa county, was 
born in Wittenberg, Germany, 
December 31, 1847. He was a son of 
Christian and Annie (Miller) Holder, both 
natives of that country, and who with their 
family emigrated to America when Charles 
was ten years old. locating on a farm at 
Fremont, Sandusky county, Ohio. 

Here the boy assisted his father in 
farm work, during the summer, and in 
winter attended the district school, carry- 
ing on the studies begun in the public 
schools of his native land, until he was 
thirteen years old. Then, becoming tired 
of the monotonous life of a farmer's boy, 
he determined to see something more of 
the great world, and shipped as a cabin 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



699 



boy on one of the lake vessels. For eight- 
een years he followed the life of a sea- 
man during the summer season, spending 
the winter months in cutting railroad ties, 
staves, spokes, etc., during which years he 
worked his way up from a cabin boy to 
captain. During the last three years of 
his sea-faring career, he commanded the 
schooners " Heatherbell " and "Bessie," 
sailing on Lakes Erie, Michigan and Hu- 
ron. By industry and frugalit}', Mr. Hol- 
der acquired enough money to purchase, 
in 1 88 1, a tract of fortj^ acres of land in 
Salem township, Ottawa Co., this State, 
part of which was cleared. This he fin- 
ished clearing, but the attraction of the 
water was still too strong for him and he 
sold the place and again became a sailor, 
going out as commander of the " Bessie," 
and taking his wife and three children 
with him. He remained on this vessel 
one year, when he came to Allen (then 
Clay) township, and purchased eighty 
acres of land, the larger part of which was 
in a wild state. A small log cabin was 
on the place, and into this Mr. Holder 
moved with his family. With the help 
of his brave wife he went to work with a 
will to clear off the timber and bring the 
land under cultivation, succeeding, after 
years of hard toil, in redeeming it from 
the wilderness and making of it a valua- 
ble property. He planted orchards and 
vines as well as fields of grain, and built 
a dwelling house, barns and outhouses, 
all of which stand as monuments to the 
enterprising and progressive ideas of the 
man, and to-day he is enjoying the fruits 
of his labor. He afterward bought thirty- 
five acres of land, almost cleared, near 
his first location, for which he paid up- 
ward of $1,500, besides spending hun- 
dreds of dollars in clearing and improv- 
ing it. 

Mr. Holder was married June 18, 
1873, to Lousia, daughter of Casper and 
Christiana (Plumkhorne) Whittaker, the 
former a native of Switzerland, the latter 
of Germany. To Mr. and Mrs. Holder 



have been born five children, all of whom 
are living; Charles C. F. , born August 
31, 1874; William J., November 4, 1875; 
Frank J., January 31, 1879; Ida M., 
October 18, 1881; and Ella C., June 25, 
1885. All the children have been edu- 
cated in the public schools of Allen town- 
ship, and the boys assist their father on 
the farm. 

Christian Holder, the father of our 
subject, was born in Wittenberg, Ger- 
many, in September, 1804. He married 
and became the father of five children, 
four of whom with his wife died of con- 
sumption. He again married. Annie 
Miller becoming his wife, and to them 
five children were born. John, the eldest 
of this union born in Germany, August 
15, 1846, was married in Fremont, this 
State, to Miss Fannie Phiper, and died 
in April, 1891; he became the father of 
three children: Albert, Clara R. L. , and 
Lizzie G. 

Christian Holder emigrated with his 
family to this country in 1857 and settled 
in Sandusky county, where, after under- 
going many trials and hardships, he suc- 
ceeded, with the help of his sons, in 
bringing his swampy land under a high 
state of cultivation. Here he lived and 
worked for twenty-five years, gaining the 
esteem and respect of his neighbors. On 
October 10, 1882, while crossing the 
railroad track near his home, he was struck 
by an engine and instantly killed. His 
wife died some four years previous, in 
1878. 

Casper Whittaker, father of the wife 
of our subject, was born in Switzerland 
in 18 1 7, and was a carriage builder by 
occupation. He came to this country 
when a young man, and settled in San- 
dusky county, where he followed his trade 
for some years, after which he farmed in 
Riley township, that county, until his 
death June 15, 1885. He was married to 
Christiana Plumkhorne, a native of Ger- 
manj', and to them eleven children were 
born, of whom the following survive: 



roo 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



John, born April 5, 1857, is a fanner at 
Fremont; Louisa, born July 24, 1858, is 
the wife of our subject; Albert, born June 
25, 1 86 1, is a farmer of Allen township; 
Rosa, born in July, 1868, married March 
4, 1879, and lives in Wood county. 

Mr. Holder is a man who has the wel- 
fare of the community at heart, and is 
deeply interested in the cause of educa- 
tion. He was one of the few who aided 
in the establishment of public schools in 
Allen township, and has held the office of 
a school director for the past twelve 
years. In his political views he is a 
Democrat, and, socially, belongs to Genoa 
Lodf,'e, No. 584, I. O. O. F. , and also 
to the Truants Lodge, a German organ- 
ization. The family attend the Lutheran 
Church, and stand high in the estimation 
of their fellow citizens. 



ANDREW FEILBACH is a worthy 
representative of the business in- 
terests of Elmore, Ottawa coun- 
ty, and having a wide acquaint- 
ance in the community we feel assured 
that the record of his life will prove of 
interest to many of our readers. 

He was born in Sandusky county De- 
cember 13, 1854, and comes of German 
origin. His father, Philip Feilbach, was 
born in Prussia, November 11, 1813, and 
while in that country engaged in the mill- 
ing and bakery business. The year 1852 
witnessed his emigration to America. He 
located first in Sandusky City, Ohio, 
where he worked in a lumber yard for a 
time, and then removed to Sandusky 
county, where he purchased a farm, 
cleared and developed the land, and made 
a valuable farming property and fine 
home. For six years he was also exten- 
sively engaged in the stave business. He 
passed away at his home in Sandusky 
county, March 30, 1893, and was buried 
in the Guss Cemetery at Elmore. His 
wife, who bore the maiden name of Mar- 
garet Steinborn, was born in Prussia, 



January 24, 1825; they were married in 
1S43, and reared a family of nine chil- 
dren, their names and dates of birth be- 
ing as follows: Caroline, January 15, 
1845; Margaret, March 16, 1847; Chris- 
tian, March 31, 1850; Jacob H., Decem- 
ber 24, 1S52; Andrew, December 13, 
1854; Catherine, July 4, 1857; Enmia 
May, October 23, 1859; Charles, August 
23, 1862; and Philip, April 17, 1868. 
All but Margaret are still living. Andrew 
Steinborn, father of Mrs. Philip Feilbach, 
mother of Andrew Feilbach, was born in 
Brumberg, in 1795. 

Our subject remained for thirty-four 
years in the count}' of his nativit}'. His 
educational advantages were limited to 
the privileges afforded by the district 
schools, but his training at farm labor 
was not meagre. At the age of twenty 
he rented his father's farm and began life 
for himself, operating that place some 
fourteen years. As a companion and 
helpmeet on life's journey he wedded 
Miss Bertha Beck, who was born in Ot- 
tawa county, the wedding being celebrated 
October i, 1876. She was born at Port 
Clinton, September 14, 1857, and when a 
child her parents went to Sandusky 
county, where she lived until her marriage. 
Her father, Joseph Beck, was born in 
Switzerland, December 14, 1822. and in 
the city of Sandusky was married. His 
wife was born in the same country, April 
13, 1827, and came to America in 1851. 
Their children, ten in number, were 
Emma, Hermina, Bertha, Frank, George, 
Julia, Edward, Fred, William and 
Charles. Of the family six are yet living. 
The parents of Mrs. Beck were both born 
in Switzerland on April 7, 1804, and were 
baptised at the same time. Her father 
was a carpenter by trade, and in 1852 
crossed the Atlantic to America, locating 
in the city of Sandusky, Ohio, where they 
lived some six years, removing then to 
Washington township, Sandusky county. 
There the father died in 1884; the mother 
is still living on the old home farm. Her 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



701 



father, John Witmer, was born in May, 
1804, in Switzerland, and was a farmer 
and carpenter; his wife was born in the 
same country in 1804; they became the 
parents of six children. The maternal 
grandfather of Mrs. Beck, John Heinz- 
ger, was born in Switzerland, in 1769, 
and his wife in 1781. Frank Beck, 
the grandfather of Mrs. Feilbach, was 
born in the same country in 1790, and 
made farming his life work. He married 
Barbara Weber, whose birth occurred 
there in 1808, and in their family were 
ten children. 

On March 4, 1889, our subject re- 
moved with his family to Elmore, where 
for a year he conducted a meat market. 
Selling out, he then joined his brother in 
the grocery and crockery business, which 
they still conduct, enjoying an extensive 
trade. He is an enterprising successful 
business man, and Elmore numbers him 
among its respected citizens. In politics, 
Mr. Feilbach is a Republican, and is now 
serving his second term as a member of 
the board of education, taking a deep and 
commendable interest in all that pertains 
to the public schools and to the welfare of 
the community. Our subject and his 
wife have three children: Clara, born De- 
cember 29, 1879; George, born March 25, 
1882; and Mable, born September 14, 
1888, died October 18, 1892, and laid to 
rest in the Guss Cemetery at Elmore. 



DAMD AMES, a son of Lysander 
Leeds and Mary Ann (Barnhart) 
Ames, was born June 29, 1853, 
in Harris township, Ottawa coun- 
ty, where he lived until twenty-one years 
of age, receiving a literary education in 
the public school of the district. 

At twelve o'clock (noon) of his twen- 
t3--first birthday David Ames started in 
life for himself, hiring out by the month 
that afternoon to a Mr. Chapman, for 
whom he worked two months. Mr. Ames 
was united in marriage April iS, 1S75, 



with Miss Adella Ingraham, of Sandusky 
county; then rented a farm in Woodville 
township, in that county, where they lived 
until 1879. They then went to Kansas 
and took 160 acres of land from the gov- 
ernment; sold it at the end of two years, 
and moved to Iowa, where they remained 
one year. Mr. Ames then returned with 
his family to his old home, and worked 
his father's farm two years. They then 
removed to Elmore, Harris township, Ot- 
tawa county, where he engaged in saw- 
mill work, in which occupation he con- 
tinued for some time. In 1881 he went 
to Graytown, Benton township, Ottawa 
Co., Ohio, and settled on the "Ames 
farm," owned by his brother, Lyman 
Ames, which he has worked for the past 
four years. Mr. and Mrs. David Ames 
have had seven children, as follows: 
Welby, born December 8, 1876; Milo, 
October 2, 1877; Edith, April 6, 1879; 
John, February 28, 1881; Clarence, Feb- 
ruary 9, 1883; Ada Belle, October 29, 
1888; and Otto George, May 29, 1890. 
Of these Milo died September 29, 1878, 
aged eleven months and twenty-seven 
days; Ada Belle died June 15, 1891, aged 
two years, seven months and seventeen 
days; Otto George died July 7, 1891, 
aged one year, one month and nine days. 
The other children are at home, and at- 
tending the public schools of Graytown 
and Elliston, in Benton township, except- 
ing Welby, who has been at Elmore, 
Harris township, for one year fitting him- 
self for the profession of teacher. Mrs. 
Ames is daughter of Joseph C. and Har- 
riet E. (Morse) Ingraham, and was born 
September 16, 1858, in Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky county, where she lived 
during her girlhood days, attending the 
public schools there. Her father was 
born in 1825; her mother on September 
20, 1829, in Pennsylvania, and died Sep- 
tember 4, 1878. They had seven chil- 
dren, five of whom are still living. 

The parents of David Ames, Lysander 
L. and Mary Ann Ames, celebrated their 



702 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



golden wedding March 14, i88g. Ly- 
sander L. Ames was born in New York 
State April 10, 181 2; came to Seneca 
county, Ohio, when nineteen years of age, 
and three years later moved to Ottawa 
county, where he afterward lived. On 
March 14, 1839, he was united in marriage 
with Mary Ann Barnhart, who was born 
in Fairfield county, Ohio, February 12, 
1820. In Ottawa county Lysander Ames 
cleared and made for himself and his esti- 
mable wife a fine home, at which place 
they both died. They purchased their 
home near Elmore, eighty acres of land, 
for one hundred dollars, and when they 
died it was worth five thousand dollars. 
The farm was deeded to Mr. Ames from 
the government, had never changed hands 
during his lifetime, and they had made 
one of the finest homes in Ottawa county. 
This sketch would be unsatisfactory to 
Mr. David Ames and his children without 
some account of how he once made two 
dollars and a half. It was before the 
stone pike was built, and he had gone to 
Fremont with a wagon and two yoke of. 
o.xen to lay in a supply of necessaries for 
the household. The roads were very 
muddy, and just this side of Fremont he 
was overtaken by a man with a team of 
horses and a loaded wagon. They spoke, 
and inquired each other's destination, and 
the man with the horses e.xpressed his re- 
gret that his fellow traveler had not horses 
instead of cattle to his wagon, so that 
they might bear each other company, but 
as he had not he must drive on. They 
bade each other good-bye. but Mr. Ames 
told the man that he (Mr. Ames) would 
be far behind by the time they reached 
Woodville, when he would leave that road 
for his home. All went well until, near- 
ing the Muskalonge creek, the o.xen stuck 
fast in an enormous mud hole, and could 
not budge an inch. The man ahead with 
the horses went through all right, and 
offered to hitch on ahead of the oxen and 
help them out, which he did. Mr. Ames 1 
was about to thank the stranger for his ! 



kindness when he asked for fifty cents to 
pay for assistance. This being paid, thej- 
had not gone far when the horse-team 
got stuck, and Mr. Ames helped them 
out, and got back his fifty cents. But 
before reaching Woodville he was obliged 
to assist the man with the horse-team 
five different times, thus receiving two 
dollars and a half for his labor! 



JAMES W. SADDORIS, a well- 
known, highly-respected and pro- 
gressive agriculturist of Carroll town- 
ship, Ottawa county, is a native of 
the same, having been born February 2, 
1854. 

Elias and Melissa E. (Root) Saddoris, 
parents of our subject, were the parents 
of five children, a brief record of whom 
is as follows : James W. is the eldest ; 
Albert W. was born January 6, 1856, and 
still lives in Carroll township ; Mary E. , 
born September 6, 1859, is now the wife 
of James \\'. Floro, and living at Port 
Clinton, Ohio ; Theodore E., born No- 
vember 5, 1 86 1, died March 21, [863 ; 
and Eunice A., born February 13, 1864, 
died February 2, 1867. The father of 
this family died February 28, 1865, at 
Savannah, Ga. , while in the service of 
the United States army. George Sad- 
doris, grandfather of our subject, was 
born in Germany January 22, 1778, and 
Sarah W. , his wife, was born, October 6, 
1786. While yet a boy he came to Ohio 
with his parents and died July 2, 1848, 
his wife, Sarah W. , having preceded him 
to the grave February 27, 1840. 

Our subject received his education in 
the district schools of the neighborhood 
of his home. His entire life has been 
spent in his native township, and since 
an early age he has been engaged in the 
honorable occupation of farming. When 
he was but thirteen years of age he be- 
came a farm hand in the employ of Dan 
and Ozila Davenport (first cousins to the 
Saddoris family), and remained with them 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



703 



about seven years, or until his marriage. 
He says they were very kind to him, as 
much as if they had been father and 
mother to him. Mr. Saddoris is now 
owner of the farm formerly owned by 
E. P. Ryan. He is a man of sterling 
integrity, and, though never aspiring to 
office, takes an active interest in all matters 
pertaining to the welfare of his township 
and county. In Carroll township, De- 
cember 28, 1873, he married Miss Mary 
Rudiforth, a daughter of Michael and 
Alice (Hornb}) Rudiforth, the former of 
whom was born November 27, 1823, in 
Holme, Yorkshire, England, son of Rob- 
ert and Elizabeth (Smith) Rudiforth. 

Michael Rudiforth was married July 
5, 1850, at Skipsea, Yorkshire, to Miss 
Alice Hornby, who was born in Barmston, 
same count}-, in June, 1831. In 1858 
Michael Rudiforth emigrated with his 
family to the United States and located 
at Avon, Lorain Co., Ohio. To him and 
his wife were born twelve children, as 
follows: Elizabeth, born October 11, 
1853, married to John Wilder, and now 
living in Clinton, Missouri; Robert, born 
September 9, 1854, his present place of 
residence not known; Mary (wife of our 
subject) and Ann Whipple (twins), born 
July 30, 1856, both residents of Ottawa 
Co., Ohio; Selena, born August 21, 
1858, married to Charles Beinard, of 
Lodi, Ohio; Eliza, born September 4, 
i860; Albert Victory and Alice Victoria 
(twins), born July 29, 1862, the latter 
being now the wife of Charles Eglier; 
Jessie, born October 28, 1864, married 
to Steven Brisbin; Frank, born October 
8, 1869; Jennie Lind, born Februarj' 12, 
1872, married John Nixon; and Herbert 
Lincoln, born December 10, 1874. On 
November 19, 1861, Michael Rudiforth 
enlisted in the U. S. army; was dis- 
charged from the service July 13, 1865, 
and on the 25th of the same month he 
settled in Ottawa county. 

To James W. and Mary (Rudiforth) 
Saddoris were born seven children, their 



names and dates of birth, etc., being as 
follows: Alice M., February 8, 1875, 
now the wife of Solomon King, of Allen 
township, Ottawa Co., Ohio; Ada M., 
born August 20, 1876; Eva L. , August 
20, 1878; Clarence E. , February 26, 
1882, died December 14, 1893; Robert 
W., November 19, 1888; Mary, March 
18, 1892, died March 4, 1894; and Elias 
B., June 13, 1884, died November 13, 
1893. Socially, Mr. Saddoris is a prom- 
inent member of the Knights of Honor, 
Knights of the Maccabees, and Sons of 
Veterans. Politically, he is a straight 
out-and-out Republican, always giving his 
support to that party, while in religious 
belief he and his family are identified 
with the United Brethren Church. 



AUGUST BREDBECK, a wide- 
awake and enterprising fruit grow- 
er and stock-raiser of Danbury 
township, Ottawa county, was 
born July 17, 1853, on the farm where he 
still resides, and is a son of Gerd and 
Marguerite (Busch) Bredbeck, natives of 
Germany, the father born October 12, 
1812, and the mother August 15, 1816. 

The mother of oursubject was a daugh- 
ter of Henry Busch, and both her parents 
died when she was a child. About 1830 
she came to America, locating in New 
York City, where, in July, 1839, she was 
united in marriage with Mr. Bredbeck, 
and they became the parents of the fol- 
lowing children: Christina, born June 12, 
1840, became the wife of F. L. Koth, and 
passed away January 14, 1888; Henry, 
born September 7, 1842, is a prominent 
resident of Danbury township; Anna Mar- 
guerite, born December 2, 1844, died 
August 25, 1847; Mary Ann, born August 
6, 1847, is the widow of William Von 
Sack, and resides in Sandusky City, Ohio; 
George, born February 13, 1850, also 
lives in Sandusky City; Edward, born 
March 10, 1852, died on the 24th of the 
same month; August is next in order of 



704 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



birth; and Amelia J., born April 22, 1858, 
is the wife of Edward Tredor, of Cleve- 
land, Ohio. 

Midst play and work the earl}- days of 
August Bredbeck were passed in much the 
usual manner of most farmer lads, and 
his literary education was obtained in the 
district schools common at that date. 
Since early life he has devoted his time 
and energy to general farming and stock- 
raising, while of late years he has also 
been interested in fruit culture, and ranks 
among the most successful and promi- 
nent agriculturists of the township. In 
Danbury township, July 16, 18S1, he mar- 
ried Miss Anna S. D. Winters, who was 
born July i, i860, in Danbury township, 
a daughter of Herman and Ann (Harms) 
Winters, both natives of the province of 
Hanover, Germany, the former born Oc- 
tober 8, 1830. About the year 1849 her 
father emigrated to America, and the 
same year he located in Danbury town- 
ship, where he has since followed farming. 
Here, in 1859, he married Miss Harns, 
who had come to the New World about 
the same time as her husband, and by 
their union ten children were born, all 
of whom are still living, as follows: Mina, 
wife of George Bredbeck, of Oak Harbor, 
Ottawa county; Anna S. D., the honored 
wife of oursubject; Mary, wife of Thomas 
Lanum, of Oak Harbor; Christine, wife 
of James McCallum, of the State of 
Washington; Herman, of Toledo, Ohio; 
Henry, who resides in Danbury township; 
£mma, wife of William Collins, of Ben- 
ton township, Ottawa county; and John, 
Edward and Andrew, all living on the old 
homestead farm. The mother of this 
family departed this life in Danbury town- 
ship, February 9, 1881. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Bredbeck were born 
four children as follows: Walter B., 
March 2, 1883; Agnes I., September 28, 
1886; Ada M., December 3, 1889; and 
Ralph A., December 10, 1891. In his 
political views, Mr. Bredbeck is a stal- 
wart Democrat, and he and his family at- 



tend the Lutheran Church. He is a pub- 
lic-spirited and progressive citizen, readily 
endorsing any project culculated to stimu- 
late the development and prosperity' of 
his township and county. He is gene- 
rous and affable, his sympathies e.xpress- 
ing themselves in kindness to friends and 
in charities where they are merited. It 
may truthfully be said of him. that in all 
the relations of life in which he is called 
upon to act, he is trustworthy and hon- 
est. His habits of industry and applica- 
tion to business show themselves in his 
neat surroundings and well-kept orchards, 
and he enjoys the esteem and confidence 
of all his friends and neighbors. On his 
farm near the shores of Sandusky Bay 
there are the remains of an old Indian for- 
tification, which he keeps unmolested 
from the ravages of the plow and harrow, 
and which is an object of considerable 
curiosity — one of the old landmarks of 
the daj's when the noble Red man held 
full possession of this section of the 
country. 



TC. WHITEHEAD, one of the 
honored and respected citizens of 
Clyde, Sandusky county, was 
born November 23, 1850, in Gos- 
den, Cambridgeshire. England, and is a 
son of Joseph and Matilda (Albon) White- 
head, both natives of that locality. 

W^hen our subject was four months 
old he was brought to the United States, 
by his parents, who located on a farm in 
Tovvnsend township, Sandusky county, 
where they purchased the farm laterowned 
by the father of our subject, who there 
resided until his retirement from active 
life, when he came to Clyde. Here he 
died February 10, 1 891, at the advanced 
age of eighty years. The mother's death 
occurred in Townsend township. Their 
union had been blessed with seven chil- 
dren: Sarah Ann, who married Herman 
Howe, and lived in Sandusky county un- 
til after the death of her husband; Joseph, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



705 



a resident of Townsend township, San- 
dusky county; Samuel, who was a mem- 
ber of Company K, One Hundredth O. 
V. I., during the Civil war, was wounded 
at the battle of Franklin, Tenn., and 
died soon afterward; William, who was a 
soldier in the one-hundred-day service, 
and died below Washington, D. C. ; 
George, who lives in Henry county, Ohio; 
Bessie, now the wife of James Fuller, of 
Townsend township, and our subject. 

T. C. Whitehead was reared to man- 
hood in Townsend township, where he 
attended the common schools, later be- 
coming a student in the schools of Hills- 
dale, Mich., where he pursued his studies 
for a few terms. He then took charge 
of the old homestead. For many years 
he was engaged in dealing in horses, and 
besides those raised on his own farm he 
bought and sold others, shipping princi- 
pally to New York City, Jersey City, and 
Cleveland; he dealt both in carriage 
horses and roadsters. He has three stal- 
lions and some fine trotters; one trotter, 
four years old, made a record of 2:25 at 
Newburg, Ohio, last year, and was sold 
for $1,300. He also sold a three-year- 
old filly, " Josephine," for $825.00 at 
public sale in Cleveland; also one team of 
five-year-old colts for $700.00 to a party 
in New Jersey, and one pair of four-year- 
olds going to Baltimore, Md., besides 
several other horses at good prices. Mr. 
Whitehead now has a pacer, " Solarion," 
which he e.xpects to rival any horse he 
has ever possessed, already having a mark 
of 15^. He made his home upon the 
farm until 1891, when he erected his pres- 
ent fine residence in Clyde. He now 
gives special attention to trotting and 
pacing horses, and is considered one of 
the best judges of those animals in San- 
dusky county. 

Mr. Whitehead has been twice mar- 
ried, first time to Miss Zina Gibbs, and 
after her death to Belle Powell, of Oneida, 
Kno.x Co., Ills. Two children blessed 
their union: Earl Monte, born July 3,1887, 



now eight years of age; and Cleopatra, 
born in 1892, now three years old. Mr. 
Whitehead has the reputation of being a 
strictl}- first-class business man, reliable 
and energetic, and is a citizen of whom 
Clyde may be justly proud. Politically, 
he gives his adherence to the Republican 
party; socially, he is a member of the 
Royal Arcanum. 



NICOLAI NISSEN. The success 
which almost invariably attends 
the young emigrant from Ger- 
many, who comes to our shores 
armed with good health and a knowledge 
of some trade, can not fail of remark, and 
is indicative of the steady habits, economy, 
thrift and industrj- of that people. It 
would be well, perhaps, if the youth of 
America were to profit by the example set 
them, and emulate their foreign brothers 
in some of these traits of character. The 
cry of "hard times" would surely be 
heard less frequently, and fewer business 
failures would occur. 

In the gentleman whose name opens 
this sketch, and who is one of the lead- 
ing merchants of Port Clinton, Ottawa 
county, we see one of the men who from a 
small beginning built up an enviable trade, 
and who from their merits take a prom- 
inent place in the community. Mr. Nis- 
sen's father, whose name was Nis Thomas, 
was a farmer in Schleswig-Holstein, Ger- 
many, born in 1809, and died in 1876, at 
the age of sixty-seven years. His mother, 
born in 1806, died in 1853, at Stadum, 
Schleswig, Germany, at the age of forty- 
seven years. Her maiden name was 
Trinke Dorothea. The family of this 
worthy couple comprised five children: 
Matthias, Carsten, Marie, Catherina, and 
Nicolai. 

Our subject attended school in his 
J youthful days, as all children are required 
i to do in Germany, and obtained a good com- 
, mon-school education. He then learned 
j the trade of a shoemaker, and when twen- 



706 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



ty-foiir years old emigrated to America, 
landing at New York, from there coming 
to Sandusky, and later to Port Clin- 
ton. Here he went to work at his trade, 
and after seven years was enabled to com- 
mence business for himself. He lived for 
one year (1866-67) '" Michigan, then re- 
turned to Port Clinton. For a couple of 
3'ears he had partners in his business, but 
since that time has carried on operations 
alone. He began in a small way where 
Payne's drug store now stands. He 
erected the brick block, that now occupies 
the place, which he afterward sold, pur- 
chasing the building in which his store is 
now located. Here he carries on an ex- 
tensive business, and is constantly increas- 
ing his facilities for trade. Mr. Nis- 
sen was married, October 18, 1870, to 
Miss Theresa Eybsen, who was born in 
New York City, April 2, 1853. Seven 
children were born to this union, four of 
whom are living — August, Frank, Charles 
and Rosa — and three are deceased — Will- 
iam (who died when two years old), Julia 
and Matilda. Of this interesting family, 
August, the eldest, born September 5, 
1 872, is now an United States army officer. 
He was a cadet at West Point, and after 
hard study succeeded in graduating on 
June 12, 1895, standing No. 20 out of a 
class of fifty-two. Immediately after grad- 
uating he received a furlough of three 
months, which he spent at his home in 
Port Clinton, and while there received his 
commission as an officer, and was as- 
signed to the Sixth U. S. Cavalry, at Fort 
Myer, Virginia, near Washington, D. C, 
where at the present time he is discharging 
his duties. Frank, the next son,w ho is at 
home, has assumed the management of his 
father's business, and in time will, proba- 
bly, become a partner, and then successor 
to the present firm. Although at present 
but twenty-one years of age, he has a 
thorough knowledge of the shoe business, 
and has that energy which tends to in- 
crease instead of decline. Charles and 
Rosa, the two younger children, are still 



attending school, and Charles will gradu- 
ate in '96, Rosa in '97. 

In politics, Mr. Nissen is a good Demo- 
crat, and is active in work for his party. 
In religious faith, he is a Lutheran, a 
member of that Church, and takes an in- 
terest in whatever tends to upbuild the 
community in which he lives. He is the 
leading boot and shoe dealer in Port 
Clinton, and is highly respected for his 
integrity and excellent business qualifica- 
tions. 



THEODORE S. PORTER, a 
thorough and skillful farmer and 
fruit grower of Catawba Island 
township, Ottawa county, is a na- 
tive of Connecticut, born in Bethel De- 
cember 4, i860. His parents, Charles 
J. and Hannah A. (Wilkes) Porter, were 
likewise born in Connecticut, and still 
make their home in that State, being 
residents of Bethel, where the father 
holds the position of postmaster. In the 
family were six children, of whom Lewis 
died when about nineteen years of age; 
those living are Frederick N., Frank W., 
Theodore S., George A. and John L., all, 
with the exception of our subject, residing 
in Connecticut. 

As a farmer boy, Theodore S. Porter 
was reared to manhood, receiving a fair 
education in the public schools of his na- 
tive town, and when he had arrived at the 
age of twenty-two he left home, going to 
Dakota, where he engaged in agricultural 
pursuits for about four years. In 1886 
he returned to Bethel, Conn., and there 
learned the trade of a hat finisher, which 
occupation he followed until 1890. In 
that year he became a resident of Cataw- 
ba Island township, Ottawa county, 
where he is now engaged in fruit growing. 
On December 23, 1890, on Catawba Is- 
land, he was married to Miss Sarah Por- 
ter, a daughter of Wheeler and Flora H. 
(Bearss) Porter, and one child has come 
to bless their union — Charles Wheeler, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



101 



born November 3, 1893. Wheeler Por- 
ter was the second white man to settle 
on Catawba Island, at that time (1833) 
called Huron township, afterward Van- 
Rensselaer township. He resided in three 
townships and three counties, and yet 
never moved off the farm where Mr. Por- 
ter now resides. 

Mr. Porter is a thoroujjh Republican 
in his political views. Though a com- 
paratively recent arrival in Ottawa coun- 
ty, he has made many friends by his 
straightforward and upright life, and is 
considered a valuable acquisition to the 
population. He is industrious and perse- 
vering, and at no distant day will rank 
among the most successful fruit growers 
of the Island. He has under construction 
a handsome dwelling, in which we hope 
that he and his most estimable wife may 
be long spared to pass their declining 
years. 



In this region 



HENRY LAUDY. 
of Ohio, so largely devoted to the 
growth of fine fruits, lived the 
gentleman whose name introduces 
this notice, and who was one of the most 
prominent and progressive agriculturists 
of the community. A native of the Pro- 
vince of Hanover, Germany, he was born 
about the year 1827, and in the land of 
his birth he passed the days of his boyhood 
and youth, no event of special importance 
occurring during that period. At the age of 
eighteen he bade adieu to the Fatherland, 
and crossing the Atlantic was for a num- 
ber of years engaged in the grocery busi- 
ness in New York City. On leaving there 
he came to Ohio, and took up his resi- 
cence on Catawba Island, where he spent 
his remaining days. 

Mr. Laudy was married in New York, 
to Miss Elizabeth Libben, also a native of 
Hanover, and to their union were born six 
children (five of whom are still living): 
Henry, born in New York, July 14, 1856; 
Annie, born in New York, June 14, 1858, 



now the widow of Jacob Pulschen, and a 
resident of Port Clinton, Ohio; John, born 
January 24, 1862; George, born June 20, 
1863, and died January 25, 1893; Eliza- 
beth, born October 8, 1867, now the wife 
of Haskel Spies, of Catawba Island; and 
Amanda, born November 6, 1869. The 
mother of this family passed away June 
24, 1892, having survived her husband 
several years. Henry Laudy died Febru- 
ary 28, 1885. He was a man of no small 
prominence in the community; served as 
township trustee and in other local offices, 
and by his ballot supported the men and 
measures of the Democratic party. 

Henry Laudy, J r. , who now carries on 
the farm, was only two years old when his 
parents madeatripto Europeforhishealth, 
there remaining for si.x months. He after- 
ward returned to New York, and a year 
later the family came to Catawba Island, 
where he has since been engaged in fruit 
growing. He was married in Erie town- 
ship, Ottawa county, June 26, 1888, to 
Miss Anna C. Ineichen, who was born in 
that township, September 29, 1864, and 
is a daughter of Alois and Mary (Beck) 
Ineichen, both of whom were natives of 
Switzerland, and came to America at an 
early day, locating in Erie township, 
where the father's death occurred, Octo- 
ber 19, 1874; the mother died at Port 
Clinton, September 17, 1894. Two chil- 
dren grace the union of Mr. and Mrs. 
Laudy: Leo H., born February 5, 1892; 
and Florence M., born December 29, 
1894. 

Mr. Laudy has served as town treas- 
urer for about five years, and proved him- 
self a competent and faithful officer. 
Socially, he is connected with Port Clinton 
Lodge, No. 627, I. O. O. F., and with 
Orchard Lodge, No. 60, Knights of the 
Maccabees. In his political views he is a 
Democrat, in religious belief a Lutheran, 
but his wife is a member of the Roman 
Catholic Church. Mr. Laudy is a gentle- 
man of unassuming manner, devoting his 
whole time and attention to the cultiva- 



708 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPEICAL RECORD. 



tion of his fine orchards, which are among 
the best and most productive in the town- 
ship. All his surroundings bespeak thrift 
and enterprise, and he holds a reputation 
second to none in the community in which 
he resides. 



HENRY .AND JOHN AHRENS are 
two of the most prominent farm- 
ers and fruit growers of Danbury 
township, Ottawa county, the for- 
mer of whom was born September 22, 
i860, on the old homestead farm upon 
which he still resides. He is a son of 
Carsten and Elizabeth (Fauble) Ahrens, 
both natives of Germany, was reared to 
manhood upon the farm, and received his 
education in the district schools of the 
neighborhood. From early boyhood he 
has been engaged in agricultural pursuits, 
and of late years has devoted a great deal 
of his time and attention to fruit growing, 
owning and operating one of the largest 
and most extensive fruit orchards in the 
township. Socially he is a member of 
Peninsular Lodge, No. 607, Knights of 
Pythias, and, politically, is a stalwart 
Republican. 

Carsten Ahrens. the father, was born 
in the Province of Hanover, June 5, 1805, 
and was a son of Adolph and Katherina 
Ahrens, also natives of the same province. 
Until the age of sixteen years he remained 
in his native land, it being about 1821 
when he left home, going to England, 
where he worked in a sugar refinery some 
seven years. In 1828 we find him a 
resident of New York, where he engaged 
in the grocery business. Five years later 
he came to Danbury township, Ottawa 
Co., Ohio, where he purchased the land 
on which he afterward resided, and then 
returned to New York. Several years later 
he removed to his farm, but after a resi- 
dence of a few years rented his land to his 
brother and again went to New York, re- 
maining their until about 1838, when he 
returned to Danbury township, and from 



that date until the time of his death there 
made his home. He departed this life 
May 2, 1883. 

The mother of our subject was born 
in the Province of Hesse, Germany, April 
14, 1830, and was a daughter of ^^'ilhelm 
and Katrina Fauble, both of whose births 
occurred in the Fatherland. She came 
to America in 1850, and for about a year 
made her home in Cleveland. Ohio. On 
December 6, 1851, at Sandusky City, 
Erie Co., Ohio, she was united in mar- 
riage with Carsten Ahrens, and became 
the mother of six children, as follows: 
Katherine, born February 11, 1853, who 
became the wife of Daniel Finken, and 
died October 5, 1884; Adolph, born Jan- 
uary 23, 1855, died December 17, 1874; 
Elizabeth, born October 21, 1858, who 
became the wife of William Hess, of Dan- 
bury township, and died suddenly April 
13, 1895, at the residence of our subject, 
leaving a husband and four children to 
mourn the loss of a faithful wife and lov- 
ing mother; Henry is the next in order of 
birth; Anna was born in February, 1862; 
and John, born April 25, 1864, also re- 
siding on the old homestead. 

The farm is now under the personal 
supervision of our subjects, and the neat 
and imposing appearance of the surround- 
ings are ample proof of their ability as 
thorough, practical farmers and fruit grow- 
ers. They take a lively interest in the 
progress and development of the county, 
giving their encouragement and more sub- 
stantial support to those enterprises which 
are calculated to upbuild the community. 
The family attend the services of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HET- 
RICK, one of the enterprising 
and successful farmers of Benton 
township, Ottawa county, is a son 
of Daniel and Mary (Siegenthaler) Het- 
rick, and was born in Sandusky county, 
Ohio, in 1855. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



709 



Daniel Hetrick was born in Pennsyl- 
vania in 1832, and came to Sandusky 
county in an early day, where he has 
since lived. About 1852 he was united 
in marriage with Mary Siegenthaler, who 
was born in Pennsylvania about 1837, B. 
F. Hetrick being next to the eldest in 
their family. Daniel Hctrick's father and 
mother were born respectively in iSio 
(in Pennsylvania) and in 18 14. The 
father of Mrs. Daniel Hetrick, William 
Siegenthaler, was born in 181 5, her 
mother in 181 2. Benjamin F. Hetrick 
received a good education in the district 
schools of his native county, attending 
until eighteen years of age. When 
twentj' years old he struck out in life 
for himself, working four years at the 
carpenter's trade. At the age of twenty- 
four he was united in marriage with Miss 
Maria E. Reed, of Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
and they had four children, namely: 
Arthur M., born May 23, 1878; BertH., 
January 21, 1881; Lillie M., October26, 
1883; and Alda L. , January 21, 1887; 
they are all living at home, receiving the 
advantages of a good education and the 
encouragement of a father who knows 
well the value of thorough training. 

After his marriage Mr. Hetrick rented 
his farm, which he worked four years, 
then purchased eighty acres in Section 
14, Benton township, which was all tim- 
bered, and, Hke many another man in 
Benton township, he set to work to clear 
the land and make for himself a home. 
In this he has had marked success, the 
timber is removed and stumps are all out, 
and fences are in fine condition; there are 
comfortable buildings, a good orchard, 
and the farm is well under cultivation and 
provided with the necessary teams and 
tools for thorough work. Besides the 
ordinary farm routine, Mr. Hetrick han- 
dles all kinds of stock, and is to some 
extent engaged in bee-culture. When a 
resident of Sanduskj' county he was con- 
stable for three years, and he has also held 
the office of postmaster at Limestone, Ben- 



ton township, for the six years from 1888 
to 1894. Mrs. Hetrick died March 11, 
1889, after a protracted illness of six 
years. She was born in 1863, was edu- 
ucated in the district schools of Sandusky 
county, and was well fitted to train her 
children to become noble men and women. 
She was a faithful wife and a loving 
mother. Her father, John Reed, was 
born in 1837, in Sandusky county, Ohio, 
where he resided all his life; he died in 
1895, at the age of fifty-eight years. His 
wife, Mrs. Hetrick's mother, was born in 
Pennsylvania about 1841. John Reed's 
father and mother were born in Pennsyl- 
vania about 1 8 10 and 18 14, respectively. 
Mrs. Hetrick's grandfather on her 
mother's side was born in 1817, and her 
grandmother, on the same side, in 18 14. 
Benjamin F. Hetrick again married 
on July 16, 1 89 1, taking for his second 
wife Miss Mary Markley, who was born 
in Benton township, Ottawa Co., in 1867, 
and is the daughter of Jacob Markley, 
one of the oldest settlers of Benton town- 
ship. Mrs Hetrick has given some at- 
tention to both vocal and instrumental 
music, and has been a teacher of instru- 
mental music. Mr. and Mrs. Hetrick 
are pleasantly situated on their fine 
farm in Benton township, Ottawa county, 
and are giving their children excellent 
advantages. 



JOHN MINIER, a prominent farmer 
and one of the enterprising residents 
of Erie township, Ottawa county, 
was born in Salem township, same 
county, April 23, 1843, son of John and 
Esther (Whestone) Minier, who were born 
in New Jersey and Pennsylvania respect- 
ively, and were very early settlers of 
Salem township, where they resided up 
to the time of their death. 

John Minier, Sr. , died July 4, 1882, 
and his wife, Esther, January 11, 1892. 
They had eleven children, all of whom 
grew to maturity, seven now living, viz. : 



710 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Hiram, residing at Sheldon, 111. ; Eliza- 
beth, widow of Job Kelley, residing at 
Sheldon, 111.; Darius, residing in Iowa; 
John, the subject of these lines; Benja- 
min, residing in Erie township; Samuel, 
living in Salem township; and Mary, wife 
of Harvey Snyder, in Paulding, Paulding 
Co., Ohio. 

The subject proper of this sketch was 
reared to manhood in Salem township, 
receiving a very limited education in the 
schools located there, and his life from 
early boyhood has been devoted to agri- 
culture, with the exception of the nine 
months he served in the army. In May, 
1 86 1, he enlisted in the Twenty-fifth O. 
V. I., and nine months later was dis- 
charged on account of disability, return- 
ing to Salem township. On July i, 1864, 
John Minier was united in marriage with 
Adeline Cairl, who was born in Hallville 
township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, May 16, 
1846, and they have had six children, as 
follows: Josephine, born June 28, 1865, 
was married to James McCullough May 
1 1, 1882, and is now residing in Toledo, 
Ohio; Matilda, born March 7, 1867, now 
the wife of Horace Conkey, and residing 
in Carroll township, Ottawa county; 
Rodolphus B., born February 15, 1870, 
was married to Mary Winters March 4, 
1893, and is now residing in Erie town- 
ship; Samuel W., born January 15, 1872, 
is living at home; Angie, born October 2, 
1874, wife of Louis Ohm, and residing in 
Carroll township; and Dora, born May 
22, 1878, married July 2, 1895, and is 
now the wife of Harmon Goodknick. 
The parents of Mrs. Minier, Daniel and 
Mary (White) Cairl, were from New 
Jersey and Pennsylvania, respectively. 
They removed from Sandusky county to 
Erie township about 1858, and Mr. Cairl 
engaged in agricultural pursuits there un- 
til his death, which occurred in Erie 
township, December 18, 1872. Mrs. 
Cairl died in September, 1873. 

In 1872 John Minier removed from 
Salem township to Erie township, where 



he has resided ever since. He has served 
as trustee of the township one term, and 
also as supervisor. In his political views 
he is liberal, and he is a member of the 
G. A. R. The family attend the Method- 
ist Church. 



DE WILTON WOOD, son of Amos 
E. and Parintha (Case) Wood, 
was born in \\'oodville, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio, December 28, 1842. 
His paternal grandparents were Ephraim 
and Hannah Wood, the latter of whom 
was born September 25, 1780, and died in 
Woodville, Ohio, October 6, 1854. They 
were the parents of the following children: 
Parthena, who was born in Ellisburg, N. 
Y. , January 17, 1809, and died in 1890.; 
Amos E. ; Valdi, who married Harriet 
Cameron; Mrs. Amelia Hubbard; and Syl- 
via, who died in infancy. 

Our subject remained in the place of 
his nativaty until eighteen years of age, 
obtaining his education in the public 
schools of Woodville, and at Berea Col- 
lege. In 1861 he responded to President 
Lincoln's first call for 75,000 volunteers 
by enlisting in Company I. Twenty-first O. 
V. I., April 26, 1 86 1, and on his re-enlist- 
ment he joined Company L, Third O. V. C. , 
with which he remained three years. He 
was offered a major's commission in the 
One Hundredth Ohio Regiment, but de- 
clined and entered the service as a private. 
A year and a half later, however, he was 
made sergeant and held that rank until 
the close of the war, but he cared not for 
promotion, being content to defend the 
Union in the ranks. He participated 
in the battles of Franklin, Stone River, 
Atlanta and Chattanooga, and was on the 
march to the sea; was never wounded by 
ball or sabre, but on one occasion, while 
hotly pursued by Rebels, his horse, going 
at full speed, passed under a tree against 
which he struck, and was torn from his 
saddle. The animal soon stopped, how- 
ever, and Mr. Wood remounted and made 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ni 



his escape, but has never recovered from 
the injur}- he then received. He rendered 
efficient service to the Union until June 
26, 1865, when he was mustered out. 

Mr. Wood then located in Elmore, 
and on September 26, 1865, wedded 
Miss Mary Lucke\\ of that place, daughter 
of Augustus W. Luckey. Mrs. Wood's 
great-great-grandfather, Hugh Luckey, 
came in 1735 from Londonderry, Ireland, 
to Chester county, Penn. His son, Rev. 
George Lucke}', was born in 1755, gradua- 
ted from Princeton College in 1772, and 
in 1785 settled at Black Horse, Md., 
where he preached for nearly forty years. 
He was pastor of Bethel Church, which 
he built up, and in which he was buried, 
having continued in his ministerial duties 
almost until his death, which occurred in 
1823. Among his children was John L. 
Luckey, born near Black Horse, Md., in 
1790, and who, in 1S15, wedded Anna 
Wolfly, who was born about the same 
year. The\- came to Ohio, and settled in 
Elmore. In the family were si.\ chil- 
dren: Augustus W., George W., Robert, 
John, Catherine and Rebecca. Of these, 
Augustus W. was born March 6, 1817, in 
Gallipolis, Ohio, and in 1823 came with 
his parents to Elmore, Ottawa county. 
He became popular and well-known, and 
prospered well, at the time of his decease 
being an extensive landowner and well- 
to-do farmer, and a director of the First 
National Bank of Fremont. On March 
20, 1 88 1, while in the Disciple Church at 
Elmore, he was called from earth, his 
death being caused by apople.xy. The 
funeral was held from his late residence, 
and was attended by the largest multitude 
of people ever gathered in Elmore on a 
similar occasion. E.\-President Hayes, 
who was one of Mr. Luckey's intimate 
friends, was one of the pall-bearers. 
Augustus W. Luckey married Desire M. 
Hall, who was born in Clark county, 
Ohio, March 23, :8i8. and died August 
4, 1854, leaving three children: Capt. 

J. B. Luckey, who served three years in 
45 



the Third O. V. C, married Retta Borden 
in 1 87 1, and has one child — Mae, born in 
1873; Mrs. Wood and Frank A. Her 
father, Joseph Hall, was born in Ken- 
tucky September 2, 1784, and died June 
I, 1859. In 1807 he married Leatha 
Ferguson, who was born in Butler coun- 
ty, Ohio, March 4, 1785, and died June 
4, 1838. She too had si.\ children: James, 
Samuel, George W., Mary, Nancy A., 
and Desire M. 

In this connection it will not be inap- 
propriate to make further mention of Mr. 
Wood's father, who was born January 2, 
1 8 10, and became a prominent farmer 
and stock raiser. He served as a mem- 
ber of the Ohio Legislature two terms, as 
a member of the House of Representa- 
tives and of the Senate. He was also 
twice elected to Congress, and was serv- 
ing his second term at the time of his 
death, November 19, 1850. The chil- 
dren of Amos E. Wood and his wife are 
as follows: Amelia, born August 2, 1836, 
Victoria, born July 10, 1838; Amos, born 
October 5, 1839, who died June 16, 
1863; Augusta, born April 28, 1841, who 
died December 5, 1842; De Wilton, born 
December 28, 1842; Cornelia, born March 
20, 1844. who died March 3, 1849; and 
Eugene, born August 2, 1847, who died 
in infancy. 

Upon his marriage our subject located 
on a farm near Elmore, which he culti- 
vated some four years, when he accepted 
a position as clerk in the store of Shaen- 
feld & Borden, of Elmore, spending one 
year at that place. He ne,\t removed to 
Fostoria, Ohio, where he engaged in the 
crockery business for seven years. Dur- 
ing that time he served for two years as 
justice of the peace, resigning his position 
on his removal to Elmore. Here he pur- 
chased the fine home and farm which is 
still his place of residence, and since his 
return he has here served as justice of the 
peace for several years, and for four years 
was postmaster of Elmore. On April i, 
1894, he embarked in the livery business 



712 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in connection with his only son, James 
L. , and they now have a good patronage. 
Mr. and Mrs. Wood have three children: 
Emma Marian, born November 9, 1868; 
James L. , born August 11, 1871; and 
Florence A., born December 24. 1882. 
The son acquired his early education in 
Elmore, spent two terms in the Ohio 
Normal University at Ada, Ohio, and for 
six months attended Hiram College. Af- 
ter that time he spent four months with a 
railroad surveying corps in Virginia and 
North Carolina, and also passed one win- 
ter in Florida. He was deputy postmas- 
ter under his father for four years under 
President Harrison's administration. 

Mrs. W'ood was born in Elmore Feb- 
ruary 10, 1847, here spent her early girl- 
hood days and completed her education 
by two years' attendance at Oberlin Col- 
lege. Her elder daughter, Emma, was 
born on the same farm where her own 
birth occurred, attended the same public 
school, and then spent two terms in the 
college at Ada, Ohio; she also entered 
Oberlin College, but ill health prevented 
her from completing the course. She has 
given special attention to the study of 
music and painting. The younger daugh- 
ter is now attending school in Elmore. 
The family is one of prominence in the 
community, holding an enviable position in 
social circles where true worth and intel- 
ligence are received as the passports into 
good society. They have a wide ac- 
quaintance, and their friends are many. 



JUNE FAMILY. The ancestors from 
whom are descended the June fami- 
lies in the United States were two 
brothers by the name of Junett, 
Huguenot Frenchmen, one of whom set- 
tled on the Hud.son and the other on the 
Connecticut river. The June families re- 
siding in Sandusky county, Ohio, are 
descended from the one who settled on 
the Hudson, Zebbard June by name, and 
who, becoming disgusted with the religion 



of France, dropped the last two letters of 
his name, leaving it June. His home was 
at Peekskill, N. Y. He served in the 
Revolutionary war under Gen. La Fay- 
ette, and on account of disabilities in- 
curred in the service was granted pecu- 
niary aid from the U. S. Government. 
His occupation was that of a farmer in 
Orange county, N. Y. He had a 'family 
of five children: Charit\', Stephen, Peter, 
Cociah and David. Of these — 

Charity June married Adam Sales, and 
lived in Ithaca, Tompkins Co., N. Y., in 
which county he died. They had five 
sons and one daughter. After Mr. Sales' 
death Mrs. Sales moved to Unadilla, 
Mich., where she passed away. Their 
eldest son, Benjamin, died at the same 
place, leaving one daughter. 

Stephen June married a Miss Pew, of 
New York City, by whom he had one son, 
James Madison June. Stephen June was 
a soldier in the war of 181 2, and was 
wounded at the battle of Lundy's Lane 
by a bullet which struck him at one side 
of the nose and passed out at the back of 
his neck, on account of which he was con- 
sidered mortally wounded. He was being 
carried off the field by an Indian to be 
burned on a pile of dead bodies, when his 
struggles to free himself excited the sym- 
pathies of a British officer, James Jim- 
merson, who shot the Indian, and released 
Mr. June, but svas himself arrested for 
firing his gun during a truce, when both 
armies were caring for their dead and 
wounded by torch light. Mr. June re- 
covered from his wound, and lived seven- 
teen \ears after the battle, but never met 
or knew his benefactor. The Indian who 
was shot was of the tribe of Captain 
Brant, after whom the then village of 
Brantford. Canada, was named. The 
British officer afterward received a pen- 
sion from the British Government, and 
was sent to take a position as commis- 
sary, at Fort Maiden, Canada. It was 
while he was at this place that Mr. David 
June, of Fremont, Ohio, met him, and 



COMyfEMORATirE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



713 



first learned that he was the man who 
shot the Indian. A warm friendship at 
once sprang up between them, which con- 
tinued until the death of the officer, in 
1874. 

Peter June, born in 1796, for a num- 
ber of years followed the sea, and later 
served as a pilot in New York harbor. 
He was a cavalryman under Gen. Brown 
in the war of 181 2, during which he was 
wounded by a saber cut at the hands of 
a member of the Forty-second Regiment, 
Scotch Highlanders, who were all slaught- 
ered the same day. Peter June was mar- 
ried, at Caldwell's Landing, on the Hud- 
son river, to a lady who was born in 1 800, 
and they lived for a time at New York 
Cit}'. Being a sea-faring man he was ab- 
sent from his fainilj' much of his time, and 
his wife having prevailed upon him to 
abandon the sea, he decided to try the 
western lakes. Moving westward, they 
lived for several years near Cayuga Lake, 
N. Y. , in 1833 removing to Buffalo, 
where he shipped as mate on the schooner 
" Amaranth," and came with his family, 
on the first day of June, to Sandusky 
City (then called Portland), Ohio. Here 
the family lived for upward of seventeen 
years. Mr. June sailed on the lakes until 
the death of his wife, in 1835, after which 
he confined himself to ship-rigging in the 
vicinity of his home. In 1840 he again 
married. He died in 1851, at the age 
of fifty-si.\. His remains and those of his 
first wife have been removed toOakwood 
cemetery, Fremont, Ohio. The children 
of Peter June by his first marriage were: 
Daniel L., born in 18 18; Martha, born in 
1820; George, born December 26, 1822; 
David, born May 11, 1824, sketch of 
whom follows; two who died in childhood; 
Sales A., born August 2. 1828; and Mar- 
ietta, born in Januarj', 1S30. The sons 
at different times all became residents of 
Fren)ont, Ohio. 

Cociah June, another member of the 
family of Zebbard June, married and had 
a family. 



David June, youngest son of Zebbard 
June, after whom David June, of Fremont, 
Ohio, was named, was a soldier in the 
war of 1812, having entered the service 
at the age of fifteen, at the request of his 
father, and serving as dispatch boy. He 
grew to manhood in the vicinity of Peeks- 
kill, N. Y., and married Miss Miami Har- 
rington, at Ithaca, New York. 



DAVID JUNE, machinist and en- 
gine builder, of Fremont, Ohio, 
was born May 11, 1824, at Ithaca, 
N. Y. , son of Peter June, who 
was a sailor and ship-rigger. 

In 1833 our subject came with his 
father's family to Portland, now Sandus- 
ky, Ohio, where he attended school a 
short time, at intervals when he could be 
spared from work. He remained with 
his father until about fourteen years of 
age, when he entered a machine shop to 
learn the machinist trade. In the fall of 
1838 he was cabin boj' on the old steamer 
"Jack Downing," on the Sandusky river, 
which was his first experience at sailing. 
In 1839 he was cabin boy on the steamer 
" St. Clair" until she was laid up by the 
Combination Line, after which he went 
on the steamer "Sandusky. " In 1840 he 
assisted his father (who was a contractor 
on the Sandusky & Mansfield railroad) 
by driving a team at plow and scraper, in 
the construction of the road-bed from 
Sandusky to Monroeville. In the winter 
of 1840-41, at Sandusk}-, he attended for 
a short time a school taught by Mr. 
Hickox, an Episcopal clergyman. In 
May, 1841, he began a seven-years' ap- 
prenticeship to learn the trade of me- 
chanical engineering with a firm in San- 
dusky, and during this time he also 
worked for a while with his brother-in- 
law. Charles \\'aterous, on the old Ohio 
railroad, which was to pass through San- 
dusky county. This firm was doing the 
general repairs through the counties of 
Erie and Sandusky. Mr. June's work 



714 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



was to look after pile-drivers and saw- 
mills. A dissolution of partnership of the 
firm to which he had been bound released 
him from his apprenticeship, and in April, 
1842, he went to Cleveland and found 
employment in the Cuj'ahoga Iron 
Works. Here he remained about ten 
years, during that time filling the position 
of engineer on steamers of the Buffalo 
and Chicago Line during the summer 
seasons, and working in the shops during 
the winter seasons. During a part of 
1843 he was second engineer on the 
steamer "St. Clair" and the rest of the 
year on the "Commerce." In the win- 
ter and spring of 1844 he assisted in 
building the engine of the steamer " Em- 
pire," and in August sailed on that 
steamer as second engineer, remaining on 
that vessel until June, 1847, when he 
went on the "Boston." In the summer 
of 1847 he took charge of the steamer 
" Detroit," until she was sent to Chicago. 
In the following winter he put up the en- 
gine of the " Monticello," at Fairport, 
Ohio. In the spring of 1848 he put in an 
engine for the "Ohio," and fixed engines 
for the " Republic" in the fall. He was 
on the "Republic" until Jul}-, 1849, 
when he was employed to fit out the 
steamer "Globe, "at Cleveland, by the 
American and Liverpool Insurance Com- 
pany, who were under contract to furnish 
the railroad iron from England for the C. 
C. & C. railroad, by January i, 1850. 
Their vessels from Liverpool could not pass 
up the Welland canal, and the iron was un- 
loaded on the banks. Mr. June was em- 
ployed to deliver the iron for the company 
at Cleveland, and it took him from July un- 
til December 22 to do it. He then returned 
to the Cuyahoga shops to work for the 
Lake Superior Line of steamers, in which 
employ he remained for a period of about 
eight years. This line extended from 
Cleveland to Sault Ste. Marie. In 1851 
they built the steamer "Northerner," into 
which Mr. June put an engine and ma- 
chinery; this was the first steamboat 



built for the Lake Superior trade. In 
1853 they built the steamer " North Star," 
which cost $128,000. Having by indus- 
try and economy laid by some money, 
Mr. June in 1853 came to Fremont to 
start in business. He and a Mr. Curtis 
first bought out the plow shop of F. I. 
Norton, and began to fix it up for the 
building and repair of engines. Six 
months later Mr. Curtis sold out to Dan- 
iel L. June, and the June brothers contin- 
ued together under the firm name of June 
& June until 1S56, when L\man Gilpin 
bought out D. L. June. D. June and L. 
Gilpin remained together as partners un- 
til November, 1859, at which time D. 
June became sole proprietor. He again 
took Mr. Curtis into partnership, but 
seven years later that gentleman re- 
tired, and three years after that a part- 
nership was formed, consisting of David 
June, Robert Brayton, and O. S. French, 
under the firm name of D. June & Co. 

The completion of the Toledo, Nor- 
walk & Cleveland railroad in 1853 en- 
abled Mr. June to bring engines from 
Cleveland for repair, and return them for 
the Lake Superior Company cheaper than 
the work could be done at Cleveland, and 
he held their trade. His shops also re- 
ceived many orders for work from the 
surrounding country. In the winter of 
1855 he rebuilt the "Manhattan," whose 
engines were brought here by rail, and in 
the winter of 1S57 he rebuilt the "North 
Star" at Fremont. During these years 
Mr. June was away occasionally on Lake 
Superior to overhaul steamers and make 
repairs. In 1858, at the urgent solicita- 
tion of the Lake Superior Transportation 
Company, he left his business at Fre- 
mont, Ohio, in care of a partner lately 
taken in, and went to Cleveland to take 
charge of all the company's boats and 
keep them in running order. He re- 
mained there until i860, when he returned 
to Fremont, bought out his partner, and 
assumed entire control of the business. 
He had quit the lakes in 1858, and now 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



715 



remained in Fremont permanently, in 
1 86 1 commencing the erection of new 
worlvs, which were completed in 1877. 
After several changes of partners he asso- 
ciated himself with Robert Brayton, an 
old and skillful machinist with whom he 
had worked in Cleveland, and who re- 
mained nine years and did much to make 
their ventures successful. Many valuable 
improvements in the building of engines 
were made by this enterprising firm. 
The)' were the inventors of a self-acting 
spark arrester in 1875, which has come 
into general use. The engines built by 
the firm have a high reputation, and are 
being shipped all o\er the country. The 
firm also has two branch concerns, one at 
Waco, Te.xas, which does a business of 
about $150,000 a year, and one at Coun- 
cil Bluffs, Iowa, which does an annual 
business of about $25,000. They had 
another at Austin. Texas, which they 
recently sold to A. R. Gossard. These 
concerns are all connected with and 
stocked by the shops at Fremont, Ohio, 
in which a business of about $200,000 a 
j-ear is done. In 1869 Mr. June took 
O. S. French as a partner, and the firm 
name became D. June & Co., by which 
it has been known ever since. In 1886 
this firm divided up a one-third interest 
with S. A. June & Son, Martin Holder- 
man and A. M. June. In 1890 S. A. 
June and Peter June, his son, surrendered 
their stock to D. June &Co., since which 
time the firm has consisted of D. June, 
O. S. French, M. Holderman and A. M. 
June. 

On November 28, 1844, David June 
married, at Painesville, Ohio, Miss Caro- 
line A. Owen, daughter of Joseph and 
Anna (Rantsford) Owen, born in Ontario 
county, N. Y., in February, 1823. They 
had two children: Clarissa A., who died 
in childhood; and Carrie M., born June 
12, 1857, who was married September 
10, 1884, at Fremont, Ohio, to Martin 
Holderman, who is now a partner in the 
firm of D. June iS: Co., and its worthy 



secretarj'. Mr. Holderman was born in 
Baden, Germany, August 10, 1852, a son 
of Frederick and Barbara (Adler) Holder- 
man, who came to America in 1856. 
Frederick Holderman was a baker by 
trade, and had preceded his family to this 
country two years, coming in 1854. He 
died at Fremont, Ohio, in i860, and his 
wife in 1865. Three of their sons, Will- 
iam, George and Frederick, Jr., were 
veteran soldiers of the Civil war, 1861 to 
1865. The children of Frederick Holder- 
man, Sr. , born in Germany, were: Fred- 
erick, Jr., born in 1840; George, born 
February 22, 1842; William, born Febru- 
ary 22, 1844; Amelia, who died in child- 
hood; and Martin, born August 10, 1852. 
The children of Martin and Carrie Holder- 
man are: June Frederick, born December 
5, 1885; and Clara Marie, born Decem- 
ber 12, 18S6. 



JOSEPH H. HAINES, an honored 
veteran of the Civil war, now an es- 
teemed citizen of Elmore, Ottawa 
county, was born in Trenton, N. J., 
December 17, 1844, and is a son of Willis 
Parker and Susan (Brooks) Haines. The 
father was born in Pennsylvania, in 1809, 
and, during the greater part of his life, 
sailed the ocean. He died August 16, 
1853. His wife, who was born in the 
same State in 1814, died July 11, 1895; 
to them were born seven children, all 3'et 
living — Edward, Martha, Samuel, Joseph 
H., Lurania, and Sarah and Mary P. 
(twins). 

\\'hen our subject was only two years 
of age his parents migrated to Huron 
county, Ohio, and afterward to Ottawa 
county, where he attended the district 
schools. His father died when he was 
nine years of age, leaving seven children 
to be cared for by the mother, who, by 
her diligence and earnest effort reared 
her family to become honorable men and 
women and useful members of society. 
Joseph H. began earning his living when 



716 



COMMEMORATIVE BWORAPHWAL RECORD. 



only ten years of age, and also gave a part of 
his wages to his mother to assist her in 
caring for the younger children. 

Mr. Haines was employed as a farm 
hand until after the breaking out of the 
Civil war, when, on the 4th of August, 
he responded to the country's call for 
troops, enlisting in Company L, Third 
Ohio Cavalry. His first battle was at 
Shiloh, and for two days he participated 
in that hotly-contested struggle. He was 
afterward in the battles of Chickamauga, 
Missionarj- Ridge, Stone River and others. 
He was twice taken prisoner, but made 
his escape on the field of battle before 
being removed to Southern prisons. For 
more than four years he faithfully fol- 
lowed the old flag, and valiantly aided in 
the defense of the Union, making an hon- 
orable war record of which he may well 
be proud. When the South had laid 
down its arms, and peace was once more 
restored, he was discharged August 17, 
1865, and returned home. The following 
3'ear he started westward and spent si.\ 
years on the plains of Colorado, Texas, 
Utah and other western States and Ter- 
ritories, engaged in driving cattle. The 
company with which he was associated 
was many times attacked by Indians, and 
some of the number were killed. On one 
occasion Mr. Haines was struck by an 
arrow, but after a time recovered from 
the wound. The life was often one of 
excitement, danger and hardship. After 
six years had passed he returned to El- 
more, and has since lived in that locality. 

On March 10, 1872, was celebrated the 
marriage of our subject and Miss Jennie 
Chapman, of Elmore. She was born 
October 16, 1853, in Pickaway county, 
Ohio, where she remained until nine years 
of age, when her family removed to Oak 
Harbor, Ottawa county, coming a year 
later to Elmore, where she has since 
lived. Her father, James R. Chapman, 
was born in New York, in 1817, and her 
mother, whose maiden name was Mary 
Hardin, was born in 1829. They had ten 



children: William, Alanzo, Ira, Lizzie, 
Jennie, Sarah, Ella, F"annie, Ann and 
Nancy; those still living are William, Liz- 
zie, Jennie, Sarah, Ella and Fannie. 
The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Haines 
went to sea when her father was onlj- 
six months old, and was never heard 
from again. His wife was born about 
1793. The maternal grandfather, Will- 
iam Hardin, and his wife were both born 
in 1799, and both died in 1885. 

Mr. and Mrs. Haines have seven chil- 
dren: Nellie, born December 23, 1872, 
died September 11, 1873; Edw.^rd P., 
born June 3, 1875, completed the course 
of study in Elmore High School in 1892, 
and, when thirteen j-ears of age, began 
the study of pharmacy with Mr. Penfield, 
a druggist of Elmore, by whom he is em- 
ployed most of the time, proving a very 
efficient clerk; Clarence B., born August 15 
1877, died August 10, 1878; George A., 
born January 23, 1879, is attending the 
high school of Elmore; Maud, born March 
30, 1882, and Alice, born April i, 1884, 
are still in school, and are also studying 
instrumental music; and Glena L. , born 
June 19, 1893, died April 11, 1895. Mr. 
Haines is now engaged in the painting 
business in Elmore, enjoying a good trade, 
and has the confidence and support of 
many patrons, and all with whom he has 
come in contact. 



ISAAC F. STROHL, farmer, of Ball- 
ville township, Sanduskj' county, was 
born June 27, 1848, near his present 
place of residence, about three miles 
southeast of Fremont. He spent his child- 
hood and \outh on the farm of his ma- 
ternal grandfather, John Batzole, and at- 
tended the district school at the corner of 
said farm, chiefly in the winter seasons, 
when work was not too pressing. 

At the age of eighteen years he entered 
upon life for himself, but retained his resi- 
dence at the old homestead. During the 
seasons of grain threshing, which formerly 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in 



lasted much lon,q:er than at present, he 
operated an old-fashioned horse-power 
threshing machine for about fourteen 
years, to the satisfaction of his neigh- 
bors. He was the first man in his vicinity 
to buy and use a steam engine for the 
threshing of grain, and he made $1,200 
in ninety days with his first engine. In 
the year 1877 he bought the homestead 
where he now resides, to which he has 
made additions. He is progressive and 
enterprising, and keeps abreast of the 
times in the use of improved farm imple- 
ments. He is a member of the United 
Brethren Church; a Democrat in politics, 
and has held the oiBce ot township trustee 
several terms, and been an active member 
of the board of education. 

Isaac F. Strohl was married, Septem- 
ber 14, 1875, to Miss Hannah M. Worst, 
who was born in Sandusky county, August 
10, 1852, and they had children as fol- 
lows: Cletus P., Myrle D., Edna L., 
Bessie and \'innie. 



ANSON ELDRIDGE, a prominent 
farmer of Ballville township, San- 
dusky county, was one of those 
marked characters in the early 
history of this country to which the trite 
appellation, "diamonds in the rough," 
might be aptly applied. He was a short, 
thick-set, stoutly built man, of Irish de- 
scent. He was of a sanguine, nervous tem- 
perament, having blue eyes, sandy hair 
and a florid comple.\ion; he possessed a 
large fund of ready wit and genuine good 
humor, and his face was usually radiant 
with hope and good cheer. Under his 
rough exterior lurked not only an iron 
will and nerves of steel, but a kind and 
sympathetic disposition which led him 
often to sacrifice his own interests for 
those of his friends. He often acted 
the part of a Good Samaritan among his 
neighbors in cases of sickness, or of mis- 
haps to their live stock. He was the 
first man in his neighborhood to use a 



horse-power mowing machine, and he 
relieved the tired arms and lame backs of 
many a hardy pioneer who mowed with a 
scythe. The merry rattle of his "Buck- 
eye Mower " astonished the meadow larks, 
and cheered the whole community as its 
echoes resounded from the neighboring 
forests. 

Mr. Eldridge came from the vicinity 
of Massillon, Stark Co., Ohio, about the 
year 1835, and settled in Riley township, 
Sandusky county. Here he married a 
Miss Fronizer, by whom he had one son, 
who died at the age of si.xteen years. 
Mrs. Eldridge died in 1840, and about the 
year 1842 Mr. Eldridge married Mrs. 
Nancy Beaghler (//cc- Bolin), relict of 
Henry Beaghler, one of the earliest pio- 
neers of Ballville township, who lived 
near an old Indian trail leading from the 
Indian village north of Green Spring to 
Lower Sandusky. Mrs. Eldridge died 
August I, 1869. A few years later Mr. 
Eldridge married a Mrs. Brookhart, relict 
of a minister of the United Brethren 
Church, with whom he lived several years 
in Mercer county, Ohio, and then quietly 
passed awa\- from the scenes of earth. 
His memory is kindly cherished by his 
many former friends and their children in 
Ballville township. He had for many 
years been a member of the United Breth- 
ren Church. 



JOHN BATZOLE, one of the pioneers 
of Sandusky county, was born in 
Frederick county. Maryland, Feb- 
ruary 28, 1 80 1. His father's name 
was John, that of his mother being 
Christina. His early life was spent on a 
farm where he acquired habits of in- 
dustrj- and economy, and learned the rud- 
iments of a common-school education. 
On September 25, 1824, he married 
Miss Sarah Ernsperger, and moved soon 
after to Wayne county, Ohio. They lo- 
cated twelve miles west of Wooster, where 



718 



COyiy[EMORATTTE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



he spent eight years in hard work clear- 
ing up a farm. 

Here were born to them: John Jacob, 
Februarj- 8. 1826; Lucretia Catharine, 
March 18, 1828; Marj" Jane, April 8. 
1830; Maria, February 9, 1832; andhere 
Mr. Batzole and his wife became mem- 
bers of the Reformed Church. In the 
spring of 1834 the family removed to 
Ballville township, Sandusky county, 
Ohio, upon a farm of eight\' acres of land 
which Mr. Batzole had previously bought, 
to which forty acres more were added 
later. This was their family home for 
about fifty years. Their children born 
here were: Christopher, September 27, 
1834; Sarah Ann, February 22, 1838; 
Susan Martha, October 26, 1840; Will- 
iam Henr>-, May 23, 1843: and two 
others that died in infancy. John Jacob 
died February 25, 1829; Mar\- Jane, 
March i, 1831; Lucretia C, wife of Sam- 
uel Strohl, September 8, 1861 ; and Maria, 
wife of John Strohl, May 19, 1864. Mrs. 
John Batzole died at her home March 2, 
1878, at the age of seventy-four. John 
Batzole died at the home of his daughter, 
Mrs. Martha Michaels, December 24, ( 
1887, aged nearly eighty-seven years. ' 

Mr. Batzole was a friend of education 
and furnished land, labor and material for 
the erection of the first log cabin school- 
house in his neighborhood, which was 
also used as a place of religious worship 
for many years, chieiiy by the pioneer 
ministers of the United Brethren Church. 



JOSEPH RUH, a prominent and high- 
ly-respected resident of Put in Bay 
Island, Ottawa county, who, for the I 
past thirty-si.\ years, has been e.\ten- 
sively engaged in the culture of the grape 
vine, is well and favorably known through- 
out Ottawa and adjoining counties. He 
was born in Baden, Germany, January 
27, 1830, and is a son of John and Marv 
(Ackerly; Ruh. 

Joseph Ruh was reared to manhood 



and educated in the Fatherland, where in 
early life he worked at agricultural pur- 
suits, and afterward engaged in the butch- 
ering business. In 1852 he embarked for 
America, crossed the Atlantic, and came 
to Ohio, settling first in Sandusky, Erie 
county. About a year later he removed 
to Plaster Bed, Ottawa county, in 1S54 
went toGallipolis, Gallia Co., Ohio, where 
he resided about a year, in 1855 removing 
to Kelley"s Island, and in 1856 to Put in 
Bay Island. In 1857 he went to Isle St. 
George (North Bass , returned the same 
year to Put in Bay Island, and has been 
a continuous resident there ever since, 
closeh' identified with the growing inter- 
ests of the Island. 

At Port Clinton, Ottawa county, on 
January 7, 1859, Joseph Ruh was united 
in marriage with Catherine Sullivan, 
daughter of Michael and Nancy (Becker) 
Sullivan, and five children have been born 
to them, their names and dates of birth 
being as follows: Rosella, Februan,- 2, 
1862; Nancy, August 18. 1864: Mary. July 
18, 1866: Elizabeth, June i, 1868; and 
Charles E., January 13, 1870. The 
mother passed away February 11. 1891. 
In politics Mr. Ruh is a stanch Republi- 
can, and in religious affiliation his family 
are identified with St. Paul's Episcopal 
Church. 



He. MYLANDER. the popular 
hardware merchant of Oak Har- 
bor. Salem township, Ottawa 
county, and a prominent and pro- 
gressive citizen, was born in Oak Harbor, 
May 22, i860, the oldest son of H. H. 
Mylander, also a resident of that enter- 
prising town. 

Our subject received his preliminary 
education in the public schools of his na- 
tive place, and was employed in his 
father's store up to 1879, in which year 
he engaged in the mercantile business at 
Rocky Ridge, Ottawa Co., Ohio. In 
18S0 he disposed of this business, and re- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



719 



turned to the place of his nativit}', of 
which he has since been a constant resi- 
dent. Mr. Mylander was united in mar- 
riage, at Oak Harbor, June i, 1880, with 
Miss Marion A. Young, who was born 
March 17, 1861, daughter of George and 
Emma J. Young, of Carroll township, 
Ottawa county, and to this union came 
si.\ children, as follows: Pearl, Georgia, 
Francis, Marguerite, Robert, who died 
February 17, 1892, and Howard. 

Politically, Mr. Mylander is a stanch 
supporter of the Democratic party, and 
for two years he very acceptably filled the 
position of corporation treasurer. Socially 
he is a member of Oak Harbor Lodge 
No. 495, F. & A. M.. Fremont Chapter 
No. 64, R. A. M., and Fremont Council. 
But few men have taken more interest in 
the welfare of the county, and none com- 
mand more completelj' the respect and 
confidence of the community at large 
than does Mr. M}lander. The family are 
members of the M. E. Church. 



was 
and 
He 



CGERNHARD, the courteous and 
genial landlord of the well-known 
popular •' Island House," Port 
Clinton, Ottawa county, is a na- 
tive of Germany, born November 16, 
1851, in Hessen-Cassel. 

Matthias Gernhard, his father, 
born, in 1810, in the same Duchy, 
learned the trade of carpenter, 
served in the German army, not only the 
full time but also e.xtra time, in order to 
become fully qualified to receive a cap- 
taincy; but on account of his name being 
entered " Liphart," on the roll, bj' mis- 
take, he lost his promotion, and in conse- 
quence at once left the army. He after- 
ward followed his trade in Germany till 
1856, in which year, as will presently be 
related, he emigrated to America. He 
was twice married, each time in the 
"Fatherland." on first occasion to Miss 
Ifland, by whom he had three daughters: 
Catherine Elizabeth, Martha and Cath- 



erine; for his second wife he wedded Miss 
Anna Catherine Brentzell (who was born 
in 1826), by whom he had three sons: 
our subject, George, and one that died in 
infancy. In 1856, Mr. Gernhard, ac- 
companied by all his family except the 
two eldest daughters(who came to America 
later, one before the Civil war and the 
other after that event), emigrated to the 
United States, the voyage being made in 
a sailing vessel, which, becoming infected 
with yellow fever, was quarantined at 
Staten Island, New York harbor. Here 
Mrs. Gernhard, her infant son (born on 
the ocean) and Catherine (the youngest 
of Mr. Gernhard's three daughters) died. 
The two sons, our subject and George 
where placed in a New York hospital, 
where George died of neglect. In New Jer- 
sey Mr. Gernhard, the father, secured em- 
ployment, and there remained about a year 
with his now onl}' son, our subject, when 
they came to Ohio, making their home 
at Brownhelm. Vermillion and Birming- 
ham respectively, sojourning about twelve 
months in each place. While living in 
Birmingham, in 1859. our subject, then 
a boy of eight summers, was adopted by 
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Blanke, who after- 
ward, fall of i860, in company with 
Matthias Gernhard, moved to near Ellis- 
ton, Ottawa county, settling on a farm in 
Benton township. After the death of 
Mr. Blanke, which occurred not long 
afterward, his widow received her dower, 
and went to live with friends in Elyria, 
where she died a few years later. 

Matthias Gernhard followed agricul- 
tural pursuits in Benton township until 
1862, in which year he enlisted in Com- 
pany E, Seventy-second Regiment. O. V. I. , 
Col. R. P. Buckland. and served in the 
army fourteen months when he was dis- 
charged on account of disabilities con- 
tracted while in the service. Returning 
to Benton township he resumed work on 
the farm, where he passed the rest of his 
days, dying June 27, 1890. 

C. Gernhard, the subject proper of 



720 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



this sketch, grew to manhood on his 
foster-father's farm, where he worked hard 
in the lumber woods chopping cordwood, 
spHtting rails, making railroad ties and 
saw-logs, and clearing up the farm, attend- 
ing country school onl)' a few weeks during 
the winter season. At the age of eight- 
een he was given his freedom bj- his- 
foster-parents, and, in 1869, commencing 
on his own account, he opened out a saloon 
business at EUiston, Ottawa county, which 
he continued until 1882, when he was 
elected sheriff of Ottawa county, which 
office he held four years. During the 
last six months of his term he built the 
•' Island House," at a cost of $16,000, 
and after his terni expired opened up the 
hotel of which he has been proprietor since 
1887. Socially he is a member of the 
I. O. O. F. and K. O. T. M., and is com- 
mander of the Sons of Veterans at Port 
Clinton. 

On November 16, 1S71, Mr. Gernhard 
married Miss Augusta Wilke, who was 
born June 17, 1854, in Prussia, daugh- 
ter of Gottlieb and Hannah Louisa (Arndtj 
Wilke; she came to America about the 
year 1862. Six children were born to 
this union, their names and dates of birth 
being as follows: Clara, August 17, 1872; 
Elizabeth, December 8, 1873; Catherine, 
February 1 5, 1S76: William, May i, 1879; 
Frank, Maj' 9, 1881; Edward, November 
19, 1884, all born in Ottawa county, 
Ohio. Of these, Clara was married De- 
cember 20, 1892, to William Sowders, 
member of a mercantile firm in Louisville, 
Ky. (they have one child, Harold, born 
October 2, 1893); Elizabeth was married 
September 12, 1893, to \\'illiam Gordon, 
attorney at law, Oak Harbor. Ohio, a son 
of Washington Gordon, ex-county treas- 
urer of Ottawa county; Catherine died in 
childhood; William, Frank and Edward 
are li\ing at the •' Island House " with 
their parents, and attend the public schools. 
The entire family are identified with the 
German Reformed Church, and are held 
in the highest respect in the communitj'. 



ANDREW SNIDER. This pio- 
neer farmer, and veteran of the 
Civil war of 1861-65, ^^'^s born 
in the Empire State, September 
16, 1830, and is a son of Andrew and 
Margaret (Londestine) Snider, both of 
whom were natives of Pennsylvania. 
While a mere boy. Andrew was put to 
work making spools for his father and 
mother, who were weavers by trade and 
operated three looms. The little lad was 
kept almost constantly' busy, and conse- 
quently his opportunities for gaining an 
education were very limited. When he 
was still quite Noung his parents removed 
to Ohio and settled in Medina county, 
where his father farmed and also followed 
his trade of a weaver, at which our sub- 
ject assisted until he was twent3'-one 
years old. 

On attaining his majority our subject 
left home and obtained work in the hoop 
yards, in said county, remaining in that 
occupation for three years. He then re- 
turned home and removed with his fa- 
ther's family to Clay township, Ottawa 
county, where his father, in 1857, bought 
eighty acres of land. This was in the 
midst of the woods, with no improve- 
ments, and no road or schoolhouse 
within a mile of the place. Here the 
young man worked, in company with his 
brother, without pay or profit to himself 
until the land was cleared, and a log 
cabin and other necessary structures 
built. He then returned to Medina coun- 
t}' and learned the trade of a carpenter 
and joiner, afterward coming back to 
Clay township, where he found plenty of 
employment in this line. Many of the 
houses he then built are still standing. 
Mr. Snyder continued working at his 
trade until the breaking out of the Civil 
war, in 1861, when he went to Elmore 
and enlisted in Company I, Twenty-first 
Ohio \'olunteers. in which regiment he 
served for over three years, under the 
command of Gen. James Nichols. He 
took part in the battle of Stone River, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



721 



after which he was put, with others of 
his cornpaii}', to buildin;,' bridf^es. While 
at this work he was so unfortunate as to 
severely injure his leg, and the surgeon 
ordered his discharge at Nashville, Tenn. , 
much to the sorrow of our subject, as he 
felt that his country still needed his serv- 
ices. After his discharge Mr. Snider re- 
turned home and resumed his work as a 
carpenter for two years, at the end of 
which time he was obliged to discontinue 
it, on account of his injured limb. He 
was married at Genoa, and removed to 
Michigan, locating at Palmer, where he 
did farm work for seven j'ears, and after- 
ward was similiarl}' employed at Hast- 
ings, that State, for two years. At this 
time he returned to Palmer, at the request 
of his former employer, with whom he 
worked for another three years, when he 
came back to Ohio, and settled down on 
the old homestead, where he has remained 
ever since, with the exception of five 
months spent in the Soldiers' Home, at 
Dayton. 

The wife of our subject, to whom he 
was married February i, 1865, was, in 
her maidenhood, Elizabeth Bufenton, and 
was born in Elmore, this State, May 16, 
1846. Her father, George Bufenton, mar- 
ried Mary Rose, and they were the par- 
ents of ten children. The father died in 
1885, the mother in May, 1895. Eliza- 
beth was married in i860, at Woodville, 
Sandusky county, to Samuel Kemp, and 
to them one child was born, March 30, 
1 86 1, who died in January, 1892, leaving 
a family of three children. Mr. Kemp 
died from disease contracted in camp in 
1 86 1, and in 1862 Mrs. Kemp married 
Elisha Harrington, of Michigan, who was 
killed in the battle of the Wilderness. 
One child was born to this marriage, 
Rosie, wife of Martin Croley, of Toledo. 
In 1865, the widow became the wife of 
Mr. Snider, as has been stated. The 
union of our subject and his wife has been 
blessed with four children, as follows: 
Manda E., born March 20, 1866, in Michi- 



gan, is the wife of Eli Edenburger, a 
a farmer of Wood county (they have foui 
children); Martha, born February 13, 
1868, married Ernest Stoyker, of Genoa, 
and has four children; Andrew B., a 
farmer, born March 12, 1870, married 
Minnie, daughter of Walter Downing, a 
farmer of Clay township; Abigail, born 
May 2, 1872, is the wife of Augustus Farr, 
an engineer at Coleman, Michigan. 

Mr. Snider is a good Ivepublican and 
a member of Gen. Elliott Wyman Post, 
G. A. R. He and his wife are devout 
members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and, while not possessed of a 
great amount of this world's goods, are 
contented and happy in the consciousness 
of well-spent lives, and looking forward 
to a brighter hereafter. 



JAMES TITUS, one of the earliest 
settlers of Kelley's Island, Ohio, 
was born in New York State, April 
15, 1832, and is a son of John and 
Mehitabel (Chappie) Titus, who were of 
English and Scotch ancestry, respect- 
ively. 

John Titus was born in New York 
State, November 12, 1782, son of Silas 
and Sarah (Runnells) Titus. In May, 
18 10, he was united in marriage with 
Mehitabel Chappie, who was born in New 
York State, and they had a family of nine 
children, of whom seven are now living, 
namely: Zipporah, wife of Joseph Lin- 
coln, residing on Kelley's Island; Justice, 
residing on Kelley's Island; Nancy C, 
widow of Edmund Ward, of Kelley's 
Island; Lydia, widow of Sylvester S. 
Dewelle, residing on Kelley's Island; 
Sabria, widow of James Hamilton, of 
Kelley's Island; Jared, residing on Kelley's 
Island; and James. John Titus removed, 
in 1835, to Ottawa county, Ohio, and in 
1836 to Kelley's Island, where he was en- 
gaged in grape growing. He died June 
23, 1858, his wife, Mehitabel, surviving 
him until August 19, 1880. 



722 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



When a mere child James Titus came 
to Ohio with his parents, who located in 
Ottawa county, and after residing there 
about a year removed to Kelley's Island, 
where he has since always lived. He re- 
ceived a limited education here, has been 
engaged in fishing and farming, and for 
five years has been night watchman for 
the Kelley's Island Line Transportation 
Company. On June 22, 1852, he was 
united in marriage with Angeline Pickard, 
a sister of the late George Pickard, of 
Ottawa county, and they had three chil- 
dren, one of whom still survives, Evaline, 
Mrs. Till, now residing in Cleveland. 
Mrs. Titus passed away March 7, 1855, 
and on April I2, 1862, at Port Clinton, 
Ottawa county, James Titus was again 
married, this time to Julia Condon, and 
they have had one child, Louis C, who 
was born July 22, 1863, and resides on 
Kelley's Island. Mrs. Titus is a daughter 
of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Condon, of Ot- 
tawa, Ottawa county. In his political 
views Mr. Titus is a Republican; he is 
not connected with any church, though 
his parents were Baptists. He has earned 
success by his enterprise and well-estab- 
lished reputation for integrity, enjoys a 
very wide acquaintance throughout the 
county, and has hosts of friends. 

Edmund Ward, who married \ancy 
C. Titus, daughter of John Titus, was 
born in Esse.x county, X. Y. , June 16, 
18 12, son of Reuben and Mary D. (La- 
vine) Ward, who were from Vermont and 
Canada, respectively. He was reared to 
manhood and educated in New York 
State, and in 1844 came to Kelley's 
Island, Erie Co., Ohio, where he was a 
constant resident for the remainder of 
his life, engaging in farming and grape 
growing. On September 10, 1835, '" 
Rose Valley, Wayne Co., N. Y., Edmund 
Ward was united in marriage with Nancy 
C. Titus, who was born November 20, 
181 7, and they had eight children, name- 
ly: Melissa, born June 6, 1838, wife of 
Frederick P. Waite, residing at Highland 



Lake, Weld Co., Colo.; John, born July 
21, 1840, who died in April, 1863, from 
the effects of illness contracted in the army 
while serving in the defense of his coun- 
try; Emily, born September 9, 1842, 
who is the widow of Rev. Martin K. Hol- 
brook, residing in Berlin, Germany; 
Uriah, born February 27, 1845, formerly 
State Senator; Hettie E., born February 
27, 1847; Mary L. , born January 19, 
1849, wife of Henry I. Worden, residing 
in Pittsburg, Van Buren Co., Iowa; and 
Edward, born January 8, 1853, and Adal- 
bert A., born March 13, 1855, both re- 
siding on Kelley's Island. Edmund Ward 
died in March, 1892. 



ON. AUGUSTUS F. FRESE. 



This gentleman, who for eight- 



u 

I I een years has been the popular 
postmaster at Graytown, Benton 
township, is a citizen whose public spirit 
and influence are felt and appreciated 
throughout Ottawa county, where he has 
spent the greater part of his active life. 

He is of German descent, his parents, 
Henry and Louisa (Heilbranj Frese, hav- 
ing been born in Germany in 181 3 and 
1815 respectively. They came to Ameri- 
ca about 1838, settling in Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohio, where Mr. 
Frese died in 1853. After remaining a 
w^dow for six years Mrs. Frese married 
Mr. K. Berleman, by whom she had one 
son. Si.\ years after their marriage they 
removed to Toledo, where Mrs. (Frese) 
Berleman died April 6, 1893. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Henry Frese were born seven 
children: Two in Germany — Henry and 
Louis; five in America — Charlotte, Mary, 
Augustus F. , Charles F. and Louisa, all 
of whom are still living, and all residents 
of Ohio except Henry, who lives in Min- 
nesota. 

Augustus F. Frese was born Decem- 
ber 24, 1846, in Sandusky county, Ohio, 
living there until 1859, in which year he 
moved with his parents to Toledo, w here 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



723 



he lived until 1866. At the age of nine- 
teen Mr. Frese began life for himself; 
that he has made a success may be judged 
from the fact that he is now one of the 
leading business men of Ottawa county- 
In 1866 he entered the store of C. H. 
Damschroder & Co., of Elmore, Ohio, 
as clerk, continuing with them three 
years, when he returned to Toledo, and 
for two years had charge of the boot and 
shoe store of Eversman & Co. From To- 
ledo Mr. Frese went to High Forest, 
Minn., where he spent one year in out- 
of-door work, mainly for the benefit of his 
health, which had been somewhat im- 
paired by long continued confinement in- 
doors. At the close of his year of outing 
he returned to Ohio, and again began 
clerking .for C. H. Damschroder & Co., 
of Elmore, remaining in this position un- 
til 1876, when he came to Graytown and 
settled in business for himself in partner- 
ship with Mr. Ames, under the firm name 
of Ames & Frese. In 1881 Mr. Frese 
purchased his partner's interest and be- 
came sole owner of the business, continu- 
ing as such for one year, when, in 1882, 
he was elected to the Legislature of Ohio 
from Ottawa county, being the first Re- 
publican representative from that county. 
At this time his brother, Charles F. became 
a partner in the business, and the firm has 
since been known as C. F. Frese & Co. 

In 1882, while in the Legislature, Mr. 
Frese drafted a bill providing for the con- 
struction of free trunpikes in Ottawa 
county. The bill met with some opposi- 
tion in the House, but Mr. Frese vigor- 
ously defended his ideas, and had the sat- 
isfaction of seeing his bill become a law 
in 1S83. The bill provides as follows: 
" In case any township in Ottawa county 
desires to turnpike a certain road, the tax- 
payers in said township shall make such 
request known by petition. A five-mill tax 
shall then be levied for the construction 
of such road." The very excellent roads 
on the eastern and western ends of Ot- 
tawa county are a result of the applica- 



tion of the Frese bill. In addition to Mr. 
Frese's labors as a State officer he has for 
many years been clerk of Benton town- 
ship, and for eighteen years has held the 
position of postmaster in Graytown, dis- 
charging all the duties connected with his 
various incumbencies in a manner which 
speaks highly for his ability and trust- 
worthiness. Politically he is a Repub- 
lican, and an earnest worker for the suc- 
cess of his party. 

In 1885 Mr. Frese was married to Miss 
Lena Beck, who was born September 24, 
1856, in Port Clinton, in the public 
schools of which place she received a 
liberal education, and also made a spe- 
cialty of music, under the private instruc- 
tion of Prof. Bonn, of Sandusky, Ohio. 
For two years she was bookkeeper for 
the Singer Sewing Machine Co., one year 
in Detroit and one in Toledo, and since 
her marriage to Mr. Frese she has ren- 
dered him great assistance in his exten- 
sive business affairs. To their union 
have been born four children, two of 
whom are now living: Florence H., born 
August 24, 1888, and James B., born 
October 22, 1890, at Gra}town, Benton 
township, Ottawa Co., Ohio. 

Mrs. Frese is the only child of Sam- 
uel and Catherine (Kunzman) Beck, the 
former of whom was born April 5, 1S32, 
in Baden, Germany. At the age of eight- 
een he came to America, settling at 
Port Clinton, Ottawa Co., Ohio, where 
he was engaged in business until the 
breaking out of the Rebellion. In 1862 
he enlisted in the Union army, in which 
he served for three years, and he is now 
at the Soldiers' Home in Sandusky, Ohio. 
His father, Heinrich Beck, was born in 
Baden, Germany, in 1805, and his mother 
was born in Germany in 1S04; their oc- 
cupation was hotel-keeping and wine- 
making. Mrs. Frese's ancestry on the 
maternal side is as follows: Her mother, 
Catherine (Kunzman) Beck, was born in 
Germany April 28, 1834, and came to 
America when about eighteen years of 



r24 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



age. The voyage consumed thirty-two 
days, during which time the boat took 
fire and all came nearly being lost, some 
even jumping overboard lest they should 
be burned to death; Miss Kunzman, how- 
ever, remained on board, and finally land- 
ed safely in America. She settled in San- 
dusky, Erie Co., Ohio, and after remaining 
there nearly three years with her brother 
went to Port Clinton, where, in 1854, she 
was married to Mr. Beck. A woman of 
remarkable industry and enterprise, she 
supported herself during her husband's 
absence in the army by taking boarders, 
and about si.\ years ago she furnished, 
opened and for sometime was proprietor 
of the " Lake House," at Port Clinton. 
She is still living and is in good health. 
Her parents, Christopher and Barbara 
(Ahrheit) Kunzman, were born in Ger- 
many in 1 806 and 1808 respectively. Her 
grandfather, the great-grandfather of 
Mrs. Frese, Christian Kunzman, was born 
in Germany in 1772; his wife, Doratha 
(Jordon) Kunzman, the great-grandmoth- 
er of Mrs. Frese, was born in Germany in 
1768. Christian Kunzman was supply 
agent for the cavalry in the arm}' of King 
William I, for some forty-two years, and 
on his death the King sent the royal 
hearse, drawn by si.\ white horses, and 
accompanied by the German Military 
band, to his funeral, which was the grand- 
est ever given a private German citizen. 
Mrs. Frese's great-grandfather, Zacharia 
Ahrheit, was born in Germany in 1762; 
he served under Napoleon the Great in 
the Russian war, in which he received a 
severe wound on the skull, inconsequence 
of which a portion of the skull was re- 
moved and a silver piece inserted instead. 
Mr. and Mrs. Frese have a pleasant 
home in Graytown, noted for its hospital- 
ity, and they are appreciated and highly 
esteemed by all who know them for their 
business, social and intellectual worth. 
Mr. Frese is largely interested in farms 
and fruit growing, especially plums, hav- 
ing altogether 2,000 trees set out. 



EZRA HALL, of the firm of Ezra 
Hall & Son, proprietors of a whole- 
sale and retail green-house, at 
Clyde, Sandusky county, was born 
September 23, 1829, in \'ermont, on the 
New York State line, and is a son of Dan- 
iel and Clarissa (Loose) Hall. The fa- 
ther was born in New York State, of an 
old Massachusetts familj-, and came west 
in the winter of 1854-55, locating in 
Montcalm county, Mich., near Greenville, 
where his death occurred when he was 
aged eighty years. He was of Scotch- 
Irish ancestry, and an old Jacksonian 
Democrat. His wife, who was also born 
in New York State, died in Michigan, at 
the age of seventy-five years. Two sis- 
ters of our subject are yet living — Mahit- 
able, wife of R. Caldwell, of Warren 
county, N. Y. ; and Harriet, wife of David 
Brice, living in Clinton, Michigan. 

The childhood of Ezra Hall was passed 
in the various localities in which his par- 
ents resided, and at the age of twenty 
years he began railroading, first being em- 
ployed as a common workman on a road 
ten miles from Saratoga Springs, N. Y., 
after which he was engaged at Rutland, 
Vt. From there he went to Boston, 
Mass., and later to New York Cit}', where 
he worked on the Eagle Bridge across the 
Hudson river, assisting in laying the track. 
He applied himself diligently to his labors, 
and won the confidence of his employers, 
so that he was at that time given charge 
of a gang of men. He received a pro- 
position to go to the Isthmus of Darien as 
overseer on railroad construction, which 
he accepted, and with fourteen men pro- 
ceeded to that place, but at the end of 
three weeks only seven were alive, some 
having been killed by the natives, while 
others died of fever. The chances of life 
being so small, Mr. Hall resolved to re- 
turn home, though in doing so he would 
have to give up a large salary, and his 
companions who were still alive followed 
his e.xample. 

On returning to Rutland, Vt., our sub- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



725 



ject remained there until 1S52, when he 
came west, being; emplo\ed by the C. C, 
C. & I. Railroad Companj' to take charge 
of laj'ing the track, and on September 6, 
1852, he put in the first switch ever laid 
in Grafton, Lorain Co., Ohio. During 
the war he entered the eniplo\'ment of the 
United States Government, laying track 
in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Ten- 
nessee, Indian Territory and Texas, after 
which he was similarly employed at Car- 
son, Kans., where he also ran a train. 
P"ew men still living are so familiar with 
the privations, incidents, and history of 
})ioneer railroad life in various parts of the 
United States, or have had as broad an ex- 
perience as Mr. Hall. The last railroad 
work on which he was engaged was the 
Lake Erie & Western road from Lima to 
St. Mary's, Ohio. 

Mr. Hall was united in marriage with 
Miss Nancy McMillen, a native of Zanes- 
ville, Ohio, born May 14, 1S33. She 
was a faithful wife, and her death, which 
occurred April 14, 18S2, was severely 
felt by (Hir subject. Two children came 
to bless their union, the eldest of whom, 
William E., born May 18, 1857, is now 
in partnership with his father in the green- 
house business; he marrietl Miss Eva 
Stark, and to them have been born four 
children — Ezra Eugene, John B., Emil 
M. and Llojd Taylor. 

The firm of Ezra Hall & Son were the 
pioneers in the small fruit business in that 
portion of Sandusky county. They first 
began to grow and ship to the city mar- 
kets strawberries, raspberries, together 
with other small fruits, and winter let- 
tuce. About thirteen years ago they 
started their first green-house, and to-day 
are the only wholesale fiower dealers be- 
tween Cle\eland and Toledo, Ohio. They 
have telephone connections with all local 
towns and business points, and ship flowers 
as far as Chicago. They make a specialty 
of a species of pink, and do a considera- 
ble business in funeral decorations. They 
have a large and constantly increasing 



patronage, and have been very successful 
in this undertaking. As businessmen, the 
firm ranks high and receive the respect 
and confidence of all with whom they 
come in contact. 



I AMS BROTHERS. This popular firm, 
proprietors of the Metropolitan liv- 
ery stables, at Gibsonburg, Sandusky 

county, consists of Russell, Frank 
and Jesse lams. It is always pleasant to 
record the history of a family in which a 
number of brothers, having passed their 
boyhood happily together, arrive at man- 
hood with the same fraternal feelings 
and unite together in business pursuits, 
and side by side fight the battle of life. 
Their histories up to date are very simi- 
lar. The}' are all natives of Sandusky 
county, born in Washington township. 

Frank lams was born March 17, 1855. 
His marriage to Miss Emma Saam took 
place in 1879. and they have one child, 
Alice. Russell lams was born February 
18, 1859, and was married February 5, 
1880, to Miss Ellen Lowe; they have one 
child, Myrtie. Jesse lams, born January 
15, 1 86 1, married Sevilla Ernst, and 
they have one child, J. Franklin. As has 
been said, the earlier careers of these 
thrifty and "hustling" brothers run in 
similar channels. All three grew up on 
the home farm, and each received his 
education in the common schools, but 
being endowed with the sterling qualities 
of integrity and perseverance, supple- 
mented with habits of industry from boy- 
hood, they have had the good fortune to 
see every enterprise in which they have 
been engaged crowned with success. On 
leaving the farm Messrs. lams engaged 
in the livery business under the firm name 
of lams Brothers, and are recognized as 
leaders in the business circles of Gibson- 
burg. They are stanch Republicans, and 
are ever ready to assist in anything which 
has for its object the welfare of the com- 
munity. 



726 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



The parents of the lams Brothers, 
Jasper and Mary Ann (Mooneyj lams, 
were both born in Pennsylvania, and 
came to Ohio when quite young. They 
grew up and were married in Washington 
township, Sandusky county, where the 
father carried on farming, and died there 
when about seventy-one years old. He 
was a Republican, and served as a one- 
hundred-days man during the Civil war. 
The mother, now seventy-two years old 
resides in Gibsonburg. Besides the three 
sons mentioned their family comprised 
the following children: Harriet, who mar- 
ried William Fought, and lives in Gibson- 
burg; Elizabeth, wife of Frank Fought, 
residing in Fremont; John, a farmer in 
Madison township; Mary, deceased wife 
of John Barman; Minerva, who married 
AmosHarley; Sarah, who married George 
Naas; Marcella, who married George 
Williamson, and Eltie, who married John 
Valance. 



FRED MICHAEL (deceased) was a 
wagonniaker by trade, and fol- 
lowed the occupation of farming 
in Madison township, Sandusky 
county. He was born in Hanover, Ger- 
many, in 1817, and was one of the early 
settlers of Madison township. 

At the age of twenty-two Mr. Michael 
started out alone for America. Coming 
to Ohio, he located in Lower Sandusky, 
now Fremont, Sandusky county, where he 
went to work at his trade of wagon maker 
in partnership with Ambrose Ochs. After 
being thus engaged for some time he sold 
out his interest and moved to Hessville, 
Washington township, Sandusky county, 
where he remained about two years, going 
from there to Madison township, same 
county, where he followed his trade five 
years, and then located on a tract of land 
near Gibsonburg, in Madison township, 
where he had his home the remainder of 
his days. 

In 1845 Fred Michael was united in 



marriage with Sophia Hass, and they had 
five children, as follows: Mary died in 
1869. John married Mary Driftmyer, by 
whom he has had two children; he is a 
farmer in Michigan. Le\ina died young. 
Fred, who is unmarried, works in the oil 
fields near Gibsonburg. Joseph was born 
May 6, 1856, on the old homestead in 
Madison township. When Mr. Michael 
moved into the township there were very 
few families here. At the time of his 
death he had 120 acres of valuable land. 
He passed away in February, 1890, at 
the age of seventy-three years and some 
months. 

Joseph Michael, son of Fred and 
Sophia (Hass) Michael, attended school 
where the city of Gibsonburg now stands, 
at a time when there were only three or 
four buildings there. When a child he 
had a paralytic stroke, since which time 
he has had only partial use of his right 
side. He has always had to work hard, 
and since his father's death has had charge 
of the farm. In 1889 the farm was leased 
to a Mr. Gilbert, and eight oil wells were 
put down, all of which have a fairly good 
flow. Mr. Michael is well liked, and 
popular in the community, and has de- 
clined to accept several offices which have 
been offered to him. Politically, he is a 
Democrat. 



HON. JACOB DECIDER (deceased) 
was born January 15, 1809, in 
Union county, Penn. His par- 
ents, John and Julia Ann (Royer) 
Decker, moved to Wayne county, Ohio, 
in the spring of 18 16, remaining there 
fourteen years, and finally, in 1830, settled 
in Thompson township, Seneca county. 
John Decker, who was a farmer and 
blacksmith, died January 3. 1854, and his 
widow June 27, 1875, in the eighty-sev- 
enth year of her age. They were mem- 
bers of the German M. E. Church. Their 
children were Jacob, John, Samuel, Adam, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



727 



David, Mrs. Elizabeth Heater, Mrs. Sarah 
Burgner and Mrs. Catharine Harpster. 

Jacob Decker's boyhood was spent 
amid the scenes of early pioneer life in 
Wayne and Seneca counties, and, while 
his school days were limited to three 
months, his active, energetic and perse- 
vering nature enabled him by home stud\' 
to lay the foundation of a practical edu- 
cation which stood him, well in hand in 
after years. Amid his rude environments 
his observation was quickened, his reason 
trained, his judgment developed, and a 
habit of self-mastery attained which made 
him the man he became in later years. 
In 182S Mr. Decker began to learn the 
carpenter's trade, at which he worked 
about three years. He then located in 
Section 21, Thompson township, Seneca 
county, where he purchased eighty acres 
of heavily-timbered government land at 
$1.25 per acre, on which he erected a 
hewed-log house. Returning to Wayne 
county, he married Miss Susan Billman, 
with whom he returned to his new home 
in the wilderness. Their union was 
blessed with si.x children: Barbara (Mrs. 
Joseph Sherck), of Bellevue; John, living 
in Arkansas; David, of Atchison, Kans. ; 
Amos and Milton, of Thompson town- 
ship; and Jefferson, who died in infancy. 
Amos Decker represented Seneca county 
in the Ohio Legislature two terms, during 
the sessions of 1880-81-S2-83. 

After a residence of forty busy years 
on his farm, Jacob Decker retired, in 
1 87 1, to his late residence at Bellevue, 
Ohio. He had been successful in worldly 
affairs, acquiring 900 acres of land, most 
of which he divided among his children. 
Mrs. Decker died March 27, 1872, and 
Mr. Decker was married on May 23, 1877, 
to Mrs. Sarah Gardener, who was born 
in 1829, in Berks county, Penn., daugh- 
ter of David and Lydia (Fisher) Slanker, 
who settled in Wayne county in 1832. 
Her first husband was Joseph Gardener, 
who died P'ebruary 15, 1856. They had 
two sons: Charles D., living in Orrville, 

46 



Ohio, who married Miss Mary Hower, of 
Akron, Ohio; and William H., of Belle- 
vue, who married Alice I\ern. 

Mr. Decker was a lifelong, earnest 
Democrat, and took an active part in 
public affairs. He served his township in 
nearly all the civil offices, including that 
of justice of the peace. He also took a 
deep interest in the educational affairs of 
the community. He held the office of 
county commissioner two terms, and was 
twice called upon to represent Seneca 
county in the Ohio Legislature — in 1849 
and the session following, the last under 
the old constitution and the first under 
the new. His opposing candidate for the 
second term was Gen. William H. Gib- 
son. Mr. Decker was well informed in 
the history and politics of his country. 
He was a ready debater on the questions 
of the times, a man of wonderful will 
power and force of convictions. The last 
fifteen years of his life were spent in the 
quiet and retirement of his home, and 
were comparatively uneventful, owing to 
his advanced jears. 

While residing in Seneca county, Mr. 
Decker was for twenty years a member of 
the Methodist Protestant Church; but on 
his removal to Bellevue he became a 
member of the M. E. Church, and was 
faithful in attendance so long as his health 
permitted. He died at his home, Novem- 
ber 7, 1894, in the eighty-sixth year of 
his age, and was laid to rest in the family 
burial lot, which he had graced with a 
fine marble monument, in Bellevue Ceme- 
tery. Mrs. Decker retains the family 
homestead. Amos and Milton Decker 
are joint executors of their father's estate. 



WILLIAM P. NAYLOR, one of 
the most prosperous and pro- 
gressive agriculturists of Madi- 
son township, Sandusky county, 
was born April 24, 1839, in Medina coun- 
ty, Ohio, son of Samuel and Elizabeth 
(Uhler) Naylor. 



728 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPHICAL RECORD. 



Samuel Naj'lor, father of our subject, 
was born in what was then known as 
Little York, Penn., a son of Jacob Nay- 
lor, who was a farmer and distiller. 
Samuel was reared on a farm, and when 
a young man followed teaming, hauling 
whiskey from his father's and other dis- 
tilleries to Baltimore, Md., where was 
found the best market for that commod- 
ity. In those days it took si.x horses to 
haul thirty barrels of whiskey. Samuel 
was married in Cumberland county to 
Elizabeth Uhler, a native of that county, 
born of German ancestry, and after mar- 
riage the young couple located on a small 
farm in Cumberland county, which he 
rented. In Pennsjlvania children as fol- 
lows came to them: Mary, born Decem- 
ber 6, 1820, now the widow of Amos 
Fritz, residing at Medina, Ohio; Samuel, 
born February 27, 1823, a farmer of Lo- 
rain county; Benjamin K., born Feb- 
ruary 25, 1825, a farmer and black- 
smith, now of Lucas county, Ohio; 
Jacob, born September 7, 1826, a farmer 
of Medina county, Ohio; and Ann Eliza, 
born September 20, 1829. In the fall of 
1829 the family came to Ohio over the 
Alleghany Mountians in a covered two- 
horse wagon, bringing with them consider- 
able household effects, including their 
bedding, which they found of the greatest 
use during their two-weeks' wearisome 
journey. Mr. Naylor, the father, had 
previously visited Ohio, and in Guilford 
township, Medina county, had selected 
land then looked after by Judge Heman 
Ely, of Elyria, Lorain county. On the 
occasion of that visit Mr. Naylor had 
hired a man to build a log house for the 
convenience of the family when they 
should arrive, but they found it in such 
an unfinished state that they had to rent 
another cabin in the neighborhood, where- 
in to pass the winter. In the meantime 
their own was made habitable, and the 
following spring they moved into it. 
While the family were en route one child, 
named Ann Eliza, was born September 



20, 1829, at Lancaster, Penn., which in- 
teresting event delayed them three days. 
In Medina count}- the family was further 
increased by the following children: Re- 
becca, born December 18, 1831, now 
Mrs. W. W. Hutchisson, of Sandusky 
county, Ohio; Sarah J., born December 
24, 1833, deceased: John, born February 
10, 1838, who died at the age of twenty- 
one; William P., born April 24, 1839, 
our subject; and Henry F., born July 9, 
1842, of Sandusky county. On this farm 
in Medina county the mother of these 
children passed from earth, and the father 
then moved into the village of Seville, 
same count}', having purchased in that 
vicinity a farm of thirty acres, and also a 
residence in the village. 

In Guilford township Mr. Naylor mar- 
ried, for his second wife, Migs Harriet 
Sheldon, and one child was born to this 
union August 19, 1856, Harriet, now 
Mrs. James Ross, who is at the frontier 
teaching Indians. Samuel Naylor died 
at the age of seventy-three, and lies buried 
in the Lutheran cemetery, Guilford town- 
ship Politically he was originally a 
Whig, and after the formation of the 
party was a stanch Republican. He had 
traveled all through the Southern States, 
and, from observations he made during 
his visit, predicted the Civil war many years 
before it broke out. Of his family Samuel 
Naylor, who is one of the most extensive 
landholders and wealthiest farmers of 
Penfield township, Lorain Co., Ohio, was 
born February 27, 1823, in Carlisle, Cum- 
berland Co., Penn. He was married in 
August, 1845, to Miss Barbara Long, and 
some time later they settled on a farm in 
Litchfield township, Medina Co., Ohio, 
at the end of three or four years moving 
to Penfield township, Lorain county, 
where he bought a piece of wild land. 
They had a familj' of children as follows: 
Jacob, who enlisted in the Civil war before 
he was seventeen years old, and died at 
Camp Dennison, while in the service; 
Henry, who died young; Elizabeth, wife 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



729 



I 



of Stewart Long; Rebecca, deceased wife 
of Andrew Sigourney; Harriet A.; Lanj- 
E., who died at the age of seven years; 
Emma, wife of \\'illiam Bradstock; Mary, 
deceased when seventeen years old; Har- 
vey G., a farmer; and Dora, wife of Will- 
iam Hower. The mother of these died 
January 7, 1874, and for his second wife 
Samuel Naylor married Miss Nancy E. 
Yocom, who died in 1882 without issue. 

William P. Naylor, the subject proper 
of this memoir, received his education at 
the common schools of Guilford town- 
ship, Medina county, and worked on his 
father's farm until he reached the age of 
seventeen years, when he hired out as a 
day laborer by the month until he was 
twenty-one, at which time he came to 
Madison township, Sandusky county, and 
here continued in similar employment un- 
til the breaking out of the war of the Re- 
bellion. He then voluntarily proceeded 
to Fremont and enlisted in Company C, 
Seventy-second O. V. I., under Col. R. 
P. Buckland and Capt. Samuel A. J. 
Snider, which regiment was sent to Camp 
Chase, thence to Pittsburg Landing, par- 
ticipating in the battle fought at that 
place April 6 and 7, 1862. Here our sub- 
ject was so severely wounded in the leg 
that he had to be sent to the hospital at 
Covington, Ky. , whence, after conval- 
escing, he returned home to his father's 
farm, and there spent the succeeding six 
months. At the end of that time he re- 
ceived orders from his regiment to report 
at headquarters. Camp Chase, whither 
he at once proceeded, and from there was 
sent to Camp Dennison, where he re- 
mained until receiving his discharge on 
account of disability, November 5, 1862. 

Returning to Medina county, Mr. Nay- 
lor passed a year at his father's home, 
and then once more came to Madison 
township, Sandusky county, where he 
rented a farm which he worked on shares 
with his brother-in-law for a year. In 
1865 he secured a farm of his own, eighty 
acres in extent, which, with the excep- 



tion of a space where stood a log cabin, 
was covered with timber. Into this rude 
dwelling he and his wife removed, the 
walls of which were bare and unplastered, 
the furniture being of the same primitive 
character; in the provision line they had 
sufficient flour to last them a year, and 
they also had a couple of cows and some 
poultry. But, better than all, they were 
possessed of stout hearts and willing 
hands, and the one cheering the other 
they resolutely set to work to clear the 
land, after much labor succeeding in get- 
ting a couple of acres under cultivation, 
which they sowed to wheat, yielding at 
the harvesting twenty bushels. This they 
took to mill to be ground, the grist giving 
them enough flour for another jear, and 
in this way they managed to exist and 
rear their family of children. After fif- 
teen years passed in reducing this eighty- 
acre tract to cultivation, Mr. Naylor 
purchased an additional forty acres of 
timber-covered land, which in course of 
time he also succeeded in clearing, and 
bringing to a high state of fertility. In 
1886 he erected a fine dwelling, second 
to none in the township, and built com- 
modious barns and outhouses, planted an 
orchard, put up substantial fences, laid 
tiles, and in many other ways improved 
the property, till it became one of the 
most complete farmsteads in the county — 
a practical illustrati<5n of what can be ac- 
complished by industry and enterprise. 

On August 7, 1865, Mr. Naylor was 
married in Madison township, to Miss 
Elizabeth J. McCreary, daughter of James 
McCreary, a prominent farmer of that 
localit}', and five children were the result 
of that union, as follows: Mildred R. , 
born April 7, 1866, married to William 
Plantz, a farmer in Scott township, San- 
dusky county; Winnie E. , born Js^ovem- 
ber 6, 1867, died July 13, 18S0; Arthur, 
born July 3, 1870; Phinneous M. , born 
August 31, 1872, working on his father's 
farm; and John A., born April 28, 1875, 
died September 2, 1875. The mother of 



730 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



these was called from earth August 6, j render him all the assistance in her power. 

With this noble encouragement he con- 



1879, and December 31, 1882, Mr. Nay- 
lor married Miss Catherine Slates, daugh- 
ter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Fleck) 
Slates, a sketch of whom follows. By 
this marriage there is no issue. 

In religious faith Mr. and Mrs. Xaylor 
and family are adherents of the Church of 
the Disciples, attending service at Gib- 
sonburg. In his political preferences he 
is a stanch Republican, has never sought 
office, and has never accepted an}', as he 
finds that his own affairs too closely oc- 
cupy his time. He was school director 
of his district nine years, and has always 
taken a deep interest in educational mat- 
ters, in fact in everything tending to the 
improvement and advancement, social or 
otherwise, of the community in which he 
lives. 

Joseph Slates, father of Mrs. William 
P. Naylor, was born Februarj- 16, 1812, 
in Carroll county, Md., son of John and 
Catherine (Keselringj Slates, both also 
natives of Maryland. W^hen Joseph was 
a twelve-year-old lad the famih" removed 
to Pennsylvania, where on the home farm 
he worked during the summers, his win- 
ter months being passed at the schools of 
the neighborhood, he paying for his edu- 
cation out of money earned during the 
busy seasons on the farm, and he re- 
mained in Pennsylvania, working in the 
capacity of farm laborer, until 1854, 
when he came to Sandusky county, Ohio, 
in Jackson township, renting a farm 
which he operated three years. He then 
removed to W^ashington township, same 
county, also renting a farm there four 
jears, and later buying eighty acres of 
land in Madison township, part of which 
was improved, although there was an 
overplus of water, and there were as yet 
no roads. Here, in a rude hut, they made 
their new home, but Mr. Slates became 
so disgusted at the prospects that he was 
about to give up farming altogether, when 
his heroic wife assured him of her will- 
ingness to remain where they were, and 



eluded to remain, and he and his faithful 
life partner set to work with earnest en- 
deavor, soon having nearly all of eighty 
acres cleared, whereon they erected a 
comfortable home surrounded by substan- 
tial barns and outhouses. In the course 
of time Mr. Slates added by purchase 
other eighty acres, thirty of which he 
brought under cultivation; then sold this 
eighty-acre tract, retaining the first one, 
which he rents, as he is now living re- 
tired, passing his declining years with his 
daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. 
W. P. Naylor. Notwithstanding his years 
he is still active, and is a very interesting 
conversationalist. 

In 1832 Joseph Slates was married in 
Huntingdon county, Penn., to Miss Eliza- 
abeth Fleck, and a brief record of their 
children is as follows: William, born 
August 3, 1837, who is a farmer of Indi- 
ana, is married and has a family; Cath- 
erine, born August 6, 1839, Mrs. Naylor; 
Elizabeth, born April 6, 1842, wife of 
Jacob Snider, a farmer of Washington 
township, Sandusk)' county (they have 
two children); Liddie A., born April 5, 
1844, who died in 1886, leaving four chil- 
dren (she first married John Lance, a 
farmer of Madison township, who was in 
1870 burned to death at Gibsonburg, his 
death being caused by the explosion of a 
can of coal oil; she subsequently married 
Ira Krotzer, of Woodville township); 
Jacob, born April 7, 1S46, a prominent 
farmer of Michigan, who is married and 
has seven children; Rebecca, born April 
13, 1 848,. who married Samuel Garns, a 
farmer of Williams county, and died June 
6, 1895; Mar}- Jane, born September 8, 
1 85 1, wife of Watts Allen, a farmer of 
Isabella county, Mich, (they have four 
children); Lucinda, born October 19, 
1853, wife of David Klutz, a farmer of 
Eaton Rapids, Mich, (they have two chil- 
dren); and Ellen, born July 20, 1858, wife 
of Frank Klutz, an oil man (they have 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



731 



one child). The mother of these was 
called to her long home in 1878, leaving 
a sorrowing husband and sons and daugh- 
ters to mourn the departure of a loving 
and affectionate wife and mother. She 
was an estimable lady, affable and kind, 
and ever ready to sacrifice the smallest or 
the greatest pleasure for her husband and 
family. Mr. Slates, during his active life, 
took a deep interest in educational affairs, 
and for several years was school director, 
also clerk of the board, and he was elected 
township trustee on the Democratic ticket, 
of which party he has ever been a stanch 
adherent, his first vote being cast for Gen. 
Jackson. In religious faith he is an ad- 
herent of the Lutheran Church. 



PETER DOELL, retired farmer, 
Ballville township, Sandusky coun- 
t}', was born in Hessen, Germany, 
April 20, 1819, a son of Henry 
and Clara (Cobbler) Doell, natives of Hes- 
sen. Her parents were Adam and Ann 
Cobbler, the father a blacksmith by trade, 
and they both died in Germany. Our 
subject was one of four children, viz. : 
Adam Doell, a wagon maker, who mar- 
ried Catharine Sheffel; Catharine, wife 
of George Fath, a weaver and farmer, 
who had three children, and died in Ger- 
many; Mary, wife of Peter List, a weaver 
and farmer, who had two children, and 
died in Germany; and our subject. 

Peter Doell landed in America Au- 
gust 2. 1838, came to Ohio, and settled in 
Ballville township, Sandusky count}'. 
Here he worked out b)' the month among 
the farmers for about three years, and 
saved his earnings. On August 29, 1841, 
he married Miss Margaret Resch, who 
was born November 2, 18 16, daughter of 
Lewis Resch, a native of Germany. He 
continued working by the month two 
years after his marriage, then bought a 
farm of forty acres for $210. Having 
cleared nearly twenty acres of it, and 
lived on same twenty years, he sold it to 



his son George; then for $1,800 bought 
the forty-nine acres where he now lives. 
The children of Peter and Margaret 
Doell were twelve in number, four of 
whom survive: (i) Mary, born October 
6, 1842, married April 30, 1873, by Rev. 
H. Lang, of Fremont, Ohio, to C. L. 
Rearick, who was born April 29, 1833, a 
farmer and Democrat, son of John and 
Elizabeth Rearick, natives of Pennsyl- 
vania (their children were — Minnie May, 
born May 25, 1874; Arthur, born Janu- 
ary, 1S78; and Burdett, born December 
29, 1880); (2) George Doell, born Janu- 
ary 26, 1843, farmer. Democrat, mem- 
ber of the Lutheran Church, who mar- 
ried Miss Mary Parks; (3) Catharine, 
born March, 1845, wife of Jacob Groff, 
farmer. Democrat, living in Jackson 
township, whose children are — Emma, 
Nettie, Ida, and Hattie; (4) Jeseph, born 
January, 1847, a Democrat and member 
of the M. E. Church, who married Miss 
Mary Aguge, of Fremont. Ohio. Mrs. 
Margaret Doell died July 17, 1892, at the 
age of seventy-six years, since which time 
Mr. Doell has rented his farm to others, 
and lives with his daughter on the old 
homestead. He is a Democrat in poli- 
tics, and a man highly esteemed bj' his 
neighbors. 



WILLIAM LORENZO STIER- 
WALT, M. D., one of the most 
successful and prosperous med- 
ical practitioners in northwest- 
ern Ohio, now located at the flourishing 
little village of Lindsey, Sandusky county, 
was born in Sandusky township, about 
two miles east of Lindsey, April 30, 1859, 
son of Moses and Elizabeth (Lay) Stier- 
walt. 

Moses Stierwalt, the father, was a 
farmer by occupation, and a native of 
Allentown, Ohio, and in an early day he 
came with his father, Henry Stierwalt, 
to Sandusky county, where he has ever 
since remained, he and the mother now liv- 



732 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ing in Rice township. William L. re- 
mained at the home of his parents, work- 
ing on the farm and receiving a common- 
school education, until he was fifteen 
years old. He was a lad of keen percep- 
tions, and early in life he became fitted to 
teach a district school. For twelve years 
he successfully taught in country schools, 
and in 1881 he was appointed superin- 
tendent of the Lindsey High School. 
There he remained two years, and, in or- 
der to more thoroughly fit himself for the 
work of education, he went to the Ohio 
Normal Universitj', at Ada, and took a 
scientific and pharmaceutical course. He 
became so deeplj' engrossed in the sub- 
ject that the whole current of his life was 
diverted to a new aim. He concluded to 
take up the profession of medicine. 

After his marriage, March 28, 1883, 
to Ida E. Hineline, daughter of Theodore 
and Hannah (Rafferty) Hineline, farming 
people of Sandusky count)', he returned 
to Ada and completed his studies. Going 
to Toledo, he remained there three years, 
taking a thorough course in medical science 
and surgery, and then, in 1888, returning 
to Lindsey, he engaged in practice in part- 
nership with Dr. Woland, with whom he 
continued until July i. Dr. Woland 
then retired, and Dr. Steirwalt has since 
built up one of the largest and most suc- 
cessful practices in Ohio. He now owns 
eighty acres of choice farming land in 
Washington township, besides property 
in Lindsey. As a diversion from his 
professional work he is greatl}' interested 
in the breeding of fine horses, and is sec- 
retary of the Lindsey Coach Horse As- 
sociation. He owns a one-fourth interest 
in the coach horse Marschall, purchased 
at the World's Fair for $2,500. Dr. 
Stierwalt was, in 1890, elected city coun- 
cilman, en the Democratic ticket, by a 
majorit\- of forty-four, when the town- 
ship was conceded to be Republican. No 
happier home can be found than that of 
Dr. Stierwalt, graced as it is by an af- 
fectionate and devoted wife, and two 



bright children — Howard L. , born No- 
vember 12, 1888, and Mildred M., born 
May 31, 1894. 



c 



A. KELLOGG, a prosperous re- 
tired farmer of Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born 
in Wood county, Ohio, April 30, 
1845, son of Elijah and Mary W. (Ballard) 
Kellogg, and grandson of itlijah Kellogg, 
Sr. The latter was a native of the Green 
Mountain State, and at the early age of 
eight years migrated to Canada with his 
parents, who settled there upon a new 
piece of land. The boy grew up in Can- 
ada, and married Lavinia Hall, who died 
October i, 1819. For his second wife 
Elijah Kellogg, Sr., married Maria Wells, 
by whom he had six children. She died 
in Illinois in January, 1882. 

Elijah Kellogg. Jr., a child by the first 
marriage, was born September 16, 1S19. 
When a young man he came to Ohio, 
and on October 8, 1842, in Wood county, 
he married Miss Mar)- ^^^ Ballard, who 
was born September 3, 1819, in Georgia, 
Franklin Co., \'t. A brief sketch of the 
six children of Elijah and Mary W. Kel- 
logg is as follows: (i) Thomas H., born 
July 29, 1843, enlisted in the fall of 1861 
in Company I, Sixty-eighth O. V. I., and 
re-enlisted for three years; while in the 
service he contracted a cold at \'icksburg, 
which became severe and developed into 
consumption, and he was discharged for 
disability. He died at \'icksburg, Miss., 
October 4, 1S64, and his remains were 
brought north and interred in Woodville 
cemetery. (2) C. A. is the subject proper 
of this sketch. (3) Theresa was born 
October 8, 1847. (4) Flora L. , born 
February 16, 1850, was married June 21, 
1883, to Harry E. Hudson, a farmer of 
Coldwater, Iowa; they have four children: 
Burney V., born May 8, 18S3; Oscar, 
born December 5, 1884; Terrence E., 
born December 26. 18S6, died August 27, 
1887, and Lepha H., born November 18, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



783 



1888. (5) Mary Lavina was born Au- 
gust 6, 1851. (6) Charles S., a physi- 
cian of large practice at Austin, 111., born 
September 23, 1858, was married Decem- 
ber 20, 1884, to Alice Pauline Riley, who 
was born October 24, 1859. They have 
three children, Marie, born January i, 
1886; Erma, born June 6, 1890, and 
Chester, born September 21, 1892. 

Our subject, C. A. Kellogg, at the 
age of seventeen enlisted at Woodville in 
Company I, Sixty-eighth O. V. I. ; at 
Memphis, Tenn., he was taken sick with 
rheumatism and lay in the hospital for 
five months, after which he was dis- 
charged for disability. Mr. Kellogg has 
ever since suffered acutely from the dis- 
ease thus contracted. It was in 1 847 that 
our subject was brought to Woodville 
township, Sandusky county, by his fa- 
ther, Elijah Kellogg, who first purchased 
sixt}--four acres of land, later seventy-two 
acres, and later still 160 acres. He also 
bought 1 60 acres of land located in Wood 
county. In May, 1892, he leased this land 
to the Standard Oil Company, who put 
down nine wells, most of which proved 
good producers. C. A. Kellogg in the year 
1890 retired from active business life. 
He has leased the old homestead, for the 
infirmities consequent upon his military 
service have made it impossible for him 
to longer attend to the farm work. 



HENRY PARK, a well-known and 
popular pioneer farmer of Wood- 
ville township, Sandusky county, 
was born in Hanover, Germany, 
December 15, 1823. His parents, John 
and Mary (Westerfeldtj Park, were born 
in 1788 and 1796 respectively. Of their 
eight children five died young. Freder- 
ick, Henry and John grew to maturity and 
married. F'rederick was born in 181 5, 
and in Germany married Charlotte Ticka- 
meyer, by whom he had five children, as 
follows: Mary, wife of Charles Brown, of 
Toledo; Angeline, wife of George Dietz, 



and mother of five children (they are 
residents of Michigan); Prederick, a 
farmer and painter, of Wood county, 
Ohio; Eliza, wife of Henry David, a 
farmer of Wood county (she is the mother 
of six children); and Henry, a Wood 
county farmer, who married Lottie Brown, 
and has two children. John was born in 
1829, and married Katie Yaunsmeyer, 
who bore him two children: Harry, who 
is married to Lydia Heiser, and has two 
children; and Nellie, wife of William 
Dipp, a miller by trade, who also has two 
children. 

In 1844 our subject, then twenty-one 
years of age, came with his parents to 
America in the German sailing vessel 
" Louisa," which was thirty-three days on 
the water. After remaining a short time 
in New York the family came to Ohio, 
and in Woodville township, Sandusky 
county, the father purchased fifty-two 
acres of land, paying for the same $400. 
Henry remained with his parents until 
their decease in 1866, and for his care 
and attention to them in their old age the 
father had given him a deed for the place 
which he had helped to clear. On March 
6, 1847, Mr. Park married Mary Bor- 
cherdling, born December 15, 1822, by 
whom he had two children: Caroline, 
who was born December 14, 1847, and 
married Henry Ernsthouse, by whom she 
had eight children; and Eliza, who was 
born May 30, 1850, and married Henry 
Hartman, of Lucas county, by whom she 
has five children. The mother died No- 
vember 10, 1853, and Mr. Park subse- 
quently married Louisa Miller, who was 
born in Hanover, Germany, January 6, 
1835, and when two years old came with 
her parents to America. This union was 
blessed with eleven children, as follows: 
John, born December 3, 1855, married 
Louisa Havercourse, and became the 
father of six children; he is a farmer of 
Wood county. Henry, born November 
27, 1856, died March 4, 1859. John, 
born October 3, 1859, is living at home. 



734 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Mary and Sophia (twins), born September 
II, 1858, died young. William, of To- 
ledo, born July 31, 1864, married Anna 
Havercourse. Mary, born May 2, 1862, 
died December 18, 1884. Katherine, 
born August 21, 1866, married Frank 
Afterheader, of Toledo, and they have 
one child, Mabel. August, born Decem- 
ber 3, 1868, lives in Toledo. Emma, 
born June 10, 1871, is at home. Fred- 
erick, born November 5, 1873, is also 
living with his parents. 

Mr. Fark in 1891 leased his land to 
the Ohio Oil Company, which put down 
five producing wells. He also leased 
land to M. Harris, who put down two 
wells. Our subject is one of the pioneers 
of the township. When his parents first 
came here the family had onlj' one ox, 
but fortunately a neighbor had another, 
and by borrowing and lending alternately 
each had a team. The pioneers were 
obliged to travel eighteen miles to mill. 
Wages were low, and Mr. Fark worked 
for five dollars per month, and accepted 
part of his wages in trade at the store. 
He has been honored with various local 
offices during the past thirty years. He 
contributes liberally to the Lutheran 
Church, and is one of the most substan- 
tial and prosperous citizens of the town- 
ship. 



JAMES WASHINGTON LONG (de- 
ceased) ranked among the leading 
and valued citizens of Ottawa coun- 
county. He was born in Pickaway 
ty, Ohio, August 22, 1824, and died 
at his home three miles from Elmore, 
May 22, 1890, respected by all who knew 
him. He was a son of Ma.xwell and 
Elizabeth (Reynolds) Long, the former of 
whom was born about 1797, and became 
one of the pioneer settlers of the Buck- 
eye State. 

Amid the wild scenes of frontier life 
James Long was reared, and after arriv- 
ing at manhood's estate he married So- 



phronia Thompson, of Harris township, 
Ottawa Co., Ohio. To this union came 
four children — Philander, who was born 
April 4, 1845; Diana Elizabeth, born 
January 5, 1847; Ma.xwell, born March 

19, 1849; and Harvey, born March 3, 
1850. Of these two are deceased — -Max- 
well, who died April 19, 1849, and Har- 
vey, who passed away March 12, 18S9. 
The mother of this family died November 

20, 1851. On April 12, 1854, Mr. Long 
was again married, his second union being 
with Mary Wainwright, of Harris town- 
ship, Ottawa county. They became the 
parents of nine children — Ellen H., born 
February 16, 1855; Napoleon, born Sep- 
tember 6, 1857, died April 15, 1877; 
Cora M., born May 19, 1859; Frank E., 
born February 28, i860, died Nfay 22, 
1880; Dora E., born May 28, 1862, died 
January 17, 1889; Thaddeus J., born 
June 18, 1866; Lulu M., born June 
19, 1869, died November 4, 1889; Ed- 
gar, born January 21, 1872, died on 
the 1 6th of May following; and one who 
died in infancy in 1874. 

James W. Long came to Ottawa coun- 
ty when it was almost an unbroken wilder- 
ness and settling in the midst of the 
forest cleared and developed a farm three 
miles from the village of Elmore, making 
for himself and family a pleasant home 
on the south bank of the Portage river. 
From the days of his earliest residence 
here he was prominently identified with 
the development and progress of this 
region. He had charge of the erection 
of the bridge over the Portage river at 
Elmore, and was for two terms a trustee 
of Harris township, while for several 
terms he served in the position of justice 
of the peace. As county commissioner 
of Ottawa county he was for some years 
prominently identified with the work of 
public improvement, and was always in- 
terested in everything pertaining to the 
general welfare. Various business enter- 
prises occupied his time and attention. 
In his earlier years he was engaged in the 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



735 



manufacture of staves in connection with 
a firm in Cleveland. He was also em- 
ploj'ed as overseer of a gang of men on 
the construction of the Lake Shore rail- 
road through northern Ohio, but he de- 
voted the best ten or fifteen years of his 
life to agricultural pursuits, carrying on 
that business with the same progressive- 
ness and enterprise that characterized all 
his dealings. His life was ever a busy and 
useful one. indolence and idleness being 
utterly foreign to his nature. His politi- 
cal support in his younger years was given 
to the NN'hig party, but he afterward join- 
ed the ranks of the Democrats. He was 
a fluent speaker, fond of debate and could 
hold his own in argument against many 
able speakers. He had a clear, compre- 
hensive mind, and could present his side 
of the question with force, at the same 
time never losing sight of the most 
assailable places in an opponent's argu- 
ment. He was laid to rest in the Guss 
Cemeter}', near Elmore, and the commu- 
nity mourned the loss of one who had 
been an important factor in Ottawa coun- 
t}'s history. 

Mks. Diana E. Binklev. the daughter 
of James W. and Sophronia (Thompson) 
Long, was born January 5, 1847, and 
completed her education at St. Johns, 
Mich., after which she was for several 
years successfulh' engaged in teaching. 
On October 7, 1869, she became the 
wife of Amos Binkley, of Fremont, Ohio, 
who was born June 30, 1847, in that city, 
and there obtained his education. His 
father, Samuel Binkley, was born in Oc- 
tober, 1822, and married Christiana Al- 
bert, who was born September i, 1823, 
and died April 10, 1869. His paternal 
grandparents were John and Mary (Fisher) 
Binkley, the latter born in Northumber- 
land county, Penn., October 15, 1802. 
Their marriage was celebrated in 1S19, 
and they became the parents of fourteen 
children, six sons and eight daughters, 
nine of whom were living at the time of 
the mother's death, which occurred April 



25, 1895, when she had reached the ad- 
vanced age of almost ninety-three years. 
She left ninety-eight grandchildren, two 
hundred aud thirty great-grandchildren, 
and twenty-five great-great-grandchildren, 
making a total of three hundred and fifty- 
three descendants living, probably more 
than any other woman in the county. 
She was buried in Muskallonge Cemetery, 
near her father and mother, while her 
husband was buried in Allen county, 
where he died. 

Shortly after their marriage Mr. and 
Mrs. Binkley removed to Benton town- 
ship, Ottawa county, where thej' lived for 
twelve jears. The succeeding eight years 
were passed at Rocky Ridge, and they 
then returned to her father's old farm, 
where they now live. They have four 
children — Althie May, born July 26, 
1870, who was married May 18, 1888, to 
Gilbert Gee, of Rocky Ridge, by whom 
she has two children, Diana and Lula; 
Alma Maud, born August 28, 1874, who 
died in infancy; Leno a Louisa, born 
March 4, 1876, who was married April 18, 
1894, to Oscar Hess, and has one child, 
Willella; and Willella Zula, born June 2, 
1883. The family is one of prominence 
in the community, being both widely and 
favorably known. 



AMOS FOUGHT is a prominent 
merchant and grain buyer of Oak 
Harbor, Ottawa county, one of 
the early settlers of the com- 
munity, and one of the successful business 
men, who by his energy and enterprise 
has added largely to the prosperity of the 
city with which he is connected. 

He was born in Perry county, Ohio, 
June 26, 1839, and is a son of Paul and 
Mary (Hedrick) Fought, who were early 
settlers of Sandusky county, locating there 
about 1844. The father is now living a 
retired life in Lindsey, where the mother 
passed away in 1864. Ten children were 
born to them, seven of whom are living, 



736 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



namely: Amos, of this sketch; Eli, a 
prominent farmer of Washington town- 
ship, Sandusky county; Eliza, wife of 
Allen Anspach, a leading manufacturer of 
Oak Harbor; Jeremiah; Sarah, wife of 
Jacob Cunningham; Mary, wife of Amos 
Notestein; Lucy, wife of Joseph Blocher; 
and Alice, wife of Joseph Brennamen, 
postmaster of Lindsej'. With the excep- 
tion of those whose business is definitely 
mentioned, all are successful agriculturists 
of Washington township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, as was also Israel, who is deceased. 
After the death of his first wife, Paul 
Fought was twice married, and by the 
second union were three children — John 
Wesley and Otto, prosperous fanners of 
Washington township; and Ella, who re- 
sides with her father. 

When Amos Fought was only four 
years of age he removed with his parents 
to what was then called the "Black 
Swamp," in Sandusky county. There he 
resided until twenty-three years of age, 
acquiring his education in the old log 
schoolhouse of the district, and afterward 
working upon the homestead farm. In 
1862 he began farming on his own account 
in that county, and in 1866 came to Oak 
Harbor, where he has made his home 
continuously since, being extensively and 
successfully engaged in mercantile pursuits 
and in grain buying. 

Mr. Fought was married in Fremont, 
Ohio, on March 26, 1863, to Miss Eliza 
Auter, who was born April 13, 1840; her 
parents, Christian and Mary (Sieden- 
thalerj Auter, were also early settlers of 
Sandusky county, having located there in 
1S36. This marriage has been blessed 
with fi\e children, namely: Cora, born 
November 18, 1865, who is now the wife 
of George Deal, a resident of Oak Har- 
bor; John O., who was born November 
17, 1S69, and is living in Oak Harbor; 
Chester L. , -who was born December 13, 
1 87 1, and is now attending Western Re- 
serve Medical College, Cleveland, Ohio; 
Rozelia E., born November 5, 1876; and 



Edna Gertrude, born March 22, 1880. 
The famil3- attend the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church. Mr. Fought has filled the 
offices of clerk and trustee of Salem town- 
ship, Ottawa county, has been treasurer 
of Oak Harbor, and is now serving as a 
member of the council and clerk of the 
school board. He is master of Oak Har- 
bor Lodge No 495, F. & A. M., at pres- 
ent filling that honorable position for the 
third term. His political affiliations are 
with the Democratic party. Our subject 
is much respected in the community for 
his moral worth, while his name is asso- 
ciated with all enterprises undertaken for 
the advancement of the county's interest. 
He is regarded as one of the most popular 
and valued citizens of Ottawa count}', and 
is a solid, progressive business man, 
whose character is above reproach, and 
whose success in life is the reward of his 
own efforts. 



PATRICK C. CULLENEN, a re- 
tired farmer of Oak Harbor, Ot- 
tawa county, was born July 3, 
1817, on board his father's ship, 
the "Titus," in the Bay of Biscay, within 
twelve miles of the coast of Portugal, 
and is a son of Capt. John and Marj- 
(Connors) Cullenen, both of whom were 
natives of County Clare, Ireland. The 
father was a sea captain during the greater 
part of his life, and died at the home of 
his mother, in the county of his nativity, 
from injuries received onboard his vessel, 
while making a voyage from the East 
Indies to London, England. His wife 
also died in County Clare. 

After the death of his father Patrick 
Cullenen, then but two years old, was 
adopted by his grandparents, and he re- 
mained with them until eleven years of 
age, at which time he went to sea with 
his uncle James, and the following five 
years remained on board ship with him. 
In 1832 they arrived in Montreal, where 
his uncle sold his ship. Our subject, con- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPHICAL RECORD. 



737 



eluding to remain on shore, for the fol- 
lowing three years continued to reside in 
the Province of Quebec, where he was 
employed at farm labor and teaming. In 
September, 1836, he removed to Buffalo, 
and was engaged on board the steamer 
"Saratoga," then running on Lake Erie, 
being thus employed some three years. 
At the expiration of this time he went to 
Sandusky, Ohio, where he resided until 
1854, conducting a butchering business. 
On November 19, 1854, he removed to 
Ottawa county, locating in Salem town- 
ship, where he engaged in the manufac- 
ture of lumber and staves. Subsequently 
he turned his attention to farming, which 
was his business until his retirement to 
private life. On August 7, 1864, he pur- 
chased the first vessel ever owned by an 
Oak Harbor resident, and the first of any 
size to enter the harbor. This vessel he 
ran some fourteen years, at the same time 
conducting his farm. In November, 1861, 
he came to Oak Harbor, where he has 
since made his home. He has led a busy 
and useful life, and now, in his declining 
days, is enjoying the rest which he has 
truly earned and fully deserves. 

Mr. Cullenen has been twice married, 
first time on October 20, 1847, in the 
town of Peterborough, Ontario, to Eliza- 
beth Metcalf, a native of the city of Lon- 
don. They became the parents of children, 
as follows: John, the eldest, was born 
in 1848, died at Lexington, Ky., January 
II, 1863, from typhoid pneumonia, con- 
tracted while acting as nurse in a hospital 
during his service in Company G, one 
Hundredth O. V. I., in which he enlisted 
August 7, 1862; his remains were interred 
in a cemetery at Lexington. Eliza is the 
wife of Alex Gillespie, a resident of Car- 
roll township, Ottawa county. Mary Ann 
became the wife of James Herold. Will- 
iam is now living in Carroll township. 
Margaret is deceased. James is living in 
Oak Harbor. Two died in infancy. The 
mother of this family was called from 
earth August 14, 1879. Mr. Cullenen's 



second marriage was solemnized in Salem 
township, Ottawa county, January 5, 
1 886, with Mrs. Eliza Adams, who was 
the widow of Isaac Adams, of Oak Har- 
bor, and was a most estimable lady. She 
was born May 9, 18 16, daughter of John 
and Catherine March, and died July 6, 
1895, at the age of about eighty years, 
her remains now resting in Oak Harbor 
cemetery. 

Mr. Cullenen is a man of sterling in- 
tegrity, noted for his straightforward busi- 
ness methods, and is a highly esteemed 
and respected member of the community. 
His success in life demonstrates what can 
be accomplished in this free land of ours 
through enterprise, energy and persever- 
ance, and to-day he is the possessor of a 
comfortable competence as the reward of 
his own labors. He now resides in his 
Oak Harbor home, purchased for himself 
and wife wherein to pass their declining 
years in comfort and peace. 



GEORGE WOODWARD, M. D. 
(deceasedj, who at time of his 
death was the oldest and most 
widely known physician not only 
in Ottawa but also in adjoining counties, 
was born in Logan county, Ohio, May 
24, 1840, and was a son of Jonathan and 
Sarah Woodward. The former was a 
descendant of one of four Woodward 
brothers who came from England to 
America in 1804. He was born in Ches- 
ter county, Penn., and his wife was born 
in the State of Delaware, where her 
father, who was the owner of the famous 
Brandywine Springs, kept hotel. In 
their family were five children, but only 
one is now living — Charles, a miller, who 
resides in Lima, Ohio. 

The Doctor spent his early life in Lo- 
gan county, and first attended the schools 
of Bellefontaine, after which he entered 
college at Kenneth Square, Penn., where 
he completed the classical course. He 
then determined to take up the study of 



738 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



medicine, making its practice his life work, 
and entered the Ohio Medical College, 
Cincinnati, from which institution he was 
graduated with the class of 1870. Im- 
mediately thereafter he began practice, 
locating in Castalia, Ohio, where he re- 
mained for more than a year. In 1872 
he removed to Oak Harbor, where he 
successfully continued the practice of his 
profession until within a short time of his 
death. He was a skilled physician, and 
the liberal patronage which he received 
was proof positive of his abilitv. 

The Doctor was married in Auglaize 
county, Ohio, September 30, 1863, to 
Samantha Pepple, a native of that county, 
who was born in May, 1S44, daughter of 
Maurice K. and Sarah (Richards) Pepple. 
The\- became the parents of five children 
— Sarah R. , who was born July 13, 1864, 
and is the wife of Elmore E. Gill, a resi- 
dent of Port Clinton, Ohio; Charles J., 
born October 9, 1867, a prominent stock 
farmer of Auglaize county; Horace S. , 
who was born March 27, 1871, and is a 
medical practitioner of Oak Harbor; 
Olive, born September 7, 1874; and 
George, who was born April 5, 1876, and 
died July 23, 1880. Dr. Woodward be- 
longed to the Ohio Medical Association, 
and the Ottawa County Medical Associa- 
tion, and his ability was everywhere recog- 
nized by the public and his professional 
brethren. He was very successful in his 
chosen calling, vv'inning a high and well 
deserved reputation and building up an 
e.xtensive practice, and he held the office of 
coroner for over fifteen years. Sociall)" 
he was a valued member of the Odd Fel- 
lows society at Rocky Ridge. He passed 
away in 1893, and the county lost one of 
its best citizens, the profession an emi- 
nent member and his family a devoted 
husband and father. 

Dr. Horace \\'oodward, who seems 
destined to occupy the place which his 
honored father filled, was born in Logan 
county, Ohio, and when only a year old 
was brought by his parents to Oak Har- 



bor, where he has resided continuously 
since. He received his elementary edu- 
cation in the public and high schools of 
that place, and commenced his profes- 
sional studies b}' attending Ohio Medical 
College, Cincinnati, where he remained 
for two years; he then entered the Ken- 
tucky School of Medicine at Louisville, 
Ky., where he was graduated with the 
class of 1893. He is still among the 
noble army of Benedicts. Since his 
graduation he has been established in 
business in Oak Harbor, and his ability, 
both natural and acquired, has given him 
high rank in the profession and will bring 
him still greater success in the future. 
He is a young man of worth, and is very 
popular in the community. 



LW. KASTRUP, a member of the 
firm of Jacobs, Kastrup & Kirk, 
the leading merchants of Lakeside, 
Ottawa county, was born Septem- 
ber 20, 1863, in the Province of Nalland, 
Sweden, a son of Axel W. and Char- 
lotte (Buchwald) Kastrup. The parents 
were both natives of Copenhagen, Den- 
mark; the mother died in Sweden in 1865. 
but the father still makes his home in his 
native land, where he is a prominent 
merchant. 

The primary education of our subject 
was received in his home in Denmark un- 
der the instruction of a private teacher, 
and he also spent five 3ears in the Soro 
Academy at Soro, Denmark. After com- 
pleting his education he served a three- 
years' apprenticeship to the mercantile 
business, and then for one year was em- 
ployed as a salesman in the same estab- 
lishment, receiving a salar}'. In 1884 Mr. 
Kastrup left his native land for the New 
World, and after reaching New York pro- 
ceeded direct to Chicago, where he resid- 
ed for a short time. On leaving that city 
he went to Milwaukee, Wis., but during 
the summer of 1884 came to Lakeside, 
where for two vears and a half he was en- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



739 



gaged in agricultural pursuits with Joab 
Kelly. In 1886 he removed to Echo, 
Minn., remaining there until spring of 
1889, when he returned to Lakeside and 
engaged in business with Bernard Jacobs, 
under the firm name of Jacobs & Kastrup. 
They carried on operations under that 
style until March i, 1895, when Arthur 
E. Kirk was admitted to parnership, and 
they assumed their present title. The 
firm does a successful and lucrative busi- 
ness, and they well deserve the liberal pat- 
ronage that is accorded them. 

Mr. Kastrup has been twice married, 
first time in February, 1887, at Redwood 
Falls, Minn., to Miss Edirh Pettibone, a 
daughter of William and Caroline (Hen- 
derson) Pettibone, the former of whom is 
now deceased, and the latter a resident 
of Lakeside. Mrs. Kastrup departed this 
life April i, 1889, leaving an infant daugh- 
terwho still survives — Esther, born March 
24, 1889. On May 2, i8gi, at Lakeside, 
Mr. Kastrup wedded Miss Lena Ermich, 
a daughter of Frederick Ermich, of Dan- 
bury township, Ottawa county, and by 
this union there are two children — Mar- 
guerite, born May 5, 1892; and Harold, 
born November 5, 1893. Socially Mr. 
Kastrup is identified with the Knights of 
Pythias, belonging to Peninsular Lodge 
No. 607. and Lakeside Tent No. 81, 
Knights of the Maccabees. Politically, 
he uses his right of franchise in support 
of the men and measures of the Republi- 
can party, while religiously the family at- 
tend the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
He and his wife are valuable members of 
society, their intelligence and pleasant 
and courteous manners making them wel- 
come guests wherever they visit. 



WILLIAM W. RYMERS, a re- 
tired merchant and banker, who 
is one of the early pioneers of 
Harris township, Ottawa county, 
as well as one of the most highly esteemed 
and prominent citizens of Elmore, is a 



son of Frederick and Catherine "William- 
son; Rymers. He was born in Mt. Pleas- 
ant, Westmoreland Co., Penn., Septem- 
ber 10, 1S28, and when a child of four 
years was brought by his parents to Stark 
county, Ohio, where he attended the dis- 
trict schools until sixteen years of age. 
He then pursued his studies in the public 
and high schools of Randolph, Portage Co. , 
Ohio, and on completing his education 
learned the trade of plasterer and brick 
layer, teaching school during the winter 
months. Later he engaged in stock rais- 
ing and farming in Erie township, Ottawa 
county. 

On September 16. 1861, Mr. Rymers 
enlisted in the Forty-first O. \. I., was 
subsequently elected first lieutenant of 
Company I, and was promoted to the rank 
of captain March i, 1862. During that 
year he was stricken with typhoid fever, 
and in consequence was honorably dis- 
charged and conveyed to Port Clinton, 
Ohio, where his wife had removed during 
his absence. Under her tender and care- 
ful nursing he was at length restored to 
health, and on becoming convalescent re- 
turned to his farm, which he sold the fol- 
lowing year, removing to Elmore, where 
he engaged in the hardware business. 
In the fail of 1864 he was appointed lieu- 
tenant-colonel of the One Hundred and 
Seventy-seventh O. V. I., but owing to his 
pressing business duties was unable to 
accept. Selling out in 1871, he took up 
his residence in Le Mars, Iowa, where 
for five years he was engaged in the real- 
estate and banking business. In 1876 he 
returned to Elmore, and purchasing his 
former store continued to conduct it until 
1882, when he once more sold out, and 
has since practically lived a retired life. 

Mr. Rymers was married in Randolph, 
Portage Co, Ohio, October 22, 1851, to 
Isabel Essig, daughter of John and Esther 
(Spangler) Essig. She was born in Stark 
county, Ohio, June 12, 1830, and died 
in Elmore, February 18, 1895. To their 
happy union came three daughters — 



740 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Melissa, born September 2, 1852, who is 
the wife of E. Seifried; Clara, born De- 
cember II, 1854, who died November 2, 
1872; and Alice, born October 22, 1856, 
who died September 11, 1857. Socially 
Mr. Rymers is a member of Elmore 
Lodge No. 462, I. O. O. F., and a char- 
ter member of the Encampment; he was 
formerly a member of Portage Lodge 
No. 365, F. & A. M., and he belongs to 
Robert H. Caldwell Post No. 439, G. A. R. 
Previous to the war he afifiliated with the 
Democratic party, but since that time he 
has been a strong Republican. For many 
years he has been a consistent and faith- 
ful member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. He is a man of fine, as well as 
forcible intellectual qualities, an extensive 
reader and deep thinker, of a remarkably 
practical cast of mind, and yet possessing 
a temperament quick to notice the beau- 
tics in his suroundings. Of conser\ative 
but firm judgment, he is perfectly reliable 
in all transactions, and is an able business 
man. He is eminently public spirited and 
takes an active interest in all enterprises 
for the benefit of his community. In 
manner he is social and friendly, and 
possesses qualities that readily win ad- 
miration and respect from his political 
compeers, as well as from private com- 
panions and acquaintances. 

Mr. Rymers' parents were both natives 
of Chambersburg, Penn., the father born 
May 24, 1790, and the mother October 
12, 1790. They were married in the 
Keystone State, and in 1832 removed to 
Stark county, Ohio, where Frederick Ry- 
mers engaged in agricultural pursuits for 
four years, removing thence in 1836 to 
Randolph, Portage county. After about 
four years' residence there he came to 
Ottawa county, in 1S41, locating in Erie 
township, where his death occurred in 
August, 1 844, while his wife survived until 
September, 1864. Their family num- 
. bered eleven children, a brief record of 
whom is as follows: Rebecca, born Sep- 
tember 14, 18 13, became the wife of 



William A. Essig, of Harris township, 
Ottawa county, and died September 19, 
1893. Henry, born October 15, 181 5, 
died in 1834. Harriet, born January 12, 
1 81 7, became the wife of Taylor Britten, 
and died in 1838. Susan, born Septem- 
ber 18, 1818, is the widow of Michael 
Baker, and resides in Wood county, Ohio. 
Ann, born December 15, 1820, is the 
wife of Adam Moos, of Rootstown, Port- 
age county. Frederick, born December 
6, 1822, is a farmer of Erie township, 
Ottawa county. Eunice, born May 22, 
1825, is the wife of R. T. Kirk, who is 
living near Port Clinton. William W. is 
the next in order of birth. John T., 
born November 10, 1830, is living in La- 
carne, Ottawa county. Margaret was 
born January 25, 1834. Henry W., 
born December 22, 1839, resides near 
Elmore. 



FRANCIS RUTER, one of the old- 
est pioneers, and also one of the 
most prominent and prosperous 
agriculturists of Allen township, 
Ottawa county, was born at Rordcn, Ger- 
many, June 28, 1828, and was a son of 
William C. Ruter, a native of the same 
city. 

Our subject was educated in the excel- 
lent public schools of his birthplace, and 
learned the trade of a miller with his fa- 
ther, who at that time owned and operated 
several mills in Rorden. Here he lived 
until eighteen years of age, when he start- 
ed out for himself, going to Bremen, where 
he found employment at his trade, and 
there remained for ten years. In Ger- 
many, he was married in June, 1855, to 
MaryE. , daughter of Frederick and Mar- 
cie (Bunte) Sheperman, of Hanover, Ger- 
many, and a few months afterward Mr. 
and Mrs. Ruter came to the United States, 
locating in Woodville, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, where for several years he operated 
a gristmill for Mr. John Elican. By the 
expiration of this time he had saved enough 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPHICAL RECORD. 



741 



money to purchase a tract of woodland 
in Clay (now Allen) township. Here he 
began life in earnest. Clearing a little 
spot in the wilderness, he built a log cabin, 
to which he brought his family, and with 
the help of his brave wife toiled day 
and night for years to bring the land 
under cultivation, and make it what it now 
is, one of the best and most highly improv- 
ed farms in the township. In the mean- 
time Mr. Ruter had quite an unfortunate 
experience; about nine months after he 
had settled in his cabin home, which was 
during the Civil war, he was drafted into 
the army and assigned to the Thirty-sec- 
ond Ohio Infantry, in which he served 
nine months. When peace was declared 
he returned home quite ill, suffering from 
an old trouble contracted in Germany, 
only to find his wife and children had left 
the cabin and gone to the home of his wife's 
father in Ottawa county, as •^hey were 
unable to endure the loneliness cf the iso- 
lated life in the woods. Here, under the 
loving care of his wife, Mr. Ruter recover- 
ed his health, and then returning to his 
farm again took up the daily toil by which 
alone the tiller of the soil can accomplish 
the end desired. As his means increased 
he put necessary improvements on the 
place, building a comfortable dwelling, 
barns, etc., and making a comfortable 
and pleasant home, in which he is passing 
his later years in the consciousness of a 
life well-spent. 

To our subject and his good wife nine 
children were born, five of whom are now 
living, and a brief record of them is as 
follows: Livesia was born June 22, 1858, 
at Woodville, Sandusky county, and be- 
came the wife of John Labue, a tinner, 
in Toledo; she has three children — Cora, 
born in 1882; Jessie, born in 1S86; and 
Walter. Marj, born December 25, 1861, 
in Woodville, Sandusky county, was mar- 
ried in 1 88 1 to John Klett, a farmer of 
Allen township, Ottawa county; her chil- 
dren were born as follows: William, No- 
vember 19, 1882; Frances, October 16, 



1884; Clara, November 7, 1887; Bertia, 
March 8, iSSg'; and Frederick, November 
24, 1893. John was born June 22, 1863, 
in Alien township, and was married April 
20, 1889, to Calamina Martin; they have 
three children — Annie, born April 25, 
1890; Cora, born May 27, 1892; and 
Otto, born November 11, 1894. John 
Ruter lives on the homestead with his 
parents. Sophia Ruter was born in Allen 
township June 4. 1867, and married Gus- 
tav Shoschin, a farmer of that township; 
they have four children — William, Eddie, 
Otto and Frances. William Ruter was 
born May 6, 1872, and was educated in 
the district schools of Allen township; he 
is unmarried and resides with his parents. 
Of the children who are deceased Lydia, 
born in July, 1856, was married to Spen- 
cer Stewart, of Toledo, and became the 
mother of four children; she died in 1888 
in Toledo. Mena, born June 5, 1865, 
died in 1872. Frederick, born in May, 
1869, died in 1873. Henry died in in- 
fancy. Frederick Sheperman, the father 
of Mrs. Francis Ruter, was born in Han- 
over, Germany, where he was educated 
and married. In 1856 he emigrated with 
his family to this country, and settled in 
Ottawa county, where he farmed for a 
number of years. His family consisted 
of the following named children: Mary, 
the wife of our subject; Gerald, who died 
May 29, 1 892 ; Lucia, widow of Christopher 
Molkinburg, of Sandusky county; Ange- 
lina, wife of William Schlaren, of Toledo; 
and Henry, who is married and resides 
in Toledo. Peter Martin, the father of 
Mrs. John Ruter, was born in Denmark, 
where he was married to Calamina Peter- 
son. In 1888 he came with his family to 
this country, settling in Ottawa county, 
this State, where he still resides and car- 
ries on farming. The names of his chil- 
dren are Christopher (married), Cala- 
mina (wife of John Ruter;, Morris, Peter, 
Nora, Annie, Selina, Ida and Annie. 

Mr. Ruter is a man of energy, and still 
actively interested in all projects for the 



742 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



welfare and improvement of the commun- 
ity of which he has so long been an hon- 
ored member. He is a stanch Democrat 
and every ready to work for the good of 
his party. He and his family are faithful 
attendants of the Lutheran Church at 
Genoa, Clay township. 



IRA STERNS, business manager at 
Wiliiston, Ottawa county, for the 
Dewey Stave Manufacturing Com- 
pany, of Toledo, was born in Carle- 
ton county, near the city of Ottawa, the 
capital of the Dominion of Canada. His 
parents were Ira and Mar}' (Brown) 
Sterns, the former of whom was born at 
the same place as his son, of Scotch de- 
scent, while the mother was a native of 
Scotland. 

To this worthy couple nine children 
were born, of whom seven are now liv- 
ing, as follows: William, a farmer, who 
is married and lives on the old home- 
stead; Margaret, widow of William Cold- 
rey, living in Canada; Laura, wife of 
Samuel Nickelson, a blacksmith, in Ot- 
tawa, Canada; Ellen, wife of Ale.xander 
Kane, a farmer; Ira, oursubject; Jennie, 
wife of Thomas Anderson, a carriage 
builder, at Ottawa, Canada; and David 
C, a farmer, living in North Dakota. 

The subject of this sketch was born 
January ii, 1850, and attended the 
schools of his native place, obtaining a 
good education. He left school when 
sixteen years of age and spent three 
years in the employ of his brother-in-law, 
Samuel Nickelson, learning the black- 
smith trade. At the expiration of this 
time, in 1869, he came to Ohio, and en- 
tered the employ of John Welles, manu- 
facturer, at Martin. Clay township, 
Ottawa county. After spending several 
years there he worked for C. H. Sawyer, 
lime manufacturer at Clay Center, for 
some years. Subsequently he was en- 
gaged by the company for whom he is 
now manager at W'illiston as a mechani- 



cal engineer, having charge of the ma- 
chinery and engines of the factory for 
fifteen years. His long and faithful serv- 
ices were rewarded when, in 1891, he 
was promoted to the responsible position 
of business manager, the duties of which 
he has filled with honor to himself and 
satisfaction to his employers, and he has 
also succeeded in gaining the good will 
and esteem of those under him. 

Mr. Sterns was married in Toledo, 
October 24, 1871, to Miss Maria Peart, 
of Stark county, this State, and six 
children have blessed their union, viz. : 
Frederick, born October 5, 1872, was 
educated in the schools of Wiliiston and 
is an engineer, operating the engines and 
machinery in the factory of which his 
father is the manager; Annie, born March 
18,1874, was married to Jacob Hartman, 
a carpenter and joiner, who is at present 
emploj'ed in the factor}'; Nellie, born 
August 18, 1877, is at home; Laura, born 
June 2, 1885, is attending school in Wili- 
iston; Harley, born November 5, 1880, 
died March 17, 1881; and Ray, born 
November 6, 1890, died June 2, 1891. 

Mrs. Maria (Peart) Sterns, the wife 
of our subject, was born October 25, 
1849, daughter of Benjamin and Mary 
(Streets) Peart. Her father was a native 
of Pennsylvania, and when a young man 
came to Stark county, Ohio, where he 
was married. He was a contractor and 
builder, and was for a time located at 
Martin, Ottawa county, where he built a 
number of houses, removing thence to 
Clay Center, where he died June 6, 1886. 
His wife is sti^ living, and makes her 
home with her son at Clay Center. Eight 
children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Peart, in Stark county, as follows: Man- 
ford, who is married and lives in Toledo; 
Sylvester, who is the manager of Mr. 
Pearce's lime factory at Clay Center; 
Jones, who is married and is employed in 
Bailey's mill, Wiliiston; Charles Jerome, 
who is married and works in Dewey's mill, 
Wiliiston; Annie, Mrs. Edwin Watson, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



743 



who died in February, 1875, leaving two 
children; Clark, who is married and works 
in the lime kilns; Leroy, who is married 
and works in the mills at Williston; and 
Mary, wife of our subject. Mr. Ira 
Sterns has held the office of constable 
for the township of Allen for the past five 
years, and was recently re-elected for an- 
other term. Socially, he is a member of 
Genoa Lodge, No. 5B4, I. O. O. F., and 
in his political views is a Republican. The 
family attend the services of the Meth- 
odist Church. They are held in high 
esteem in the community. 



JOHN LUTZ (deceased) was one of 
the pioneer settlers of Middle Bass 
Island, Ottawa county, and a prom- 
inent and progressive citizen, taking 
an active part in such matters as would 
promote the advancement of the interests 
of his community. He was a son of 
Christopher and Margaret (Snyder) Lutz, 
and was born August 15, 1827, near Can- 
ton, Ohio, where he was educated and 
reared to manhood. 

In 1851, when it was still in its wild 
and uncultivated state, John Lutz settled 
on Middle Bass Island, where for a num- 
ber of years he followed fishing and farm- 
ing for a livelihood, and in later years de- 
voted his attention more particularly to 
the culture of grapes, his extensive vine- 
yards bespeaking good judgment and in- 
dustry on his part. On July 3, i860, 
John Lutz was united in marriage, at 
Sandusky, Erie county, with Victoria 
Delauria, daughter of Charles and Flor- 
ence (Lisperans) Delauria, and seven 
children have graced this union, viz. : 
Albert, born February 24, 1862, Julia 
A., born November 7, 1863; Charles B., 
born May 18, 1866; Miles B., born Feb- 
ruary 27, 1870; Arthur J., born August 
15, 1873; Sarah M., born November 12, 
1877; and Frank F., born December 14, 
1879. 

Mr. Lutz was a perfect type of man- 
47 



hood, possessing unusual physical powers 
and endurance, and being endowed with 
mental vigor no less remarkable. Often 
he went beyond the requirements of the 
Golden Rule, and throughout his well- 
spent life was constautly doing for others 
more than he would have asked others 
to do for him under similar circumstances. 
In those early pioneer days, when the 
struggle for existence was so hard and 
the opportunities for lending a helping 
hand were so numerous, he often taxed 
his physical powers to their utmost in as- 
sisting his neighbors and friends, and 
would not hesitate to give his last dollar 
in cases of urgent need. He was active 
and indefatigable in every good work, and 
contributed his full share toward laying 
broad and deep the foundations of moral- 
ity and good society that have given Mid- 
dle Bass its honorable history. He passed 
away, honored by all who knew him, and 
to his life work and to the example of 
pioneers such as John Lutz Middle Bass 
Island owes a lasting debt of gratitude. 

Albert Lutz, eldest son of John 
Lutz, resides on Middle Bass Island, 
close to the homestead farm where he 
was born and reared to manhood. He is 
one of the young, progressive men of the 
Island, and is extensively engaged in 
grape growing. On December 9, 1894, 
he was united in marriage with Miss Etta 
Pelton, who was born in Syracuse, N. 
Y. , daughter of David and Ann Pel- 
ton. In politics Albert Lutz is a Re- 
publican. He is a man of broad views, 
keen, quick perceptions, sterling integrity 
and a spotless reputation, qualities that 
have gained for him the confidence and 
respect of all who know him. 



PHINLEY L. CUNNINGHAM, M. 
D. , of Graytown, Benton township, 
Ottawa county, a son of Andrew 
and Jane (Brewer) Cunningham, 
was born in Fulton county, Ohio, May 
24, 1865. 



744 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Andrew Cunningham was born Sep- 
tember lo, 1821, in Pennsj'lvania, and in 
1840, at Oxford, Butler Co., Ohio, was 
united in marriage with Jane Brewer, 
who was born in Pennsylvania, May 23, 
1824. They had ten children, eight of 
whom are now living. Dr. P. L. Cunning- 
ham being the youngest in the family. 
Three of the sons are physicians, one an 
attorney at law, one a locomotive en- 
gineer on the Ann Arbor road, one a con- 
ductor on the Lake Shore & Michigan 
Southern road, one a teacher of twenty 
j'ears standing, and one daughter has 
been a teacher of music for twenty years. 
The father and mother now living in their 
home in Fulton county, Ohio, have great 
reason to be proud of the attainments of 
their children, who are all self-educated, 
their parents having been unable to as- 
sist them in their efforts for success. 

Dr. P. L. Cunningham spent his boy- 
hood days at Wauseon, Fulton Co., 
Ohio, and there attended the public 
schools, from which he graduated in the 
scientific course in 1882. After graduat- 
ing he went at once to Cleveland to ac- 
cept a clerkship in the firm of Broker & 
Co., and filled the position for si.x months, 
engaging for the remainder of the year in 
the store of McLyman & Co., and for 
three months was connected with the 
brass works of Lorain county, Ohio. He 
then went to Knox county, began reading 
medicine with Dr. Robert Putnian, and 
remained with him for four years. Mean- 
while, in 1885, he began a course of 
medical lectures in the Western Reserve 
University, where he attended two years, 
and then spent one year in the University 
of Wooster, Cleveland, Ohio, from which 
he was graduated in 1888 with the degree 
of M. D. 

Immediately after graduating Dr. 
Cunningham located as a physician in 
Fulton county, Ohio, where he took the 
general practice of his brother until 1892. 
Durmg all this time he fully realized that 
the road to success lay along the line of 



specialism. Thus far he had been a self- 
made man, and had put himself through 
his medical course. Xow, determining 
to push his studies further, and in special 
lines, he made all necessary arrange- 
ments, and in the fall of 1892 left for 
Edinburgh, Scotland, to pursue special 
work. He entered the old University of 
Edinburgh, and remained there about 
nine months, taking a post-graduate 
course, after which he went to London, 
England, and entered St. Thomas Hos- 
pital, where he remained six months, do- 
ing medical and surgical work. He then 
returned to Ohio, and settling in Graytown 
continued for a time in general practice 
here as a physician and surgeon, and then 
took up his specialties of the eye and ear, 
in which he is now engaged. Dr. Cun- 
ningham spends about one-half of his 
time in his private office at Graytown, 
where he is busy continuouslj', and the 
remainder on the road. He is a personal 
friend of and in many ways a co-worker 
with Dr. Joseph Schneider, the great oc- 
ulist and aurist of Milwaukee, Wis. Dr. 
Cunningham visits all the leading cities in 
Wisconsin and Iowa, where he has a very 
extensive clientele. His surgical work 
on the eye in Ohio is mainly performed 
in Cleveland, where access may be had to 
first-class hospitals; he has performed 
many difficult operations, and success has 
attended his efforts in his chosen profes- 
sion. He is also a contributor to different 
medical journals, among which are the In- 
ternational Medical Journal, the New 
York Journal, Cincinnati Clinic, Journal 
of Surgery, Medical World, Medical Bul- 
letin and Physicians' Report. 

On January i, 1893, Dr. Phinley L. 
Cunningham was united in marriage with 
Miss May Stepp, of Seward, Fulton Co., 
Ohio. They have no children, and are 
living in a pleasant home in Graytown. 
Mrs. Cunningham received her education 
in the public schools of her native town. 
Her parents, Frederick and Martha Anna 
E. (Ottgen) Stepp, came to this country 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



745 



from Germany, her mother in 1855, and 
her father in 1865, were married Decem- 
ber I, 1866, and had three children, one 
son and two daughters. Mrs. Cunnings- 
ham's sister is with her at Graytown, and 
her brother is clerking in Toledo. Her 
grand-parents were born in Germany in 
1795, and died in 1852 and 1854 respect- 
ively. 



CP. ENGEL, who is a retired 
grape grower, and the oldest living 
settler on Put in Bay Island, Ot- 
tawa county, was born October 
5, 1S14, in Saxony, Germany, where he 
was educated and reared to manhood. 

Our subject learned the trade of shoe- 
making in his native country. In 1840 
he came to America, on July 27 of that 
year, landing at Baltimore, Md., whence 
he shortl}- afterward proceeded to Pitts- 
burg, Penn., and after a brief residence 
in that city removed to Sandusk)-, Erie 
Co., Ohio, where he resided and followed 
his occupation of shoemaking for twenty- 
seven years. In Sandusky, Erie county, 
on January 3, 1843, Christian Engel was 
united in marriage with May N. Beylen, 
who was born in Switzerland August 8, 
1 8 19, and they have had eight children, 
of whom si.x are living, namely: John, 
born January 15, 1845; Christian P., born 
December 10, 1846; Louis; Charles; 
Emma, widow of Henry Pfeiffer, and 
Hugo. Two of the sons, John and 
Christian P., were attached to the Seven- 
ty-second O. V. I., and served all through 
the war of the Rebellion. Louis also 
served in the United States army for 
three years. May N. Beylen, now Mrs. 
Engel, came to America, in 1832, with 
her parents. Nicholas and Mary Ann 
(Eagan) Beylen. 

In 1868 Mr. Engel removed to Put in 
Bay Island, of which he has ever since 
been a resident, and where he engaged 
extensive!}' in the culture of grapes. He 
was for two years overseer of Sandusky 



Cemetery, and also served as councilor 
of Sandusky City for one term. In his 
political views he is a stanch Republican. 
On December 11, 1889, C. P. Engel 
was united in marriage, in Sandusky, with 
Bina Federsen, who was born in Ger- 
many March 31, 1869, and they have had 
one son, Herbert, who was born Febru- 
ary 22, 1 89 1. The parents of Mrs. Chris- 
tian P. Engel, Christian and Mary Feder- 
sen, were born in Germany and are now 
residents of Kellev's Island, Erie Co., 
Ohio. 



AM. GROVER (deceased) was a 
native of the Empire State, his 
birth having occurred September 
8, 1822, in Livingston county. 
There he resided until 1834, acquiring 
his education in the public schools, and 
during his early youth he learned the trade 
of a ship carpenter. In 1834 he came to 
Ohio, living in Sandusky county, near 
Cl}de, and while there located he fre- 
quently worked at his trade on Catawba 
Island, but not for a number of years 
later — in 1858 — did he take up his resi- 
dence here. He became one of its valued 
citizens, and devoted his whole time and 
attention to the cultivation of fruit, rank- 
ing among the most prominent fruit grow- 
ers of the day. He was an energetic and 
enterprising man, one whose careful man- 
agement of his business interest and his 
honorable dealing won him a well merited 
success. 

While residing in Sandusky county, 
Mr. Grover was united in marriage, on 
December 24, 1847, with Miss Lavina 
Davis, a daughter of Daniel D. and Sarah 
(Prentiss) Davis. Five children graced 
this union, of whom four are living: Thoret 
was drowned while skating on the lake, 
December 24, 1874. Those who still 
survive are Archie N., who was born No- 
vember 4, i860; Emma T. , born June 4, 
1865; Ada B., born June 2, 1867; and 
Herbert D., born July 6, 1873. Mr. Gro- 



746 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPEICAL RECORD. 



ver was interested in the welfare of the 
community, and gave his support to all 
worthy objects which were calculated to 
advance the general welfare. His busi- 
ness engrossed much of his attention, and 
he met with very fair success in his un- 
dertakings. His excellencies of character 
won him the high regard of those with 
whom he was brought in contact, and his 
departure was deeply mourned. Since 
the death of her husband and eldest son, 
the duties pertaining to the farm and or- 
chard have been ably carried on by Mrs. 
Grover and her eldest surviving son, 
Archie N. Grover, a young man of more 
than ordinary business tact and enterprise, 
who is one day destined to rank among 
the most prominent and influential resi- 
dents of Catawba Island. The members 
of the family hold an enviable position in 
social circles. Their home is noted for 
its hospitalit}', and the}' have gained for 
themselves a circle of warm friends in the 
communitv. 



JOHN J. GEIGER. It is men of like 
character to John J. Geiger who 
build up a city. He is pushing, en- 
terprising and aggressive, and sees 
in the prosperity of the community in 
which he lives his own prosperity. Of 
whatever heundertakes he makes a success, 
because, first, his judgment prevents him 
from espousing a business that has no 
possibilities, and secondly, his native 
energy is sufficient to carry his enterprise 
to a successful issue. 

Mr. Geiger was born in Huron county, 
Ohio, April 14, 1849, son of John and 
Catherine (Grabner) Geiger. The father 
was born in Baden, Germany, May 12, 
1 8 19, and at the age of twenty-one emi- 
grated to America. For several years he 
worked by the month at Milan, Erie Co., 
Ohio, and during that time he learned to 
burn brick. Then, starting a yard of his 
own at Milan, he made brick on an ex- 
tensive scale, the building material of the 



large schoolhouse in Norwalk being of his 
manufacture. Several years later he 
farmed a place between Milan and Nor- 
walk for one season, then traded his prop- 
erty for a farm in Sherman township, 
Huron county, which he occupied for 
about sixteen years, and where all his 
children were born. Finally selling out, 
he moved to Peru township, where he 
lived twenty-six j'ears. In 1891 he re- 
moved to Fremont, his present home. 
Mr. Geiger in religious faith is a Roman 
Catholic. His children are as follows: 
John J., subject of this sketch; Lawrence, 
a farmer of Brown township, Huron 
county; Mary, wife of Alvin Smith, for 
seventeen years a resident of Peru town- 
ship, and now of Fremont; Frank, a 
farmer, of Peru township, Huron county; 
Mathias, a farmer of Sandusky county; 
one child who died in infancy. 

John J. Geiger, the eldest child, grew 
up on the farm and received a fair educa- 
tion. At the age of twenty-two he started 
out in the world for himself. He worked 
out for two seasons by the month. His 
marriage to Miss Mary Wilhelm occurred 
in. 1 873, and for two years he operated 
his father's farm. Then purchasing a farm 
of 149 acres, in Riley township, Sandusky 
county, he there engaged extensively in 
general farming and was very successful. 
Each year he raised from 1,000 to 1,500 
bushels of wheat, and both for the neat- 
ness with which his work was done and 
for the accruing financial profits he was 
considered one of the best farmers in the 
county. In 1881 he moved to Clyde, 
where he has since resided. He has been 
engaged in many real-estate operations on 
.his own account, and has been uniforml}' 
successful. At present he owns some 
good property in the city, and his business 
is now one of the most extensive in Clyde. 
In connection with a mercantile business 
he is handling several patent rights, one 
of which is a "checkbook;" but his main 
patent, and one, perhaps, in which the 
city is chiefly interested, is a fastening for 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



747 



steel roofing. It overcomes the chief ob- 
jection to the use of steel for roofing, the 
contraction and expansion from changes in 
temperature. The improvement has been 
introduced in Clyde, and has satisfactorily 
withstood the test of time. The work is 
now being introduced in many neighbor- 
ing cities, and one of tbe possibilities for 
Clyde in the near future is the formation 
of a stock company for the manufacture 
of the roofing in that city. 

The family of Mr. Geiger consists of 
five children: Annie, Edward, Alfred, 
John and Mamie. He owns an excellent 
home on one of the best streets of Clyde. 
In politics he is a Democrat, and in re- 
ligious belief a Catholic. He is justly 
regarded as one of Clyde's best business 
men. 



JM. JONES. This well-known citi- 
zen of Gibsonburg, Sandusky coun- 
ty, is of Welsh descent, and pos- 
sesses many of the traits of that vig- 
orous, level-headed people. 

His parents were Benjamin and Han- 
nah (Morris) Jones, and of his father's fam- 
ily the following record is given: Benja- 
min Jones was born March 9, 1823, in 
Caermarthen, Wales, and was the son of 
James Jones, who was born in 1796. 
James Jones married Hannah Davies, 
who died in Wales, and, when his son 
Benjamin was eighteen or nineteen years 
old, he left his native country and came to 
America, settling in Morrow county, this 
State. After he remained here for about 
eight years he removed to Wisfconsin, 
driving the entire distance with a yoke of 
three-year-old steers, and locating in Iowa 
county, their post office being Dodgeville. 
Here the father died at the good old age 
of eighty-two years. He was a con- 
sistent member of the Baptist Church. 
Mr. and Mrs. James Jones were the par- 
ents of four children: James, who was 
born April i, 18 17, came to America and 
settled in Delaware county, this State, 



where he married Miss Williams, and 
where he still resides. Daniel, born Au- 
gust 6, 1820, is a tailor by trade, and 
lives in Wales. Benjamin was the father 
of our subject. John was born October 
29, 1 81 5, and when a young man left 
home and never returned, no direct news 
from him ever reaching his family, and 
his fate is uncertain. 

Benjamin Jones settled in Morrow 
county, Ohio, where he lived for six or 
seven years, and then removed to Dela- 
ware county, whence, after a residence 
of four years, he came to Sandusky coun- 
ty and took up land where the famous 
"gusher," the Kirkbrideoil well, is located. 
About nine years ago he returned to Mor- 
row county, where he now resides. The 
mother of our subject was born in Mor- 
row county October 7, 1815, and died 
October 13, 1882. Their family com- 
prised six children, of whom the follow- 
ing record is given: Morris D. died June 
22, 1874, at the age of thirty years and 
twenty-six days; J. M. is our subject; 
Sarah A., born February 27, 1848, is the 
wife of A. B. McCreer}', and lives in Wood 
county, this State; Eliza A., born May 
12, 1850, married James Smith and, died 
July 1 8, 1 878; Joseph Fuller, born May 
18, 1853, died March J. 1862; Margaret, 
born September 14, 1855, is the wife of 
Charles Chambers, and lives in Genoa, 
this State. 

Our subject grew to manhood on his 
father's farm in Sandusky county, and 
varied his work in the fields with at- 
tendance at the district schools. During 
the Civil war he enlisted with the one- 
hundred-days' men, in Company H, One 
Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment, Ohio 
State Militia, and was sent to Maryland 
and Virginia to guard the Capitol at Wash- 
ington. When his time expired he re- 
turned home and took up the trade of 
carpenter, at which he worked for a num- 
ber of years. He then engaged in farm- 
ing in Scott (now Madison) township, 
leaving this to take charge of a hotel at 



748 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Bradner. Subsequently returning to the 
farm he remained there until four years 
ago, when he came to Gibsonburg. and 
since that time he has been engaged in 
buying and selling stock, building houses 
and in the insurance business. In ad- 
dition to these occupations he is carrying 
on a grocery. 

Mr. Jones was married, September 
25, 1870, to Miss Mary A. Price, who is 
a native of Merthyr-Tydvil, Wales, born 
March 2, 1850. Her parents were 
Thomas and Ann (Evans) Price, the for- 
mer of whom was born September 20, 
1823, in Gwinther, Breconshire, South 
Wales, his death taking place in Wood 
county, Ohio, September iS, 1886, the 
latter was born August 29, 1827, and is still 
living at her home in \\'ood county. They 
came to America at an earlj- day and set- 
tled in Morrow county. Mrs. Jones was 
their only child. Her paternal grand- 
father, Thomas Price, Sr. , was born in 
Wales, Angust 29, 1797, and died April 
14, 1 88 1, in Wood county, Ohio. 

To our subject and his wife have 
come two children: Eliza M., born April 
27, 1 87 1, and Price, born August 8, 1888. 
Both Mr. and Mrs. Jones have been for- 
tunate in coming into possession of some 
of the finest oil-producing property 'in 
the State, from which they derive hand- 
some incomes, the Kirkbride well being 
one of the most wonderful in the coun- 
try. Mr. Jones is a man of excellent 
judgment and business ability, as is 
evinced by the numerous enterprises which 
he is carrying on with uniform success. 
Politically he is in sympathy with the 
Republican party, and socially he belongs 
to the I. O. O. F., G. A. R., and P. O. 
S. of A. 



AG. RUXXEIv, a wide-awake and 
enterprising fruit agriculturist of 
Carroll township, Ottawa count}-, 
has b)' his natural good judgment 
and indomitable energy arisen to a promi- 



nent position in the community, where he 
and his family are held in the highest 
esteem. He is a native of the Buckeye 
State, born June 9, 1843, in Margaretta 
township, Erie county. His parents, 
Michael and Elizabeth Runner, were both 
natives of Maryland, and located in Erie 
county among the pioneers of 1830, 
where they were honored and revered 
residents for manj- years, the father dy- 
ing in 1846, and the mother in 1867. By 
their union eleven children were born, 
five of whom still survive, as follows: 
Caroline, widow of Paul Leidorf, of 
\'enice, Erie Co., Ohio; Isaac, residing 
on the homestead farm; John, who also 
makes his home in Erie county; Rebecca, 
wife of Richard Axton, of Venice; and 
A. G., the subject of this biographical 
sketch. 

The educational privileges of A. G. 
Runner were such as the district schools 
afforded, and at a verj- early date in his 
life's history he was instructed in the 
duties pertaining to a farmer's life. He 
has followed that occupation from his 
early boyhood days, and for some few 
3'ears was also engaged in fishing on the 
lakes. In 1861 his patriotism prompted 
him to enlist in Company H, Fiftj'-tifth 
O. \'. I., in which regiment he served 
one year, being taken prisoner at the bat- 
tle of Franklin on April 5, 1862, and de- 
tained as a prisoner of war by the Con- 
federates until July 3 of the same year. 
Upon being paroled Mr. Runner again 
enlisted, becoming a member of Company 
M, First Ohio Heavy Artillery, and re- 
mained with that branch of the service 
until the close of the war, being mustered 
out and honorabh- discharged at Camp 
Dennison, Ohio, August 25, 1865, after 
four years of faithful and valiant service 
in behalf of his country. On his return 
to Margaretta township, Erie county, he 
resumed farming in that section, continu- 
ing there until 1882, when he removed to 
Carroll township, Ottawa county, and 
has since been ranked among its most 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



749 



prominent citizens and leading agricultur- 
ists. 

At Port Clinton, Ottawa count)-, on 
April 12, 1870, Mr. Runner was united 
in marriage with Miss Sarah Elizabeth 
Sonocrant, who was born in Presque Isle, 
Lucas Co., Ohio, August 26. 1847, ^"d 
is a daughter of John and Matilda (Mom- 
meney) Sonocrant. Four children have 
come to bless this union: George A., 
born November 16, 1S71, and Raymond 
G., born November i, 1874 (graduate of 
Oak Harbor High School), are engaged 
in teaching school in Carroll township; 
Matilda E., born May 14, 1877, is a 
graduate of the Oak Harbor High School 
and is now a teacher; and Karl M., born 
January 13, 1883, died August 9, 1885. 
In his political views Mr. Runner is a 
stanch Republican, and, although not a 
politician in the sense of office seeking, he 
has been honored with man}' positions of 
trust b\' his fellow townsmen, all of which 
he has efficiently and satisfactorily filled. 
His genuine social and moral worth gives 
him a high place in the regard of all with 
whom he comes in contact. 



JACOB H. TRUAX. The story of 
this man, one of the oldest pioneers 
and a well-known farmer of Clay 
township, Ottawa county, is full of 
interest, as showing the grit and endur- 
ance of one who, without early advan- 
tages, fought his way through toil and 
hardship to a successful and honorable 
station in life. 

The subject of this sketch was born in 
Bedford county, Penn. , April i, 1823. 
His parents, Stilwell and Sarah (Hart) 
Truax, both of whom were natives of the 
Keystone State, came to Ohio when Jacob 
was a lad of ten years, and settled in 
Wood county, where the)- bought eighty 
acres of land, which was covered with a 
dense forest. Here the father built a log 
cabin, and with the help of Jacob and 



another son commenced to clear away the 
timber, till the fields, planted an orchard 
of various kinds of fruit, four acres in ex- 
tent, and, as his means increased, erected 
a commodious dwelling house, with all 
necessary barns and other buildings. To 
him and his wife came seven children, 
namely: Abner, born and educated in 
Bedford county, Penn., w-as a hotel clerk 
in Sandusky county, this State, where he 
died. Jacob H. is the subject of this 
sketch. John was born in Pennsylvania, 
and became a farmer, following that oc- 
cupation seven years, and then going 
into the manufacture of hoops, in which 
he is at present engaged, at Genoa; he 
married and had two children, one of 
whom is deceased. Marj', Mrs. John 
Sivalls, is a resident of Woodville. Louis, 
born in Pennsylvania, is farming in Ne- 
braska. Stilwell, born in Wood county, 
this State, is also farming in Nebraska; 
he is married and has two children. One 
child died in infancy. The mother of 
this family died in Wood county in 1835. 
The father married again, his second wife 
being Rachel, widow of Eben Baldwin, 
but no children were born of this mar- 
riage. The father died at the old home- 
stead in Wood county in 1867, his second 
wife surviving him for thirteen years, and 
passing away in 1S80. He was an honest, 
hard-working man, and toiled late and 
early to provide a home for his family. 
He was well and favorably known 
throughout the county, and commanded 
the respect and esteem of all who had 
dealings with him. 

Jacob H. Truax, our subject, was de- 
prived of all educational advantages in 
his youth, schools in those days being few 
and far between, and none being ac- 
cessible in the new country where he 
spent his boyhood days. Early in life he 
contracted a most painful disease, known 
as " white swelling," from the effects of 
exposure in the water, and for many 
jears his sufferings from it were extreme, 
the bones of the leg coming away through 



750 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the flesh. In spite of all this torture, he 
worked side bj' side with his father in the 
timber and in the fields, and for eight 
years endured the terrible pain and hard 
labor together. His health then began 
gradually to improve, and on reaching his 
majority he was able to leave the old 
homestead and start in life for himself, 
taking contracts for cutting logs and 
clearing off timber for other parties. He 
continued at this work until twenty-five 
3'ears of age, during which time he en- 
deavored to make up his deficiencies in 
book knowledge by diligently employing 
the winter months and every available 
moment in attending school and studying 
at home. 

After giving up his work at log cut- 
ting, our subject was on the canal for 
three years as steersman, and then went 
to Sandusky county, where he purchased 
ninety acres of timber land. On this he 
built a log cabin and began industriously 
to turn the wilderness into fertile fields. 
As fast as the timber was cleared away 
he planted corn, wheat and potatoes, by 
which he supported his famil}'. In the 
course of time the log cabin gave way to 
a well-built dwelling, and orchards of fine 
fruit took the place of the forest trees. 
Mr. Truax remained on this farm for 
twenty years, when he sold out, in 1873, 
and came to Clay township. Here he 
bought 100 acres of improved land, where 
he has since made his home. He has 
made many improvements, replanting the 
orchard, and making of it a valuable pro- 
perty. In his comfortable and conveni- 
ent home he is resting from the toils of 
his early life — the days when deer, wolves 
and Indians were his nearest neighbors, 
and when the hunter could find plenty of 
sport close at hand. 

Mr. Truax was married in Wood coun- 
ty to Catherine Truax, daughter of Na- 
thaniel Truax (no relative), who was a 
farmer, and afterward a hotelkeeper in 
Wood county. To our subject and his 
wife came nine children, as follows: John, 



born August 26, 185 i, in Sandusky coun- 
ty, married Elizabeth Wagner and resides 
at Gibsonburg, that county, where he 
follows the occupation of drayman. Will- 
iam, born in Sandusky county in 1853, 
married Mary Lafarerr, and they have 
one child; he is a cooper, residing at 
Genoa. Emeline S., born in Sandusky 
county in 1855, married Charles Prey, an 
engineer at Genoa ; they have one 
child. Lewis, born in Sandusky county, 
June 17, 1857, was married Februarj' 14, 
1 878, to Miss Billings, daughter of George 
Billings, a farmer, and three children have 
been born to them — Amy, in 1879, in 
Clay township, Ottawa county, who is 
living at home; Elida, born July 1 5, 1882; 
and Roy, born June 9, 1892; Lewis Truax 
has been elected supervisor of Clay town- 
ship, and is farming on the homestead 
with his father. Sarah O., born in San- 
dusky county, in 1859, married Adolph 
Trimer; both are deceased. Mary E., 
born in Sandusky, in 1862, is the wife of 
William Snider, a professor of music, and 
they live at Fort Wayne, Ind. ; they have 
two children. Deo, born in Sandusky 
county in 1866, died when seven years 
old. Milo, born in Sandusky county in 
1868, is a farmer in that county; he is un- 
married. Another child died in infancy, 
unnamed. 

The wife of our subject died in San- 
dusky county, January 9, 1S75, of dropsy. 
She was a loving and faithful wife and 
mother, and is still deeply mourned by 
her husband and family. Mr. Truax held 
the office of school director for nine 
terms in Sandusky county, and has served 
in that position one term in Clay town- 
ship. Socially he is a member of Clay 
Lodge No. 584, I. O. O. F. , at Genoa; 
he and his sons belong to the Democratic 
party. The family attend the Church 
of the Disciples at Genoa. Mr. Truax 
is now seventy-three years old, but is 
hale and hearty, and seemingh' as active 
as ever, going about his farm as readily as 
he did twenty years ago. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



751 



HENRY WITTY, one of the enter- 
prising young farmers of Ottawa 
county and one of her native sons, 
was born in Cla}- township, on the 
farm which he now owns, November 2, 
185S. 

His father, John Witty, was born in 
Germany in 1830, and during his boyhood 
came to America, locating in Ottawa 
county, Ohio, on the farm now owned by 
our subject. It was then in its primitive 
condition, but he cleared and improved 
it, con\erting it into one of the fine homes 
in this section of the State. He married 
Elizabeth Hammond, who was born in 
Marion county, Ohio, in 1S26, and they 
became the parents of six children, as fol- 
lows: Catherine, Angelina, Ella, Jennie, 
Henry and Michael. Catherine and An- 
geline are now deceased; Ella is the wife 
of Anthony Shantan, of Rocky Ridge, 
Ohio. The paternal grandfather, Henry 
Witty, was born about 1797, was a farmer 
by occupation, and was one of the honored 
pioneers of Ottawa county. His wife, 
Elizabeth, was born about 1804, and died 
July 14, 1893. They had three children — 
John, Margaret and jNIartin. The father 
of our subject died in November, i8go. 

Henr\- \\'itty acquired his education in 
the public schools. On December 17, 
1886, he was united in marriage with Miss 
Delia Rhodes, of Elmore, and the}' began 
their domestic' life upon the old home 
place, which comprises 170 acres of highly 
cultivated land. Thirty acres are planted 
annually in wheat, fifteen to hay, thirty- 
five to corn and twenty to oats. The soil 
is highly productive, and the abundant 
harvests garnered indicate the careful la- 
bor and supervision of the owner, who is 
justly numbered among the practical and 
progressive farmers of the community. 
Mrs. Witty has been a faithful companion 
and helpmeet to her husband. She was 
born in Richland county, Ohio, May 15, 
1866, and is a daughter of Jerry Rhodes, 
who was born in England, in 1822, and 
served throughout the Civil war. He 



married Susan Ealand, who was born in 
the same country in 1831, and they 
crossed the Atlantic on the same vessel, 
first meeting in mid-ocean. The acquaint- 
ance thus formed terminated in their mar- 
riage soon after their arrival in this coun- 
try, and they became the parents of six 
children, of whom Emma, Louis, Clara, 
Irene and Delia are all living; the eldest 
child, Libby, is deceased. 

When only four years of age, Mrs. 
Witty was brought by her parents to El- 
more, where she obtained her literary 
education. Like her husband, she is a be- 
liever in modern progression and modern 
methods, and their friends throughout the 
community are many. They have one 
child, Bessie May, who was born March 
6, 1887, and to whom they intend to give 
every educational advantage. Mr. and 
Mrs. W^itty hold membership with the 
United Brethren Church of Elmore. In 
politics Mr. Witty is a Republican, and 
earnestly advocating the principles of that 
party, he is one of its able and stanch 
supporters. He is a worth}' representa- 
tive of the agricultural interests of Ottawa 
county. 



M 



ATHIAS ESKER is one of the 
worthy German citizens of San- 
dusky county, Ohio. He was 
born in the Fatherland Febru- 
ary 34, 1824, son of Fred and Mary 
(Bruch) Esker, farming people, who 
spent their entire lives in Germany. 
Their family numbered seven children, 
namely: Joe, deceased; Fred, Jane, 
Jacob, George, and Franciscus, who are 
living in Germany; and Mathias. 

Our subject was reared and educated 
in his native land, and was a young 
man of twenty-three years when he bade 
adieu to home and friends and crossed 
the Atlantic to America. The voyage 
was made in a sailing vessel and the trip 
consumed sixty-five days; but at length 
anchor was dropped in the harbor of New 



752 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



York, and Mr. Esker landed on American 
soil. He first made his way to the city 
of Sandusky, Ohio, where he remained 
for about five years working by the day. 
He then removed to Norwalk, Ohio, and 
secured a position in a planing mill, 
where he continued for fourteen years, a 
trusted and faithful employe. At the end 
of that time he became a resident of 
Washington township, Sandusky county, 
and here he invested his hard-earned sav- 
ings in sixty acres of land, his present farm. 

Mr. Esker was united in marriage 
with Mary Seen, daughter of Khune Seen, 
and they have had seven children: Fred, 
born February 22, 1852, married Rose 
Paul, by whom he has seven children (he 
resides in Norwalk); Carrie was born May 
24, 1853; Frances, born December 16, 
1855, is the wife of George Gaver, a res- 
ident of Ohio; Mary E. , born May 7, 
1858, is the deceased wife of John Mink; 
Cornelius, born February 20, i860, wedded 
Mary Bach; Mary, born June 13, 1862, died 
at the age of seventeen years; and William 
O., born December 2, 1865, married Ella 
Kosch. The mother of this family was 
called to her final rest October 8, 1893. 

Mr. Esker is a member of the Ger- 
man Catholic Church. Politically he is a 
Democrat, and has served as school di- 
rector and road supervisor, but the 
greater part of his time and attention is 
given to his business interests. The work 
of clearing his farm was all done by him- 
self, and the buildings upon it stand as 
monuments to his thrift and enterprise. 
The well-tilled fields and neat appear- 
ance of the place indicate his careful su- 
per\ision, and he may well be numbered 
among the substantial farmers and self- 
made men of Sandusky county. 



He is a son of William and Ann J. (Whit- 
more) Rulof, and was adopted in his early 
youth by his mother's father, John Whit- 
more, who was a prominent citizen of 
Tovvnsend township, and he has since 
borne his grandfather's name, Whitmore. 
Mr. Rulof died, and his widow, Ann J., 
mother of the subject of this sketch, mar- 
ried Mr. Derlin. 

John P. Whitmore lived with his 
grandfather Whitmore from the time of 
his adoption until he was married. On 
January i, 1879, Mr. Whitmore was united 
in marriage with Isabel Dunham, who 
was born in Townsend township, Decem- 
ber 2, i860, and there have been born to 
them five children, as follows: Ira D., 
November 26, 1881; John D., June 12, 
1883; Walter D., September 21, 1885; 
Franklin E., born August 5, 1887, and 
died July 24, 1894; and Annabel, born 
February 22, 1894. Mrs. Whitmore is 
a daughter of Ira and Rebecca (Golden) 
Dunham. Ira Dunham, who was a prom- 
inent farmer, died on September 6, 1863, 
at the age of forty-one; and his estimable 
wife, who survived him little more than 
two years, passed away September 12, 
1865. The Goldens came from Pennsyl- 
vania many years since, and there are 
now many of the family in Townsend. 

Mr. Whitmore takes no very special 
interest in politics further than to cast his 
ballot, which is usually Democratic. He 
is engaged in farming his one hundred 
and thirty acres of fruitful land. 



JOHN P. WHITMORE is a success- 
ful and prosperous farmer, and a 
well-known resident of Townsend 
township, Sandusky county, in which 
township he was born December 25, i860. 



ISAAC STROHL, farmer, Ballville 
township, Sandusky county, was born 
in Perry county, Ohio, November 18, 
1825, a son of Peter and Sarah (Over- 
myer) Strohl, who were natives of Penn- 
sylvania. They were farmers by oc- 
cupation, and members of the Lutheran 
Church. Peter Strohl was born June 22, 
1798, and died in Fremont after his re- 
tirement from the farm. His wife was 
born in Northampton count}', Penn., in 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



753 



1804, a daughter of Jacob Overmyer, 
whose children were: Barbara, Margaret, 
Catharine, Mary, Maria, Sarah, Peter, 
Jacob and George. 

The children of Peter and Sarah 
Strohl were: Elizabeth, born in 1822, 
died in childhood; Isaac, our subject; 
Margaret, born in 1828, who in 1847 
married Enos Osborn, a farmer of Ball- 
ville township (now deceased), who had 
six children, one of whom, James M., 
was for a number of years editor and 
proprietor of the Democratic Messenger, 
at Fremont. Ohio, and is at present editor 
of the Dayto7ta Messcng-cr, at Daytona, 
Fla. ; Maria, born in 1831, who died at 
the age of eighteen, in Ballville township; 
Catherine, born May 5, 1834, who was 
married December 6, i860, to Dr. \V. V. 
B. y\mes, of Fremont, sketch of whom 
appears elsewhere. 

Isaac Strohl lived with parents on 
their farm in Ballville township until his 
thirty-fifth year. In the winter of 1848 
he enlisted as a soldier in the Mexican 
war, and was at the City of Mexico when 
it was taken by the U. S. troops. In 
1849 he went to New Orleans and engaged 
as a foreman on a steamer plying between 
that city and St. Louis, in which capacity 
he served about one year, after which he 
returned home. He succeeded his father 
on the home farm. He is a life-long 
Democrat, and has held various offices of 
honor and trust. He is a member of the 
M. E. Church, and is a Knight Templar. 
On January 12, i860, he married Miss 
Elida Grover, who is one of seven chil- 
dren — Elida, Maria, George, William B., 
Philip, Sylvester and Mary. 



EDGAR KARSHNER one of the 
popular and well-to-do citizens of 
Riley township, Sandusky county, 
was born August 4, 1 864, and is a 
son of Daniel and Lydia Karshner, and a 
grandson of John Karshner. 

John Karshner was born in Pennsyl- 



time, and the 

worked hard, 

and wrought out a home 



vania, and married Christine Drum. 
They had three children namely: Magda- 
lena, married to George Broomley, who 
lives in Indiana, and died in 1890; Sarah, 
married to Z. Woodford, who is a farmer 
in northern Ohio, and they have had 
eight children; and Daniel, the father of 
Edgar Karshner, the subject of this sketch. 
John Karshner and his wife lived in Penn- 
sylvania for several years after their mar- 
riage, then moved to Tarlton, Pickaway 
Co., Ohio, and from there to Riley town- 
ship, Sandusky county, where he settled 
and bought 480 acres of land. Indians 
were numerous at that 
country was new. He 
cleared the land, 

from the wilderness. He was a Whig m 
politics, and a member of the Lutheran 
Church. 

Daniel Karshner was born September 
9, 1822, in Tarlton, Pickaway county. 
He was reared at home, had a common 
school education, and worked for his fa- 
ther on the old homestead until he was 
married. He was united in marriage with 
Lydia Robinson, who was born January 
I, 1830, and they had a family of nine 
children, as follows: John F. born June 2, 
1848; Charles D., November 22, 1851; 
Albert L., August 27, 1853; Clara A., 
November 26, 1856; Ellen A., February 
4, 1858; Sarah L., August 15, i860; An- 
nie E., July 16, 1863; Edgar W., the sub- 
ject of this sketch; and Willis C, born 
March 27, 1868. Daniel Karshner has 
held various offices, such as school direc- 
tor and supervisor. He is a Republican 
in politics, and is a member of the Lu- 
theran Church. 

Edgar Karshner recei%'ed a common- 
school education, and worked on the farm 
for his father until his twenty-first year. 
On December 16, 1888, he was united in 
marriage with Mary Bartis, and three 
children have been born to them, namely: 
Mabel E. (born September 20, 1889), 
Clara E., and Charles. Mr. Karshner in- 
herited 113 acres of valuable land three 



754 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



miles east of Fremont, Sandusky county, 
and in 1890 he built a handsome residence 
which cost him $1,250.00. He carries on 
general farming, and gives special atten- 
tion to fruit and to fine horses and cattle. 
He is a stanch Republican, and is a mem- 
ber of the Lutheran Church. 



Republican, and in religious affiliation a 
member of the United Brethren Church. 
He is well liked in the community where 
he has had his home so many years. 



JACOB SAMPSEL, an honored citi- 
zen of Madison township, Sandusky 
county, was born in Beaver county, 
Penn., in 1836, son of Joseph and 
Mary M. (Beckley) Sampsel, who came 
from Pennsylvania to Ohio when he was 
a mere boy. 

Joseph Sampsel was a hatter, and fol- 
lowed this occupation up to the time of 
his removal to the "Buckeye State." 
When he arrived here he rented a forty- 
acre tract of land in the vicinity of New 
Lisbon, Columbiana county, and in prox- 
imity to the farm occupied by his father, 
who had located there a fewj-ears before. 
After retaining this land for a short time, 
he sold it, and bought a piece of five 
acres, on which he lived a few \'ears. 
Selling this he came to Sandusky county, 
where he passed the remainder of his 
days, his wife surviving him only a few 
years. 

Jacob Sampsel remained on his father's 
farm until the age of eighteen, receiving 
a common-school education, and after 
leaving home worked at odd jobs. On 
March 10, 1859, he was united in mar- 
riage with Louisa Long, whose parents 
were of Pennsylvania ancestry, and they 
have had a family of seven children, as 
follows: John F. is a farmer in Perry 
county, Ohio; Samuel is a mason in 
Clyde, Sandusky Co., Ohio; Jeremiah 
works in the oil districts in Sandusky 
county; John is similarU' employed; Ella 
married William Cross: Mary married 
Frank Adeline, a farmer in Wood county, 
Ohio; and Cora married Frank Cary, a 
farmer in Wood county. Mr. Sampsel 
has several oil wells. In politics he is a 



JOHN MEEKER, one of the highly- 
esteemed farmer citizens of Carroll 
township, Ottawa county, is a na- 
tive of same, his birth having occurred 
in Carroll township, November 27, 1838, 
and he is a son of John and Nancy (Lind- 
sley) Meeker. 

The father of our subject, who was 
born December 27, 1802, was united in 
marriage April 23, 1835, in Essex county, 
N. J., with Miss Lindsley, who was born 
in Morris county, that State, January 20, 
1 8 14. In 1837 they located in Carroll 
township, Ottawa county, where they re- 
mained honored residents the remainder 
of their days, the father dying December 
31, 1848, and the mother December 16, 
1 878. To their union came five children — 
Sarah Jane, born July 11, 1836, who is 
the wife of Ira P. Russell; John, subject 
of this sketch; Smith M., born January 
I, 1 84 1, who is a resident of Carroll 
township; Amy, born June 8, 1S43, who 
died September 9, 1874; and Gilbreath, 
born February 27, 1844, who died Jan- 
uary 24, 1845. 

Our subject was reared to farm life, 
and received a limited education in the 
old log schoolhouse of the district, and he 
has a vivid recollection of this institution, 
with its puncheon seats and the hickory 
rod wielded by the stern-visaged school- 
master. After completing his school days, 
which certainly had not been numerous 
enough to keep him away from the farm 
to any great extent, he settled down to a 
practical farmer's life, and in that honor- 
able occupation he has spent his useful 
life. On November 27, 1872, he was 
united in marriage with Miss Sophronia 
Ogden, daughter of Jeptha Lindsley and 
Margaret (Covers) Ogden. Mr. Meeker 
and his amiable wife attend the United 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



too 



Brethren Church, and are honored and 
respected in the community for their ster- 
ling worth and generous hospitalit\'. In 
poHtics he is identified with the Demo- 
cratic party, and is a strong believer in 
its principles. One great fact is apparent 
in the historj- of Mr. Meeker, and that is 
that his success and prosperity have been 
accomplished by hard, earnest labor, good 
management and care, which qualities are 
numbered among his chief characteristics. 
In addition to general agriculture, he en- 
gages in fruit-growing, and his well-stocked 
farm and neat and attractive surroundings 
bespeak industry and thrift, and in all 
his dealings he is the soul of honor. 

Ira p. Russell, brother-in-law of 
Mr. Meeker, is a prominent agriculturist 
of Carroll township. He was born in 
Chautauqua county, N. Y., October 15, 
1835, and is a son of William Peckhain 
and Sarah Ann (Webster; Russell, both of 
whom were natives of the Empire State, 
the father born in W^a\ne county, Febru- 
ary 9. 1 8 10, and the mother in Caze- 
novia, Madison county. May 22, 181 5. 
They removed to Ohio in 1837, locating 
in Kno.x county and there remaining until 
the fall of 1840, when they came to Port- 
age township, Ottawa county. Here 
they resided for five years, in September, 
1845, returning to New York; but in 
April, 1847, they again came to Ottawa 
county, this time locating in Erie town- 
ship, where the mother died May 11, 
1849. In their family were two children 
— Ira P., and Charity Ann, who was 
born March 17, 1838, and died in De- 
cember of the same year. After the 
death of his first wife, Mr. Russell was 
again married, and subsequently removed 
to Carroll township, where he resided un- 
til October, 1880, going thence to Sugar 
Ridge, Wood Co. , Ohio, where his death 
occurred June 15, 1885. 

The advantages afforded Ira P. Rus- 
sell for securing an education were very 
meagre. At the age of seventeen years 
he left home, going to Chautauqua, N. Y. , 



where he spent three years in master- 
ing the mason and brickia3er's trades, 
at which he worked in various cities of 
the Union until 1857. In that year he 
located in Carroll township, where he has 
since carried on agriculture with e.xcellent 
success with the exception of four years 
spent in Clay township, Ottawa county. 
On March 19, 1857, in Carroll township, 
Mr. Russell wedded Sarah Jane Meeker, 
who was born in Butler county, Ohio, 
July II, 1836. and they have become the 
parents of two daughters. Nancy Eliza- 
beth Ann, born in February, 1859, was 
married March 25, 1877, to Albert H. 
Conkey, who died on the 13th of Septem- 
ber following; on August 25, 1891, she 
was united in marriage with Charles H. 
Veler, and to their union has come one 
daughter — Lillie A. , born January 30, 
1892. The second daughter of Mr. Rus- 
sell, Amy Corena Josephine, was born 
May 14, 1870, and was married March 17, 
1890, to Charles H. Veler; she passed 
away March 19, 1891. 

Since attaining his majority Mr. Rus- 
sell has been a stanch supporter of the 
Democratic party, but he is in no sense 
an office seeker, and, though many times 
solicited to accept positions of trust in 
both county and township affairs he has 
always felt that his time could be best 
spent in attending to the duties of his 
home and farm. He is possessed of a 
most retentive memory, recalling with 
wonderful accuracy details and dates of 
incidents which occurred during his life- 
time from his earliest da\'s, thus permit- 
ting him to live over again the happy days 
of his past life. Socially, he is liberal, 
frank and genial, and in business matters is 
scfupulously honorable in all transactions. 



s 



Perry 



AMUEL COVERS, a prominent 
and successful farmer, and the 
oldest living settler in Carrol town- 
ship, Ottawa county, was born in 

county, Ohio, August 14, 1827. 



r56 



commemoratTve biographical record. 



His parents, Adam and Elizabeth (Shoop) 
Covers, were both natives of Westmore- 
land county, Penn., of German ancestry, 
the former born in 1790, and the latter 
in 1794. In 1834 they located in Carroll 
township. Ottawa county (which was then 
a part of Sandusky county), and there 
made a permanent home, the father dy- 
ing in 1842, and the mother, who long 
survived him, passing away in 1880. Of 
their family of eight children, four are 
still living — Susan, widow of F. B. Whip- 
ple, residing in Carroll township; Sarah, 
wife of Jackson Shasteen. living in Defi- 
ance county, Ohio; Samuel; and Louisa, 
wife of George W. Green, of Carroll 
township. 

Our subject was only seven years old 
when he came with his parents to Carroll 
township, where he was reared in the 
usual manner of farmer boys, and his 
limited education was obtained in the 
primitive log schoolhouse of those early 
days. Since his earliest boyhood he has 
engaged in agricultural pursuits, and has 
made a success of his chosen calling. 
On December 14, 1849, in Carroll town- 
ship, Mr. Covers married Betsj' Ann Gor- 
don, a daughter of Andrew and Rachel 
(Meeker) Gordon, who were natives cf 
I3utler county, Ohio, where Mrs. Covers 
was born October 10, 1827. This union 
was blessed with ten children, of whom 
John, born August 16, 1850, makes his 
home in Carroll township; Louisa, born 
September 10, 1852, married William 
Fizer, and died November 11, 1891; 
Maria, born November 4, 1854, became 
the wife of Hiram Frost, and was drowned 
in the Tusany river by the capsizing of a 
boat; Adam, born November 16, 1859, 
lives on the old homestead; Susan was 
born August 30, 1864; Sarah was born 
December 13, 1866; and Samuel was 
born February 13, 1868. The mother of 
this family passed away on August 6, 
1 89 1. They attend the United Brethren 
Church. In his political views. Mr. Cov- 
ers is a stalwart Republican; for the past 



fifteen years he has been constable in the 
township, and for two terms was town- 
ship trustee. Socially he is a member of 
the Grange. 



JOHN BOWLAND, mayor of Genoa, 
Ottawa county, and postmaster at 
that place, is a man whose life 
record is proof that a person's en- 
vironments do not necessarily limit his 
possibilities, and that the working out of 
his future, for good or evil, lies in the 
hands of any young man who possesses 
brains and strength of character enough 
to make up his mind what he will be, and 
to bend all his energies to that end. 

Mr. Bowland was born in Harris 
township, Ottawa county, August 3, 1851, 
and was the son of John and Diana (Par- 
rott) Bowland, who were also natives of 
Ohio. His father died a month before our 
subject was born, leaving the mother with 
her family of little ones dependent on her 
for support. When the Civil war broke 
out in 1861 her three eldest boys enlisted, 
serving throughout the struggle, and the 
younger children were obliged to do 
what they could to earn their daily bread. 
The mother had in the meantime re- 
moved from Harris township to Clay 
township, and here the subject of this 
sketch began work on a farm at the early 
age of fifteen years. His education was 
necessarily very limited, but his quick in- 
tellect gathered up and put to use what 
book learning he had acquired, and con- 
stantly absorbed whatever could be 
gained from reading and observation. 
Until the death of his beloved mother, 
which took place April 17, 1875, he 
proved a faithful, devoted son, working 
cheerfully and untiringlj', and, with his 
brothers, ministering to her every want. 
After spending a number of years 
upon the farm, Mr. Bowland went into 
partnership with his brother Thomas in 
the manufacture of hoops, carrying on this 
business both at Martin, Ottawa county, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



r57 



and in Henry county. He also was in 
the same business by himself for several 
years and up to 1890. Mr. Rowland was 
married August 25, 1875, to Miss Mary 
Eyre, daughter of George and Sarah 
Eyre, who now reside in Genoa, and of 
this union three children have been born: 
ErrettG., March 18, 1877; Bertha M., 
March 16, 1883; and Waiter, September 
19, 1889. The eldest son of this inter- 
esting family attended the public schools 
of Genoa, and also attended the High 
School at Columbus. This was followed 
by three terms in the High School of 
Genoa, from which he was graduated 
with honor June 4, 1895. He is a young 
man of fine intellect and a worthy son of 
his father, whose assistant he is in the 
post office. The family attend the Chris- 
tian Church. 

The early struggles of Mr. Rowland 
taught him lessons of perseverance, fru- 
gality and industry, which have borne 
fruit in the success that has attended his 
career. His genial disposition and sym- 
pathy with his fellow men have rendered 
him exceedingly popular with all classes, 
. and they have showed their appreciation 
of his sterling worth by bestowing on him 
numerous responsible offices, all of which 
he has filled with dignity and to the sat- 
isfaction of the public. In 1877 he was 
elected constable of Clay township on 
the Democratic ticket, holding the posi- 
tion two years. In 1881 he was ap- 
pointed assessor for the township, the 
term being one year, and both in 1883 
and 1884 was re-elected by a large vote. 
In 1887 he was elected city councilman 
for a term of two years and polled a large 
and popular vote. Mr. Rowland was 
elected assessor for the third time in 1889. 
For a term of two years he filled the office 
of guard of the Penitentiarj- at Colum- 
bus, this State, remaining in that city for 
two years. At the end of this time 
he returned to Genoa and was elected 
mayor of the village by acclamation, his 
popularity being so great that opposition 



was useless. He was re-elected in the 
spring of 1895, and is filling the office 
with great ability. On June 20, 1893, 
he received the appointment of postmas- 
ter at Genoa, and merits the high com- 
mendations he has received for the man- 
ner in which he discharges the duties of 
that responsible position. On May 6, 
1895, Mr. Rowland received his com- 
mission from the Governor of Ohio as 
notary public for Ottawa county, and in 
addition to his numerous public duties he 
is carrying on a real-estate and insurance 
business. He is a member of Clay Lodge, 
No. 584. I. O. O. F., at Genoa. 

With all his energies devoted to the 
important trusts held by him, Mr. Row- 
land still finds time to interest himself 
in anything which will promote the wel- 
fare of his town and county, and lends a 
helping hand wherever needed. He has 
won the respect and esteem of his fellow 
men by his integrity of character and his 
spirit of enterprise, and is well deserving 
of all the honors received at their hands. 



LF. GAHN, M. D., who is suc- 
cessfully and extensively engaged 
in the practice of medicine in El- 
more, Ottawa county, and who is 
prominently identified with the interests 
of the town, was born January 15, 1849, 
in Columbus, Ohio, and is a son of Rev. 
C. and Margaret (Artz) Gahn. 

Rev. C. Gahn was born in Prussia, 
in 1 818, and spent fifty-seven years of 
his life in the ministry, becoming promi- 
nent in the M. E Church. He held 
some of the best appointments in the 
State of Ohio, was located in Cincinnati 
for six years, was presiding elder of the 
Cincinnati district for four years, and 
then again served as pastor in that city 
for a number of years. He then retired 
to his farm in Sandusky county, where 
he died at the age of seventy-five. His 
wife was also born in Prussia, and their 
marriage was celebrated in 1836. To 



758 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



them were born six children, five of whom 
are hving. The ancestors of the family 
were originally Scotch, and lived on the 
Isle of Man. 

The Doctor accompanied his parents 
on their various removals during his child- 
hood, and completed his literary educa- 
tion in Cincinnati. In I 8/ I he began the 
study of medicine in the University of 
Michigan, where he remained one year, 
thence going to the Medical College of 
Cincinnati, from which he graduated in 
1873. On completing his studies he lo- 
cated in Elmore, Ohio, where he has 
lived for the past twenty-one years, one 
of its most honored and esteemed resi- 
dents. The doctor was for two j'ears 
mayor of the town, was president of the 
board of education for three years, and 
a member of the village council for two 
years, and has always been prominent 
and active in support of all interests that 
are calculated to advance the general 
welfare. In his political views he is a 
Republican; in religious faith he is an 
adherent of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. The Doctor has met with excel- 
lent success in his profession, and for 
several years has given special attention to 
chronic diseases, having a very extensive 
office practice. He spends Monday of 
each week in his office at Elmore, and 
the remainder of the time in his office at 
No. 625 Adams street, Toledo, where he 
has a very large patronage. 

The Doctor married Miss Ettie Knight, 
who was born in Port Clinton, Ohio, in 
1848, and who, for several jears prior 
to her marriage, successfully engaged in 
teaching in Elmore. Three children have 
come to them — Grace, born November 
26, 1876; Harry, born April 26, 1881; 
and Lloyd, born August 27, 1883. The 
daughter graduated from the Elmore high 
school in 1893, and is now one of the 
promising teachers of Ottawa county, 
having taught in Harris township for two 
\ears with marked success. The other 
children are now pursuing their studies in 



the Elmore public schools. The family 
is one widely and favorable known in the 
county, and the Doctor and his wife have 
a wide circle of warm friends. 



FRED TEBBE was born in Han- 
over. Germany, April 6, 1830, 
and is a son of John Henry and 
Inseline (Garager) Tebbe. The 
father worked as a laborer in his native 
land, and in October, 1844, emigrated to 
America, hoping to better his financial 
condition. He came direct to Sandusky 
county, Ohio, and secured a position as a 
farm hand in Washington township, in 
which capacity he was employed until 
February 29, 1848, when he was taken 
ill, and the sickness terminated his life. 
His first wife died in Germany in 1831, 
after which he married a lad}- of the same 
name, who accompanied him to America, 
and died in Sandusky county during the 
Civil war. There was one child by this 
union, William, who is living in Stony 
Ridge, Wood Co., Ohio. The children 
of the first marriage were Fred, our sub- 
ject, and Mary, who became the wife of 
John Winkey, and died in Toledo, Ohio. 
The gentleman whose name begins 
this sketch was a youth of fourteen years 
when he came to America. During the 
first ten months of his residence in Ohio 
he was employed in Wood county as a 
farm hand, by the month. He then re- 
moved to York township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, where he worked seventeen years by 
the month. He was industrious and lived 
frugally, and with his savings during that 
period he was enabled to purchase sixty- 
nine acres of timber land in Washington 
township, Sandusky county, of which all 
is cleared with the exception of fifteen 
acres. 

Mr. Tebbe was married November 
29, i860, to Miss Mary Strausmeyer, who 
was born August 2, 1S38, a daughter of 
Henry and Lizzie (Bushesj Strausmeyer, 
who were also natives of Germany. To 



COMMEMORATIVE BTOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



759 



this marriage have come eight children — 
L,\zzie, born September 1 8, 1 86 1 , deceased 
in infancy; Eliza, born April 22, 1863, is 
the wife of Fred Moratcs, and with their 
two children they reside in Madison town- 
ship, Sandusky county; Mary L. was born 
February 28, 1865; Caroline, born April 
5, 1868, is the wife of Henry Stein, a 
farmer of Wood county, Ohio, by whom 
she has two children; Isabella, born April 
2, 1 87 1, Sophia, born October 28, 1873, 
Casper H., born February 20, 1877, and 
Ernest, born April 12, 1880, are still at 
home. Mr. Tebbe is a supporter of the 
Democratic party, and a member of the 
Lutheran Church. 



JOSEPH SHERCK, who for four 
years, or from April, 1S82, to April, 
1886, served as mayor of Bellevue, 
was born November 10, 1828, in 
Mifflin county, Pennsylvania. 

John and Magdalena (Kreider) Sherck, 
parents of our subject, moved from Penn- 
sylvania to Seneca county, Ohio, locating 
in Thompson township October i, 1834. 
In 1868 the family migrated to Michigan, 
locating in St. Joseph county, where Mrs. 
Magdalena Sherck died in 1882. The 
father also died there about the year 1889. 
They reared a family of twelve children 
(our subject being the second), of whom 
five are yet living. 

Joseph Sherck received a primary edu- 
cation in the district school of Thompson 
township, and afterward worked on the 
home farm, where he grew to manhood. 
On August 19, 1 85 1, he married Barbara 
A. Decker, the eldest child of Jacob and 
Susanna (Billman) Decker, the former of 
whom was the son of John and Julia Ann 
(Royer) Decker, who cf.me in 18 16 from 
Union count}-, Penn., to Wayne county, 
Ohio, and thence, in 1830, to Seneca 
county, where Mrs. Sherck was born. To 
her marriage with Joseph Sherck came 
two children, namely: Marj' A., Mrs. 
Sherck Miller, of Seneca county, and 

48 



Charles M. , who is now working with his 
father, as grain dealer at Bellevue. From 
the time of his marriage until 1873 Mr. 
Sherck worked on the farm, and in 1860 
purchased the 160 acres in the center of 
Thompson township, Seneca county, 
known as the Sherck homestead. While 
on this farm he was elected justice of the 
peace, and served in that position for nine 
years. In 1873 he moved to Bellevue, 
Sandusky county, and established a saddle 
and harness house, which he conducted 
until 1884, when he engaged in the grain 
trade. To day he operates the large ele- 
vator at Bellevue, and carries on a most 
extensive business in grain, seed, coal, 
plaster, salt, water-lime, etc. 

Mr. Sherck can trace his ancestry back 
300 years, and for a century or more can 
claim this country as the family home. 
Prominent in Masonic work, he is a mem- 
ber of the Lodge, (Chapter and Council at 
Bellevue, and of the Commandery, K. T. , 
at Norwalk, Ohio. In religious affairs he 
affiliates with the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. An active, enterprising business 
man, one who has taken a full ])art in the 
development of Bellevue, he enjoys, as 
he merits, the confidence of the com- 
munity. 



STERLING C. LEONARD. 
Among the young men whose 
steady-going industry and solid 
worth have contributed materially 
to the prosperity of northern Ohio, and 
to their own advancement toward a com- 
petence, is S. C. Leonard, of Riley town- 
ship, Sandusky county. He was born 
March 31, 1866. and is a son of Joseph 
and Elizabeth (Clark) Leonard, the former 
of whom was born in New Jersey, Octo- 
ber 2, 1833. 

Joseph Leonard was for some years 
in the employ of different railroads in llli- 
inois and Te.xas. On March r6, 1865, in 
Illinois, he was united in marriage with 
Elizabeth Clark, who was born in Penn- 



700 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPHICAL REGORB. 



sylvania, January i6, 1836, and their 
children were: SterHng C. , the subject of 
these hnes; and Joseph W., born August 
27, 1867, and Frederick, born November 
I a, 1873, both of whom died young. 
After his marriage Mr. Leonard lived in 
Illinois for a period of about eight years, 
until his death, which occurred April 25, 
1874. He was a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. Mrs. Joseph Leonard 
■was the daughter of Joseph R. Clark, 
who was born in Pennsylvania January 
27, 1806, and on March 24, 1833, was 
united in marriage with Emily Welsh, 
who was born October 2, 18 12. They 
lived in Pennsylvania, and had a family of 
twelve children, as follows: William, born 
March 13. 1834, married Sarah Bell, by 
whom he has five children, and they live 
in Riley township, Sandusky county; 
Elizabeth is the mother of our subject; 
Joseph and Rebecca (twins), born July 16, 
1837, died young; Leander; Joseph, born 
December 25, 1841, died May 6, 1850; 
Mary, born April 18, 1844, married Henry 
Heberling, and has had four children (they 
live in Scott township, Sandusky county); 
Amelia, born January 4, 1846, married 
Charles Ralph, by which union there 
have been seven children; Lucretia,born in 
July, 1 847. died young; Sarah, born Novem- 
ber 9, 1849; James, born November 2, 
185 I, lives in Montana; and Clara, born 
August 31, 1855. Joseph R. Clark was 
county commissioner eight years, and jus- 
tice of the peace for eighteen years. 

After her husband's death Mrs. Joseph 
Leonard moved to Pennsylvania, where 
she was united in marriage with Nathan 
Cleaver, a Quaker, and they lived in 
Pennsylvania until his death, which oc- 
curred June 25, 1887. The widow then 
came to Sandusky county, Ohio, and 
bought forty acres of land in Riley town- 
ship, which she now rents to her son, 
our subject, who works this farm in ad- 
dition to his own. and has just com- 
pleted the erection of a fine grain barn 
and carriage house on same. She 



makes her home in Fremont, Sandusky 
county. 

S. C. Leonard worked for his mother 
until his twenty-si.xth year, and then 
bought ninety-six acres of land in Riley 
township, which cost him five thousand 
dollars. The farm was in very poor con- 
dition, being badly run down both as to 
soil and fencing, and he at once set to 
work to put things in good working or- 
der — an arduous task, indeed, but one in 
which he has succeeded well, his farm be- 
ing now one of the most productive and 
valuable in the county. Among the other 
numerous improvements he has made is 
the tiling of the land, which makes it 
first-class for cropping, and he now raises 
fine crops; he is putting in new fences, 
and, like the thorough-going, up-to-date 
farmer which he is, is leaving nothing un- 
done which will enhance the value or im- 
prove the appearance of the place. With 
such a good start Mr. Leonard certainly 
has a bright future before him, though his 
evident efficiency and business ability 
alone would be an assurance of success. 
He is genial and sociable in disposition, 
and is well-liked and highly esteemed by 
all who know him. In politics he is a 
Democrat. 



BM. REED, of Green Spring, now 
infirmary director of Sandusky 
county, for many years justice of 
the peace, and the frequent recipi- 
ent of electoral favors from his appreciat- 
ive fellow citizens, was born in Cumber- 
land county, Penn., September 27, 1830, 
son of John and Mary E. (Manley) Reed. 
John Reed was born in Berks county, 
Penn., September 4, 1805. His father, 
John Reed, Sr. , was a stone mason by 
trade and a farmer by occupation, the son 
of an emigrant from Germany during the 
last century. John Reed, Jr., was a plas- 
terer by trade. In 1832 he came to Ohio, 
settling at Huron, Erie county, where his 
wife and family joined him four years later. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



761 



In 1838 he removed to New Haven, Hu- 
ron county, where he lived until his death, 
December 31, 1882. In Ohio his principal 
occupation was farming. In politics he 
was an ardent Whig and Republican suc- 
cessively. His wife Mary E. (Manley), 
was born September 18, 1807, and died 
at New Haven May i, 18S4. John and 
Mary E. Keed had three children: B. M., 
subject of this sketch; Margaret E., born 
May 8, 1841, who married William Hugh, 
of New Haven, and died there in i8gi, 
leaving three children — Frank, May E. and 
John; and Sanmel P., born May 19, 1848, 
a farmer at New Haven. 

The subject of this sketch in his early 
boyhood attended the schools at Huron, 
but from the age of eight to fifteen he was 
without educational advantages at New 
Haven. He then attended one year at 
Plymouth, and the following year, 1846, 
his father and several neighbors built a 
log schoolhouse and hired a teacher. B. 
M. Reed remained at home until the age 
of twenty-two, in the meantime learning 
the plasterer's trade. He went to Attica, 
Seneca county, in 1852, and followed his 
trade there for three years. Farming for 
a season in Bloom township, near Bloom- 
ville, he followed his trade for a time in 
Tiflin, and in December, 1857, came to 
Green Spring, working at his trade at fre- 
quent intervals. In i860, while working 
in a mill, he lost his arm by a circular saw 
accident. Though unfitted io himself 
enter the military service of his country, 
he was filled with the war spirit, and did 
great good in arousing patriotic sentiment 
and procuring enlistments. He returned 
to sawmilling, crippled as he was, at Green 
Spring, and in Branch county, Mich. ; then 
followed painting at Green Spring until 
there elected justice of the peace, in 1881. 
Mr. Reed is now holding his fourth com- 
mission in that judicial capacity, and his 
third commission as notary. He was 
elected mayor of Green Spring, and served 
four terms — eight years — in that magiste- 
rial office. He has served three years as 



township trustee, and in 1894 was re- 
elected to that position. In 1893 he was 
elected infirmary director for Sandusky 
county, assuming the duties of the office 
January i, 1894. In politics Mr. Reed is 
a Republican. 

In June, 1858, he was married to Me- 
lissa M. Vail, born in Tompkins county, 
N. Y., September 26, 1839. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Reed nine children have been born, 
as follows: Addie M., born November 3, 
1859, wife of Fred Rail, of Green Spring; 
Mary E., born June 17, 1861, wife of P. 
W. Hess, of Clyde; Alice, born March 13, 
1863, wife of N. E. Dennis, and mother 
of two children — Lena and Arthur N. ; 
Edward W., born November 4, 1865, 
now employed at the Insane Asylum, To- 
ledo; Lela M., born December 11, 1867, 
died March 26, 1868; Steward F., born 
October 19. 1869, employed at the Insane 
Asylum, Toledo; John R., born April 30, 
1872, cigar manufacturer. Green Spring; 
Nellie H., born October 8, 1875; Eddie 
Lee, born July 6, 1878, died November 
9, 1879- 



JACOB LEJEUNE, an old resident 
and prosperous farmer of Riley town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born in 
Alsace, Germany, March 29, 1837. 
and is a son of Michael and Anna (Nye) 
Lejeune, who were from Germany, and 
were born in 1801 and 1813, respectively. 
Michael Lejeune was a soldier in the 
old country for seven years. He came to 
America in 1852, bought forty acres of 
land in Riley township, and lived here the 
remainder of his days. In politics he was 
a stanch Democrat. Both Mr. and Mrs. 
Lejeune were members of the Catholic 
Church. His death occurred in 1855, and 
that of his wife in 1878. They had a 
family of five children, as follows: Stephen, 
born in 1830, died in 1836; Peter, born 
in 1835; Lena, born in 1839, married 
Ellis Young, and they have had thirteen 
children (they live in Sandusky City, Erie 



762 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Co., Ohio); Anna, was born in 1841, 
married Peter Bautersall, a farmer of 
Ballville township, Sandusky county, and 
they have four children; and John, born 
in 1843, died in 1879. 

Jacob Lejeune had a good German 
and French education, was early trained 
to habits of economy and industry, and 
spent much of the time in his younger 
days working out by the month. On 
June 30, 1S60, he was united in marriage 
with Caroline Weber. In i S62 he went 
to Fremont, Ohio, and was there vari- 
ously employed for seven years. Going 
from there to Riley township, he bought 
forty acres of farm land, on which, with 
his wife, he made his home, adding then 
another forty acres. Their children were 
as follows: Michael, born September 27, 
1862, married Caroline Weltine, and they 
have had four children (they live in 
Riley township); John, born October 4, 
1 864, married Elizabeth Weltine, and have 
had one child (they live in Green Creek 
township); Anna, born January 5, 1867, 
married John Schock, a farmer, of Fre- 
mont, Sandusky county, and they have 
had four children; Lena, born June 17, 
1869, married George Hammer, and they 
have had one child (they live in Riley 
township); Jacob, born September 23, 
1876; Eva, Jjorn February 18, 1879; Lud- 
wig, born September 23, 1883; George, 
born February 8, 1886; Katie, born Ue- 
cember 4, 1888, died in infancy; Joseph, 
deceased in infancy ; and. Tony and Frankie 
who both died young. 

Mr. Lejeune is a Democrat in politics, 
was roadmaster for six years, and school 
director for six years. In religious affilia- 
tion he is a member of the Catholic 
Church. 



WILLIAM F. LOCKW^OOD, ex- 
judge of the court of common 
pleas, who resides on Put in 
Bay Island, Ottawa county, is 
one of the most influential residents of 



this community. He was born in South 
Norwalk, Fairfield Co., Conn., April i, 

1822, and is a son of and 

Sarah (Daskam) Lockwood, who were 
also natives of Connecticut. There the 
father died, in Fairfield county, and the 
mother's death occurred in Toledo, Ohio, 
in 1873. 

The Judge received a common-school 
education in his native county, and when 
fifteen years of age went to New York 
City, where he became a clerk in a whole- 
sale grocery store, filling that position for 
a period of three years. He has since 
been dependent upon his own efforts, and 
the success of his life is due entirely to 
his resources. In 1840 became to Ohio, 
and the following year settled in Elyria, 
Lorain county, where he became a law 
student, in the office of Hamlin & Bliss. 
In 1842 he was admitted to the bar in 
Medina, Ohio, and at once commenced 
the practice of his chosen profession as a 
partner of his old preceptors in Elyria. 
During the same year he was a candidate 
on the W^hig ticket for the office of prose- 
cuting attorney, but was defeated by H. 
A. Lenney, the Democratic candidate. 
In 1844, however, he was elected to that 
office, which he capably filled for four 
years, being re-elected in 1846. In 1852 



he was a 



delegate 



from his congressional 



district to the Whig National Convention, 
which met in Baltimore, Md., and nom- 
inated Winfield Scott as a candidate for 
the Presidency. The same year he was 
the candidate of his party for Congress, 
but the Democratic nominee, Harvey 
Johnson, of Ashland county, won the 
election. His abilities, however, were 
recognized in 1854 by his election to the 
office of probate judge of Lorain county, 
to succeed Philemon Bliss. In 1856 he 
was a candidate before the Republican 
convention for the nomination for judge 
of the court of common pleas, but Judge 
Carpenter of Akron became the nominee. 
By reason of impaired health Mr. Lock- 
wood resigned his office of probate judge, 



COMMEJaORATIVE BIOQBAPHWAL RECORD. 



7C3 



and in the spring of 1857 removed with 
his family to Nebraska, locating in Omaha, 
where he resided for two years. On the 
expiration of that period he went to Da- 
kota City, where he made his home until 
his return to Ohio in 1867. Mr. Lock- 
wood was one of the federal judges for 
the Third District in the Territory of Ne- 
braska, receiving his appointment from 
President Lincoln, and serving from 
April, 1 86 1, until its admission as a State 
into the Union in 1867, when he was 
nominated by President Johnson as 
United States District Judge for the dis- 
trict of Nebraska; the nomination, how- 
ever, was not confirmed by the Senate. 
In 1867 Judge Lockwood was appointed 
State Judge by President Johnson, and 
served eight years. He was the Demo- 
cratic candidate for Congress in the 
Toledo district in 1870, but was unsuc- 
cessful in the contest, for the Republicans 
were in the majority there. In 1878 he 
was recommended by the bar of Lucas 
county for the office of common pleas 
judge, and his personal popularity and 
superior ability was attested by his ratifi- 
cation by both the Republican and Demo- 
cratic Conventions. He was subsequently 
elected and honorably filled the position 
for five years. While engaged in the 
private practice of his profession he had a 
large clientage. He is a man of su- 
perior legal attainments and more than 
ordinary mental ability, as the large 
number of important positions he has 
so creditably filled well attest. There 
is little need of comment on such a rec- 
ord as his, as it speaks for itself. It is 
a record of which he may well be proud, 
for while his ability excites the admira- 
tion, his fidelity to duty commands the 
respect of all, and he enjoys the esteem 
of all who know him. In both social and 
public life he is held in high regard, and 
deservedly occupies an exalted position. 
During the past thirty years the Judge has 
made his home at his beautiful residence 
plose to the shore of Lake Erie, on Put 



in Bay Island, where he spends the sum- 
mer months, and during the past four 
years he has wintered in Toledo. 

Judge Lockwood was married in Ely- 
ria, Ohio, December 25, 1848, to Miss 
Mary A. Nichols, a daughter of Reuben 
and Asenath Nichols. They have four 
children — Mary Frances, born November 
25, 1849, who is the wife of T. H. B. 
Davis, president of the Middleton Silver 
Plate Company, and a resident of San- 
dusky City, Ohio; Edith, born March 17, 
1856, who is the wife of Maj. D. W. 
Lockwood, of the United States Engineer 
Corps; Clara E., born October 25, 1858, 
wife of George Hoyt Pomeroy, a resident 
of Cleveland, Ohio; and Maud A., born 
July 28, 1868, died April i, 1870. 

Reuben Nichols, the father of Mrs. 
Lockwood, was born in Londonderry, 
N. H., in 1787, and in 181 1 married Miss 
Asenath Center, of the same town. His 
parents were Jacob and Sallie Nichols, 
natives of Massachusetts, who had a family 
of twelve children, seven sons and five 
daughters, of whom Reuben was the 
youngest. All lived to be from eighty- 
four to ninety-six years of age, except one 
who died in early life from the effects of 
an injury. In October, 1827, Reuben 
Nichols left New Hampshire with his fam- 
ily, and started for the wilds of the West 
to seek a home. On reaching Pike Hol- 
low, Allegany Co. , N. Y. , the family made 
a halt, while the father proceeded to 
Lorain county, Ohio, on horseback, and 
secured a farm six miles south of Elyria. 
He then returned to his family, and they 
reached the new home March 28, 1828. 
They first located at Butternut Ridge, 
then a scarcely broken wilderness, where 
they remained for nearly two years, and 
in 1830 went to Elyria, where Mr. Nich- 
ols purchased the old "Eagle Hotel." In 
1832 he began the erection of the "Man- 
sion House," which he conducted until 
selling out in 1839. At that time it was 
one of the finest hotels west of Buffalo, 
N. Y. On disposing of that property h§ 



7(M 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



removed his family to Oberlin, Ohio, in 
order to better educate his children. In 
1842 he returned to Elyria, where he 
spent his remaining days, passing to his 
rest in 1871, at the age of eighty-four, an 
honest, upright and just man. He was a 
life-long Democrat. His wife died in No- 
vember, 1870. 



FRANK R. LONG, an enterprising 
young farmer of Ottawa county, 
was born in Harris township June 
II, 1874, and is a son of John 
Wesley and Caroline (Guernsey) Long. 
John W. Long was born in Harking 
Hills, Logan Co., Ohio, September 8, 
1828, and on coming to Ottawa county 
located on a farm in Section 8, Harris 
township, where he lived until his death, 
which occurred April 4, 1892. He here 
cleared and improved a farm, erected 
good buildings upon it and made a com- 
fortable home for himself and family. In 
1852, he married Caroline Guernsey, of 
Benton township, Ottawa county, and 
they became the parents of four children 
— Arthur Leroy, born February 26, 1855; 
Irving C, born September 4, 1857; Julia 
Agnes, born January 25, 1871 ; and Frank, 
K., subject of this sketch. Irving and 
Frank are the only ones now living, and 
the former resides in Paw Paw, Mich., 
where he is engaged in painting and pa- 
per hanging. He is married and has 
three children. Arthur died October 26, 
1856, and Julia A. passed away March 
31, 1872. The children and father were 
laid to rest in the old cemetery of Elmore. 
Mrs. Long was born January 8, 
1836, in Lorain county, Ohio, where 
she spent her girlhood days and ob- 
tained her education. At the age of 
fifteen she came with her parents to Ben- 
ton township, Ottawa county, and for 
some years prior to her marriage was 
there successfully engaged in teaching 
school. She is now living on the old 
home place with her soq. 



The paternal grandfather of our sub- 
ject, William Long, was born August 15, 
1797, of Irish descent, and died in 1884. 
He married Margaret Smith, who was 
born February 22, 1803, and died Au- 
gust 7, 1887. The maternal grandfather, 
David Guernsey, was born in New York 
July 4, 1810, and at the age of fourteen 
came to Ohio, where for many years he 
followed his trade of carpentering. He 
is now living in Illinois at the advanced 
age of eighty-five years, and his wife, 
Achsah (Cross), has reached the age of 
eighty-one, having been born March 17, 
1 8 14. Her parents were Elisha and 
Susan Cross, the former of whom was 
born in Vermont in 1781, and died in 
1 85 1, while the latter was born in 1778, 
and died February 22, 1848. 

We now take up the personal history 
of Frank R. Long, who is one of the 
progressive farmers of his native county. 
He was educated in the district schools 
and in Elmore, and completed his edu- 
cation in 1 89 1, since which he has had 
charge of the old home farm, which 
is pleasantly and conveniently located a 
mile and a half from Elmore. He is a 
young man of good business and e.xecu- 
tive ability, and his genuine worth has 
won him a host of warm friends who 
esteem him highly. His political support 
is given to the men and measures of the 
Democratic party. 



JOHN SMITH is one of the worthy 
citizens that the Emerald Isle has 
furnished to Ottawa county. He 
was born in County Monaghan, in 
1832, and is a son of Patrick and Alice 
Smith, who, emigrating to America, 
landed in New York on June 27, 1850. 
In November of the same year they re- 
moved to Ohio, locating in Marble Head, 
where they spent about a year, and then 
took up their residence about two miles 
west in Danbury township, Ottawa 
county, where the father was engaged in 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



7G5 



agricultural pursuits for many years. He 
passed away in April, 187S, preceded to 
the grave by his wife, who died about 
1866. 

The subject of this sketch acquired a 
common-school education in his native 
land, and also attended school at Marble 
Head. His first independent effort in 
life was work in a quarry at Marble Head 
and on Kelley's Island, and in this way, 
through industry and economy, he pur- 
chased his present farm with the money 
obtained at his previous labor. Since his 
settlement here he has carried on agri- 
cultural pursuits, and is now extensively 
engaged in fruit growing, raising fine va- 
rieties of all kinds of fruits adapted to 
this climate. He successfully manages 
his business interests, and his enterprise 
and perseverance have brought him a 
handsome competence which he well de- 
serves. 

Mr. Smith was married in Sandusky 
City, November 27, 1857, to Miss Ann 
Rielly, a daughter of Edward and Alice 
(Burns) Rielly, both of whom were na- 
tives of Ireland. The father died in the 
land of his nativity, and the mother, who 
is still surviving at the age of eightj-- 
three years, makes her home with her 
brother Patrick, in Danbury township, 
Ottawa county. Mrs. Smith was born 
July 20, 1835, in County Monaghan, 
Ireland. The union of our subject and 
wife has been blessed with eight children 
— Mary E., born July 18, 185S, who is 
the wife of George Julian, a resident of 
Fremont, Ohio; Edward, born Februarj' 
2, i860, who makes his home in Lake- 
side, Ohio; Thomas, born April 25, 1S62, 
who is living in North Dakota; John G., 
born July 6, 1864, who died February 18, 
1892; Alice J., born January 12, 1867, 
who is the wife of George Bope, a 
resident of North Dakota; Francis H., 
born July 6, 1869, who is located in 
North Dakota; Hugh P., born August 16, 
1872, who lives at home; and Rose A., 
born July 10, 1877. Mr. Smith affiliates 



with the Democratic party, and has sev- 
eral times filled the office of township 
trustee, discharging his duties in a cred- 
itable and acceptable manner. He is a 
progressive and loyal citizen, actively in- 
terested in whatever pertains to the welfare 
of the communitj', and is an honored 
resident of Danbury township, one who 
justly merits the high regard in which he 
is held. 



SAMUEL BURKETT is a worthy 
representative of one of the hon- 
ored pioneer families of the Buck- 
eye State. He was born in San- 
dusky county, on his father's farm in 
Washington township, January 11, i860, 
and is a son of Edward and Catherine 
(Ockes) Burkett, the former a native of 
Perry county, Ohio, and the latter of 
Pennsylvania. Grandfather Burkett was 
one of the first settlers of Perry county, 
and secured a tract of government land, 
upon which he carried on farming. Upon 
his death, his widow and her son, 
Edward, then a child of ten years, came 
to Sandusky county, locating near Hess- 
ville. Subsequently he removed to Madi- 
son township, where he purchased forty- 
nine acres of timber land, the greater part 
of which he succeeded in placing under 
cultivation before his death. He was 
familiar with all the experiences and hard- 
ships of pioneer life, and always bore his 
part in the upbuilding and development of 
the locality with which his lot was cast. 
His death occurred April 21, 1884, and 
his wife, who survived him several years, 
passed away July 7, 1891, and was laid to 
rest in Washington township. 

Samuel Burkett was one of a family 
of twelve children, and was born and 
reared on the farm which is still his home. 
He received a good common-school edu- 
cation, and early became familiar with 
the duties of farm life, giving his father 
the benefit of his services until after he 
had attained his majority. \\'hen quite 



im 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



young he was obliged to shoulder an axe 
and help to clear away the timber and 
prepare the fields for cultivation. 

On December 25, 18S8, Mr. Burkett 
was united in marriage with Miss Edith 
Kuntz, a daughter of David and Eva 
(Clapper) Kuntz, who were natives of 
Pennsylvania, and had a family of twelve 
children, namely: Charles, Henry, Frank, 
Edith, Emma, Jacob, Evangeline, David, 
Daniel, Cleveland, Winfield, and one who 
died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Burkett 
have but one child — William, who was 
born December i, i<S89, in Madison town- 
ship, Sandusky county. They are well- 
known people of the community, and have 
the warm regard of many friends. Mr. 
Burkett is a Democrat in politics, and has 
held the office of road supervisor. His 
land is now leased to the Ohio Oil Com- 
pany, and on it are three good wells, 
which net him a monthly income of $35. 



CHRISTIAN LOSLI. Among the 
successful young farmers of San- 
dusky county who have here spent 
their entire lives is the gentleman 
whose name introduces this record. Our 
subject was born in Washington township, 
Sandusky county, July 13, i866, and is 
a son of Christian and Anna (Weber) 
Losli, both of whom were born in Switz- 
erland, and, in 1854, sailed for the New 
World, landing in New York City. For 
about two weeks they remained in the 
Eastern metropolis, and then came direct 
to Sandusky county, Ohio, where they are 
still living. They located upon forty 
acres of land, upon which their son Chris- 
tian now resides. At the time it came 
into the father's possession it was covered 
by a dense forest, but soon the sound of 
tlie woodman's axe was heard, and one by 
one the sturdy trees fell under his ringing 
blows, and the land was plowed and 
planted, until to-day, with the exception 
pf five acres, it is all under cultivation, 



and the hard labor of former years is now 
requited by good harvests. The parents 
are living with their son Christian in the 
enjoyment of good health, the father hav- 
ing reached the advanced age of seventy- 
eight years, while the mother has passed 
the sixty-sixth milestone on life's journey. 
They are both members of the Evangel- 
ical Church, and since becoming an Ameri- 
can citizen, Mr. Losli has been a sup- 
porter of the Democratic party. 

In taking up the personal history of 
Christian Losli, Jr. , we present to our read- 
ers the life record of one who is both 
widely and favorably known in this local- 
ity — a native son of the county, and one 
that the community numbers among its 
valued citizens. Hiseducational privileges 
were limited, but he made the most of his 
opportunities, and by experience and ob- 
servation in later years he has become a 
well-informed man. He possesses good 
business ability, industry and energy are 
numbered among his chief characteristics, 
and he is a wide-awake and progressive 
man. Since old enough he has managed 
the home farm, and yet devotes his ener- 
gies to its further cultivation and improve- 
ment. 

On March 20, 1886, Mr. Losli was 
joined in wedlock with Miss Louisa Sea- 
bert, a native of Germany, who came to 
America with her mother when a child of 
four summers, her father having died in 
his native land. Two children now 
brighten the home of this worthy couple, 
and are the delight of parents and grand- 
parents. They are F"reddie, born March 
18, i887;and Emma, born June 18, 1S90. 
Mr. Losli is a member of the Evangelical 
Church. Politically he follows in the 
footsteps of his father, voting the straight 
Democratic ticket, and has been honored 
with the offices of road supervisor and 
school director. He is a loyal citizen, de- 
voted to the best interests of the commun- 
ity in which he makes his home, and he 
well deserves representation in this vol- 
ume. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



767 



JAMES BAKER, a prominent and 
successful agriculturist of Green 
Creek township, Sandusky county, 
was there born August 28, 1840, and 
is a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Cleve- 
land) Baker, both of whom came to this 
county during childhood, and were mar- 
ried in Green Creek township. The fa- 
ther, whose birth occurred in Seneca 
Flats, N. Y. , in 1803, was a son of Sam- 
uel Baker, with whom he came to this 
county, where they are numbered among 
the pioneer settlers. The mother of our 
subject was born in Seneca Flats in 1803, 
and by her parents was brought to San- 
dusky, where she made her home until 
her death which occurred March 13, 1889, 
when she was aged eighty-five years, four 
months and four days. She was a mem- 
ber of the Mormon Church. Mr. Baker 
departed this life April 3, 1880, at the age 
of seventy-seven years, four months and 
twenty-two days. In their family were 
eight children who grew to maturity — four 
sons and four daughters — namely: Samuel 
(deceased), who was a farmer of Green 
Creek township, Sandusky county; Clark 
C, who also died in that township; Keziah, 
who was the wife of William Hoel, and 
died in Green Creek township (she had 
been twice married, her second husband 
being Edwin Gittins); Sarah Ann, who 
became the wife of Solomon Knauss, who 
died in 1865 (she lives in Coldwater, 
Mich.); Napoleon, who passed away in 
Green Creek township (he was twice mar- 
ried, and left a widow and children); Abi- 
gail, who was the wife of Franklin Short, 
died in 1S64, leaving one child; James is 
the next in order of birth; and Jemima, 
wife of Norman Ellsworth, of Clyde. One 
child died in infancy. 

In Green Creek township, Sandusky 
county, James Baker passed the davs of 
his boyhood and youth under the parental 
roof, and was able to attend the common 
schools of the neighborhood, where he 
acfjiiired a good education. On attain- 
ing man's estate he was united in mar- 



riage August 17, 1868, with Miss Alice 
Hayes, who was born on Christmas Day, 
1842, in Ballville township, Sandusky 
county, Ohio. Unto this worthy couple 
have been born eight children, one of 
whom — Samuel — died in childhood; those 
living are Ella, born January 27, 1871, 
became the wife of Elmer Hughes April 
II, 1889, and they have two children 
— Alice and Lloyd; Mr. Hughes was born 
in Green Creek township, September 3, 
1866, and in that township still resides; 
in politics he is a Republican. Joseph, 
the next of the family, was born February 
17, 1873. The others are: Elizabeth, 
born March 27, 1875; Ellsworth, born 
December 16, 1877; James, born January 
7, 1879; Anne, born January 30, 1881; 
and Clarence, born January 3, 1883. 

Mr. Baker is the owner of a good 
farm of eight}' acres in Green Creek town- 
ship, where he is engaged in general farm- 
ing, raising all kinds of produce, including 
melons. He has the place brought under 
an excellent state of cultivation, improved 
with all modern conveniences and access- 
ories, and he is accounted one of the lead- 
ing farmers of the community. He has 
always taken a prominent part in educa- 
tional matters, and has given his children 
good school privileges. He is a worthy 
representative of one of the prominent 
families of the county, where he has many 
warm friends. His political affiliations 
are with the Democratic party. 



HENRY BOWLUS. The great an- 
cestor from whom are descended 
the Bowlus families of Sandusky 
county, Ohio, was a native of 
Germany, who came to America in the 
Colonial period, about 1735, and settled 
in the Middlctown valley, Frederick 
county, Md. He had four sons — Jacob, 
George, Valentine and Nicholas — the 
youngest being then but five years of age. 
Nicholas Bowlus was reared on a farm 
in Frederick county, Md., where he be- 



768 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



came the head of a family of eight chil- 
dren — Jacob, John, Henry, Nicholas, Jr., 
Mrs. Beckabach, Mrs. Floyd, Mrs. Haller 
and Mrs. Christ. Of these, Jacob, a 
distinguished pioneer minister of the 
United Brethren Church, and Henry, a 
farmer, came to Ohio, about the year 
1828, and settled in Sandusky township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio. The children of 
Rev. Jacob Bowlus were: Jacob, David, 
Mar\', Elizabeth, Margaret and Susannah, 
all of whom became heads of families in 
Sandusky county. Henry Bowlus located 
on a farm of 320 acres, which was then 
an unbroken forest, and helped clear 
up the far-famed "Black Swamp." He 
had a family of six children, namely: (l) 
Magdalene, wife of Daniel Young, who 
lived and died in Maryland. (2) Adam, 
who married Elizabeth Krohn, and re- 
mained in Maryland. (3) Sophia, wife of 
Jacob Thomas; she died in 1895, at the 
age of eighty-eight years. They had nine 
children — John H., Richard, Joseph, Liz- 
zie, Maggie, Amanda, Charles, Alice, 
Anna; of these, the eldest, John H. 
Thomas, a millionaire, was the competi- 
tor of Calvin S. Brice, for U. S. Senator, 
in 1893. (4) Henry Bowlus, our subject, 
comes next. (5) Nicholas, who married 
Margaret Donnell, and lived in Madison 
township, where he died in 1S93. (6) 
Mahala, wife of Jesse Dorcas, living at 
Lisbon, Iowa. 

Henry Bowlus, our subject, one of 
the early pioneers of Sandusky county, 
was born in Maryland, September 27, 
1 8 10. On November 20, 1833, he married 
Miss Catharine Keller, of Lancaster, Ohio, 
who was born February 14, 181 i, and 
died October 20, 184S; their children 
were — Hanson R. , Mahala, Martha, Cath- 
arine, Elizabeth, and Caroline. These all 
became heads of families in Sandusky 
county. On September 27, 1849, our 
subject married Mrs. Rebecca C. Bow- 
lus (//cV \\'illiamson), of Maryland, born 
July 4, 1824, and died January 28, 1891; 
their children were — Warren, Anna, Henry 



F. , and Robert, all of whom became 
heads of families and live in their native 
county. 

Henry Bowlus, our subject, has lived 
to see a mighty change in the valley of 
the Sandusky. When he first came here 
there were more Indians than white peo- 
ple. The Wyandots and Tawas lived here, 
and used to assemble in great numbers 
every year when they went to Maiden to 
draw their annuity from the United States 
government. There was no end of squirrels 
and other wild game. Mr. Bowlus fol- 
lowed farming and stock raising. He still 
owns 160 acres of land on Muskallonge 
creek, two and a half miles west of Fre- 
mont. About the year 1868, in company 
with his son, Hanson R., he operated a 
sawmill, furniture shop and planing-mill, 
about sixteen years at Fremont. In poli- 
tics he was first a Whig, then an Aboli- 
tionist, and later a Republican. Before 
the Civil war he kept a station of the 
"Under-ground railroad," and assisted 
runaway slaves from the Southern States 
to escape to Canada. He has for many 
years been a member of the M. P. Church, 
at Fremont. Though now (1896) past 
eighty-five years of age, he enjoys life 
among his children and grandchildren, 
with a mind still acti\e and a memory un- 
dimmed. 



AMBROSE MEYER,'""'one' '^of "the 
steady-going, industrious, and sub- 
stantial citizens of Riley township, 
Sandusky county, is a native of 
the same, born December 16, 1859, and 
is a son of Jacob and Jane (Ziegler) Meyer, 
who were born in Alsace, Germany. 

Jacob Meyer came with his wife to 
America in 1838, and located in Seneca 
county, Ohio. In 1849 with money he had 
saved during a period of ten years in this 
country he bought a farm of eighty acres 
in Riley township. In 1889 they removed 
to Fremont, Sandusky county, and are 
now living there retired after a life of dil- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGBAPIIICAL RECORD. 



709 



ifjent and self denying industry, both at 
the age of seventy-five years. They had 
a family of five children, as follows: Louise 
married Andrew Renielspacher, a farmer 
in Ballville township, Sandusky county, 
and they have had twelve children; Jane 
married Sebastian Wallby, and they live 
in Millersville, Ohio (they have a family 
of thirteen children); Joseph is a farmer 
.in Riley township; Mary lives in Fremont, 
Sandusky county, Ohio; and Ambrose is 
the subject of this sketch. 

Ambrose Meyer had only a common- 
school education, but was reared to hab- 
its of diligence and economy. On Janu- 
ary 23, i<SS8, he was united in marriage 
with Anna Koch, and three children have 
been born to them, namely: Laurence, 
Januarj- 6, 1889; Josephine, June 20, 
1892; and Walter, August 28, 1893. Mrs. 
Mej'er's parents, Valentine and Barbara 
(Riffer) Koch, had a family of eight chil- 
dren, namely: Mary, Lorenz, Jane, An- 
drew, Tracy, Louise, George and Anna 
(Mrs. Meyer). Mr. Meyer now works 
and practically owns the farm where his 
parents reside. In politics he is a Demo- 
crat, and in religious affiliation he is a 
Catholic. 



JOSEPH HENRY is numbered 
among the native sons of Sandusky 
county, his birth having occurred on 
the old Henry homestead in Rice 
township, near the village of Kingsway, 
March 16,1851. He is a worthy represent- 
ative of an honored pioneer family. His 
father. Christian Henry, was for forty-eight 
years a well-known and respected resident 
of Rice township, and at the age of fifty- 
six years departed this life, his remains 
being interred in the cemetery at Lind- 
sey. His wife bore the maiden name of 
Maggie Strawkcr, and by their marriage 
they became the parents of ten children: 
Maggie, born in 1842; Fred, born in 
1844; Joseph, subject of this sketch; Al- 
bert, who is living in Nebraska; Chris- 



tian; Nelson; Mary, wife of John Fokom; 
Sarah, wife of John Ovcrmyer; Emma, 
wife of Dr. Keller; and Ettie, who is liv- 
ing in Lindsey, Ohio. 

No event of special importance occur- 
red during the boyhood and youth of our 
subject, who was reared upon the old 
home farm. In his earlier years he at- 
tended the district schools of the neigh- 
borhood through the winter seasons, and 
worked upon the farm during the sum- 
mers. On arriving at years of maturity 
he was married July 6, 1872, the lady of 
his choice being Miss Mary Artz, who 
was born June 9, 1852, in Rice town- 
ship, and has passed her entire life in 
Sandusky county. Mr. and Mrs. Henry 
now have a family of si.\ children — five 
sons and one daughter — in the order of 
their birth born as follows: Mary A., 
July 6, 1874; John, November 15, 1876; 
Joseph F. , March i, 1881; Simon H., 
January 22, 1885; and Albert, July 18, 

1893. 

Upon the death of his father, Joseph 
Henry purchased the old home farm of 
the other heirs, and is now the owner of 
140 acres of rich and arable land, which 
he has placed under a high state of culti- 
vation. He has there a model farm, 
upon which in 1888 he erected a new 
barn. He makes a specialty of the rais- 
ing of fine horses and cattle, and has 
some fine stock upon the place. He 
possesses good business ability, and his 
well-directed efforts merit the success 
which has come to him. His political 
support is given to the Democracy, and 
he attends the Catholic Church. 



HIRAM RANSOM, a retired stock 
breeder and agriculturist, and one 
of the most popular representative 
men of Erie township, Ottawa 
county, was born in Riley township, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio, October 31, 1S27, and 
is a son of Hiram and Sarah (Stull) Ran- 



770 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPmCAL RECORD. 



som, who were born in Sandusky, Erie 
county, and in Pennsylvania, respectively. 

The grandparents and parents of the 
subject of this sketch were pioneer set- 
tlers of Riley township, Sandusky county, 
his grandfather Stull being the first set- 
tler in the east half of Riley township. 
The parents had two children, of whom 
one died in infancy, and Hiram, of whom 
we now write, is the only surviving mem- 
ber of the family. His mother died when 
he was only two years old. In 1844 his 
father was married again, this time to 
Emeline Lindsley, but there were no 
children by that union. He passed away 
in Riley township May 11, 1856, after a 
useful and well -spent life. He had re- 
sided in that township for over forty 
years, and was identified with its early 
days, with trials and hardships, as well 
as all movements tending to its advance- 
ment and welfare. 

Hiram I-iansom, whose name intro- 
duces this sketch, was reared a farmer's 
boy, and received such limited educational 
advantages as the old log schoolhouses of 
his boyhood days afforded. He has been 
engaged in agricultural pursuits all his 
life, and was a resident of Sandusky coun- 
ty until 1861. On January i, 1852, in 
Riley township, he married Nancy Jane 
Parks, who was born in Mifflinburg, Penn., 
August 18, 1830, daughter of James and 
Mary (Boyer) Parks, the former of whom 
was at one time sheriff of Sandusky 
county, and also a representative of the 
county in the I^egislature. Mr. and Mrs. 
Ransom had three children, as follows: 
Burton, born September 17, 1854, is a 
marine engineer, and now resides in To- 
ledo; he was united in marriage, Septem- 
ber 17, 1877, with Grace D. Poole, of 
Fulton county, Ohio, and they have had 
two children — Parks, who died in infancy, 
and Maude, living. Clara, born Decem- 
ber 6, 1857, was married, on January 6, 
1880, to William D. Van Rensselaer, son 
of Peter S. and Mary J. (Depew) V'an- 
J^ensselaer, of Erie township, and they 



have had two children — Hiram Saunders 
and Hazel Pearl, both of whom are living 
with their parents in Fulton county. 
Mary, born August 11, 1862, was married 
October i, 1884, to J. R. McRitchie, son 
of David R. and Lucy (Lattimore) Mc- 
Ritchie, of Bay township, Ottawa county, 
and they have had five children, namely: 
Ada, Burton, Harry, Earl and Lucy Jane. 
On August 13, 1895, the mother of this 
family died, at their home in Lacarne, 
Ottawa count}', after a prolonged illness. 
She was buried in Lacarp cemetery, Erie 
township. 

In 1 86 1 Mr. Ransom removed to Ful- 
ton county, Ohio, where he remained for 
ten years, and in 1871, settled in Erie 
township, Ottawa county, where he has 
since resided. He has taken an active 
part in mattets connected with the growth 
and welfare of the township and county; 
for six years he served faithfully as county 
commissioner, has been a justice of the 
peace for nine years, and has efficiently 
filled various township offices. Mr. Ran- 
som and his family attend the United 
Brethren Church. In politics he is a 
stanch Democrat. His kindness of heart 
and unselfish generosity are proverbial 
wherever he is known, none appeal to 
him in vain for aid in a worthy cause, 
and, by his courtesy, ability, unquestioned 
integrity and high character, he has gained 
the confidence of the citizens of his town- 
ship and county, who hold him and his 
family in high esteem. 



JOSHUA E. CURTICE, agricultur- 
ist and lumber manufacturer, who 
is widely known, not only in the 
neighborhood of Allen township, Ot- 
tawa county, but throughout this section 
of the State, has played a prominent 
part in building up great industries and 
promoting the advancement of the coun- 
try. A short sketch of his busy and use- 
ful life will prove interesting to the readers 
of this volume. 



COMMEMORATIVE BTOORAPSTCAL RECORD. 



771 



Mr. Curtice was born in Cayuga coun- 
ty, N. Y. , in 1832, son of Joel and Annie 
(Freeman) Curtice, who were also born 
in the above-named county and State, of 
Mnglish descent, the father being the son 
of Hosea Curtice, of New York. In 
May, 1833, when our subject was quite 
young, his parents removed to Ohio and 
settled in Lagrange township, Lorain 
county, where they remained five years. 
There he obtained a fair education in the 
public schools, and on arriving at man- 
hood found employment as construction 
boss on what is now known as the " Big 
Four " railroad. He spent several years 
in the employ of this company, and then 
worked as section boss for the Lake 
Shore & Michigan Southern Railway 
Company for about fifteen years. At the 
end of this time he was employed by the 
Atlantic & Great Western Railway Com- 
pany on construction work, remaining 
with them for upward of two years at 
Springfield, Ohio. During these years, 
by industry and frugality, Mr. Curtice had 
managed to save enough money to buy a 
farm, and coming to Allen (then Clay) 
township, Ottawa county, he purchased 
160 acres of timber land, very soon after 
setting to work to clear it. He employed 
eighty men to cut the timber, which was 
then made into railroad ties and fuel, 
built a saw and planing mill, in which he 
made boards, etc., and besides using the 
timber off his own land he purchased 
large quantities on surrounding tracts and 
carried on an extensive business there in 
lumber for eighteen years. He then re- 
moved his mill five miles farther north, 
and bought 500 acres of land, from the 
timber on which he made staves, lath, 
etc. Here he established the prosperous 
and growing town of Curtice, in which a 
number of factories are now in operation, 
and also built a sawmill in Lucas count}'. 
After remaining in Curtice for a year or 
two. our subject removed to Martin, also 
in Ottawa county, where he built a saw- 
mill and a stave factory, and also en- 



gaged in general merchandising, at the 
same time cultivating his large tract of 
land. In 1S92 he removed to Coleman 
township. Midland Co., Mich., and there 
erected saw and planing mills, and a stave 
and barrel-heading factory. With all 
these enterprises on hand he also carries 
on general merchandising, and gives em- 
ployment to a large number of men. A 
few miles from Coleman Mr. Curtice 
built other mills and founded another 
town, named after himself, which is 
equally prosperous with its sister town, 
in this State, and he has done much to aid 
its progress. He was the means of hav- 
ing a schoolhouse built, in which religious 
services are held every Sabbath, and a 
post office, also called Curtice, established 
and carries on a large general merchan- 
dise store, in which his son is a partner. 
Mr. Curtice makes his residence chiefly in 
Midland county, Mich., in order to look 
after his extensive business enterprises 
there, while his wife remains in Allen 
township, Ottawa county, in this State, 
in charge of their interests in that com- 
munity. 

Our subject was married May 28, 
1851, to Mary E., daughter of James K. 
and Sarah E. (Loomis) Pelton, and to 
them have come two children: Alice M., 
born at Painesville. Ohio, May 6, 1852, 
died September 8, of the same year. 
James E. Curtice, the only living child of 
our subject, was born September 18, 
1854, and after attending the public 
schools of Allen township, and high 
school at Genoa for two years, went to 
school at Tiffin, Ohio, for six months; 
he then entered a college in the State of 
New York, pursuing his studies there for 
a year and a half, and graduating with 
honor in 1877. Not having any desire to 
follow a profession he took an interest in 
his father's numerous enterprises, and to- 
day is managing partner of the branch of 
the business at Coleman. Mich. He was 
clerk of the schoolboard in Allen town- 
ship for a number of years jirior to his 



7T2 



COMMEMORATTVE BIOORAPHTCAL RECORD. 



removal to Michij^an. and is a member of 
Genoa Lodge, F. & A. M. James E. 
Curtice was married January 14, 1878, to 
Lizzie, daughter of George D. Littlejohn, 
of Baltimore, Ohio, and two children 
came to them: Eugene, born March 11, 
1879, died December 22, 1881; Ethel, 
born September 13, 18S5, is residing at 
present with her grandmother, Mrs. 
Curtice, in Allen township, and is attend- 
ing school at Toledo. The mother of 
these children died October 20, 1887, and 
Mr. Curtice was married the second time, 
in 1892, at Toledo, to Miss Bella Green; 
one child has blessed this marriage, Lu- 
cile, born August 22, 1894. 

Dr. James K. Pelton, father of the 
wife of our subject, was born in Water- 
town, N. Y. , in I 8 10, son of James Pel- 
ton, of Watcrtown. He attended the 
common school and also took a college 
course. After farming for a while he 
went to New York and studied medicine, 
and he practiced that profession for more 
than a quarter of a century in Lagrange, 
for ten years at Toledo, and for five years 
at Columbus Grove, Putnam Co., this 
State. He was married, March 11, 1834, 
to Sarah, daughter of Ru.ssell Loomis, by 
whom he had si.x children, viz.: Mary E., 
born May 11, 1835, wife of our subject; 
James, born in 1838, at Lagrange, who 
was a manufacturer there, and died Oc- 
tober 22, 1893 (he married and became 
the father of six children); Lucy, born 
August 31, 1841, married John Ryan, of 
New York, who died in 1877, and she 
married for her second husband Mr. W. 
N. Albcrtson, of Toledo; David C, born 
in Lagrange March 11, 1844, married 
Maggie Sadler (he is proprietor of a hotel 
at Trombley, Wood Co., this State); 
Richard F. , born September 6, 1846. is 
a manufacturer at McComb, this State 
(he is married and the father of three 
children); Erastus L. , born April 9, 1849, 
is farming at Frnitport, Mich, (he is mar- 
ried and has two children). Dr. Pelton, 
the father of this family, died at La- 



grange. February 9. 1886, his wife de- 
parting this life four \ears previousiy. 
Joshua E. Curtice, the subject of this 
sketch, was a trustee of Clay township 
for a number of years. Socially he is a 
member of the Good Templars Lodge and 
of Genoa Lodge, F. & A. M. In his 
political views he is a Republican ; his wife 
is a member of the Evangelical Church. 
They are highly esteemed, and are popular 
with all classes in the community. 



IH. ELLSWORTH. This gentleman 
has for some years been prominently 
identified with educational interests 

in this section of Ohio, and he is also 
known, in Benton township and vicinity, 
as an energetic business man, one who, 
though yet young, is making an enviable 
record for himself and winning his way to 
a place among the best men of Ottawa 
county. 

He is a son of Elijah D. and Nancy 
J. (Overmyer) Ellsworth, the former of 
whom was born in Sandusky City Febru- 
ary 24, 1836, and when seven years old 
came with his parents to Sandusky county, 
where they settled and cleared up a fine 
farm. At that time — 1843 — the county 
was a forest-covered wilderness, and the 
Ellsworths were among the early pioneers. 
Grandfather Ellsworth was born in New 
York about 1787, and served in the war 
of 1812, during which he was held pris- 
oner on Lake Erie. He died in 1861. 
Elijah D. l-'llsworth first wedded Miss La- 
Roe, of Sandusk}' county, who died in 
1862, only a year after her marriage. 
Shortly after this Mr. Ellsworth inherited 
a large landed property from his father's 
estate, near Clyde. In 1864 he was again 
married, and his children by this union were 
Eugene E., born February 5, 1865; Irving 
H., born February 25, 1866; and Ettie 
A., born February 20, 1872, all living in 
Ohio. In 1893 Elijah D. Ellsworth went 
to California, where he now owns 160 
acres of land. Our subject's maternal 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHWAL RECORD. 



773 



grandfather, Jacob Overmyer, was born 
in Pennsylvania in 1806, and came to Ohio 
in 1854, settling in Sandusky county, 
where he cleared up a farm from the for- 
est; his wife was a Miss Hammel, of 
Uniontown, Penn., born about 1805. The 
great-grandfather, Jacob Overmyer, Sr. , 
was born in 1756 in Philadelphia. 

1. H. Ellsworth was born February 
25, 1866, near Tontogany, Wood Co., 
Ohio, where he spent his boyhood days. 
His early education was obtained in the 
country schools and at Tontogany, the 
schools of which place he attended for a 
time. Some years afterward he took a 
normal course in Toledo, which her com- 
pleted in 1S93. In 1885, at the age of 
nineteen, he began his career as a school 
teacher in the public schools of Wood 
onnty, where he taught for four years. 
Unlike many young men engaged in teach- 
ing he did not waste his summer vaca- 
tions, but employed himself during the 
time in selling carriages and harness, de- 
riving from that business a snug income. 
In the spring of 1889 his health failed, 
and he accepted a position as traveling 
salesman for a wholesale saddlery hard- 
ware company of Cleveland, traveling 
more or less until September, i 894, when 
he was sufficiently improved in health to 
again return to his chosen profession. 
Meanwhile, in 1890, he came to Ottawa 
county, and settling in Rocky Ridge en- 
gaged in the carriage and harness busi- 
ness, in which he continued four years. 
During two years of this time he engaged 
as teacher in the public schools of Rocky 
Ridge, the second year as principal of 
the high school. In 1894 he took charge 
of the public school at Limestone, where 
he still lives. About three years ago Mr. 
Ellsworth and a Mr. Olsen formed the Ells- 
worth &01senCo., of Oak Harbor, Otta- 
wa Co., Ohio, for the handling of harness 
and carriages, and the business having 
proved a very successful one Mr. Ellsworth 
contemplates giving his entire time to it 
and retiring from his profession. During the 



summerof 1S94 he handled different makes 
of bicycles for the Columbia C.irriage & 
Bicycle Co., of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

On September 25, 1889, Mr. Ells- 
worth was married to Miss Anna J. 
Mawer, of Tontogany, Ohio, and this 
union has been blessed with one child, 
Irvin C, born December 2 5, 1890. Mrs. 
Ellsworth was born October 27, 1868, 
on a farm near Tontogany, Wood Co. , 
Ohio. Her early education was received 
in the district schools near her home, and 
she then attended the public schools of 
Waterville for a time. On completing 
her studies at Waterville she returned 
home, where she remained until her mar- 
riage. Her father is a native of Canada, 
born in Quebec in 1833; her mother was 
born in 1843 in New York State. Im- 
mediately after their marriage they moved 
onto a tract of new land in Ottawa coun- 
ty, Ohio, then a forest, where they clear- 
ed up a fine home of 140 acres — one of 
the fine farm homes of Ottawa county — 
on which they now live. They became 
the parents of four children, as follows: 
Vinton J., born May 24, i867;Anna J., born 
October 27, 1868; George Clifford, born 
October 18, 1871, and Elbert C, born 
December 8, 1879. In 1861 Mrs. Ells- 
worth's father entered the army, becoming 
first lieutenant, and was promoted to the 
rank of captain, seiving as such until the 
war closed, mainly in Kentucky. At the 
battle of Guntown he was taken prisoner, 
and was held for fifteen months. Mrs. 
Ellsworth's maternal grandparents were 
born in 18 17 in New York State, and the 
grandfather died in 1890. the grantlmothcr 
in 1891. In their family were four chil- 
dren, two of whom are living, Mrs. Ells- 
worth's mother and William Bott. 



JOHN WILLIAM HURDELBRINK 
was born in Woodville township, 
Sandusky county, in 1841, son o 
Arnion Henry and Elizabeth (Wil- 
ner) Hurdelbrink, both of whom were 



774 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



born in Hanover, Germany, in 1811. the 
former in No\einbvr of tliatyear. 

The parents of our subject had three 
children, as follows: Henry, who lives in 
Toledo, Ohio, married Angelina Stieger, 
by whom he had eight children; she died 
April 2, 1887. Mary married Louis Linke, 
a farmer of Woodville township, and 
they had eight children. John W. is the 
subject of this sketch. In 1840 Mr. and 
Mrs. Hurdelbrink came to America, land- 
ing in New \'ork, where they remained 
but a short time. They then moved to 
Wood county, Ohio, and after about two 
months bought twenty-five acres of land, 
the greater part of which they cleared, 
and put up a log cabin and other buildings. 
After living there over nine years they 
sold this place, and moved to what is now 
the old family homestead, where Mr. 
Hurdelbrink passed the remainder of his 
days. At the time of his death he had 
1 60 acres of valuable land, of which he had 
cleared about eighty acres himself. 

On November i, 1867, John W. Hur- 
delbrink was united in marriage with 
Louisa Coleman, who was born March 
19, 1850, in Hanover, Germany, and 
seven children were born to them, namely: 
Minnie, born July 25, 1868, married John 
Stine, a farmer of Woodville township, 
by whom she had three children — Ella, 
Lizzie and Etta; H., born July 17, 1870, 
was married to L. Cole, and they had 
one child (they live in Gibsonburg, San- 
dusky Co., Ohio); August, born Decem- 
ber 25, I 87-, is single and lives at home; 
Louis, born February 17, 1875; Charles, 
born March 2, 1880; George, born March 
18, 1884; and Augusta, born September 
25, 1885. Mrs. J. W. Hurdelbrink's 
brother William and sister Lizzie live in 
Ottawa county, Ohio. Their father died 
September 12, 1868. 

John W. Hurdelbrink always remained 
at home, and on the death of his father 
the estate was divided. In 1885 he 
bought eighty acres of land, partly cleared, 
which cost him $3,200, and here he car- 



ries on general farming. He is a Demo- 
crat in politics, and in religious connec- 
tion i.s an active member of the Lutheran 
Church in Woodville, Sandusky county. 



AARON BECKER was born in 
Germany, June 5, 1834, son of 
Christopher and Maria (Bushman) 
Becker, who were also natives of 
Germany, and came to America in 1841, 
settling in W'ashington township, San- 
dusky Co. , Ohio. Here the father rented 
a farm of forty acres, on which he lived 
for one year, then removing to Madison 
township, same county, where he pur-' 
chased eighty-six acres of rough timber 
land. He at once began clearing up the 
place, and acre by acre it was put under 
the plow until the once wild land was 
transformed into rich and fertile fields. 
Good buildings were erected, and the 
home of Christopher Becker became one 
of the finest farms of the neighborhood. 
His life was well spent, and his death, 
which occurred in 1886, was mourned by 
many friends. His wife passed away in 
1884, and they were laid to rest in the 
cemetery in Madison township. In their 
family were seven children, as follows: 
Florence, Mary, Casper, Aaron, Fred, 
Martin and Henry While in his native 
land Mr. Becker had served for three 
years in the German army. 

Aaron Becker was only seven years of 
age when he came with his parents to the 
United States. As soon as old enough he 
began to earn his living by work as a farm 
hand, but continued to make his home 
with his parents until his twenty-fourth 
birthday, when he was united in marriage 
with Jane Hcisen. the wedding being cel- 
ebrated June 5, 1858. He then removed 
with his bride to Washington township, 
where he purchased thirty acres of land, 
the greater part of which was covered 
with timber. He worked early and late 
in order to clear this for cultivation, and 
when he had greatly improved it sold at 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



7T5 



a p^ood profit. Then investing his money 
in 1 20 acres, for whicli he paid $40 per 
acre, he began the cultivation of the farm 
which has since been his home. The 
place has doubled in value, owing to the 
care and labor he has bestowed upon it. 
He has erected new barns, made other 
excellent improvements, and now has a 
model nineteenth-centurj' farm, an ideal 
country home, the neat and thrifty ap- 
pearance of which indicates his care and 
supervision. 

To Nfr. and Mrs. I^eckcr have been 
born children as follows: Mary, wife of 
William Myerholtz, a farmer residing in 
Woodville township, Sandusky county 
(they have seven children); Jacob, an ag- 
riculturist residing in Washington town- 
ship, Sandusky county; Lizzie, wife of 
William Amsted, a farmer residing in 
Michigan, by whom she has two children; 
John; Sophia, wife of Neal Wilson, a resi- 
dent farmer of Michigan, by whom she has 
one child; Phccbe, wife of Frank Schock, a 
farmer of Washington township, who has 
one child; William, at home; George; 
Christina, wife of John Yeasting, of 
Woodville, and the mother of one child; 
Emma and Louis, at home; and Ellen who 
died in 18S2. 

Mr. Becker votes with the Demo- 
crats, and for two jears has served as 
road supervisor, but has never been a pol- 
itician in the sense of office seeking, pre- 
ferring to give his time and attention to 
his business interests. He holds member- 
ship with the Lutheran Church. A man 
of good business ability, of sound judg- 
ment, enterprising and progressive, he 
has through his own efforts worked his 
way upward to a position of affluence, 
and may truly be called a self-made man. 



EORGE MILLER has been an 



eye witness of the greater part 



r 

X^ I of the development of Scott town- 
ship, Sandusky county. He has 
seen the forest trees fall before the wood- 
49 



man's axe, and in their place spring up 
fine fields of golden grain. The oil indus- 
try has also been largely developed, and 
the work of progress and improvement 
along various lines has been carried for- 
ward until the county to-day ranks among 
the best in the State. 

George Miller, who is numbered among 
the representative citizens of Scott town- 
ship, was born in Stark county, Ohio, 
October 5, 1820, and is a son of Peter 
and Eleanor (Stoaks) Miller, pioneers of 
Sandusky county. His maternal grand- 
father was born about 1750 and died in 
1826, the grandmother, who was born 
about the same time, passing away a few 
years previous. The father of our sub- 
ject was a native of Pennsylvania, born 
in 1783. He was numbered among the 
early settlers of Hancock county, Ohio, 
and his death occurred in 185S, that of 
his wife in i 840. They were parents of 
seven children: Jacob, Elizabeth, Cath- 
erine, Peter, Mary, George and John, of 
whom George (subject of this sketch), 
Mary and Catherine are the only ones 
now living. 

When our subject came to Scott town- 
ship, Sandusky count)-, no roads had been 
made or fences built. He followed a 
trail which led him near his farm and 
than carried his household goods on his 
back to the log cabin in which he and his 
wife, who is still living, began life in the 
west. He cleared forty acres of land, 
erected good buildings upon his farm, 
and as the years have passed acquired a 
competence which now places him in 
comfortable circumstances. 

Mr. Miller was united in marriage with 
Miss Lavina Bates, of Scott township, 
whose father was born in Stark count\', 
Ohio, about 1785, and her mother, Mrs. 
Hannah Bates, in 1793. They had eleven 
children, six of whom are living. Mr. 
and Mrs. Miller have three children, the 
eldest of whom, Susan, died about 1881; 
she married John Thompson, by whom 
she had two children, and after his death 



776 



COMMEMORATTVE BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



she became the wife of Jesse Miller. 
Adam, the second of the family, was born 
October 19, 1844, and on February 3, 
1 866, wedded Miss Catherine Miller, 
daughter of William and Harriet (Stine) 
Miller; her father was born August 26, 
1820, on the old Gettysburg battleground, 
was a minister of the United Brethren 
Church, and died in Kansas, January 23, 
1880; her mother, who was born Decem- 
ber 29, 1819, died January 23, 1895. 
Adam Miller enlisted in Company G, 
One Hundred and Forty-fourth Ohio V. 
I., in 1864, and served until the close of 
the war. He is now for the third term 
serving as trustee of the township; in his 
political views he is a Democrat, and he 
is numbered among the highly-respected 
citizens of Sandusky county. To him 
and his wife have come two children — 
Emma, born October 3, 1868, now the 
wife of Thomas Earl, of Scott township, 
and Maggie, who was born November 17, 
1870, and is the wife of Fred Hummcll, 
by whom she has three children. 

Mr. George Miller has passed the age 
usually allotted to man. His life has 
been a busy and useful as well as a long 
one, and all who know him have for him 
the highest regard. 



RiaiREN KELLER, a substantial 
farmer of Riley township, San- 
dusky county, was born Decem- 
ber 13, 1838, and is a son of 
Joseph and Lydia (Owner) Keller, who 
were born in Pennsylvania in 1806 and in 
1800, respectively. 

Joseph Keller was united in marriage 
with L.jdia Owner in Pennsylvania, and 
was the proprietor of a saw-mill there 
which he operated until 1835, when he 
moved west, settling in Sandusky county, 
Ohio, and buying eighty acres of land in 
Sandusky township. There were born to 
them eleven children, as follows: Eliza- 
beth, who died young; Philip married 
Susan Olmslead, they have had three 



children, and live in Michigan; John mar- 
ried Phcebe Bashier, they have had three 
children, and live in Illinois; Peter died 
young; Julia married Jacob Shannon, they 
have had five children, and live in To- 
ledo, Ohio; Zerechia died young; Elida 
married Martin Siegler, they have had 
two children, and live in Sandusky coun- 
ty; Joseph and Susan died young; 
Reuben is the subject of this sketch; and 
Henry married Miss Wolcott, they have 
had three children, and live in Toledo, 
Ohio. 

Reuben Keller was early trained to 
habits of perseverance and industry, re- 
ceived a common-school education, and 
worked for his father until he was twenty 
years of age. He was drafted into the 
Southern army in 1863, and served two 
years, ran away at Vicksburg and returned 
home. In 1866 Mr. Keller was united in 
marriage with Miss Bauman, and they 
had one child, Clarence, born in 1867. 
Mrs. Keller died the same year. In 1871 
Mr. Keller for his second wife married 
Sarah Cherry, after which he settled in 
Riley township, bought eighty-two acres 
of land and engaged in general farming. 
They have had si.\ children, as follows: 
William (born November 22, 1870), 
Emma L. (deceased in infancy), John, 
Nellie C, Nettie L. , and Jennie. 

Mr. Keller is a Democrat in politics, 
and has been honored with public office, 
having been school director for three 
years, and supcr\isor three years. In 
religious affiliation he attends the Luther- 
eran Church. 



GEORGE T. DANA, farmer. Green 
Creek township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born in Genesee county, 
N.Y., December 4, 1 S29. He was 
a son of Daniel H. and Philinda (Tiffany) 
Dana. 

Daniel H. Dana was a native of Ver- 
mont, and early in life he moved to New 
York State, where he was engaged in the 



COMMEMOHATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



777 



lumber business. In 1S32 he niacieatrip 
west, looking up lumlicr and other inter- 
ests, in his travels discovering what is 
known as Green Spring, and on account 
of the favorable location, he determined 
to make it his home. He took up land, 
and owned a large tract now occupied by 
the village of Green Spring and vicinity. 
He cut the first road near Green Spring, 
put up the first log house in the place, 
engaged in mercantile business, and built 
up a large trade. He owned three stores 
at different points, the main one being 
located at Green Spring. He was an 
Old-line Whig in politics, and a sturdy 
pioneer. He was born in 1797, and died 
in 1 88 1. He was a man of remarkable 
physical strength and endurance. He was 
an uncle to Charles A. Dana, the far- 
famed editor of the New York Sun. His 
father was a soldier in the I^evolutionary 
war, and was at one time minister to 
Spain. 

Our subject is one of six children: 
Marian, single, living at Green Spring; 
George T. ; Sarah, who died young; Jane, 
maiden lad)', living at Green Spring; and 
Harry and Franklin, who both died young. 
Mr. Dana is highly-esteemed and regarded 
for his intelligence and business ability. 
He was a child when he came with his 
parents into the forests of Ohio, grew up 
to manhood at Green Spring, and received 
meagre educational advantages. Being 
the only son he engaged in business pur- 
suits at an early age, and became discip- 
lined in a variety of occupations. He mar- 
ried on November 23, 1868, Miss Sophia 
Abels, who was born in Easton, Penn., 
December 7, 1846. Their children are: 
(i) Philinda, a popular and bright young 
lady of that vicinity, who graduated from 
the Fremont public schools, and has been 
a teacher in the same for the past four 
years; she is regarded not only as an es- 
timable woman in society, but as one of 
the most successful teachers; she is a 
member of the teachers' reading circle. 
(2) Grace Tiffany, wife of Scott Stahl, 



an attorne\' at law, of Port Clinton, Ohio. 
(3) Maud, living at home, and (4) Marian, 
born August 10, 1876, died July 27, 1877. 
Since the early days in this region 
Mr. Dana engaged in stock buying for a 
number of years, and, in this capacity, 
was located at Bellevue for three years. 
He next managed the grain warehouse of 
Mr. Woodward, at Clyde, for one year. 
From 1862 to 1S76 he was engaged in 
the lumber business in Fremont and vicin- 
ity with N. C. West. They had several 
sawmills, and did an extensive business 
in the way of buying up timber land and 
sawing and shipping lumber, operating in 
Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. On account 
of failing health, Mr. Dana finally with- 
drew from this lousiness, and located on 
his farm in Green Creek township, where 
he still resides. In politics Mr. Dana was 
originally an ardent Whig, and since the 
organization of the party has been an un- 
compromising Republican. His family 
are members of the Presbyterian Church, 
while the ladies are members of the I'or- 
eign Missionary Society. 



CYRUS IIINELINE is one of the 
native sons of Sandusky county, 
his birth having occurred July 3, 
186S, on the old home farm of 
his father, Theo. Hineline. The latter 
was born October 26, i83r, in Pcnns}')- 
vania, where he was united in marriage 
with Hannah Rafferty, who was born Jul)- 
24, 1832. 

In 1853 they came to Ohio, locating 
in Rice township, Sandusky county, where 
Theo. Hineline purchased 136 acres of 
land, for which he paid $3,010. He was 
a generous man, deeply interested in the 
welfare of the community, and gave land 
on which was erected a schoolhouse, and 
also a tract for cemetery purposes. In 
1892 he erected a new residence, and still 
makes his home upon a farm where he 
first located, and where he is successfully 
engaged in agricultural pursuits. He 



7T8 



eOMMSMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



makes a specialty of raising wheat, and 
has a yield averaging about eight hundred 
bushels each year. He is an enterprising 
and progressive fanner, and his well- 
directed efforts have brought to him mer- 
ited success. During the Civil war he 
was drafted into the service, but being in 
ill health, and in consequence unable to 
go, he sent a substitute. He was a poor 
man when he came to Ohio, and in his 
earlier years, in connection with farming, 
he followed plastering and brick laying. 
He worked hard to secure a start, and his 
life has, indeed, been a busy and useful 
one, characterized by honorable dealings 
in all transactions. He served as con- 
stable for two terms, was township trustee 
for nine years, and was school director 
for the long period of twenty years. He 
was also elected justice of the peace, but 
after serving for a short time resigned. 
He is recognized as one of the most 
prominent and influential farmers of the 
neighborhood. 

In the Hineline family were four chil- 
dren: (i) Maggie E., born November 
24, 1854, is the wife of Henry M. Hetrick, 
and they have four children — Lottie, born 
December i, 1880; Clarence, born March 
4, 1883; Gertrude I., born in 1887; and 
Oscar T. , born in 1889. (2) Mary E., 
born January 30, i860, died in childhood, 
and was buried in Fremont, Ohio. (3) 
Ida E., born March 19, 1865, is the wife 
of Dr. W. L. Stierwalt, and they have 
two children — Hannah E., born in 1888; 
and Mildred M., born May 3, 1894. (4) 
Cyrus, subject of this sketch. The father 
of this family also has three brothers who 
are yet living: Henry, born January 4, 
1827, married Sarah Blocker, and they 
had a son, Morgan, now deceased; Ru- 
dolph, born May 10, 1830, married Anna 
Nulf. and had three children — Elrin, 
Freeman, and one that died in infancy; 
and Carlie P., born July 15, 1835, mar- 
ried Catherine Reed, and had three chil- 
dren — Henry, who died in childhood, 
Frank and Mary. 



Cyrus Hineline, whose name opens 
this record, spent the days of his boyhood 
and youth upon his father's farm, attended 
the district schools of the neighborhood, 
and to his father gave the benefit of his 
services until his marriage. He wedded 
Miss Sarah Garn, who was born in Rice 
township, Sandusky county, in 1869, and 
their union has been blessed with two 
children — Oliver, born June 12, 1888; 
and Rudolph R., born April 7, 1892. 
Mr. Hineline has always followed the pur- 
suit to which he was reared. At the time 
of his marriage he purchased half of the 
old home place, and built thereon a good 
residence. He now carries on general 
farming and raises mixed stock. His 
business is well conducted, and the neat 
and thrifty appearance of his place indi- 
cates his careful supervision. He takes 
no active part in public affairs, aside from 
faithfully performing his duties of citizen- 
ship, giving his political support to the 
Democracy. In religious belief he is a 
Catholic. 



PHILO S. PEARCE. Among the 
representative and honored citi- 
zens of Catawba Island township, 
Ottawa county, none stands high- 
er than does the subject of this record. 
He is a New Englander by birth, having 
first seen the light in New Fairfield, Fair- 
field Co., Conn., and is a son of Ambrose 
and Evaline (Barnum) Pearce. 

Ambrose Pearce was born in New 
York City, October 20, 1805, and was a 
son of David Pearce, whom he accom- 
panied to Connecticut when about twelve 
years of age. There he followed farm- 
ing in New Fairfield township, Fairfield 
county, until his death, which occurred 
at his home June 22, 1879. His wife was 
a native of that township, born January 
14, 1808, and they became the parents of 
seven children, only four of whom are 
still living: Harriet Ann, born April 26, 
1828, is the wife of Eli Jennings; David, 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPHICAL REVORD. 



779 



born May 2 1, 1832, died October 8, 1867; 
Ira, born December 13, 1835; George N., 
born December 17, 1838; and Philo S., 
our subject. The family is of English 
ancestry. 

In the usual manner of farmer boys 
Philo S. Pearce passed the days of his 
boyhood and youth, during which time he 
attended the district schools of his native 
township and county, and, with the excep- 
tion of the four years spent in the Union 
army during the late Rebellion, he has 
followed farming throughout his entire 
life. In September, 1861, Mr. Pearce 
enlisted in Company A, Eleventh Con- 
necticut V. I., and served until Decem- 
ber, 1865, during \\hich time he partici- 
pated in eighteen engagements, among 
which was the second battle of Bull Run, 
Antietam, Petersburg, New Richmond, 
Wilderness, Roanoke Island, Newbern, 
N. C.CoId Harbor, Va., South Mountain, 
Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg. He was 
mustered out December 21, 1865, and 
finally discharged at Hartford, Conn., a 
few days later. He then returned to Dan- 
bury, Fairfield Co., Conn., where he re- 
mained for about eighteen months, at 
the end of which time he went to New 
York, locating in Allegany county, and 
was there engaged in the mercantile bus- 
iness until 1875. In March of that year 
he sold out and came to Catawba Island 
township, Ottawa county, where he has 
since made his home. 

Here Mr. Pearce was married October 
27, 1869, the lady of his choice being 
Miss Ora L. Barnum, who was born on 
Catawba Island September 5, 1849, and 
is a daughter of John and Jane (Rams- 
dell) Barnum, who were among the very 
earliest settlers of Danbury township, 
Ottawa county, having come here when 
it was a part of Sandusky county. Mr. 
and Mrs. Pearce became the parents of 
five children, of whom one died in infancy. 
Those living are Thaddeus B., who was 
born September 6, 1870, and resides in 
Bay township, Ottawa county; Arthur 



D., who was born October 2, 1873, and 
is still under the parental roof; Lena J., 
who was born December 3, 1882; and 
Ambrose, who was born January 19, 1886. 

John Barnum, the father of Mrs. 
Pearce, was born at New Fairfield, Fair- 
field Co., Conn., May 31, 1822, and 
was a son of Eben and Rebecca (Meade) 
Barnum, also natives of the Nutmeg 
State. He became one of the first set- 
tlers of Catawba Island, then known as 
Van Rensselaer township, in 1843. and 
was one of its prosperous farmers for 
forty -two years, until his death occurred, 
March 21, 1885. In Danbury township, 
Ottawa county, in January, 1847, he mar- 
ried Jane Ramsdell, a daughter of Jacob 
and Sallie Ramsdell, and a member of a 
pioneer family of the county. They had 
two children — Jacob, born October 12, 
1847; and Ora L., the wife of our subject. 
Mrs. Barnum died on Catawba Island, 
May 6, 1872. 

Mr. Pearce is one of the most highly 
esteemed residents of Ottawa county, 
and by energy and perseverance has accu- 
mulated a fair share of this world's goods. 
His orchards are among the best culti- 
vated and most productive, and by his 
sterling ability and amiable disposition he 
has won for himse'.f a host of friends. 



WILLIAM A. GREGG is a native 
of New Hampshire, born in 
Hillsboro county, August 11, 
1825, and is a son of William 
and Sophia (Weston) Gregg. His pater- 
nal grandfather was born about 1765, 
reared a family of four children, and 
passed away in 1830. The maternal 
grandfather was born in 1750, and died 
in 1825, while his wife, who was born 
about 1757, was called to the home be- 
yond in 1832, both reaching an advanced 
age. The father of our subject was born 
in 1794, the mother in 1800, and in their 
family were five children. He was a 
drover by occupation. 



780 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Our subject spent the first thirteen 
years of his life in his native place, and 
then removed to the southern part of New 
Hampshire, where he remained until the 
discovery of gold in California in 1849. 
With the hope of securing a fortune on 
the Pacific slope he made his way to the 
Golden State, and embarked in mining, 
which he followed with success for eight- 
een months. Then, tiring of the wild 
life of that far western country, he re- 
turned to the old Granite State, and 
learned the machinist's trade, which he 
followed for some time. 

In 1 85 I Mr. Gregg was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Nancy J. Foster, of Ver- 
mont, and with his wife he came to Ohio, 
locating in Scott township, Sandusky 
county, which was then a comparatively 
new region, in which the work of progress 
and development had not long since begun. 
One child came to bless their home, 
Frank, who was born in 1S52, and is now 
married and living in Indiana. In May, 
of that year, the mother died, and in 
1854 Mr. Gregg was again married, his 
second union being with Miss Harriet 
Henline, of Freeport, Ohio. Nine chil- 
dren were born of this union — Charles 
E. , who is a resident of Pennsylvania; 
Elsie, wife of D. Peterson, of Bradner, 
Ohio; Hattie, wife of T. Lake, of Peinber- 
villc, Ohio; Sadie, deceased; William, 
who married Kate Ashbrook, of Bradner, 
Ohio; Lettie, wife of L. Keller; Schuyler, 
who is engaged in the oil business; Grace, 
and Roscoe, at home. The mother of 
this family was called to her final rest in 
June, 1884, and the daughter. Miss Grace, 
is now keeping house for her father. 

In February, 1864, Mr. Gregg re- 
sponded to the country's call for troops, 
and continued in the service until the 
cessation of hostilities. He participated 
in the battles of Selina and Columbus, 
and has ever been a true and loyal Amer- 
ican citizen, whether in times of peace or 
war. On his return he resumed farming, 
and to-day is the owner of a valuable 



property which is under a very high state 
of cultivation, and yields him a handsome 
income as the result of his arduous toil in 
earlier days. 



AWEHRLE, the most extensive 
grape grower, and the proprietor 
of oije of the largest wineries in 
Ohio, as well as the oldest settler 
on Middle Bass Island, Ottawa county, 
was born in Baden, Germanv, December 
8, 1831. 

The parents of our subject, Andrew 
and Mar}' (Mueller) Wehrle, were born 
and died in German}-. They had a fam- 
ily of seven children, three of whom are 
living, namely: Andrew, the subject of 
this sketch, who is the only one of the 
family who came to America, and Rosa 
and Monica, who still reside in their native 
land. Andrew Wehrle was reared to man- 
hood on his father's farm, received his 
education at the public schools in the 
neighborhood of his early home, and in 
1852 came to America. On reaching New 
York he at once proceeded to Sandusky, 
Erie Co., Ohio, where he resided for 
about two years, and in 1854 removed to 
Middle Bass, engaging in farming and 
fishing. 

In Jul}-, 1854, at Sandusky, Erie 
county, Andrew Wehrle was united in 
marriage with Miss Mary Mueller, who was 
born in Baden, Germany, in November, 
1832, and they have had four children 
(three of whom are now living), as fol- 
lows: Andrew, born March 9, 1855, now 
a wholesale coal dealer in Sandusky, Erie 
county; Louisa, born October 2, 1856, 
wife of George W. Reibling, residing in 
Detroit, Mich. ; Charles, who died in in- 
fancy; and Herman, born December 19, 
1858, who is a partner in his father's 
business. 

In 1859.^. Wehrle. Joseph Mueller, 
William Rheburg and George R. Cald- 
well purchased all of Middle Bass Island 
and planted it in grapes. In 1865 Mr. 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQIiAPUWAL RECORD. 



781 



Wehrle built a winery and engaged in 
wine making, in 1871 building the large 
and commodious premises to which he 
has been making additions year by year, 
until now his winery has reached a capac- 
ity of five hundred thousand gallons, and 
ranks among the largest in Ohio. Be- 
sides this he has a large and spacious hall 
which is liberally patronized during the 
summer months by pleasure parties from 
all portions of this and adjoining States. 
His residence, situated on a slight emi- 
nence, and fronting on the lake, is one of 
the handsomest and most imposing in Ot- 
tawa county; the grounds are tastefully 
laid out in lawns and flower gardens, and 
all the surroundings betoken culture and 
refinement. Mr. Wehrle became a citi- 
zen of the United States October 16, 
1857, and in his political views is a Re- 
publican. For twenty-nine years he has 
held the position of postmaster, having 
been appointed October 21, 1S66, and 
having served efficiently ever since, and 
for twelve years he also held the ofifice of 
township trustee. 

In addition to his grape-growing inter- 
ests Mr. Wehrle is identified with several 
concerns. He is president of the San- 
dusky and Island Steamboat Company, a 
large stockholder in the steamer "Ar- 
row," manager and part owner of the 
steamer "American Eagle," and owns ex- 
tensive wharf and warehouse premises. He 
stands prominent among the enterprising 
and most prosperous business men of Ot- 
tawa county, and has been so intimately 
connected with all enterprises, not only 
of Middle Bass Island, but of the county 
general!}', that his name is closely iden- 
tified with it; in fact very little has been 
planned or projected by the community 
without his counsel and aid. He is a man 
of remarkable vitality and strong and ro- 
bust constitution. With willing heart and 
hands he has made a success of life, and 
accumulated a snug fortune, and his many 
sterling qualities have won and retained 
{or him the respect and esteem of his 



neighbors and large circle of acquaint- 
ances. 

Herman Wehkle, youngest son of A. 
and Marj' Wehrle, and a partner in his 
father's business, was born December 19, 
1858, and was educated in the public 
schools of Middle Bass Island, Ottawa 
county, and in the Buckeye Business Col- 
lege, Sandusky, Erie count}'. Since com- 
pleting his education he has been con- 
nected with his father's business, and in 
18SS was admitted as a partner. On June 
6, 1892, in St Louis, Mo., Herman Wehrle 
married Katherine M. Rauer, who was 
born in St. Louis June 27, i860, daughter 
of Jacob and Kunigunde Rauer, who were 
both born in Germany. No children have 
been born to this marriage. In political 
affiliation Mr. Wehrle, like his father, is a 
Republican. 



ROBERT RICHARDSON. Among 
those who devote their time and 
energies to farming and fruitgrow- 
ing in Portage township, Ottawa 
county, and have attained success in their 
undertakings, is this gentleman. He was 
born in Bay township, that county, No- 
vember 2, 1844, and is a son of Robert 
and Mary (McRitchie) Richardson, who 
were natives of Dundee, Scotland, the 
father born May 12, 1803, the mother 
August 10, 1803. They were married 
near Dundee, Scotland, and became the 
parents of five sons and one daughter: 
Jane, born in Scotland, in August, 1832, 
married Samuel Farsht, who was killed 
in the Civil war; she is now living in 
Toledo, Ohio. David and Robert, twin 
brothers, were born March 11, 1835, at 
New Tyne, Scotland; the latter died in 
infancy, while the former resides in Port- 
age township, Ottawa county. George, 
born in Paterson, N. J., about 183S, died 
in childhood. William, born in Nyack, 
N. Y. , about 1840, died at the age of 
three years. Robert is the subject proper 
of this sketch. 



782 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



In September, 1834, Mi. Richardson 
crossed the Atlanlic to America, and in 
August, 1836, was joined by his wife and 
their two children. They continued to 
reside in New York until i 840, the father 
working at his trade, that of stone 
mason. The family, on coming west, 
located in Bay township, Ottawa Co., 
Ohio, where Mr. Richardson engaged in 
agricultural pursuits for about six years, 
also working at his trade at intervals, and 
erer-ting th.c hrst stone house ever built 
in Portage tovvn;-hip, for CcjI. Lockwood, 
of Plasterbed. This house is still in a 
good state of repair, and is now occupied 
by the Colonel's son, J. W. In the spring 
of 1847 Mr. Richardson purchased 180 
acres of land in Portage township, where 
he erected the first log house built between 
Lake Erie and Sandusky Bay, making it 
his home up to the time of his death 
February 28, 1855. His faithful and de- 
voted wife, who survived him twelve 
years, passed away March 31, 1867. 
They were among the early settlers of 
the township, and endured many of the 
trials and hardships incident to pioneer 
life. 

When in his fourth year, Robert Rich- 
ardson was brought b)' his parents to 
Portage township, Ottawa county, where 
he has resided continuously for the past 
forty-eight years. He received his educa- 
tion in the common schools of Port Clin- 
ton, and with the e.xception of three 
years spent in sea-faring life on the lakes, 
he has been continuouslj' engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits. On January 3, 1864, 
Mr Richardson responded to the coun- 
try's call for troops, joining the "boys in 
blue" of Company G, One Hundredth 
O. V. I., and with his regiment partici- 
pated in all the battles of the Atlanta 
campaign, as well as the engagements of 
Franklin and Nashville, Tenn. The reg- 
iment was afterward taken on transports 
to Fort Anderson, N. C. , proceeded 
thence to Wilmington, and on to Golds- 
boro, where they joined Sherman's army, 



continuing their march to Raleigh, N. C. , 
where the campaign virtually ended. At 
Greensborough, N. C, Mr. Richardson 
and received a final 



II, 186^, after which 



was mustered out 

discharge on July 

he returned to his home and once more 

resumed farming. 

In Fremont, on November 18, 1869, 
was celebrated the marriage of our sub- 
ject and Miss Harriet E. Magruder, 
daughter of James H. and Elizabeth 
(Hollingshcad) Magruder, and a native of 
Port Clinton, born July i i, 1847. Three 
children grace this union — James Frank- 
lin, born October 6, 1870; Charles B. , 
who was born February 15, 1872, and 
died August 27, 1874; and Clara May, 
born June 19, 1875. Mr. Richardson 
was reared in the faith of the Presbyter- 
ian Church, while his wife attends the 
Roman Catholic Church. 

Our subject has filled the office of in- 
firmary director for six years, and was 
township trustee for twelve years, dis- 
charging his duties with a promptness and 
fidelity that w^on him high commendation. 
His political support is given the Demo- 
cratic party, and socially he is connected 
with George A. McRitchie Post, No. 524, 
G. A. R., of which he served for two 
years as commander. He is one of the 
progressive and successful farmers and 
fruit growers of the township, giving his 
attention largely to the cultivation of 
peaches and grapes, and his comfortable 
surroundings bespeak thrift and industry. 
As a friend and neighbor he is held in 
the highest esteem throughout the com- 
munity in which he resides. 



DAVID RICHARDSON, eldest son 
of Robert and Mary (McRitchie) 
Richardson, was born in New 
Tyne, Scotland, March 11, 1835, 
and came to America with his mother in 
1837. Five years later his parents re- 
moved to Bav township, Ottawa county, 
and in the district schools of the neigh- 



COMMEMORATIVK BIOORAPUWAL RECORD. 



783 



borhood he acquired his education, tak- 
ing advantage of such Hmited opportuni- 
ties as were then afforded. As soon as 
old enough to follow the plow he began 
work in the fields, and his entire life has 
been devoted to agricultural pursuits. 
Since 1847 he has been a continuous res- 
ident of Portage township, and he is still 
living on the old homestead farm which 
his father secured nearly fift\- years ago. 
He has his land all under a high state of 
cultivation, and to-day ranks among the 
most popular and prominent farmers of 
the township, highly respected by all who 
know him for his integrity and straight- 
forward dealing. 

Mr. I^ichardson was married, in Fre- 
mont, Ohio, December 16, 1862, to Miss 
Paulina Adelman, who was born in Ger- 
many, May 8, 1843, daughter of Chris- 
tian and Catherine (Moos) Adelman, na- 
tives of Germany, who became residents 
of Fremont. The father passed away 
March 12, 1892, on the eighty-fifth anni- 
versary of his birth, and the mother died 
in August, 1864. By this marriage there 
are five children — Emma J., born De- 
cembers, 1863, who is now the wife of 
Edward J. Fall, a resident of Port Clin- 
ton; Mary J., born September 14, 1865, 
wife of Edward Wedekind, of Port Clin- 
ton; John R., born April 2, 1867; William 
A., born February 17, 1869; and Anna 
E., born October 6, 1871, the last named 
three still living with their parents. The 
family attend the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and are widely and favorably 
known throughout the community. Mr. 
Richardson is a member of the Port Clin- 
ton Lodge No. 627, I. O. O. F., and in 
his political views is a Democrat. 



AUGUST HEILEMAN, a son of 
Gottlieb and Henriette (Black) 
Heileman, was born in Germany, 
August 29, 1839. His parents 
were also natives of the same country, 



and the father followed the blacksmith's 
trade. 

Our subject spent the first fifteen years 
of his life in the land of his birth, and in 
July, 1854, sailed wilh his mother for 
America. Upon their arrival here they 
received word that the father and husband 
had died. They did not return, however, 
but at Quebec, where they had landed, 
took a canal boat for Buffalo, N. Y., and 
thence came by steamer to Sandusky, 
Ohio, and on to Fremont. There our 
subject secured work as a farm hand and 
the mother as a domestic. A few years 
later she was married to Solomon Bow- 
man, an agriculturist, residing in Wash- 
ington township, Sandusky county. In 
i860 August Heileman began working for 
Mr. Bowman, with whom he remained 
until the latter's death. From the guar- 
dian in charge of the property he then 
rented the farm, comprising 154 acres, 
and in 1869 purchased two of the quit 
claim deeds. In 1S71 he purchased the 
other one, and thus came into possession 
of one of the best farms in Sandusky 
county. He has since devoted his time 
and attention exclusively to agricultural 
pursuits, and is recognized as one of the 
leading farmers of the community, for 
his fields are well tilled, the place im- 
proved with good buildings, and every- 
thing kept in good repair. 

During the Civil war Mr. Heileman 
was drafted and on September 24, 1864, 
joined the Thirty-third Ohio Infantry, 
which went first to Columbus, thence to 
Kentucky, and on to Kingston. In the 
battle of Bentonville, N. C, he was 
wounded, a rifle ball striking hirr. between 
the eyes. He was taken to the hospital 
in Newark, N. J., and on his partial re- 
covery was sent home on a furlough. 
While here the war ended, and on July 
29, 1865, he received an honorable dis- 
charge. 

Mr. Heileman was united in marriage, 
February 19, 18 — , in Fremont, with 
Miss Mary Elizabeth Bowman, a daughter 



784 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



of his stepfather, and by their union they 
have become the parents of ten children, 
namely: Henry A., born June lo, 18 — , 
who died April 22, 1868; Louisa, wife of 
Theodore Kerns, a farmer of Ottawa 
county, Ohio; Simon, born January 18, 
1 87 1, who died November 27, 1873; John 
B. , born July 22, 1873, who died Novem- 
ber 27, following; Charles, born Septem- 
ber 8, 1874; Clara, born in February, 
1S77, wife of William Foreman, a farmer 
of Ottawa count)'; Eiiuna K., born April 
19, 1879; William, born August 22, 1881; 
Hattie L., born December 10, 1883; and 
August C, deceased. 

Mr. Heilcman is a member of the 
German Lutheran Church. He came to 
this country a poor boy of fifteen years, 
and was from that time dependent upon 
his own resources for a living. He worked 
long and earnestly before he was able to 
secure a farm, and his life has ever been 
a busy and useful one. Thus, through 
his own enterprise and energy, he has 
gained a comfortable competence, and 
to-day is numbered among the substan- 
tial agriculturists of Washington town- 
ship. 



JOHN H. FRY, retired farmer, of 
Ballville township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, was born February 28, 18 10, in 
the Province of Westphalia, Ger- 
. many, a son of L. H. and Mary E. 
(Schulte) Fry. 

L. H. Fry was also a native of West- 
phalia, born in 1770, and was a cabinet 
maker by trade, following farming as well. 
He died at the age of eighty-four years. 
The mother of our subject lived in Ger- 
many all her days, dying there at the age 
of seventy- three. His paternal grand- 
father, L. H. Fry, Sr. , a farmer by 
vocation, died at the age of eigty- 
four; the maternal grandfather, John 
H. Schulte died at the age of eighty- 
five. All were members of the Reformed 
Church. Our subject was one of five 



children: Lambert H., who died in Ger- 
many; ^faryE., who died when thirteen 
years old; John H., whose name opens 
this sketch; Henry, who lives in Ballville 
township; and Elizabeth, wife of L. C. 
Speller, of Ballville township. 

Our subject learned the trade of a 
cabinet maker in Germany. When twenty- 
five years of age he came to America, 
landing in New York July 4, 1835, and 
went at once to Ohio. He came up the 
Sandusky river on the old steamer "Jack 
Downing," of pioneer fame, and locating 
in the village of Ballville, Sandusky coun- 
t}', worked at his trade there for about 
si.x years. In 1839 he bought 106 acres 
of land about three and a half miles from 
Lower Sandusky, and engaged in agricul- 
tural pursuits, living on his farm for more 
than twenty years, and doing all his own 
farming. At one time he was the owner 
of as much as 240 acres, the greater part 
of which he has willed away. 

Mr. Fry was married to Miss Julia \\'. 
Miller, who was born in Lycoming county, 
Penn., June 15, 1815, and died May 9, 
1892, without issue. Our subject is a 
Republican in politics, and, in religious 
connection, a member of the Reformed 
Church. He is a typical, old-style gen- 
tleman, a good citizen and a kind neigh- 
bor. He could not speak a word of En- 
glish when he caiiie here, but he patiently 
contended against difficulties, and has 
made his life a grand success. 



WILLIAM GERWIN, a substan- 
tial farmer of Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was 
born in Hanover, Germany, 
March 14, 1839, son of Louis and Sophia 
(Hunton) Gerwin. 

Louis Gerwin, who was a wagon- 
maker by occupation, came to America in 
1853. He located in Woodville town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohio, and bought 
seventy-two acres of timber land, the 
greater part of which, with the help of his 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



785 



children, he succeeded in clearing. He 
died in May, 1861, and his wife who sur- 
vived him, died in June, 1877, at the 
age of over sevent3'-seven years. They 
were the parents of six children, viz. : 
Dora married Casper Anthonsen, and they 
have had seven children; they live in Ot- 
tawa county. Henry died at the age of 
si.xty years. Sophia married Henry 
Schumbcrg, a carpenter, and they live in 
Toledo, Ohio. Fred lives in Toledo. 
William is the subject of this sketch. 
Harmon is a farmer in Madison township. 
Lake Co., Ohio. 

William Gerwin received his educa- 
tion in the Fatherland, and was fourteen 
years of age when he came to America. 
During his early life he remained under 
tiie parental roof, and on April 28, 1866, 
was united in marriage with Elizabeth 
Falling, daughter of Henrj- and Elizabeth 
(Cook) Falling. Ten children have 
blessed their union, as follows: Sophia, 
born November 27, 1865, married Will- 
iam Schmitt, and they live in Gibsonburg, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio; Henry L. , born 
February 21, 1867, died March 5, 1867; 
Ludwig H., born March 29, 1868, lives 
in \\'oodville township; Henry G., born 
January 6, 1870, lives in Ottawa county; 
Maria Louisa was born January 14, 1872; 
Herman, September 20, 1873; Louisa M., 
March 14, 1875; William Henry, August 
'■ ^^77'^ Johanna F. , January 14, 1879; 
and Fred, October 3, 1881. Mr. Ger- 
win has seven good oil wells on his place. 
In politics he is a Democrat, and in re 
ligious affiliation a Lutheran. 



WILLIAM ZIMMERMAN, widely 
known as one of the substantial 
and progressive farmers of Green 
Creek township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, is a son of John and Rebecca (Fisher) 
Zimmerman, and was born in Stark 
county, Ohio, March 23, 1825. 

John Zimmerman's father came to 
Pennsylvania from Germany with his 



parents when but two years old. The 
family located on a farm, and by indus- 
try and frugality succeeded in accumulat- 
ing a sufficiency of this world's goods. 
John Zimmerman and his wife were 
born in Pennsylvania — in i 800 and 1802, 
respectively. They were married in 1821, 
and in the following year came to Ohio, 
settling in Stark county. A farm was 
purchased, and the work of clearing away 
the primitive forest was begun and con- 
tinued among many hardships, as any 
pioneer can tell. Here life's battles were 
fought and won, till, after about thirteen 
years, the family found a new home in the 
wilderness where now are seen the fruit- 
ful farms of Seneca county. In 1847 a 
new location was sought, and the farm 
which William Zimmerman now occupies 
was purchased. Here, in 1850, Mrs. 
Rebecca Zimmerman passed away. John 
Zimmerman continued to live here for 
several j'ears, and then returned to Seneca 
county, where he died in 1878. 

On July 5, 1847, William Zimmer- 
man was united in marriage with Miss 
Elizabeth Brownell, who was born in 
New York State, .\pril 20, 1830. The 
following children were born to them: 
(i) Charles W. , a boilermaker by voca- 
tion, lives in Dayton, Ohio, and his chil- 
dren are — William, Carrie, Eddie and 
one whose name is not given. (2) John 
F., a photographer, formerly had a 
studio at Clyde, Green Creek township, 
is at present at home working at his pro- 
fession and helping his father; his chil- 
dren are — Mary E. , William H., Carroll, 
and Charles L. (3) Electa A., wife of 
Harvey Gray, of Green Creek township, 
has six children — Fannie, Jesse, Flora, 
George, Charles and Elijah. (4) James 
A., a boiler maker at Dayton, Montgom- 
ery county, has children — Fay and Mary 
E. (5) Elijah H., for several years a 
barber and bandmaster in Green Spring 
township, later went west, but returned 
and went to Canada, where he died 
in 1890. 



780 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



William Zimmerman did not serve in 
the Civil war, but two of his brothers — 
Benjamin and Franklin — did. Although 
Mr. Zimmerman has espoused the prin- 
ciples of the Democratic party, and affili- 
ated with that political organization, he 
has no scruples against voting for the best 
man even though his name is found on 
another ticket. 



GEORGE FETTERMAN, farmer 
of Rice township, Sandusky 
county, was born in that town- 
ship, March 28, 1843, and is a 
son of John and Catherine (Daniel) Fet- 
terman, who were born and married in 
Pennsylvania. 

John Fetterman was born in 1809, 
married Catherine Daniel, and they came 
to Ohio in i860, settling in Rice town- 
ship, where he bought forty acres of land. 
Mr. Fetterman died March 18, 1S92, his 
wife April 30, 1892, and they were both 
buried in Sandusky township. They 
were the parents of eleven children, as 
follows: Lima married Michael ^^^ Wal- 
ter, and they had seven children (they 
live in Indiana); Mary married William 
Overmeier, and they had one child, Ellen, 
who married John Hess, a farmer of San- 
dusky county, Ohio, by whom she had 
four children; Daniel died in 1892, and 
was buried in Henry county; Amanda 
was born in 1834, and lives in Lindsey, 
Washington township, Sandusky coun- 
ty; Sarah married John Taking, and 
they have five children, of whom Isadore 
lives at home, Monroe lives in Wood 
county, Ohio, and Emma, Alice and Ida 
live at home; John, who is a farmer, 
married a Miss Prince, and lives in Mich- 
igan; Solomon, who is single, lives 
in Oak Harbor, Ottawa Co., Ohio; 
George is the subject of this sketch; 
Jacob died September 7, 1889, and was 
buried in Sandusky county; Romanzas 
married Amanda King, and they had four 
children; and a son, whose name is not 



given, a farmer by occupation in San- 
dusky county, married Catherine Artz, 
and they had four children. 

In 1850, George Fetterman was united 
in marriage with Elizabeth Fought, in 
Rice township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
and purchased 180 acres of land, where 
he now lives. They have three children, 
as follows: Ernest, who is a farmer in 
Rice township, married to Almeda King; 
Frank, also a farmer in Rice township, 
married to Mary Benter; and Westky, 
living at home. Mr. Fetterman was con- 
stable in Rice township for two years, 
was engaged in railroading on the Wabash 
for about two years, and was then mar- 
ried and went to farming. He is a Dem- 
ocrat in politics, and a Catholic in re- 
ligion. 



WA. COLLIER, owner of one 
(jf the finest fruit farms in Ben- 
ton township, Ottawa county, is 
a native of Ohio, born February 
18, 1849, in Licking county, and is a son 
of Aaron and Catherina (Grove) Collier. 

Aaron Collier was born March 21, 
1822, in England. He enlisted in the 
British army, but deserted because he 
could not eat the hard tack furnished the 
soldiers, and coming to America com- 
menced peddling pills, in which he en- 
gaged on his journey from New York to 
Licking county, Ohio, walking all the way, 
and going from house to house. On ar- 
riving in Ohio, he learned the trade of 
blacksmith from Stephen Grove, father 
of the lady he afterward married, and 
he followed same some twelve 3 ears. On 
June 12, 1847, he was married in Ohio to 
Miss Catherina Grove, and they had a 
family of ten children, nine of whom are 
living. Mrs. Collier was born November 
20, 1829, in Virginia, daughter of Stephen 
Grove, who was born in 1782 in German)', 
came to America in his youth, and served 
in the war of 18 12. As above intimated, 
he was a blacksmith by trade, and fol- 



COMMEMORATTVE BIOORAPHWAL RECORD. 



787 



lowed this occupation for many years on 
a slave plantation. His wife was born in 
I 80 1 in America, and died in 1856. 

W. A. Collier lived in his native county 
until he was nine years of age. His pa- 
rents then removed to Wood coimt\', Ohio, 
where they resided eight months, at the 
end of that time taking up their residence 
in Ballville, Sandusky county, where they 
lived four years. From that place they 
removed to Riley township, Sandusky 
county, and there remained three years. 
So far as attending school was concerned, 
^fr. Collier's education was completed 
when he was ten years of age. His father 
died in 1865, and the then sixteen-year- 
old lad was obliged to work out, and 
also on the home farm, in order to 
assist his mother in caring for the family of 
ten children. For ten years he faithfully 
rendered all the assistance in his power, 
until his younger brothers and sisters were 
able to care for themselves. 

At the age of about twenty-seven our 
subject started out in life for himself, 
embarking in the sawmill business, in 
which he continued until the spring of 1875, 
when he turned his attention to agricul- 
ture. After engaging in farm work two 
years he resumed sawmilling, in partner- 
ship with John Woodcott, at Hickory Isl- 
and, Erie Co., Ohio, remaining there 
about one and a half years, and then 
came to Benton township, Ottawa Co., 
Ohio, settling on fractional Section 30, 
where he purchased a farm of ninety 
acres, all covered with timber and en- 
tirely unimproved. On his first coming 
to the farm he lived in an old trapper's 
shanty until he could build a more com- 
fortable home, the upright to the house 
in which they now live. Having made a 
comfortable abode Mr. Collier commenced 
getting out stave bolts, saw logs, etc. In 
the fall of 1880 he put up a sawmill across 
from his house for John Stang, of Lorain 
county, Ohio, who owned a large tract of 
land in that section, and operated it for 
that gentleman some three years, during 



which time he disposed of much of the 
tiiiiber on his farm. Iveturning now to 
his farm, he removed the rest of the tim- 
ber, blew out the stumps, and put up good 
buildings and fenced the farm neatly, also 
thoroughly underdraining the greater part 
of it. In addition to all these improve- 
ments he put out 600 pear trees, 200 
quince trees, 1,800 gooseberry bushes, 
500 grape vines, and 100 apple trees, all 
of which are now producing nicely, and 
Mr. Collier has one of the finest fruit 
farms in Benton township, if not in the 
entire count}'. 

On April iS, 1877, Mr. Collier was 
married to Miss Louisa Robinson, who 
was born February 10, 1849, in Erie 
county, Ohio, where she received her 
education. She is the only child of Har- 
rison and Elizabeth (Austin) Bowles, 
Pennsylvanians by birth, the former born 
in 1824, of Irish descent, the latter in 
1830. They were married in 1848, and 
the father died in 1849, the mother sur- 
viving until 1883. Mrs. Collier's mater- 
nal grandfather was born about 1798, in 
'Vermont, of Scotch descent, and died De- 
cember 27, i860; he served in the Mexi- 
can war. The maternal grandmother was 
born February 25, 1802, and died July 7, 
1892. They were married October 26, 
1829, and their union was blessed with 
four children — two sons and two daugh- 
ters — all of whom are now deceased. The 
family made the journey from Pennsyl- 
vania to Knox county, Ohio, with a team, 
and settled in Sandusky about 18 16, 
when it was a mere village. At the age 
of fourteen Mrs. Collier went to Sandusky 
county, where she lived up to the time of 
her marriage. 

To Mr. and Mrs. William A. Collier 
have come five children, their names and 
dates of birth being as follows: George 
Aaron, June 4, 1878; John William, Jan- 
uary 6, 1882; Lester Arthur, November 
19. 1884; Harrison O'Neill, September 8, 
1 888; and Foster, June 25, 1892 (he died 
February 5, 1893, and is buried in Ellistou 



788 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOBAPUICAL RECORD. 



cemetery). Politically, Mr. Collier sup- 
ports the Republican party; socially he is 
a member of Graytown Lodge No. 599, 
I. O. O. F. 



WILLI.\M PECK is numbered 
among the successful agricultur- 
ists who have transformed tracts 
of wild land into rich and pro- 
ductive fields. Where once stood the 
forests is now seen the waving grain, giv- 
ing evidence of abundant harvests. Mr. 
Peck is a wide-awake and progressive 
man, and is a worthy representative of 
the agricultural interests of Sandusky 
county. He was born in Scott township, 
that county, March 14, 1841, and is a 
son of William and Luna (Cole) Peck, 
who were pioneer settlers of Ohio. The 
grandfather of our subject, and his parents, 
who were natives of Holland, emigrated 
from that country to America in an early 
day, locating in Connecticut, where the 
father of our subject was born March 29, 
1800. He followed farming through the 
summer months, and in the winter en- 
gaged in teaching. In 1840 he left his 
native State, and with his family came 
westward, taking up his residence in Scott 
township. Sandusky Co., Ohio, where he 
spent his remaining years. He passed 
away at the advanced age of eighty-nine. 
His wife was of German lineage, her 
jiarents having emigrated from the Father- 
land to the New World. She was born 
in Albany, N. Y., in 1810, and passed 
away in July, 1888. The subject of this 
review is the youngest of four children, 
the others being Nelson, a resident of 
Madison township, Sandusky county; 
Catherine, who became the wife of George 
Spayde, and died, leaving two children; 
and Jason L. , a resident farmer of 
Kansas. 

William Peck spent his early boy- 
hood days on the home farm, continuing 
to give his father the benefit of his serv- 
ices until twenty-two years of age, when 



he began farming in his own interest. For 
five years he cultivated a tract of land in 
Madison township, and during that time 
was married. On July 4, 1869, he 
wedded Arinena Fairbank, of Madison 
township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, who was 
born September 3, 1851, a daughter of 
Josiah and Sovina (Bowman) Fairbank, 
residents of Washington township, San- 
dusky county. Her father is a carpenter 
by trade. 

After his marriage Mr. Peck removed 
with his bride to Wood county, where he 
remained for two years engaged in farm- 
ing. Subsequently he rented a tract of 
land in the northern part of Scott town- 
ship, Sandusky county, which he cultiva- 
ted for three jears, when he again changed 
his residence, locating upon a farm that 
adjoins his present home. There he 
lived for four years, and then purchaseti 
160 acres that has since }iclded a golden 
tribute in return for the care and labor 
he has bestowed upon it. At the time 
of his purchase much of the land was 
under water, and could be used for boat- 
ing in the summer and for skating in the 
winter; but by persistent effort Mr. Peck 
has tiled and thoroughl}' drained the 
place, which he now has under a high 
state of cultivation. He has also given 
considerale attention to the buying and 
selling of stock, being especially inter- 
ested in raising sheep and cattle, and this 
branch of his business jields to him good 
returns. Well-kept buildings add to the 
value and attractive appearance of the 
place, and to-day Mr. Peck is the owner 
of one of the finest homes in Scott town- 
ship. His sympathy is with the Demo- 
cratic party, and whenever possible he 
aids that party, but has never sought or 
desired official preferment. 

P'ive children grace the union of Mr. 
and Mrs. Peck — Charles William, who 
was born September 21, 1870, and is 
now engaged in the oil business; Vinnie, 
who was born November 6, 1873, and is 
the wife of Frank G. Kecnan, who is 



OOMMEMOUAT WE BTOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



T89 



interested in the oil business in Scott 
fownsliip (she has one child, Bernice); 
Ida, who was born January -2, 1879, and 
is now studying music; Mattie, born Feb- 
ruary 5, 1884; and Goldie, born Decem- 
ber 8, 1887. 



JESSE B. VANTIXE. Although for 
many years the flowers have bloomed 
and faded over the grave of this well- 
known pioneer and agriculturist of 
Clay township, Ottawa county, his mem- 
ory is still fresh in the hearts of his fam- 
ily and of those who knew his sterling 
worth, and appreciated the work he had 
done in the improvement and progress of 
the community in which at an early day 
he made his home. 

Mr. Vantine was a native of the Em- 
pire State, born in Cayuga county, De- 
cember 5, 1 82 1. His school days were 
over at a tender age, and he commenced 
to do farm work, at which he continued sev- 
eral years, and also for a number of years 
worked upon the canals. In 185 i he came to 
Ohio, and purchased eighty acres of wood- 
land in Clay township, Ottawa county. 
Wc of the present day cannot realize what 
this meant. It meant living in a rudely- 
constructed log cabin, without a single 
comfort or convenience, surrounded by 
dense forests, where the howl of the wolf 
and the hoot of the owl were nightly 
heard; where the timid deer and the skulk- 
ing Indian threaded their way through the 
underbrush, and where roads, neighbors, 
and post offices were things unknown. 
Here the }oung pioneer built himself a 
cabin, and while clearing his land de- 
pended upon his trusty rifle for his subsist- 
ence. But one day, on returning from 
hunting, nothing remained but the ruins 
of his rude home, which with its contents 
had been burned. He was not discour- 
aged, however; another cabin was con- 
structed, and then, realizing more than 
ever the truth of the pro\erb that "it is 
not good for man to be alone," he re- 



turned to the East, and on October 16, 
1 85 I, was m.irried in Cayuga couniy, N. 
Y. , to Almira Kodgers, daughter of Joshua 
and Jerusia (McKee) Kodgers. With his 
young bride Mr. Vantine once more took 
up his abode in the wilderness, and to- 
gether they worked with willing hands to 
make for themselves a comfortable home. 
It is hard to conceive of the trials and 
hardships endured by the young wife so 
far from the accustomed comforts of the 
East, with no companions to share her 
solitude and recall pleasant associations; 
yet these sacrifices were cheerfully made 
for the sake of the husband whose inspira- 
tion she was, and to whom she was not 
only a helpinir hand, but a constant en- 
couragement and sustainer. In time 
children came to fill their humble home 
with laughter and song and make the days 
less lonely, and as the years rolled on 
the forests disappeared and broad fields of 
waving grain, fine orchards and a hand- 
some dwelling, took their place. The 
log cabin, the scene of so much sacrifice 
and yet of so much true happiness, is gone 
forever, but the lessons there learned 
have borne their fruit in the busy useful 
\\\cs of its occupants. 

The children of these worthy pioneers, 
all of whom were born and educated in 
Clay township, were five in number, and 
a brief record of them is as follows: (i) 
Ellie J., born Septeinber 3, 1852, was the 
first white child "born in that part of Clay 
township; she was married in 1871 to 
George White, a manufacturer of lime in 
Genoa, and they have five children — 
Mary, Bertha, Otto, Henry and Almira. 
(2) James B., born April 16, 1854, is a 
lime worker at Marblehcad, Ottawa coun- 
ty; he was married in October, 1884, at 
Genoa, to Miss Carrie Walker, and they 
have two children, Elsie and Ray. (3) 
Maryetta, born April 10, i860, is the wife 
of Taylor Hofman, a farmer in Clay town- 
ship; they have two children. Pearl and 
Jay. (4) J. Frank, who was bcrn Ajiril 
24,1871, followed the occupationof a farm- 



790 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



er for a number of years, and is now in 
Toledo; he \\as married at Mnrtin, in 
1 891, to Henrietta, daughter of John Bee- 
dee, a farmer of Clay township, and they 
have one child, Nettie May, born Octo- 
ber 13, 1892. (5) Charles F. Vantine, 
the youngest, is living at home. 

John Beedee, the father of Mrs. J. 
Frank Vantine, died in 1879, from the 
effects of an accident, his leg having been 
broken by a falling tree. His wife died 
December g, 1891. Their family com- 
prised five children, of whom the following 
record is given: John Beedee is married 
and works in a mill; Martin Freeborn 
lives in Lorain county, and works in the 
bending shops (he has one child); Loren 
is a cooper, living at Clay Center (he is 
married and has four children); Mary is 
the wife of Mr. Downing, who is a con- 
ductor on the Lake Shore & Michigan 
Southern railwaj' at Toledo (they have 
one child); Henrietta is the wife of J. 
Frank Vantine. 

During his busy life Jesse B. Vantine 
was very popular and highly respected by 
his fellow citizens. He was a stanch 
Democrat, and was for a number of years 
a trustee of the township, and was a 
commissioner when the town was first 
formed. He was also school director for 
several years, and served for some years 
as a constable. He died March 27, 1893, 
of consumption, contracted during the 
hardships of his early life. He was a 
faithful and devoted husband and father, 
and will never be forgotten by his family, 
who owe so much to his precepts and ex- 
ample. His wife survives him and makes 
her home on the old farm. 



WILLIAM AMES, son of Decker- 
man C. and Rebecca (Purdue) 
Ames, was born on his father's 
farm in Harris township, Ot- 
tawa county, November 13, 1843. 

The father of our subject followed ag- 
ricultural pursuits all his life, coming to 



Ohio during his bojhood. His father 
purchas'.d land of the government, and 1 e 
continued to operate a portion of that 
property until his death, which occurred 
in 1885. He was buried in the Guss 
Cemetery at Elmore, and many friends 
mourned his decease. In 1841 he had 
married Miss Purdue, who was born in 
1822, and their family consisted of six 
children — William, Alfred, Silas, Sarah, 
Nancy Ann and Mary Ellen, of whom 
Nancy Ann was drowned in Portage river, 
near Elmore, while bathing; Alfred is also 
deceased; and Mary Ellen is now Mrs. 
Drake, of Michigan. The maternal grand- 
father of our subject, James Purdue, was 
born in 1787, and was a farmer and great 
hunter; his wife was born in 1790, and 
they had a family of ten children. The 
paternal grandmother was born in 1781, 
and her children were eight in number. 

William Ames spent his boyhood days 
on the old homestead, attended the dis- 
trict schools of the neighborhood, and at 
the early age of nine years began working 
with a team, plowing, harrowing and 
doing other work on the farm. When the 
call for 75,000 men was issued by Presi- 
dent Lincoln he eagerly and quickly re- 
sponded, anxious to aid in the defense of 
the Union, but on account of his youth 
his father would not let him enlist. A 
second time he offered his services, and a 
second time his father prevented him from 
becoming one of the boys in blue, but 
finally, in 1863, he became a member of 
Company G, One Hundreth Regiment, 
Ohio Sharpshooters, with whom he served 
until the end of the war. He took part in 
the battles of the Wilderness, which contin- 
ued for seven days, Cold Harbor, Wel- 
den Railroad, and assisted in the destruc- 
tion of Petersburg, where four thousand 
were killed in a half hour, aiding in mak- 
ing the three-mile tunnel under the city. 
He served in the army of the Potomac 
under Gen. Grant, and witnessed the 
grand review of the victorious troops in 
the Capitol City. He was also in Ford's 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



roi 



Theatre at the time of President Lin- 
coln's assassination, and saw Booth jump 
upon the stage after firing the fatal shot 
which ended the life of one of the most 
honored and distinguished men this 
country has produced. 

Upon the close of the war Mr. Ames 
returned home, and on August 14, 1865, 
he was married in Elmore to Miss Emma 
J. Essig, of Stark county, Ohio, who was 
born March 10, 1S38, in that county, 
where she lived until her marriage. She 
obtained her education in the public 
schools, and then engaged in teaching in 
Portage county, and for one term in Ot- 
tawa county. Her father, John Essig, 
a mason by trade, was born June 3, 1784, 
and died September 30, 1854. His wife, 
who bore the maiden name of Esther 
Spangle, was born May 4, 1792, and 
died September 23, 1877. Twelve chil- 
dren bless their marriage. Mr. and Mrs. 
Ames have always resided in Elmore, 
where they have a pleasant home and 
many friends. Their only child. Birdie, 
was educated in the public schools here, 
and for two years was a successful teacher 
of Ottawa county. In 1888 she became 
the wife of John Schling, and they now 
reside in Oak Harbor. William Ames 
is engaged in the raising of horses, and is 
well-known in Ottawa county, where he 
has spent his entire life, as a straight- 
forward business man. He has the warm 
regard of all with whom he has been 
brought in contact. 



V.ALENTIN MILIUS, a retired 
harness dealer, of Hessville, San- 
dusky county, was born in Nord- 
heim, Germany, November 29, 
1827, and is a son of Francis and Johan- 
na (Fox) Milius, who spent their entire 
lives in that country. The father was a 
farmer and teamster, and died a few 
months after his son, \'alentin, sailed for 
America. Our subject is the eldest in his 
parent's family, and of the others, Eliza- 

50 



bcth is the wife of Adam Vance, a basket 
maker of Cincinnati, Ohio, and has five 
children; Katie is the widow of Adam 
Bellow, and a resident of Cincinnati; 
Jacob is engaged in basket making in that 
city; and Delia is the wife of Charles 
Gait, living in Newport, Kentucky. 

Mr. Milius was reared under the pa- 
rental roof, and his educational privi- 
leges were those affordefl by the common 
schools. He remained in the Fatherland 
until twenty-five years of age, when in 
1852 he bade adieu to family and friends, 
embarking on an ocean vessel for the New 
World. Landing safely on the shores of 
this country, he proceeded at once to 
Fremont, Ohio, where he began work with 
a Mr. Greddler in the harness business, 
continuing with that gentleman for sev- 
eral months. Going then to Cincinnati, 
Ohio, he worked in that city for two 
years, after which he spent six months in 
Cleveland. His ne.xt place of residence 
was Canton, Ohio, where he remained 
for four years, and in 1859 he came to 
Hessville, Sandusky county, where he 
embarked in business for himself as a 
harness maker. He was a good work- 
man, and this fact soon becoming known 
to the public he received a liberal patron- 
age, which steadily increased and brought 
him a good income. For thirty-four 
years he followed the business in Hess- 
ville, and then, his health failing him, he 
was obliged to retire from active life in 

1893- 

Mr. Milius was united in marriage, in 

1856, with Miss Catherine Klaser. who 
was one of a family of five daugiiters, 
namely: Margaret, wife of Fred Nichols; 
Josephine; Catherine (Mrs. Milius); Mary, 
wife of Jacob Frick; and Ph(ebe. wife of 
John Bowler. To Mr. and Mrs. Milius 
have been born five children. The eld- 
est, Julius C, was born in Canton, Ohio, 
July 3, 1857; John, born in that city, Feb- 
ruary 18, I 859, was brought by his parents 
to Hessville during his infancy, and there 
received the educational privileges of the 



792 



COMMEMORATTVE BWORAPHICAL RECORD. 



district schools; at the age of twenty-five 
he left home, and was employed in vari- 
ous ways until 1891, when he established 
a general store in Hessville, and on April 
17, of the same year, was appointed post- 
master there; he was married Novem- 
ber 18, 1886, to Miss Cora Artz, and they 
have two children — Goldie, born March 
16, 1888; and Ruth, born February 11, 
1890; John Milius is a Democrat in his 
political views, and is a member of the 
Reformed Church. Harmon, the next of 
the family, was born September 16, 
1 86 1, and is a farmer of Hessville. Louis, 
born February 16, 1864, died in infancy; 
Edward, born September 10, 1867, is en- 
gaged in blacksmithing in Chicago. 

Valentin Milius has led a life of activity, 
and as the result of his energy and enter- 
prise is now the possessor of a comforta- 
ble competence, which enables him to 
live retired. He owns a farm comprising 
forty acres of valuable land, and in addi- 
tion has thirteen town lots in Hessville. 
By his ballot he supports the Democratic 
party, and in religious belief he is a 
Lutheran. His hope of bettering his 
financial condition by emigrating to 
America has been realized, and now he 
is numbered among the substantial and 
valued citizens of his locality. 



CASPAR MULLER, a farmer, of 
Ballville township, Sandusky coun- 
ty is a native of North Germany, 
born January 18, 1841. 
John P. Muller, father of our subject, 
was born in June, 1801. He sold his 
farm of twenty-five acres in Germany, 
and in 1854 emigrated to America. Af- 
ter an ocean voyage of seven weeks he 
landed in New York, where he remained 
but a short time, then came to Ohio and 
settled in Ballville township where he 
bought fifty acres of land and followed 
farming pursuits about thirty-five years. 
His death occurred in 1889, and his wife 
died at the age of seventy-seven j'ears. 



They had a family of six children: Cas- 
par; Mary, born May 29, 1844, unmar- 
ried; Susan, born December 29, 1846, is 
the wife of Fred Weldon, a farmer and 
resident of Seneca county, Ohio (politic- 
ally he is a Democrat, and in religious 
belief a Catholicj; Catharine, born Febru- 
ary, 1848, became the wife of George 
Buchman, a farmer and resident of Wash- 
ington township, in politics a Democrat, 
and in religious belief a Catholic; John P. 
(a farmer), born January 18, 1849, mar- 
ried Mary Foos (in politics he is a Demo- 
crat, and in religious belief a Roman Cath- 
olic); Annie, born April 9, 1852, married 
C. Schneider, a farmer, and they have 
a family of children as follows — Frank, 
Susan, Albert, Robert, Sarah, Edward 
and Hannah (politically Mr. Schneider is 
a Democrat, and in religion is a Catholic). 
Caspar Muller remained with his par- 
ents until he was twenty-three years old. 
He then went to Pittsburg and worked 
eight years as a coal miner, saving $800. 
On returning he worked two years on a 
farm for Peter Kirsch, and also for other 
parties, and later he worked his father's 
farm five years. Mr. Muller then bought 
forty acres from N. Buchman for $3,000, 
and kept it three years, sold it to his 
brother, and bought the place he now 
occupies, paying for same $3,850. He is 
highly respected by all who know him. 
In politics he affiliates with the Democratic 
party, and in religion he is a Roman 
Catholic. 



JOSEPH WOLF, the popular treas- 
urer of Sandusky county, was born 
in Baden, Germany, March 18, 
1852, a son of Bernhard and Regina 
(Wottle) Wolf. 

The parents who were also natives of 
Baden, came tO'America in 1865, locating 
in Sandusky City, Ohio, where they re- 
mained one year, then removing to Fre- 
mont, where they made their permanent 
residence. The father of our subject. 



COMMEMOIiATIVE BIOQRAPnWAL RECORD. 



79S 



born in 1819, died May 30, 1892; the 
mother, born in 1828, is still living at 
their residence in I'reniont. Six children 
were born to them, five of whom are liv- 
ing, at Fremont. 

Joseph Wolf attended school one year 
at Sandusky City, while living with his 
parents, and soon after coming to Fre- 
mont, in 1865, entered a newspaper office 
and learned the business of compositor so 
thoroughl}' that he finally had the me- 
chanical work of the paper under his 
charge. He subsequently engaged in the 
barber business, and finally embarked in 
the retail liquor trade, in which he re- 
mained until elected to the office of coun- 
ty treasurer, in September, 1S92. He 
was re-elected to the office in 1894. He 
has served as a member of the Fremont 
city council two terms, and was for two 
years president of that honorable body. 
He is a Democrat in politics, a straight- 
forward progressive citizen, a member of 
the Roman Catholic Church, and socially, 
of the Catholic Knights of America. Mr. 
Wolf married Miss Catharine Moore, and 
they have six children: Frank, Carl, 
Mary, Urban, Catharine and Barnhard. 



ADOLPH H.ALBEISEN. Riley 
township, Sandusky county, in- 
cludes among its successful citi- 
zens a number of industrious and 
prosperous farmers, one of whom is Mr. 
Halbeisen. He was born August 12, 
1845, 'ind is a son of Nicholas and Caro- 
line Halbeisen. 

Nicholas Halbeisen was born in Ger- 
many August 12, 1802, and was there 
united in marriage with Caroline Geshie, 
who was born April 8, 1814, also in the 
Fatherland. They came to America in 
1844, and located in Ohio, in Riley town- 
ship, Sandusky county. Here for ten dol- 
lars an acre they bought land which at 
the present time is valued at one hundred 
dollars an acre. They had the following 
children: Barney married Millie House, 



and they have had five children; they live 
in Ballville township, Sandusky county. 
Caroline married Casper IIousi% by whom 
she had four children; she died in 1871, 
and was buried in Ballville township. 
Lewis is a farmer in Michigan. Adolph 
is the subject proper of this sketch. Au- 
gust, who is a farmer, married Ellen 
McDonald, and they live in Michigan. 
Lucy comes next. Amelia married Michael 
Bundschner, a farmer in Sandusky town- 
ship, Sandusky county, and they have 
had five children. Nicholas Halbeisen 
died November 12, 1861. 

Adolph Halbeisen was reared to habits 
of industry and economy, and received a 
common-school education. He remained 
at home on the farm until the death of 
his father, then had the management, 
and saved his money. On November 12, 
1 880, Adolph Halbeisen was miited in mar- 
riage with Helen Beansack, and they have 
had eight children, their names and dates 
of birth being as follows: Clara, January 
26, 1882; Caroline, April 10, 1883; Jo- 
seph, April II, 1885; Arnold, July 7, 
1886; Henry, May 23, 1888; Frank, May 
23, 1889; Augusta, December 10, 1890, 
and Ellen, September 8, i8gi. Mr. Hal- 
beisen bought seventy-two acres of land 
at $1 lo.oo per acre, as a homestead. He 
has held the office of school director for 
three years. In politics he is a Democrat, 
and in religious affiliation a Catholic. 



WILLIAM GORDON is a worthy 
representative of one of the 
prominent families of Ottawa 
county. He is engaged in the 
practice of law in Port Clinton, where he 
now resides, and is serving as prosecuting 
attorney for Ottawa county. He is a de- 
servedly popular man, and a rising mem- 
ber of the bar. 

Mr. Gordon was born in the county 
which is still his home, having first 
opened his eyes to the light of dav in 
Salem township, near Oak Harbor, De- 



794 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



cember i 5, 1862, his parents being Wash- 
ington and Margaret (Rymers) Gordon. 
His elementary education was obtained 
in the public schools of Oak Harbor, and 
he also attended the business college of 
Toledo, Ohio, graduating from that in- 
stitution May 7, 1880. He then returned 
to his home, and during the following 
seven years was employed as a book- 
keeper by his father, also teaching school 
during the winter months in the townships 
of Carroll and Erie, Ottawa county. In 
1886 his father was elected county treas- 
urer, and on entering upon the duties 
pertaining to that office, in September, 
1887. his son William became his deputy 
and efficiently served in that capacity un- 
til September, 1891. Meanwhile he de- 
voted his leisure time to the stud}' of law, 
preparatory to entering the legal pro- 
fession. 

On October i, 1891, William Gordon 
became a student in the Law Department 
of the University of Michigan, at Ann 
Arbor, and after completing the prescribed 
course was graduated at that institution 
with the class of June, 1893, receiving 
the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Return- 
ing at once to Oak Harbor, he has here 
since engaged in the practice of his chosen 
profession, and through his ability and 
popularity he succeeded in building up a 
large and rapidly increasing patronage. 
The people of Ottawa county attested 
their appreciation of his worth by electing 
him, on November 6, 1894, to the honor- 
able and responsible position of prosecut- 
ing attorney, he being the only county 
official elected on the Democratic ticket 
in Ottawa county. He is an earnest and 
able advocate, and thorough preparation 
of cases is manifest in the ease with 
which he meets an opponent and the suc- 
cess which attends his efforts. He was 
admitted to practice before the supreme 
court of Ohio, June 8, 1893. 

Mr. Gordon is a member of Oak Har- 
bor Lodge, No. 495, F. & A. M., and 
Fremont Chapter, No. 64, K. A. M. He 



is also a member of the board of school 
examiners of Ottawa county, and is deep- 
ly interested in the cause of education, 
and all that pertains to the welfare of the 
community. His political support has 
always been given to the Democratic 
party, and b}' voice as well as ballot he 
advocates its principles. In both public 
and private life he is an exemplary citi- 
zen, holding an enviable position in the 
esteem and regard of the community in 
which he resides. In September, 1893, 
Mr. Gordon was united in marriage in 
Port Clinton, with Miss Elizabeth, daugh- 
ter of Conrad Gernhard, proprietor of the 
"Island House," a leading hotel of Port 
Clinton. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gordon 
attend the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
Mr. Gordon has spent his entire life in 
Ottawa county, and his genial and pleas- 
ant manner and genuine worth have made 
him very popular with a large circle of 
friends. 



LOUIS NICKEL, a successful farmer 
and honored citizen of Rice town- 
ship, Sandusky county, is a native 
of same, having been born April 
12, 1850, and is a son of Fred and Mag- 
gie (Glaser) Nickel, who were born in 
Hessen, Germany. 

Fred Nickel was foreman on a farm in 
Germany, saved his money, and at the 
age of twenty-two came to the United 
States, settling in Rice township, San- 
dusky county, Ohio, where he worked out 
one year. He was then united in mar- 
riage with Maggie Glaser (who was born 
July I, 1827); bought forty acres of tim- 
ber land, and later si.xty-seven more. In 
1 863 he built a new house and barn. Mr. 
and Mrs. Nickel became the parents of 
ten children, as follows: Mena, born May 
10, 1848; Louis is the subject of this 
sketch; Julius C. , born December 20, 
1852, married Katie Keiser, and they had 
four children (she died March 9, 1891, 
after which he married Rosie Niskey, and 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGBAPHIUAL liECORD. 



roG 



thej' live in Rice township); John H., 
born July 2, 1854, married Li/^ie Hoot, 
by whom he had four children, and died 
April 4, 1888; William P., born Novem- 
ber 6, 1856, married Ida Gessner, and 
they live in Ballville township, Sandusky 
county; Charles, born May 8, 1857, died 
younfj; Georjje, born September 14, 1862, 
died September 30, 1875; May L. , born 
November 4, 1864; Amelia M., married 
John Klein, and they had six children; 
and Katie, born March 21, 1870, died 
October i, 1875. 

Louis Nickel received a common- 
school education, remained at home until 
his twenty-fifth year, and then bought a 
thresher, which he ran several seasons. In 
1876 he bought fifty-nine acres of land, 
for which he paid $110 an acre. On 
May 18, 1876, he was united in marriage 
with Caroline -Smith, who was born Sep- 
tember 5, 1857, and they have six chil- 
dren, as follows: Eliza H., born May 29, 
1877; Frank E., November 18, 1880; 
Edwin E. , December 26, 1 88 1 ; Reuben F. , 
August 9. 1885; Warren, July 18, 1888; 
and Ruth J., October 8, 1892. In 1892 
Mr. Nickel built a new house, which cost 
$2,100, and in 1886 built a barn which 
cost $1,300. He has a fine herd of Dur- 
ham cattle. Mr. Nickel is a Democrat in 
politics, and attends the Lutheran Church. 
He has held several public offices, was 
trustee eight years, school director three 
years, supervisor four 3'ears, and constable 
three years. 



JOHN GOATE, who is carrying on 
agricultural pursuits in Scott town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born in 
Cambridge, England, October 16. 
i860, and is a son of Robert and Eliza 
(Lee) Goate. 

The father of our subject was born in 
Cambridge, December 25, 1839, and in 
1866 came to America, locating in the 
State of New York, where he still resides, 
engaged in general farming. His wife 



was born in England in 1837, and they 
are the parents of six children, namely — 
John; Elizabeth, wife of F. Lord; Smith; 
Emma; William, who married Jennie 
Blodgett (she is a member of the famous 
Blodgett family of the Empire State, 
numbering four hundred living members, 
who were present at the last re-union of 
the family, which traces its ancestry back 
to the time of Columbus); and Annie, who 
married William Lee. The paternal 
grandfather of our subject. John Goate, 
was born in England in 1805, and was 
killed near Cambridge City, while rescuing 
ten intoxicated men, who were upon the 
railroad track just as the limited express 
passed by. He succeeded in saving the 
lives of the others, but lost his own in the 
heroic action. His widow is now living 
in New York, at the advanced age of 
eighty-nine years, and four of her five 
children yet survive. The great-grand- 
father, Robert Goate, was born in Eng- 
land in 1753, and died at the advanced 
age of one hundred and twelve years. 
Great-grandfather Smith was born in 
1759, and died at the age of one hundred 
and eight years. It will thus be seen 
that our subject comes from a family 
noted for longevity. His maternal grand- 
parents, Henry Lee and wife, were also 
born in England, and are now living in 
New York. They had a family of eight 
children, all of whom are living. An 
uncle of our subject. Dr. Henry Lee, was 
for many years principal at Cambridge 
College, and a very scholarly gentleman. 
John Goate was a lad of six summers 
when he accompanied his parents on their 
emigration to the New World. He lived 
in New York until he had attained his 
majority, and has since been a resident of 
Sandusky county. In 1883 he was united 
in marriage with Miss Alice Bowser, of 
Helena, Ohio, who was born in Scott 
township, Sandusky county. July 7,1864, 
daughter of Frederick Bowser, and com- 
pleted her education in the schools of 
Clyde, For six years after their marriage 



796 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPIIICAL RECORD. 



Mr. and Mrs. Goate resided in Helena, 
and then the city property was exchanged 
for a part of the old Bowser farm, to the 
cultivation and improvement of which our 
subject has since devoted his energies. 
He now has an excellent home, pleasantly 
situated a few miles from Gibsonburg, 
and is numbered among the leading fann- 
ers of the community. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Goate came two 
children — Ethel, who was born Septem- 
ber 15, 1S86, and died at the age of 
eleven months; and Violet, born Septem- 
ber 15, 1887. The mother died on the 
28th of December, following, and in 1888 
Mr. Goate wedded Miss Maggie Bowser, 
a sister of his first wife. They have three 
children — Glenn, born in 1890; and 
Eleanor and Laurel, born August 11, 
1893. Mr. Goate is a practical and pro- 
gressive farmer, a wide-awake and enter- 
prising man, and Sandusky county num- 
bers him among her representative young 
farmers. 



FREDERICK MYLANDER is one 
of the sturdy, substantial farmers 
of Salem township, Ottawa coun- 
ty, who have endured the trials 
and hardships incident to a pioneer life, 
and been instrumental in converting what 
was at one time a vast unbroken wilder- 
ness into well-cultivated, productive farms; 
and under whose strong arm the noble 
giants of the forest have given place to 
beautiful fields of waving grain, and the 
old log houses of a quarter of a century 
ago to homes of comfort and architectur- 
al beauty. 

He was born in Prussia, Germany, 
August 23, 1823, to Henry C. and Eliza- 
beth (Kclling) Mj'lander, and received his 
preliminary education in the schools of his 
native land, during his early life being 
trained to the duties of the farm. In 
1846 he emigrated to America, locating 
first in Cleveland, Ohio, where he re- 
mained until 1853, in which year he pur- 



chased some eighty-two acres of land in 
Salem township, Ottawa county, upon 
which he erected a log house, and set to 
work clearing a portion of the land for his 
crops; and, being a young man of great 
energy and determination, he made great 
progress in this work. At the end of 
four years Mr. Mylander returned to 
Cleveland, where he remained some five 
years, at the expiration of that time once 
more taking up his residence in Salem 
township, Ottawa county, of which he has 
since been a constant resident. By a life 
of hard, honest labor our subject has 
added considerably to his worldly posses- 
sions, and is now the owner of one of the 
most attractive and productive farms in 
the county. 

Mr, Mylander has been thrice mar- 
ried, the first time to Miss Anna Maria 
Frieze, of Cleveland, Ohio, to which 
union were born eight children, only three 
of whom are now living, viz. : Henry, 
John Frederick, Jr., and August, all re- 
siding in Salem township. Our subject's 
second wife was Mrs. Anna Marie Sum- 
menmeyer, widow of Fred Summenmeyer, 
and in 1877 he was again united in 
marriage, this time with Mrs. Anna Marie 
Tousing, to which union one child, Louis 
T., was born August 3, 1878. The 
family are strict adherents to the Luther- 
an Church, taking an active interest in 
all church work, and socially they enjoy, 
to the fullest extent, the respect and 
esteem of the community. 

John Frederick Mylander, a son of 
the subject of this sketch, was born in 
Cleveland, Ohio, December 31, 1862, and 
came with his parents to Salem township, 
Ottawa county, when but one year old. 
His primary education was received in the 
district schools of the township, and until 
reaching manhood he remained at home 
assisting his father in the care of the farm. 
In 1893 Mr. Mylander left the paternal 
abode, going to Kansas, where he re- 
mained about fifteen months. Then re- 
turning to Salem township he engaged in 



COMMEMORATIVE BTOORAPRICAL RECORD. 



ro7 



agricultural pursuits for a number of years. 
Later he spent three years in Toledo, 
Ohio, in which city he worked as a car- 
penter; but always having a preference 
for the place where he had spent his boy- 
hood days, he again returned to Salem 
township in 1894, and has since been en- 
gaged in agricultural pursuits. Our subject 
has inherited all his father's good qualities, 
and as a consequence is a man of indom- 
itable perseverance and of upright char- 
acter. On March 12, 1891, he was 
united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth 
Miller, a daughter of Ferdinand and Mary 
Miller, and to this union have come two 
children: Gertrude L., born May 7, 
1892. who died July 28, 1892; and Les- 
ter K., born December 16, 1893. 



GEORGE F. WILT, farmer, and 
late proprietor of the " Germania 
House," of Fremont, was born in 
York township, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, June 28, 1844, a son of Harrison 
and Hannah (Good) Wilt. 

Harrison Wilt was born in Pennsyl- 
vania, and came to Ohio when a boy, in 
company with his maternal grandfather, 
John Hunn, who located in Seneca coun- 
ty, near Flat Rock, on what was then 
called the Oak Openings, and followed 
farming. Mr. Wilt afterward bought a 
valuable farm in Sandusky county, on the 
line of the Kilburn road, near Bellevue, 
where he devoted himself chiefly to grain 
farming, and making substantial improve- 
ments in the erection of stone buildings. 
His death occurred at his home in 1876. 
His wife was born in Pennsylvania in 
1 82 1, came to Seneca county at the age 
of ten years, and grew to womanhood in 
the vicinity of Flat Rock. Her death 
occurred June 27, 1893. Both were mem- 
bers of the Reformed Church in Thompson 
township, Seneca county. 

George F. Wilt was the eldest of a 
family of eight children, and grew to man- 
hood on his father's farm. After receiv- 



ing an ordinary common-school education, 
he spent one year at Heidelberg College, 
Tiffin, Ohio. He continued to follow 
farming, with the exception of one year, 
previous .to the age of twenty-four, when 
he engaged in the sale of farm implements 
in the State of Michigan. Returning to 
Ohio, he settled on a farm near Bellevue, 
where he followed agricultural pursuits, 
and continued the sale of farming imple- 
ments for about twenty years. He then 
sold his farm in York and bought another 
in Jackson township, near Millersville, 
where he remained until 1892, the year 
of his removal to Fremont. He still re- 
tains possession of his choice farm of 156 
acres, lying in the oil and gas region. 
Mr. Wilt has always been a stanch Demo- 
crat in politics, and has held various 
offices of honor and trust in his com- 
munity. He served as clerk of York 
township three terms, and as commis- 
sioner of Sandusky county two terms, his 
last term expiring in January, 1892. He 
is a member of the Reformed Church, of 
the Knights of Honor, and of the Knights 
of the (iolden Cross. 

In 1868 he married Miss Armena 
Smith, who was born in York township in 
1848, daughter of Frederick Smith, of 
that township, and the children born to 
this union are: Aletta L. , wife of Rev. 
Irwin Beaver, of the Reformed Church, 
at Marion, Franklin Co., Penn. ; William 
H., a school teacher, of Fremont, Ohio; 
Luella, a medical student, of Toledo, 
Ohio; Emma Belle, attending the Fre- 
mont schools; and Georgie p-lorence, liv- 
ing at home. 



BYRON HARTSHORN was one of 
the prominent stock dealers, fruit 
growers and agriculturists of Ot- 
tawa county, and in his death the 
community lost one of its valued citizens. 
Our subject was born January i, 1829, 
at Plasterbed, Danbury township, a son 
of Wyatt and Jane (Kelly) Hartshorn. He 



798 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPniCAL RECORD. 



received his elementary education in the 
schools of the community, and also pur- 
sued his studies in Sandusky City. From 
early life he enyaj^ed in stock buj'ing and 
in butchering, and also followed fishing 
to some extent. Later he formed a part- 
nership with Milo demons in the quarry- 
ing business, ;it Marble Head, and con- 
tinued in that line for a number of years. 
He possessed good business ability, was 
enterprising and progressive, made the 
most of his ojiportunities, and by his well 
directed efforts achieved a fair success. 

On July 28, 1853, in Portage town- 
ship, Ottawa county, was celebrated the 
marriage of Mr. Hartshorn and Miss Mary 
Dwelle. who was born in Portage town- 
ship, near Plasterbed, December 16, 1S28, 
a daughter of Elijah and Clarissa (Wood- 
ford) Dwelle, the former a native of Massa- 
chusetts, and the latter of New York. 
They located in Portage township at a 
very early day in the history of the county, 
and there spent the remainder of their 
lives. To our subject and wife have come 
nine children, of whom Clarissa, born 
May 27, 1854, died August 16, 1856; 
Wyatt, born June 7, 1857, died February 
7, 1861; Alta, born September 3, 1859, 
is now the wife of M. E. Hettrick, a 
resident of Lakeside, Ohio; Lydia, born 
June 25, 1862, is the wife of William 
Hocke, a resident of Sandusky City, 
Ohio; George B., born December 5, 1864, 
makes his home in Lakeside; Everett, 
born November 18, 1867, is at home; 
and Nellie was born October 27, 1870. 

The Hartshorn family were among the 
earliest settlers of Danbury township, Ot- 
tawa county, and during his entire life 
our subject was one of its most prominent 
and progressive citizens. He was public- 
spirited and enterprising, and readily en- 
dorsed any project calculated to stimulate 
the development and prosperity of his na- 
tive township and county. He was gen- 
erous and affable in manner, his sympa- 
thies expressing themselves in kindness to 
friends and family. He was a man of 



broad charity and noble impulses, and 
when called to his final rest, December 12, 
1894, he left to his family the priceless 
heritage of a good name. At the old 
home place resides his faithful wife and 
her children, Everett and Nellie, and all 
their surroundings bespeak taste and cul- 
ture. 



HENKV BURGGKAF. In a work 
devoted to the representative 
citizens and early settlers of Otta- 
wa county none are more deserv- 
ing of mention in this volume than the 
gentleman whose name begins this review, 
and who is one of the wide-awake and 
progressive fruit-growers on Put in Bay 
Island. 

Mr. Burggraf was born on Kelley's 
Island, Erie Co., Ohio, June 2, 1859, and 
is a son of Mathias and Anna Marie 
(Schmidt) Burggraf. He was only a little 
more than a month old when his parents 
removed to the Island, and here he has 
resided continuously since. Its public 
schools afforded him his educational 
privileges, and from his boyhood days he 
has been engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
He was early introduced to the labors of 
the farm, and has led a busy and useful 
life, until to-day he is ranked among the 
leading fruit growers and wine makers on 
the Island. On November 22, 1887, 
Mr. Burggraf was united in marriage 
with Miss Anna Marie Miller, who was 
born on Middle Bass Island, February 10, 
1862, and is a daughter of Joseph and 
Helena (Rehberg) Miller. Three children 
grace their union — Carl H., born Decem- 
ber 4, 1888; Frederick A., born Novem- 
ber 28, 1890; and Ruth Helena, born 
May 19, 1894. 

It is interesting in this connection to 
note something of the family to which 
our subject belongs. His father, Mathias 
Burggraf, retired fruit raiser and wine 
manufacturer, is now living on Put in Bay 
Island. He was born June 2, 1825, in 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPHICAL RECORD. 



799 



the town of Wolfenweiler, Baden, Ger- 
many, and is a son of Mathias and Anna 
Marie (Kuechlin) Biirj^f,'raf, both of whom 
were natives of Gcriiiany, where the 
father died in 1847, and the mother in 
1 876. Their son was reared and edu- 
cated in the land of his nativity, and there 
carried on af^ricultural pursuits and g;rape 
growing until twenty-seven years of age. 
He then determined to try his fortune in 
America, crossed the Atlantic in 1852, 
and for thirty-five years has made his 
home on the Island, which is still his 
place of residence. He was married in 
Baden, Germany, June 2, 1847, to Anna 
Marie Schmidt, whose birth occurred 
there June 20, 1820. To this union 
came five children, namely: Caroline, 
born in Baden, May 18, 1848, who is now 
the wife of Frederick Bretz, living on 
Middle Bass Island; Mathias, born April 
2, 1850; Frederick W., born in Huron 
township, Erie county, November 20, 
1856; Henry, born on Kelley's Island, 
June 2, 1859; Anna Marie, who was born 
February 14, 1863, and died September 
1, 1870. 

When Mr. Bruggraf came to this 
country he left his family in Germany 
until he could make preparations to bring 
them to America. In 1853 he took up 
his residence in Sandusky. Erie Co. , Ohio, 
where he was joined by his wife and two 
children. The followingyear he removed 
to Huron county, where he was engaged 
in agricultural pursuits until the spring of 
1856. During the succeeding three years 
he was employed in the stone quarries on 
Kelley's Island, and in July, 1859, he 
took up his residence on Put in Bay 
Island. It was thus he got a start in 
life, and by earnest labor, perseverance 
and good management he acquired a 
handsome competency, which now en- 
ables him to live retired. His wife died 
January 1 1, 1893, and her departure was 
deeply mourned by many friends as well 
as her immediate family. The Burggraf 
family is one of prominence in the com- 



munity, widely and favorably known, and 
well deserve mention in this volume. 

When excavating for the cellar of his 
residence, Mr. Burggraf dug into what he 
supposed was a burial place of the Indians 
many hundred of years ago, and unearthed 
the skeletons of some extraordinarily 
large (supposed) warriors which were in a 
fair state of preservation. Curiosity 
seekers have carried away most of the re- 
mains, but Mr. Burggraf still has in his 
possession some very interesting relics. 



FREDERICK W. ROOSE. a prom- 
inent and progressive citizen, and 
a leading merchant of Salem town- 
ship, is a native of Ottawa coun- 
ty, having first seen the light in Salem 
township, about two miles from Oak Har- 
bor, in January, 1855. He is a son of 
Charles and Maria Roose. 

Our subject's preliminary education 
was received in the public schools of Ot- 
tawa county, and his early life was spent 
assisting his father in the care of the farm. 
On attaining manhood he engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits for three years in Carroll 
township; but, not liking the work in 
connection with the farm, he decided to 
sever his connection with it and to devote 
his time and talents to a mercantile life. 
Consequently, in 1882, hereturned to Sa- 
lem township, and embarked in a general 
merchandise business, which he still con- 
tinues to carry on. Being a man of great 
energy and indomitable perseverance, and 
having given faithful attention to his busi- 
ness, Mr. Roose has been very successful, 
and is now in most comfortable circum- 
stances. 

Our subject was united in marriage in 
Salem township, in 1879, with Miss Lena 
Seemann, a daughter of Henry and Eliza- 
beth Seemann, both natives of Germany, 
who emigrated to America at an early 
date, and for many years were honored 
and respected residents of Salem town- 
ship. The father still survives; the 



800 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPmCAL RECORD. 



mother died some years ago. Mr. and 
Mrs. Roose have no family. Politically 
Mr. Roose is a stanch Democrat, and has 
ever taken an active interest in public af- 
fairs. The family are members of the 
Lutheran Church, and enjoy the respect 
and confidence of the entire community in 
which they reside. 



M 



ATHIAS BURGGRAF, Jr., an 
enterprising and energetic fruit 
raiser and wine maker, living on 
Put in Bay Island, Ottawa 
county, is a native of Baden, Germany, 
born April 2, 185 1, and is a son of 
Mathias and Ann Marie (Schmidt) Burg- 
graf, who were also natives of that coun- 
try. The father is still living and resides 
on Putin Bay Island; the mother passed 
avvaj' January 11, 1893. 

In early life our subject obtained a 
hmited education in the district schools, 
but subsequently availed himself of the 
advantages of a select school, and through 
study, observation and experience has be- 
come a well-informed man. He was only 
two and a half years old when he came to 
America with his parents, and at the age 
of eight years he became a resident of 
Put in Bay Island, where he has since 
made his home. Here he grew to man- 
hood, and to-day he is one of the most in- 
fhiential and prosperous men of the lo- 
calitj'. When his school life was ended 
he gave his time and energies to work 
upon the home farm, where he continued 
until he had attained his majority. In 
1874, with the capital he had acquired 
through industry and prudence, he pur- 
chased the good farm upon which he now 
resides, and here he devotes his labors to 
the cultivation of fruit, in which work he 
is quite successful. 

Mr. Burggraf was married, in Sandusky 
City, Erie Co., Ohio, November 16, 
1876, to Miss Louisa Sherer, a daughter 
of George Jacob and Louisa (Wagoner) 
Sherer, both of whom were natives of 



Bavaria, Germany. The father died 
March 9, 1886; the mother is still living 
and resides in Sandusky City. It was 
there that Mrs. Burggraf was born, on 
March 4, 1858. Our subject and his wife 
have one son, George J., who was born 
in Put in Bay, December 7, 1878. They 
also have adopted a little niece (a daugh- 
ter of Mrs. Burggraf's brother), Louisa 
Sherer, who was born in Sandusk\' City, 
July 5, 18S2. Her father died May 3, 
1890, and her mother's death occurred 
May 20, 1894. 

Our subject has efficiently served as 
school director in Put in Bay township 
for twenty-one consecutive years, and has 
done much toward perfecting the school 
system on the Island. He has also been 
a member of the township board for sev- 
eral terms, and in office, as well as in all 
the other relations of life, he is true to 
every trust reposed in him. His char- 
acter is above reproach. By his ballot 
he supports the men and measures of the 
Democratic party. He and his wife at- 
tend the Reformed Episcopal Church. 
Mr. Burggraf is one of the progressive 
young men of the township, enterprising, 
prudent and industrious, and is ever ready 
to lend a helping hand to all matters cal- 
culated to benefit the community and ad- 
vance the best interests of the township. 
His surroundings indicate taste and good 
judgment, and are a credit to the owner. 



LORENZ MILLER (deceased) was 
a son of Lorenz Verena Miller, and 
was born September 11, 1S31, 
at Schopfheim, Weisenthal, Ba- 
den, Germany. In his native land he ac- 
quired his education, grew to manhood, 
and learned the trade of a watchmaker. 
On attaining his majority he sailed across 
the briny deep to the New World, and two 
years later, in 1854, located on Put in 
Bay Island, Ottawa county, where he re- 
sided until life's labors were ended. He 
was extensively engaged in the cultivation 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGBAPHICAL RECORD. 



801 



of a fine vineyard, and his business ability 
and sound judgment won him a creditable 
success. 

Mr. Miller was married May 26, 1S60, 
to Henrietta Foy, a daughter of Henry 
and Henrietta (Myer) Foy, who were na- 
tives of Germany. There the mother 
died during the infancy of her daughter, 
and the father afterward married Dorothy 
M)'er, a sister of his first wife. In 1854 
the family came to America and the fol- 
lowing year settled on Put in l^ay Island, 
where Mr. Foy died December 9, 1859, 
his wife surviving him until August 15, 
1879. By his first marriage there were 
two children, Henrietta, Mrs. Miller, and 
one who died in infancy. By the second 
marriage there were si.x children, of whom 
five are still living, namely: Marie, wife 
of Jackson Fullington, chief of police of 
Santa Barbara, Cal. ; August C. , who re- 
sides at Put in Bay, and is chief officer on 
the steamer " Arrow;" Louis T., who re- 
sides at the same place; Anna, wife of 
August Renderly, who is living on North 
Bass Island; and Henry, a resident of De- 
troit, Michigan. 

Mrs. Miller was born in Braunschweig, 
German}-, June 30, 1842, and came with 
her parents to America. Since 1855 she 
has lived on the Island, and is now resid- 
ing at the beautiful home which was left 
her by her husband. Their union was 
blessed with four sons, as follows: George 
Frederick, born May 2, 1861; Frank Jo- 
seph, born September i, 1862; Henry 
Theodore, born October 11, 1873; and 
Lorenz, born October 26, 1875. The last 
two are still on the old home farm. The 
father of this family passed peacefully away 
at his home, February 26, 1875, after a 
twenty-one-years' residence on Put in Bay 
Island. He was, however, cut off in the 
prime of life, when it seemed that he had 
much yet to live for. His whole career 
was a practical commentary on the noble 
virtues of an upright man. He commenced 
his course at the bottom round of the lad- 
der, and by honesty and industry worked 



his way upward and acquired a handsome 
fortune. Although it was his desire to 
gain wealth for himself and family, there 
was nothing sordid in his nature and he 
followed the golden rule, doing unto others 
as he would have them do to him. No 
one could say that he acquired his fortune 
through unfair means. His honesty and 
liberality were among his most marked 
characteristics, and no man seeking to rise 
by his own endeavors ever asked assistance 
of Mr. Miller in vain, while many a one 
has received aid without even soliciting it 
and owes his success in life to Mr. Miller's 
helping hand. In his death the commu- 
nity lost one of its most prominent and 
progressive men, his wife a loving and de- 
voted husband, and his children a kind 
and indulgent father. 



ALEXANDER McDONALD (de- 
ceased) was one of the early set- 
tlers of Portage township, Otta- 
wa county, and many years of his 
well-spent life were passed in that locality, 
where he was numbered among the suc- 
cessful agriculturists. He endured all the 
trials and hardships of pioneer life, and 
was actively interested in all that per- 
tained to the welfare of the community. 
A native of Banffshire, Scotland, he was 
the only child born to Louis and Janet 
McDonald. His childhood days were 
passed upon a farm, and he acquired his 
education in the common schools of the 
home neighborhood. 

In 1832 Mr. McDonald sailed for the 
New World, embarking on the 20th of 
July from Greenock, on the ship "Roger 
Stewart," which reached Quebec forty- 
five days later. He was not accompanied 
by his wife, who remained in Scotland 
two years longer, she sailing from 
Greenock on the vessel "Frances," Au- 
gust 24, 1834, and arriving at New York 
after a voyage of forty-one days. She 
was met by Mr. McDonald in Buffalo, N. 
Y. , and together they proceeded to the 



802 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



home which he had prepared in Sandusky 
county, Ohio. In 1836 they removed to 
Plasterbed, Portage township, Ottawa 
county, where he spent his remaining 
days. On October 14, 1827, Mr. Mc- 
Donald had married, in Bani^shire, Scot- 
land, Miss Marjory McDonall, who was 
born in Perthshire, Scotland, and was a 
daughter of Ronald and Margaret (Car- 
michael)McDonall. She became the moth- 
er of nine children — Ronald, born January 
8, 1829, who is deceased; Janet, born Jan- 
uary 15, 1830, who became the wife of 
Caleb Cooper in 1846, and died at their 
home in Portage township; Lewis, born 
October 14, 1835, who resides in Sandu.sky 
City, Ohio; Charles, born June i, 1838, re- 
siding at Plasterbed; Margaret, born July 
4, 1840, who is the widow of Aaron Gow, 
a resident of New Jersey; Elizabeth, born 
June 20, 1843, who died February 14, 
1844; Annie, who was born June 9, 1845, 
and died March 25, 1855; John, born April 
16, 1848, living at Marblehcad, Ohio; 
and James, born April 15, 1851, who is 
living in Portage township. The father 
of this family passed away February 14, 
1 89 1. His faithful and devoted wife, 
with whom he had traveled life's pathway 
for sixty-three years, survives him, and has 
now reached an advanced age. He was 
one of the valued and representative pio- 
neers of this locality, and a well-spent life 
won him the esteem of all. 

James McDonald, the youngest child 
of the family, acquired his education in 
the district schools near home, and since 
early boyhood has been engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits in Portage township. 
On July 3, 1886, he was married, in Mon- 
roe county, Mich., to Miss Elsie Watson, 
a daughter of Peter and Isabel (McDon- 
ald) Watson, who still reside in Banffshire, 
Scotland, where their daughter was born 
February 14, 1854. Four children grace 
the union of Mr. and Mrs. McDonald — 
Alexander, born June 11, 1887; Lucy, 
born April 19, 1889, died March 1, 1891; 
Cecelia, born January 15, 1891; and 



Ronald, born March 31, 1893. In his 
political views James McDonald is a Dem- 
ocrat. He was reared in the faith of the 
Roman Catholic Church, while his wife 
was reared in the Presbyterian Church. 
He is a wide-awake, progressive agricul- 
turist, an honorable, upright man, and is 
highly esteemed by his friends and neigh- 
bors. 



JOSEPH MILLER (deceased) was, 
during his busy lifetime, one of the 
prominent and successful grape- 
growers of Middle Bass Island, Ot- 
tawa county, and was one of the four 
original purchasers of that Island. He 
was born March 23, 1823, in Baden, Ger- 
many, son of Joseph and Anna Marie 
(Locherer) Miller, who were also born in 
the Fatherland, where they died. 

The subject of this sketch was reared 
to manhood and educated in the Father- 
land, where from early life he was en- 
gaged in grape growing, an industry fol- 
lowed by his father and grandfather be- 
fore him. In 1854 he came to America, 
settling in Erie county, Ohio, where he 
resided three years, and in 1857 removed 
to Middle Bass Island, of which he was 
a continuous resident from that time for 
the remainder of his life. On Ma}' 14, 

1 86 1, in Sandusky, Erie county, Joseph 
Millerwas united in marriage with Helena 
Rehberg, who was born at Plau, in Meck- 
lenburg-Schwerin, Germany, April 8, 
1843, daughter of John and Christina 
(Bohndorff) Rehberg, and their children 
are as follows: Anna, born February 10, 

1862, is the wife of Henry Burggraf; 
they have three children — Carl, born De- 
cember 4, 1888; Arnold, born November 
28, 1890; and Ruth, born May 19, 1894. 
Mary, born March 30, 1864, was united 
in marriage with Ferdinand Sloat on Sep- 
tember 4, 1888; they have had two sons 
— Gregor J., born June 11, 1889; and 
Frank Clyde, born July 25, 1892; they 
reside in Sandusky. Eliza, born Septem- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHTCAL RECORD. 



S03 



ber 4, 1868, was married to Charles 
I5rct;:, N(jvember 12, 1890, and they have 
had two sons — Sherman Carl, born 
August 25, 1891; and Leslie Joseph, born 
December 25, 1893. Nellie J., born 
January i, 1877, and Herman Joseph, 
born July 30, 1878. 

The brothers and sisters of Mrs. 
Miller were as follows: William, who re- 
sides on the Island; John, who passed all 
his life there, dying Mays, 1*^88; Mary, 
wife of Albany Kubagh, of Sandusky; 
and Helena (Mrs. Miller). Mr. John Reh- 
berg was again married, taking, for his 
second wife, Mary Prool, who was born 
in Mecklenburg, Germany, March 4, 
1813, and they had children, as follows: 
Frederick, who lives in Sandusky; Henry, 
born October 4, 1854, who was united in 
marriage x^pril 9, 1876, on Middle Bass 
Island, with Mina Kapphengst, who was 
born in Mecklenburg, May 7, 1853, and 
they have had one child — Clara, born 
February 22, 1889. Henry commenced 
in the hotel business in Middle Bass, in 
1890; and Louis, who was born February 
9, 1858, and died December 11, 1882. 

Mr. Miller passed away June 24, 18S4. 
In his political views he was a Democrat. 
He was repeatedly called to offices of re- 
sponsibility and trust in his township, 
which he filled with fidelity and acknowl- 
edged ability, and the memory of his 
noble character will long be cherished. 
His widow, who is regarded highly in the 
community and admired for her many 
virtues, is now residing on the homestead. 



RUSSEL ELLITHORPE, one of 
the well-known and enterprising 
farmers and fruit growers of Ca- 
tawba Island township, Ottawa 
county, is a representative of one of the 
honored early families of the county, and 
his brothers, George and Cyrus, are also 
extensive fruit growers of the vicinity. 
The latter was the first white child born 
on Kelley's Island, where our subject's 



birth occurred September 22, 1834. and 
he is a son of Hunrv and Elizabeth (Neal) 
EUithorpe. 

When about two years of age Russel 
EUithorpe went with his parents to Dan- 
bury township, Ottawa county, but in 
1840 located in Catawba Island township. 
His advantages for securing an education 
were quite limited, he onlv being able to at- 
tend school during the winter seasons, as 
his services were required in assisting in 
the cultivation and improvement of the 
farm during the summer months, and the 
schools of that early day were not as 
good as they are at present. Besides his 
farming interests, for twenty years he en- 
gaged in fishing on Lake Erie during the 
spring and fall, but of late years his chief 
occupatitm has been that of fruit grow- 
ing, his time being mostly taken up in the 
cultivation of his extensive and productive 
orchards. For over forty-seven years he 
has been a constant resident of Catawba 
Island, during which time he has achieved 
an enviable reputation for honesty and fair 
dealing, and his pleasant, genial tempera- 
ment has made him hosts of friends. 

At Fremont, Sandusky Co., Ohio, 
November lO, 1856, Mr. EUithorpe was 
united in marriage with Almeda Tilliton, 
a daughter of Obdic and Lydia (Wonnell) 
Tilliton, the former of whom was a native 
of New York State, and the latter of 
Maryland; they became early .settlers of 
Danbury township, Ottawa county. Two 
children were born to our subject and his 
worthy wife, one of whom still survives, 
namely: James, born March 10, 1857. 
Eugene died at the age of two years, four 
months. For ten years Mr. EUithorpe 
had served in the capacity of trustee of 
Catawba Island township, and is an act- 
ive worker in the ranks of the Repub- 
lican party, which he always supports by 
his ballot. Socially he belongs to Ca- 
tawba Island Lodge No. 2783, Knights of 
Honor. He and his brothers are among 
the few remaining pioneers of Catawba 
Island who have been spared to see the 



804 



COMMEMORATIVE BWORAPHICAL RECORD. 



primitive forestb and log cabins give way 
to the prociii';ti\e orchards and beautiful 
homes that now adorn this picturesque 
section of Ottawa county. 

James Ellithorpe, the only surviving 
child of our subject, is one of the ambi- 
tious ancj energetic agriculturists who are 
doing much to still further improve the 
great fruit-growing interests of Catawba 
Island, and ranks among the prominent 
and respected citizens of the community. 
His boyhood days were spent upon the 
homestead farm, and he now lives near 
the home of his father. He was married 
in Michigan October 8, 1886, to Miss 
Lydia Burns, and four children blessed 
this union — Leavitt, born July 12, 1887, 
who died February 6, 1888; Vernon R.. 
born October 30, 1890; Ettie M., born 
January 28, 1893; and Eola A., born July 
21, 1894. Mrs. Ellithorpe was born in 
Wood county, Ohio, April 30, 1858, and 
is a daughter of Andrew and Rosena 
Burns, who were early residents of Port 
Clinton, Ottawa county, and passed away 
when their daughter was but a child. 



gust 



HENRY BORDT. Among the 
younger members of the sturdy 
farming population of Riley town- 
ship, Sandusky county, is Henry 
Bordt, who was born in Sandusky county, 
Ohio, October 18, 1873, and is the son 
of August and Mina Bordt. 

August Bordt was born in Germany, 
February 18, 1843. In 1 866 he was united 
in marriage, in the Fatherland, with Mina 
Mikewilt, who was born March 3, 1841, 
in Germany. In 1872 they came to 
Ainerica, locating in Townsend township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, where they lived 
some seven years. They have had two 
children, namely: Carrie, who was born 
October 25, 1869, married Christian 
Olmes.and has had three children — Alma, 
Otto, and Laura (they live in Riley town- 
ship); and Henry, the subject of this 
sketch. From Townsend township Au- 



Bordt moved to Rile\' township, 
where he bought forty acres of land, and 
in 1885 he built a new house and barn. 

Henry Bordt was reared in Townsend 
township, always lived at home and re- 
ceived a common-school education. He 
was early inducted into the pleasant paths 
of industry, frugality and virtue, and in 
1890 he bought forty acres of land ad- 
joining his fathers's farm. He attends 
the Lutheran Church, and is a Democrat 
in politics. 



B 



r. ROGERS a well-known shoe- 
maker of Clyde, Sandusky coun- 
ty, where he is now serving as 
justice of the peace, was born in 
the town of Lyons, Wayne Co., N. Y. , 
August 3, 1830, and is a son of Joel and 
Betsy (Ellis) Rogers. His father's birth 
occurred in Phelps, N. Y., near Bulltown 
Springs, and by occupation was a farmer, 
also carrying on carpentering and joining. 
In 1830 he came to Ohio, it requiring 
three weeks to make the trip from Buffalo, 
N. Y.,to Huron. Ohio, by water. He located 
at Hartland, Huron Co., Ohio, twelve 
miles east of Norwalk, where he engaged 
in farming until his death, which occurred 
in 1854, when he was aged sixty-one 
years. In politics he was a supporter of 
the Democratic party. The mother of 
our subject, who was born in 1798 in New 
Canaan, Conn., died on the 4th of July, 
1888. She had a sister who died a year 
later at the remarkable age of 103 years 
and one week. At the age of ninety- 
nine years she did the cooking for a re- 
union, and our subject has a piece of 
poetry she recited when a centenarian. 

The paternal grandfather was a shoe- 
maker of New York. .He wedded Mary 
Kuntz, a native of Germany, and he 
served through the Revolutionary war 
under Gen. Washington. One of his sons 
was the father of Randolph Rogers, the 
famous sculptor. He died in Rome, leav- 
ing a son and daughter, who are both at- 



COMMEMORATIVE BWORAPITTCAL RECORD. 



805 



tendinpf collefje at Ann Arbor, Mich. The 
R()f,'crs family is of Enj^tish descent, the 
great-grandfather of our subject having 
come from England to the New World. 
The maternal great-grandfather was also 
a native of England, and the grandfather, 
who was a great jumper and athlete, and 
was a soldier during the struggle for inde- 
pendence. 

In Hartland, Huron Co., Ohio, B. F. 
Rogers, subject of this sketch, spent his 
boyhood days, attending the public 
schools. At the age of seventeen years 
he began learning the shoemaker's trade 
with his uncle, A. G. Ellis, at Fitchville, 
Huron county, where he remained for 
nine years. He then for one year had a 
shop of his own in Wakeman, that coun- 
ty, but at the expiration of that time again 
worked for his uncle, with whom he re- 
mained for a year, but the following win- 
ter was employed at his trade in Clarks- 
field, Huron county. He then entered a 
drug store, and for one year studied medi- 
cines and drugs, after which he went to 
Michigan, where he continued his studies 
with the brother of the professor of sur- 
gery in the Homeopathic College of 
Cleveland, Ohio. He was there pre- 
pared to enter college, but, becoming tired 
of the profession, he returned to Clarks- 
field, resuming work at his trade. 

In that place Mr. Rogers was united 
in marriage with Miss Myra Buck, who 
was reared in Xorwalk, Ohio, and to 
them were born four children: Emma, 
who married Alfred Barber, of Norwalk, 
and has one child — Florence; Belle, wife 
of E. M. Keller, of Pomona, Cal. ; Hattie, 
the widow of I. Boone, is a resident of 
California, and has two children — Effel 
and John B. ; Grant C. died in 1877, at 
the age of eleven years. In 1876 the 
mother of these children passed to her 
final rest, and September i, 1877, Mr. 
Rogers wedded Miss Belinda Malcom, of 
Ruggles, Ashland Co. , Ohio. Her father 
is a native of Aberdeen, Scotland. By 
her marriage she has three children — 



Malcom, Lillie and Archie. After his 
fir.-t marriage Mr. Rogers removed to 
Norwalk, Ohio, where he worked at his 
trade during the Civil war, but later be- 
came a resident of New London, Huron 
Co., Ohio. In 1869 he located in Clyde, 
where he deals in shoes, and is also en- 
gaged in their manufacture. He does 
general repairing, and all the work which 
he turns out is of first-class order. 

For the last five years Mr. Rogers 
has served as justice of the peace, and 
during the entire time has never had a 
case reversed in common pleas court. In 
politics he is deeply in sympathy with the 
Republican party. He has been a mem- 
ber of the Masonic fraternity since No- 
vember 16, 1855, and is now a Royal Arch 
Mason, while he has been connected with 
the I. O. O. F. since February 16, 1870. 
He is liberal in his religious views, and is 
a member of the Universalist Church. 
Mr. Rogers is practically a self-made 
man, well endowed mentally, and by his 
own physical exertions has made his life 
a success. 



JANSTED, one of the prosperous 
representative farmer citizens of 
Washington township, Sandusky Co. , 
Ohio, is a native of same, born March 
15, 1855. 

His parents, John and Mary (Upp) 
Ansted, were of Pennsylvania birth, from 
which State they migrated to Ohio, set- 
tling on a farm in Sandusky county, where 
the father died when their son Jacob was 
fourteen years old. The latter had then 
to assist in the support of his widowed 
mother on their eighty-acre farm, and 
when he came of age he purchased forty 
acres from her, in the cultivation of which 
he has since devoted his care and atten- 
tion. His mother for her second husband 
married Absalom Dank, a native of Ger- 
many, and they are living on the remain- 
ing forty acres of the original eighty-acre 
farm in Washington township. 



806 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Mr. Ansted is still sinj^le, is a Demo- 
crat in politics, in reli,!?ious faith a mem- 
ber of the Lutheran Church, and enjoj-s 
the respect and esteem of the community 
in which he lives. 



JOHN BENDER, who owns and 
operates a fine farm in Sandusky 
township, Sandusky county, was 
born in Rice township, that county, 
March 29, i S46, a son of Daniel and 
Elizabeth (Druckmiller) Bender. 

Daniel Bender came from Perry coun- 
ty, Ohio, and settled in Rice township, 
Sandusky count}', in 1844, where our 
subject was born, and when the latter 
was one year old the mother died. Daniel 
Bender for his second wife married Miss 
Caroline Honeywell. The family after- 
ward removed to Branch county, Mich., 
settling near Coldwater, where the father 
died at the age of fifty-seven. On account 
of the early death of his mother, John 
Bender, being then an infant of one year, 
was placed, for rearing, in the hands of 
Peter Albert and wife, who were cousins 
of his father. Here he received loving 
care and grew up to manhood, attending 
the district schools at intervals, and he 
remained with his foster parents until 
eighteen years of age, when he went to 
work on a farm by the month. He saved 
his money, and a few years later married 
Miss Caroline Riser (a sister of Christian 
Riser), a native of Germany, born June 
6, 184S. They settled on land Mr. Ben- 
der now owns, commencing in a small 
way; but success smiled upon their efforts 
and they were soon able to purchase 
more land. Mr. Bender is now recognized 
as one of the leading, successful agricul- 
turists of the township, owning 279 acres 
of land as good as any other in the State. 
In December, 1894, he sank an oil well on 
his farm, and the company to which he 
belongs have put down three wells, all of 
which are producing and promise to be 
fairly successful ventures. He and his 



wife have nine children: Christian, who 
married Rebecca Enqler; Saloma E. , 
wife of Frank Stine(they have one child); 
Charles; Ella, now Mrs. John Mairer; 
Lavina, who was married July 3, 1894, to 
Frank Fetterman; Emma; Frank, and 
Wesley. 

Mr. Bender started in life with no en- 
dowment save a strong pair of hands and 
his own good judgment; to-day he is in- 
dependent. Much of the land he now 
owns cost him $100 per acre. He is an 
unofficious, unassuming man to meet, but 
his worth as a neighbor, friend and citizen 
is well appreciated in the community. In 
1889 he was elected township treasurer, 
and has held that office by re-election to 
the present time. Politically he is a 
Democrat. 



WILLIAM CANTY. Among the 
Inisiness men of Gibsonburg, 
Sandusky county, who have 
made a reputation for straight 
dealing and honest work, will be found 
the subject of this sketch, who is the pro- 
prietor of the boiler shops in that city. 

Mr. Canty is a native of Illinois, hav- 
ing been born at Pana, that State, June 
8, 1862. He is the son of Thomas and 
Julia (Fogerty) Canty, the father being 
born in County Limerick, the mother in 
County Kerry, Ireland. Both emigrated 
to America when young, and settled in 
Pana, 111., where they, married. The 
father died in that city when tifty-eight 
3'ears of age, and the mother, who sur- 
vives him, makes her home in Tiffin, this 
State. This worthy couple were devoted 
members of the Catholic Church, as are 
their children of whom the following 
record is given: John is the owner of a 
boiler shop in Tiffin, Ohio; Thomas, who 
makes his home in Chicago, 111., is a 
traveling agent for the Hartford Life In- 
surance Company; William, our subject, 
comes ne.\t; Edward, a machinist, lives 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



807 



in Chicago; James is a foreman in the Big 
Four shops at Milttui, IlHnois. 

WiUiani Canty grew up to manhood 
at his home in Pana, III., and when nine- 
teen years old went to Maryville, Mo., 
where he worked as an engine wiper for 
si.x months. He then moved to Tiffin, 
this State, and learned the trade of a 
boiler maker with his brother. He was 
then for si.\ months fireman on the Wa- 
bash railway. Returning to Tiffin, he 
worked in the boiler shop for a year when 
he again went to Pana and worked at his 
trade for five months. Alternating be- 
tween this ]->lace and Tiffin for some time, 
he fired on the Ohio & Mississippi Valley 
railroad one year, and worked in the 
boiler shops in Tififin for three years, when 
he was married, in two years thereafter, 
August, 1890, moving to Gibsonburg. 
Here he opened up a boiler shop with a 
partner, but in April, 1893, purchased 
the whole concern and is now carrying it 
on himself. He iias established a good 
business and a reputation for industry 
and honesty, and has the confidence of 
the community as a skilled workman. 

Mrs. Canty, who before her marri- 
age was Miss Agnes Cathcart, was born in 
Tiffin, December 2 I, 1863. Mr. Cantv is 
a member of the Catholic Church, and of 
the Catholic Knights of St. John, at Tif- 
fin; in politics he is a Democrat. He is 
a fine specimen of physical manhood, 
strong and muscular, and will probably 
live to a good old age as his maternal 
grandparents both lived to be over one 
hundred years old. 



CD. WHITE. M. D., physician 
and surgeon, Fremont, Sandusky 
county, is a native of Ohio, hav- 
ing been born in Bellaire, Bel- 
mont county, December 11, 1839, a son 
of R. B., and ?:iiza A. (Ray) White, both 
of whom were of Irish descent. The father, 
who was also a physician of prominence, 
practiced in Monroe (of which county he 

51 



was a pioneer), Washington and Noble 
counties, Ohio, and died in the latter 
county in 1878. The mother, who came 
to Ohio from Lancaster county, Penn., is 
still living, and makes her home in West 
Virginia. 

The subject proper of this review was 
reared in eastern Ohio, receiving his edu- 
cation in the public schools of Monroe 
and Noble counties. In August, 1861, 
he enlisted in Noble county, Ohio, for 
three years' service, in Company K, 
Twentieth O. V. I., was ihustered in at 
Columbus, Ohio, and assigned to the 
army of West Virginia. He participated 
in some important battles, among which 
may be mentioned those of Carnifax 
Ferr}', Seconal Bull Run, South Moun- 
tain, Antietam, Haines' Bluff, Jackson 
and siege of Vicksburg, at which latter he 
received a severe scalp wound. After an 
honorable discharge at Columbus, Ohio, 
our subject returned to his home in Noble 
county. In 1865 he re-entered military 
service, and held the rank of second 
lieutenant of Company E, One Hundred 
and Ninety-fourth, O. V. I., until the 
close of the war, receiving a final honor- 
able discharge in Jime, 1865, and again 
returning home, after which he was en- 
gaged for some time, along with his 
brother, in a general mercantile business 
at Flint Mills, Washington Co., Ohio. 

Later he began the study of medicine 
under the preceptorship of Dr. Henshaw.of 
Ellenboro, W. Va. , and after taking a course 
of clinics in the Cincinnati General Hospit- 
al, he, in 1 873, entered the Eclectic Medical 
Institute of that city and attended a course 
of lectures. After practicing at a distance 
for a time, he returned to Cincinnati in 
1878, took a full course at the Eclectic 
Medical Institute, graduating with honor. 
The Doctor has practiced medicine in 
Pleasant Valley (W. Va.), Clayville (Va.) 
and Salineville fColumbiaua Co., Ohio), 
at which latter place he was associated 
with Dr. Sutzer, and thence came to the 
Western Reserve. He also practiced 



808 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



three years in Ringgold county, Iowa, in 
the city of Fremont since 1880, and al- 
together has built up an enviable reputa- 
tion in his 4Drofession, in which he has 
shown a commendable interest. He 
studied and practiced under a general 
allopathic practitioner, three years. Dr. 
White holds and has held various posi- 
tions of honor and trust in the commu- 
nity. He is a member of the Sandusky 
County Board of Pension E.xaminers, 
medical examiner for the National Union, 
and surgeon for the Union Veterans 
Union; is one of the commissioners for 
visiting the charitable institutions of the 
county. He is a member of the National 
Union, of the State Eclectic Society, and 
holds certificates from the National Eclec- 
tic Society and from the Iowa Eclectic 
Society, also from the Hospital of Clinics, 
Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Dr. White was married in Wood coun- 
ty, W. Va., in 1871, to Miss Elizabeth 
Ullum, and their children are: John, a 
plumber, who is married and has two 
children; Eliza Ellen, wife of Philip 
Lowry, of Huron county, Ohio (they 
have one child); Willie Delilah, wife of 
James Powers, East Prairie, Mo. ; and 
Thomas, who at present is attending Fre- 
mont High School. Mrs. White died at 
Mt. Ayr, Iowa, December 30, 1885, and 
in 1888 Dr. White married, at Fremont, 
Ohio, Miss Hortense Ickes, daughter of 
Samuel and Elizabeth Ickes, the former 
of whom is deceased, the latter residing 
on the old homestead north of Fremont. 
Mrs. White was elected National Presi- 
dent of the Women's Veteran Relief 
Union. The Doctor, in his political pref- 
erences, is a Democrat, and he is held in 
the highest esteem and regard. 



ADAM MAURER, proprietor of a 
livery and feed stable at Helena, 
Sandusky county, where he also 
conducts a thriving teaming and 
draying business, is a native of that coun- 



ty, born September ig, 1858, in Wash- 
ington township. 

Up to the year 188S our subject con- 
tinued to reside with his parents, James 
and Marie Maurer, and then, his mother 
having sold the farm of 120 acres in 
Washington township, which had been 
left her at the death of her husband, she 
and her son Adam moved into the town 
of Helena, same county, where Mr. 
Maurer established his present business. 
He is also to some extent interested in oil 
wells, and by diligence and close atten- 
tion to business has succeeded in securing 
a wide patronage for his livery, etc. Mrs. 
Marie Maurer, -mother of the subject 
proper of these lines, was born in Ger- 
many of well-to-do and respectable farm- 
ing people, who came to the United 
States several years ago. 

In his political preferences our sub- 
ject is a stanch Democrat, but is no office 
seeker, preferring to devote all his time 
to his business. He is a man of good 
standing in the community, and although 
popular and well-liked is still living in a 
state of " single blessedness." 



BENJAMIN EPLER. Among those 
steady-going, hard-working men 
who are pillars of strength in the 
community in which they live, 
and, by their lives, set before the young 
examples of temperance, industrj-, fru- 
gality, virtue and faith, is Mr. Epler. 

Benjamin Epler, Sr. , father of the 
subject of this sketch, married Barbara 
Smith. They were both born in Penn- 
sylvania, and lived and died there, leaving 
two children to mourn them, namely: 
Henry, whe married Emma Fought, by 
whom he has one child, and is a farmer 
in Pennsylvania, and Benjamin, Jr., who 
was born July 3, 1839. Our subject was 
united in marriage October 11, 1851, with 
Elizabeth Unger, who was born in Penn- 
sylvania December 21, 1828, and they 
have had seven children, of whom we 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPniCAL RECORD. 



809 



have the following record: Rosie married 
Joseph Slates, a farmer in Michigan; 
they had six children. George is a farm- 
er in Michigan; he married Frances 
Callahan, and they have had three 
children. Sally married David Witzler, 
and has had three children; they 
live in Helena, Sandusky Co., Ohio. 
Samuel, who lives in Michigan, married 
Etta Ring, by whom he has had two 
children. John married Hannah Ickes, 
and they have had one child. Henry died 
at the age of nineteen years. Katie is 
unmarried and lives at home. Mrs. Ep- 
ler's parents, Samuel and Elizabeth 
(Schneider) Unger, were farming people, 
and lived in Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Epler came to Ohio in the early 
times, and bought eighty acres of timber 
land, in Madison township, Sandusky 
county, all but ten acres of which he has 
cleared. He has worked hard, early and 
late, and has to-day a beautiful home 
wherein to pass his later days. He is a 
strong Republican, and in religious con- 
nection is a charter member of the United 
Brethren Church at Helena. 



JOHN ANDREWS, farmer, was born 
in Ballville township, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, March 12, 1839, a son of 
Jacob and Elizabeth (Indes) Andrews. 
Jacob Andrews was born in 1801, and his 
wife in 1807, in France; and she died May 
15, 1892. They had five children: (i) 
Joseph Andrews, born in 1837, a farmer 
of Millersville, Ohio, who married Anna 
Young, and has a family of seven chil- 
dren; (2) John Andrews, our subject; (3) 
Mary Andrews, born in 1841, wife of 
Lewis Baumgardner, a farmer, of Michi- 
gan, whose children are Frank, John and 
Mary; (4) Jacob, born in 1845, married 
to Mary Rilley, whose children are Ula- 
liah, Georgiana, Claude and James; (5) 
David, born March 11, 1843, married in 
1868 to Julia Scanlan, who was born 
March 7, 1850, and their children are — 



Peter, born September 11, 1870; Julia, 
born June 7, 1874; Stella, born February 
25, 1880; Mary, born January 23, 1882; 
John L. , born May 2, 1884; and I^oretta, 
born September 11, 1891. 

Our subject remained at home with 
his parents until his twenty-fifth year. 
He then rented some land of his father 
and farmed on shares. Subsequently he 
bought ninety-two acres of his father, on 
which he now resides. He is no office 
seeker, but has held several offices in his 
township. He was a soldier in the Civil 
war, having er.listed in Comiiany A, One 
Hundred and Eleventh Regiment, O.V. I., 
at Toledo, Ohio, whence he proceeded to 
Louisville and Frankfort, Ky., and spent 
the winter at Bowling Green. In the 
spring of 1863 he marched through Ken- 
tucky, back and forth, was taken sick, 
and lay for a time at No. 7, Louisville 
Hospital. After convalescence he was 
transferred to the Seventeenth Regiment, 
Veteran Reserve Corps, and helped guard 
Rebel prisoners at Indianapolis, Iiid., 
until discharged. He was married August 
20, 18 --, to Miss Mary Scanlan, who was 
born December 25, 1837, and they had 
seven children: (i) Mary, born June 7. 
1 862 ; (2) David, born February 1 8, 1 865. a 
mason by trade; (3) Elizabeth, born June 
27, 1867, wife of Rufus Kellcy, whose 
children are — Anna Marie, born Septem- 
ber 18, 1889, and John, born in 1891; (4) 
John, born September 12, 1869, a stone 
mason; (5) Frank, born June 12, 1872; 
(6) George E., born April 23, 1878; (7) 
Edward V., born March 16, 1880; the 
last four named are living with their 
parents. 

A record of the family of children, of 
which Mrs. Mary Andrews is a member, 
is as follows: John married, and has a 
family of eight children; Thomas died in 
childhood; Mary is Mrs. Andrews; John 
was a soldier in the Civil war. member of 
Company A, One Hundred and Eleventh 
Regiment, O. \'. I., and died in 1S93; 
Jeremiah; Edward married Julia Leary, 



810 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and has eight children (he served five 
years in the Civil war, and later was a 
merchant at Toledo, Ohio; he died Feb- 
ruary i8, 1886); Julia, born June 7, 1852, 
is the wife of David Andrews; Michael, 
born in 1854, married Mary Camele, 
whose children are — Nora, William, Mich- 
ael and Nellie; David, born May 9, 1857, 
is a police officer in Fremont, Ohio, mar- 
ried Margaret Donahue, and their chil- 
dren are — Edward, Mary, John and Frank. 



M 



L. HUSS. To this enterpris- 
ing farmer of Green Creek town- 
ship, Sandusky county, is due 
largely the growth of the small- 
fruit industry in his locality. Mr. Huss 
lives on the ridge in the township, and 
was one of its first men to engage in grow- 
ing and shipping small fruits on a large 
scale. He has made fruit-growing his 
chief business for many years. 

Mr. Huss was born in Green Creek 
township, March 31,1 848, son of Christian 
and Catherine (Rathbun) Huss. Christian 
Huss was born on Cat Island, on the Sus- 
quehanna river, Penn., February 21, 
I 81 5. In 1824 he came to Ohio with his 
parents, Noah and Mary (Burkholder) 
Huss, who settled on what is now known 
as the Kernahan farm, in Green Creek 
township, lived to an advanced age, and 
left a large family, consisting of John, 
Noah, Christian, Elijah, Jacob, Ellen 
(wife of David Hawk), Barbara E. (wife 
of S. S. Rathbun), Jane (who first mar- 
ried a Mr. Bernent, and afterward wedded 
Oliver Mclntire; she lived on the old 
Huss farm), Ann (who married George 
Hutchins), and Martha (who married a 
Mr. Campbell, and moved to Iowa). 
Christian married Catherine Rathbun, who 
was born in Ontario county, N. Y., in 
1818, and had twelve children, as follows: 
Chaplin, of Green Creek township; Eliza, 
wife of John Morrison, of Ballville town- 
ship; Shannon, who died young; Noah 
B. ; Darius, who died at the age of four- 



teen years; Burr, of Ballville township; 
Maurice L. , of Green Creek township; 
Jane, who married a Mr. Gleeson, by 
whom she had two children, and after- 
ward married Dr. McMillen, of Steuben 
county, Ind. ; Oliver P., of Steuben coun- 
ty, Ind. ; Barbara, wife of Chauncey 
Young, of Steuben county, Ind. ; Chris- 
tian E., on the old homestead in Green 
Creek township; and Saxton. Christian 
Huss, the father, died February 22, 1864, 
aged forty-nine years. His faithful and 
devoted wife survived until August, 1893. 
Maurice L. Huss, subject of this 
sketch, attended the Dawley school, in 
Ballville township, a joint district, and on 
the old homestead he learned the practi- 
cal value and lesson of perseverance and 
industry. He was married, in 1871, at 
the age of twenty-three \ears, to Miss 
Henrietta Storer, born in Brooklj-n vil- 
lage, October 21, 1851, daughter of 
Samuel Storer, a prominent farmer of 
Green Creek township. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Huss have been born two children — Ruth 
and Dwight. Mr. Huss is regarded gen- 
erally as one of the leadiiig men of the 
township, and is essentially a progressive, 
active citizen. He has for twenty-two 
years been a prominent member of the 
I. O. O. F. , and is a charter member of 
Clyde Grand Encampment. He was elect- 
ed trustee of the township in 1893, and is 
now serving in that capacity. 



LS. McGORMLEY, contractor and 
builder, Fremont, Sandusky coun- 
ty, is a native of Ballville town- 
ship, Sandusky Co., Ohio, born 
May 4, 1850, son of George and Lucy J. 
(Hampsher) McGormlej'. 

George McGormley was born in Perry 
county, Ohio, in 1826, came to Sandusky 
county, when he was three years old, 
and here remained the rest of his life, 
dying in 1886. He was a Democrat, and 
a member of the M. E. Church. His 
father, William McGormley, who was 



VOMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAVUIVAL RECORD. 



811 



born in Perry county, Ohio, of Scotch 
ancestry, lived in Sandusky county from 
1829 to 1872, when he moved to near 
Lansing, Mich., and there died at the 
age of eighty-five. Our subject's mother 
was born in Sparta, near Rochester, 
N. Y. , November 3, 1828, and is still living 
in Ballville township. The children of 
George and Lucy McGormley were: Su- 
san, wife of George Cole, of Ballville 
township; Louis S., our subject; George 
F., a civil engineer, of Toledo, Ohio; 
Anna, wife of Andrew Miller, subject's 
partner in business; and Charles A., a 
farmer, on the old homestead. 

Our subject grew to manhood in Ball- 
ville township, where he attended good 
country schools, and at the age of twenty 
began to learn the trade of carpenter 
with Matt Earney. In 1873 he married 
Miss Martha Harris, of Green Creek 
township, a member of the Lutheran 
Church, and located in Ballville, San- 
dusky county, where he worked at his 
trade. He was in the employ of A. Fos- 
ter, builder, about eight years. In 1882-83 
Mr. McGormley became a contractor 
and builder on his own account, and has 
followed that vocation most of the time 
since; he built the residence of Dr. R. 
H. Rice, and several other fine structures. 
In April, 1893, he was elected a member 
of the city council on the Democratic 
ticket. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., 
Subordinate Lodge and Encampment, 
and of the daughters of Rebekah; also of 
Canton, Uniformed Rank, K. of P. His 
children were: Chester, who died in 1893, 
aged twenty; Edith, a graduate of the 
high school, 1893; and Lucy Jane, at 
home. 



WILLIAM BLECKNER, a popu- 
lar, representative citizen, and 
postmaster at Oak Harbor, Ot- 
tawa county, was born Febru- 
ary 14, 1853, at Fremont, Sandusky Co., 



Ohio, to Adam and Christina (Lenhardt) 
Bleckner. 

His early education was received in 
the public schools of his native town, 
and when but twelve years of age he en- 
gaged in agricultural pursuits, which he 
continued to follow in Sandusky county 
for eight years. In 1873 he entered the 
employ, as clerk, of J. Ai.\ter& Co., lead- 
ing druggists of that county, at the expir- 
ation of three years (in 1876) purchasing 
the business, and from that date until 
1886 — when he admitted his brother 
Charles as a partner — he conducted same 
on his own account; in 1885 he established 
a branch store at Rocky Ridge, Ohio, and 
four years later he established another 
branch store at Port Clinton. In 1891 
Bleckner disposed of his interest in the 
business, his brother becoming sole pro- 
prietor, and during the years 1892-93 he 
was engaged in mercantile pursuits, hav- 
ing a large and extensive trade; but in 
the latter year he met with a serious loss, 
his large store and entire stock being 
totally destroyed by fire. He was then 
extensively engaged in the manufacture 
of bricks and tiles for three years. In 
1893 our subject, having proved himself 
a man of high standing and of more than 
ordinary ability, received (in recognition 
of the valuable services rendered by him 
to the community in which he resides) 
the appointment of postmaster at Oak 
Harbor, which incumbency he continues 
to hold, in an efficient manner and to 
the satisfaction of all. Mr. Bleckner 
is a director of and one of the largest 
stockholders in the Oak Harbor Na- 
tural Gas Co., and also a stockholder 
in the Savings Bank at Lorain, Ohio; 
he is largely interested in timber lands 
in the State, and in real-estate in Lo- 
rain county, and the characteristic zeal 
with which he discharges the numer- 
ous arduous duties in connection with 
these, as well as other enterprises, de- 
notes him to be a man of consummate 
energy, and has won for him the re- 



812 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



spect and confidence of the entire com 
munity. 

In 1884 Mr. Bleckncr was married to 
Miss Elva Gordon, who was born in Oak 
Harbor, January 31, 1865, a daughter of 
Washington and Maggie (Rymers) Gor- 
don, and this union has been blessed 
with three children, viz. : Donna, Lillian 
and Margaret C., all of whom survive. 
Mr. Blcckner in his social affiliations is a 
member of Oak Harbor Lodge No. 495, 
F". & A. M. ; Fremont Chapter No. 
64, K. A. M., and Toledo Com mandery 
No. 27. 



M 



ICHAEL BOWE is one of the 
enterprising and thorough busi- 
ness men of Scott township, 
Sandusky county, and he is a 
brother of Jacob, Henry, David and 
George Bowe. 

Mr. Bowe was born January 28, 1845, 
in Scott township, Sandusky county, on 
his father's old farm on the "pike." On 
January 6, 1866, he was married, at 
Freeport, to Miss Rachel Bordner, daugh- 
ter of Michael ar^d I^eah (Buchtel) Bord- 
ner, and the joung couple resided on the 
old home farm for one year, after which 
they lived two years in Wood county, and 
then, until 1876, made their home on 
Section 16, Scott township. In 1876 
they moved to Section 30, there purchas- 
ing 160 acres of land which they have 
cleared and put under the finest cultiva- 
tion; they also have erected fine build- 
ings, and their residence would be an 
ornament to any city in the county. It 
is of modern architecture, with slate roof 
and finishings to correspond. A few years 
afterward Mr. Bowe added to this pur- 
chase another forty acres in Section 29, 
which he has also cleared and put in fine 
condition. Later he added another eighty 
acres, making an excellent farm of 280 
acres. Mr. Bowe deals in all kind of 
stock, as a rule fattening and selling about 
1 50 sheep and eighty hogs yearly, be- 



sides buying and shipping stock in large 
quantities. 

On January 28, 1891, Mr. Bowe 
launched his financial boat into the oil 
sea of Scott township, Sandusky county. 
At first he struck a "sand bar," or, as 
the oilers call it, a "dry hole." Not 
discouraged, however, he continued his 
work and went into Wood county, Ohio, 
W'here he leased forty acres of land, and 
finished his first well February 29, 1892. 
Formerly he had a partner, but he bought 
his interest, and now owns and operates 
the field himself. Mr. Bowe has, at this 
writing, eight wells in operation, which 
at first produced 100 barrels each per 
day, and now produce eight barrels each 
daily, or si,\ty-four barrels in all, worth 
eighty cents per barrel — making an income 
of over $50 per day. The e.xpense of oper- 
ating is small, there being only one man 
in charge of all the wells. He also has a 
lease in Sandusky county of thirty-five 
acres, on which two wells have been made 
and two more are to be drilled. Mr. 
Bowe is a thorough business man, and like 
all his brothers is a highly esteemed citi- 
zen. Politically he is a Democrat. 

George Bowe, Sr. , the father of our 
subject, was born in 1802 in France, and 
came to America in 1832, settling in New 
York State, near Buffalo, where he re- 
mained three years; thence he came to 
Ohio, where, in Scott township, San- 
dusky county, he entered 210 acres of 
land, one-half for his sister and the bal- 
ance for himself. In the winter of 
1834-35 he married Catherine Wegstcin, 
who was born in Baden, Germany, daugh- 
ter of Michael Wegstein. To them were 
born ten children, three of whom died 
in infancy, and the others are George, 
Jacob, Frederick, Henry, Michael J., 
David and Mary C. Fred and Mary 
died some time ago; the others are yet 
living. Mr. Bowe was an old pioneer of 
Scott township. He at one time owned 
over 600 acres of land, which he divided 
among his children, thus giving each a 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRArUWAL liEVOUD. 



813 



start in life, from which they have stead- 
ily advanced, and become well-to-do men, 
highly respected by all who know them. 
He died June 3, 1872, and his wife, the 
mother of our subject, died July 9, 1891, 
and was buried in Bradner cemetery. 

The maternal grandfather, Michael 
Wegstein, was born about 1779, in Baden, 
Germany, where he was married. In 
1S32 he started for America, and during 
the voyage his wife died and was buried 
in mid-ocean. In his family were six 
children, of whom only two are living, 
George and Mrs. Jacob Faler, of Fremont. 
One son, Capt. Michael Wegstein, of 
Company H, Seventy-second O. V. I., 
was killed in the battle of Shiloh. Sarah, 
Mrs. Dipman,died in Fremont about i860. 
Mary A. Grund, of Fremont, died Octo- 
ber 3, 1892. 

Mrs. Rachel Bowe, wife of Michael 
Bowe, is a sister of Mrs. George Bowe. 
She was born August 9, 1846, in Mont- 
gomery township. Wood county, remain- 
ing with her parents until her marriage, 
which has been blessed with eight chil- 
dren: Frank E.,born March 10, 1867, who 
now resides in California; Alfred G., born 
January 9, 1869, who died April 23, 1880; 
Michael B., born June 14, 1871; Henry 
J., born December 16, 1873; Lewis D., 
born May 5, 1875; Lillie, born April 28, 
1877; Jessie, born March 12, 1879, and 
Harry, born July 19, 1886. 

As already stated, Mrs. Bowe is a 
daughter of Michael and Leah (Buchtel) 
Bordncr, the former of whom was born in 
Pennsylvania February 28, 18 12, the 
latter born about 1815. They were mar- 
ried December 11, 1834. To their mar- 
riage came eight children: Henry, born 
September 9, 1836; Mary, born October 
II, 1838; Lucy, born January 25, 1841, 
died September 24, 1894; Calvin, born 
April 30, 1843, died July 28, 1862; Rachel, 
A., born August 9, 1846; Ellen, born, 
September 14, 1848; Alfred, born Jan- 
uary 28, 1851; Sarah, born November 24, 
1855, fiveof whom are now living. Henry 



and Calvin died in the army during the 
Civil war. The mother of these died in 
1859 and was buried in Bradner cemetery. 
In 1862 Mr. Bordiier married for his sec- 
ond wife Polly Yohe, of Indiana, who 
died in 1881. The paternal grandfather 
of Mrs. Bowe was Peter Bordner, who 
was born in Pennsylvania about the year 
1776; his wife, Catherine Cotherman, was 
born in 1770. They had nine children, 
Michael Bordner being the only one now 
living. His father died in 18 16 and his 
mother in 1866. Mrs. Bowe's maternal 
grandfather, Henry Buchtel, was born in 
1790 and died in I 875 ; his wife, Eii;jabeth 
Ayers, was a year younger than her hus- 
band, and died in 1850. They had fifteen 
children, two sons and thirteen daughters. 



FRANKLIN STOKES, one of the 
successful farmers of Riley town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born 
June 4, 1864, and is a son of 
Jacob and Sarah (Steffir) Stokes, who 
were married in Riley township, and lived 
there for a short time. Soon after their 
marriage Jacob Stokes, with his wife, 
moved to Rice township, Sandusky coun- 
ty, and bought eighty acres of land. 
Later he moved back to Riley township, 
and in the year 1875 bought ninety-seven 
acres there. They had si.x children, as 
follows: John married Jennie Axton, 
and they have had six children (they live 
in Riley township); Samantha married 
James Gilbert, and they have had four 
children (they live in Clyde, Ohio); An- 
drew married Josephine Bonman, and 
they have had four children (they live in 
Riley township); Ella married D. Griggs, 
and they have had four children (they 
live near Clyde, Ohio); Franklin is the 
subject of this sketch; and Elmer married 
Hannah HufTley, and they have had two 
children (they live in Riley township). 

Our subject was reared to habits of in- 
dustry and economy, and worked for his 
father until he was married. On Sep- 



814 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



tember 4, 1886, in Clj'de, Sandusky Co., 
Ohio, he was united in marriage with 
Clara Smith, and they then settled in Riley 
township. They have one child, Crelo, 
who was born March 28, 1891. Mr. 
Stokes has thus made his beginning in life 
on the solid basis of general farming, not 
venturing his labor on one product alone, 
or in any one exclusive department of 
farming. So if one undertaking fails 
tlirough adverse causes, if the market is 
overstocked with any one product or falls 
below a profit-giving figure, then some 
other way may pay well and keep up the 
receipts to a living standard. Politically, 
Mr. Stokes is a Democrat. 



JOHN A. KING, one of the prosper- 
ous farmers of Green Creek town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was born in 
Union county, Penn., July 3, 1837, 
the son of John and Margaret (I)crman) 
King. His great-grandfather was an emi- 
grant from England, who settled in 
Juniata county, Penn., where his son 
James was born, married, and lived many 
years, afterward removing to Union 
county. 

John King, his son, the father of John 
A., was born in Juniata county. He 
lived for a time in Snyder county, then 
moved to Union county, where he mar- 
ried Mrs. Margaret Tibbins, ncc Derman, 
and where he worked in the mines and 
on the farm until his death. In religious 
faith he was a member of the M. E. 
Church, and in politics a Democrat. 
The five children of John and Margaret 
King were as follows: Joseph and An- 
drew (twins), the former a blacksmith at 
Bellevue, Ohio, the latter a resident of 
Center county, Penn. ; James, who served 
four years in a Pennsylvania regiment 
during the war, and was killed in a steam 
sawmill accident in Pennsylvania; John 
A., subject of this sketch; Hannah M., 
now Mrs. Aaron Waller, of Bellevue. 



Her first husband, a Mr. Myers, was 
killed in the Civil war. Both the parents 
of these five children had been previously 
married. By his first marriage John 
King had two children: Amos, who 
served in the army during the Civil war 
and died about two years ago, and 
Emma, now Mrs. Stittler, of Clinton 
county, Penn. By her first husband 
Mrs. King had five children: Samuel, 
John, Levi, William and Eliza. Her 
father had been a soldier in the Revo- 
lutionary war. 

The boyhood of John A. King was 
spent in Union countj', Penn., where he 
attended the district schools. He learned 
the blacksmith trade, and in 1859 came 
to Ohio, settling in Bellevue, where for 
nearly twenty years he worked steadily 
at his trade. About 1879 Mr. King 
came to a farm in York tojvnship, San- 
dusky count}'. He engaged successfully 
in agricultural pursuits for five j'ears, and 
during this time he also traveled. For 
several years he went on the road, in the 
southern part of the State, as a salesman 
of farming implements and washing ma- 
chines, for Mr. Ranford, of Norwalk, and 
Mr. Southland, of Clyde. He then 
commenced business for himself, selling 
brackets, stationery.etc, traveling through 
to Van Buren count}', Mich. He was 
there for a part of two seasons, and was 
quite successful. Mr. King then moved 
from his farm of eighty acres, which he 
still owns, to a seven-acre tract at Clyde, 
where he now lives. He is a member 
of the A. P. A., and his party affiliations 
are not strong; in exercising the ballot 
he is quite independent, and at present 
rather favors a third party movement. 
Mr. King married Miss Mary .\nn Diment, 
a native of England, and has three chil- 
dren: Louisa, wife of Allen G. Winnil; 
Hannah M., wife of James Vickery, of 
York township, and Minnie. Mr. King 
is a prosperous citizen of Sandusky, his 
success being due solely to his own en- 
ergy and business ability. 



COMMHMOHATIVK BlOOUAl'IIlUAh UKCOKD. 



S15 



JOHN G. FISHER, a substantial 
fanner of Riley township, Sandusky 
county, was born in Austria Septem- 
ber 15, 1849, and is a son of Nick 
and Anna (Geigcr) Fisher, who were both 
also born in Austria. 

Nicholas Fisher was born September 
28, 1816; was united in marriage with 
Anna Geij;er in 1840; came to this coun- 
try in 1853, and settled in Washington 
township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, and bought 
a farm. They had nine children, namely: 
Rosie, Sophia, May, Catherine, Barbara, 
Anna. Ilattie, Gebhardt and John G. 

Jdhii G. Fisher had a common-school 
education, and for some time before his 
marriage was living in Fremont, San- 
dusky county, where he had a house and 
lot, and worked by the day. Selling the 
house and lot in Fremont, he was united 
in marriage, October 26, 1876, with Vic- 
toria Borer, who was born June 4, 1856. 
They had a family of seven children, their 
names and dates of birth being as follows 
George F. , December 30, 1877; Mary I. 
February 20, 1879, died March 23, 1888 
Joseph, July 26, 1880; Elizabeth M. 
April 18, 1 88^3; Frank D., August 2, 1885 
Herman, October 3, 1888; and Albert 
October 7, 1892. After his marriage Mr 
Fisher moved to Green Creek township 
Sandusky county, and bought fifty-four 
acres of land. Selling this, he moved to 
Riley township, and bought 104 acres, for 
which he paid $4,600.00, and in 1890 
built a new house. He carries on general 
farming, and makes a specialty of raising 
fine horses. He is a Democrat in poli- 
tics, and has been honored with public 
office, having been school director for 
five years. In religious affiliation he is a 
Catholic. 



M 



RS. MARY ARNOLD, a most 
estimable lady, now residing in 
Washington township, Sandus- 
ky county, was one of a family of 
eight children born to William and Marie 



(Hoke) Hay. The parents were both 
born in Adams county, Pcnn., the father 
May 30, 18 1 9, and the mother January 
29, 1822. In the year 1863 they settled 
in Ohio, taking up their residence in 
Wayne county, where they spent their 
remaining days. 

Mrs. Arnold was reared in her parents' 
home, becoming familiar with the duties 
of the household under the careful in- 
struction and guidance of her mother. Af- 
ter she had arrived at years of maturity 
she gave her hand in marriage to Peter Ar- 
nold, son of Joseph and Susanna (Fleck- 
ner) Arnold, who were natives of the Key- 
stone State and came to Ohio in 1814, 
casting in their lot with the early settlers 
of Wayne county. Their family numbered 
eleven children, seven sons and four 
daughters, but only three of the number 
are living at the time of this writ- 
ing (1895). 

Peter Arnold was reared ujjon his 
father's farm anti started out in life for 
himself by working as a farm hand, being 
thus employed until his marriage. In 
1863 he left his old home and removed to 
Sandusky county, locating in Washington 
township, where he purchased the forty 
acres of land upon which his widow now 
resides. With characteristic energy he 
began its development, and soon it was 
all placed under the plow, and made to 
yield to him a golden tribute in return for 
the care and cultivation he bestowed 
upon it. He made good improvements 
and all was neat and thrifty in appear- 
ance, and the owner was recognized as 
one of the leading agriculturists of the 
community. 

In his political views Mr. Arnold was 
a Democrat, but had no time nor inclina- 
tion for public office. In religi<^us belief 
he was a Methodist, and his life was in 
harmony with his professions. His death 
occurred June 30, 1889, and all who 
knew him mourned his departure, for he 
was a good citizen, a faithful fricntl and 
a devoted husband and father. Mrs. Ar- 



81G 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPUWAL RECORD. 



nold still resides upon the old home place, 
which was left her by her husband, and is a 
lady held in high regard by a large circle 
of friends and acquaintances. She has 
reared a large family of children, but 
only one, Viola, is now at home with her. 



JOHN BINKLEY. farmer, Jackson 
township, Sandusky county, was born 
December 23, 1835, «! son of John 
Binkley, Sen., a farmer from Penn- 
sylvania, who moved in pioneer days to 
Perry county, Ohio, bought 160 acres of 
land and lived there until his death from 
apoplexy, in 1878. Our subject's mother 
was Mary (Fisher) Binkley, born October 
15, 1800, and her children were: (i) 
Michael, born in April, 18 19, who mar- 
ried Anna Albert, and had four children. 
(2) Melanction T. , who married George 
Bixicr, and had one child that died in 
childhood. (3) Charles, who married 
Annie Pressler, and whose children were 
Nettie, Clarence, Mary, Jennie, Annie, 
Irving, Carl, and an infant. Charles 
Binkley was a soldier of the Civil war in 
Company K, One Hundredth Regiment, 
O. V. I., served three years, was in the 
battles of Limestone Station, Atlanta, 
etc., was wounded in the right leg and 
laid up for si.\ months, unfit for duty, was 
in Libby prison a short time, and after 
his release returned to Fremont. He is 
a farmer, a Republican and a member of 
the U. B. Church. (4) Tena, married 
George Bi.xler (a soldier of the Civil war, 
a Republican and a member of the Re- 
formed Church), by whom she had five 
children; she died in 1889. (5) Mary 
Ann married John Surbate (a merchant of 
Clyde, Ohio, a Republican and a mem- 
ber of the Reformed Church), by whom 
she had three children; she died in 1884. 
(6) Samuel, born October 18, 1821, who 
married Tena Albert, whose children are 
— Ramanas, Amos, Mary and Tena. (7) 
Lydia, wife of Daniel Albert, born July 8, 
1824, who had twelve children — George 



(who married Sarah Coe), Stella, Jeffer- 
son, Lillie, James, Claydie, Jennie and 
five that are dead. (8) Link, who mar- 
ried Hannah Reed, and whose children 
were — Ida, Tillie, Susie, Alice, Isadore, 
Emma, Francis, and four that are dead. 
(9) Peter, who married Jane Rider, and 
had a family of twelve children. (10) 
Mary, who married J. Grut, and had nine 
children, (i i) Annie, wife of Peter Bink- 
ley, who had eight children, two of whom 
are dead. (12) Charles, who married 
Kate Macklin, and was blessed with five 
children. (13) Ellen, who married Mich- 
ael Binkley, and had eight children. Mar- 
garete, who married L. Carr, and whose 
first two children — Commodore and Amor- 
etta — were twins, and the others being 
Mary, William, John, Caroline, Adelina, 
and Elmer, who was killed in a railroad 
accident in 1876. Matilda, married Solo- 
mon Bauman, whose children are — John, 
Katie, Betsey, and Lydia; Mrs. Bauman 
died in 1869, and Mr. Bauman in 1871. 
Christian married Lavina Kessler, lives 
near Holt, Mich., and has six children. 
Aaron married Mar}- Henscl, who died 
leaving five children, after which he mar- 
ried Alice Potter, by whom he had six 
children, living in Ottawa county, Ohio. 
Hannah married Martin Staincr, and 
their children are— Edward, John, Levi, 
Cora and Ellen; he died in the army, of 
fever, and was buried near Washington, 
D. C. Sarah, who married John Downie, 
a soldier of the Civil war, who died at 
Washington, D. C. ; they had five chil- 
daen; she died in 1865. Holly, who mar- 
ried Lewis Hawk, a soldier of the Civil 
war, who died in Washington, D. C, in 
1865, leaving three children — Charlie, 
Sherman and Fred; Mrs. Hawk is a mem- 
ber of the Reformed Church, and lives 
near Fremont, Ohio. 

Our subject, John Binkley, was mar- 
ried at Fremont, December 23, 1887, to 
Miss Christena Hensel, the Rev. Heller 
performing the marriage service. She 
was born September 17, 1841, and died 



COMMKMOliATIVE BIOQRAl'UWAL RECORD. 



817 



Aiifjust 20, 18 — , leaving eight children, 
vi;;. : (1) Jane S., born March 14, 1859, 
and died at the age of three years. (2) 
May A., born Februarj- 25, 1862, wife of 
John Barnes, railroad agent (they have 
one child, Lulu). (3) James A., born 
April 20, 1S65, who married Sarah Car- 
ter, whose children were — Grace, that 
died, and Fred, who is clerk in a store at 
\\'or.stville, Paulding county. (4) Effie 
I., born June 28, 1867, wife of William 
Carter, married June 6, 1888. (5) Ella 
A., born July 25, 1869, wife of John 
Warren, married in the spring of 1894. 
(6j Clara A., born November 8, 1872, wife 
of J. Hardin, married in 1892. (7) 
Vcnia M.,born November 15, 1878, who 
attended school in Cleveland (Ohioj and 
Peoria (111.). (8) John S., born May 19, 
1 88 1. On June 6, 1886, John Binkley 
married his second wife, Mrs. Barbara 
Dost; she had two children — Willie, born 
April 8, 1878, died April 2, 1888; and 
Maud, born May 19, 1880. 

Our subject has an honorable war 
record. At the outbreak of the Civil war, 
in 1 86 1, he enlisted in Company K, One 
Hundredth Regiment, O. \. I., and went 
with his command from Toledo to Cin- 
cinnati, crossed the Ohio river, met the 
enemy, routed them, marched to Cum- 
berland Gap, drove them to Knoxvillc and 
took possession of the town. After they 
besieged the place the enemy made an 
attack on one of their best forts. After 
the battle the enemy lay dead and wound- 
ed three deep. The}' retreated toward 
Virginia, and the same night snow fell to 
the depth of three inches, and their men 
being barefooted were obliged to remain 
in camp, and there were about 1,500 cap- 
tured. After lying in eamp until April i, 
1863, they started for the Georgia cam- 
paign. After Atlanta was taken Gen. 
Sherman divided his troops, a part going 
on to the sea and the rest remaining to 
protect his rear. The enemy finding they 
could do nothing with Serman's main 
army, attacked the forces in the rear. 



After long and hard fighting with doubtful 
results, the Union forces received rein- 
forcements from Gen. Thomas at Nash- 
ville, and the tide of victory turned on the 
side of the Union. After peace was de- 
clared our subject returned to his wife 
and children in Sandusky county, and re- 
sumed farming. Himself and family are 
members of the U. B. Church. 



PETER BAKER. The German 
Fatherland has furnished thous- 
ands of immigrants to America, 
whose habits of industry, economy 
and thrift have made them model farmers 
and mechanics, and level-headed citizens. 
Generally, they are not afraid of hard 
work, plain food or coarse clothing, and 
usually make an honest living, pay their 
debts if they make any, and lay up some- 
thing for a rainy day. As such an one 
we present the subject of this sketch. 

Peter Baker, farmer, Ballville town- 
ship, was born in Germany, May 6, 1853, 
a son of Peter, Sr. , and Christena (Mat- 
tie) Baker, whose children were: Chris- 
tian, who married Minnie Brinkman, and 
had two children; Peter, our subject; and 
Christina, wife of Martin Gcssner, a farm- 
er, of I^iley township (they have two chil- 
dren). The father of our subject was a 
soldier in Germany for seven years, and 
a police officer some fourteen years. He 
emigrated to America, and settled in 
Seneca county, Ohio, where he bought 
forty acres of land, and lived there until 
his death. 

Our subject, having remained with his 
parents until his twenty-third year, and 
saved his earnings, married Miss Lucy 
Miller, of Riley township, and entered 
upon life on his own account. Mrs. Mil- 
ler was born August 18, 1858. The 
names and dates of birth of their children 
are Charles P., July 16, 1879; Clara E., 
May 31, 1 881; George C, March 26, 
1884; Anna M., June 18, 1886; and 
William L., September 12, 1891. Our 



818 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



subject earned his money when a young 
man by working by the day. After mar- 
riage he rented a farm for two years on 
shares. In 1881 he bought forty acres of 
land for $4,000, and in 1893 built a new 
barn at a cost of $500. He follows gene- 
ral farming, and raises some fine Jersey 
cattle. He is a Democrat in politics, and 
a member of the Lutheran Church. Mr. 
Baker takes an active interest in educa- 
tional matters in his neighborhood. 



H1:NRY H. ALMROTH. postmas- 
ter and proprietor of general store 
at Elliston, is one of the best 
known young men of Benton 
township and vicinity, and is recognized 
by his wide circle of acquaintances 
throughout Ottawa county as a most able 
and progressive business man, and a val- 
uable citizen. 

He is a native of Benton township, 
born September 28, 1865, on a farm near 
Elliston, son of Peter and Anna (Kurth) 
Almroth, who were among the earliest 
pioneers of the township. Peter Almroth 
was born in Germany, in 1831, served 
three years in the army of his native 
land, and about i860 came to this coun- 
try, sojourning temporarily in Lorain 
county, Ohio, where he remained about 
one year. He then came to Benton town- 
ship, Ottawa county, at a time when the 
entire region was a wilderness, not even 
a road crossing the township. He settled 
near what is now Elliston, where he still 
lives, and bought forty acres of land, his 
wife paying down one dollar to bind the 
bargain, the dollar being a silver pocket 
piece she had brought all the way from 
New York. By hard labor they paid for 
their land, also purchasing an additional 
one hundred acres, besides which they 
built a fine house and barns, together with 
the other necessary outbuildings. The 
farm is now considered one of the finest 
in Benton township, and its appearance 
and fertility speak volumes for those who, 



by their economy and hard labor, brought 
it to this state by their own hands. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Almroth were born eleven 
children — eight sons and three daughters 
— si.x sons and two daughters still living 
and residing in Ohio. Mrs. Almroth died 
June 19, 1895. 

Henry H. Almroth spent his boyhood 
days on his father's farm, and received a 
liberal education in the public schools of 
Trowbridge, completing the course at the 
age of fourteen. Commencing life for him- 
self, he now engaged as clerk in the gen- 
eral store of Magee & Paffenbach, of 
Elmore, Ohio, where he remained four 
months. After two months of illness he 
again took up clerking, this time with G. 
F. Otten, at Elliston, with whom he con- 
tinued seven years, without the loss of 
even a day. Mr. Almroth then spent one 
summer at home on his father's farm, 
where he fully recuperated his somewhat 
impaired health, aft-erward entering the 
store of Mr. O'Neil, of Trowbridge, 
Ohia, for whom he clerked one year. In 
February, 1887, Mr. Almroth and George 
Stick opened a general store at Elliston, 
conducting same in partnership for eight 
years, when Mr. Almroth purchased his 
partner's interest, and is now sole owner 
of the large and growing business. In 
addition to his mercantile business Mr. 
Almroth is a dealer in all kinds of grain — 
the only one in the vicinity — buying at 
Elliston, Graytown, Trowbridge, and 
Limestone. A stock company has just 
been formed at Elliston for the purpose 
of drilling for oil and natural gas, Mr. 
Almroth being a charter member of the 
company, and also its secretary. That 
his business ability is appreciated by his 
townsmen is shown by the fact that they 
have elected him to the office of township 
clerk for the fourth successive term; he 
has also been postmaster at Elliston for 
si.x years, the only Democratic postmaster 
in Ottawa county who continued in office 
through Harrison's administration. Mr. 
Almroth is now enlarging his store to ac- 



COMMEMORA 7 IVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



819 



cominodate his trade in farm machinerv, 
ill which branch he docs a Nourishing 
business. In fact, he is one of those 
men who succeed in everytliing they un- 
dertake, but there is no mystery sur- 
roundiiif; his success, as it has been ac- 
comphshed solely by the exercise of his 
own ability, energy and unceasing activity. 
On March 20, 1890, Mr. Almroth was 
married to Miss Myra Kirk Baldwin, of 
Elmore, Ohio, and they immediately set- 
tled in Elliston, where they have a fine 
well-kept home, and very pleasant sur- 
roundings. To their marriage have come 
two children: Ruth Ann, born May 10, 
1892, and Thomas Kirk, born December 
8, 1893. Mrs. Almroth was born De- 
cember 2, 1867, at Elmore, Ohio, where 
she received a liberal education in the 
public schools, at the age of sixteen tak- 
ing up the profession of teaching, which 
she followed for six years. She is the 
youngest of five children — two sons and 
three daughters — born to Thomas and 
Sarah (Kirk) Baldwin, of Elmore, the 
former of whom was born in Greene 
county, Ohio, June 17, 1832; the mother 
was born in Maryland June 7, 1832. 
They were married March 16, 1854, and 
the greater part of their lives has been 
spent in Elmore, where they yet make 
their home. Mrs. Henry H. Almroth is 
a member of the M. E. Church of El- 
more, and Mr. Almroth, in religious con- 
nection, is a member of the Evangelical 
Church of Elliston. Socially he is a K. 
of P., and in political faith is a stanch 
Democrat. 



GW. NEFF, who is engaged in 
farming in Washington township, 
Sandusky county, is numbered 
among the native sons of that 
locality, his birth having occurred in San- 
dusky county, April 21, i860. His father 
was born November 13, 1813, and his 
mother in 1830. They had a family of 
four children — Ellen, wife of I. Edwards, 



who has one son, William, now a farmer 
in Sandusky township, Sandusky county; 
L. W. , who for eighteen years has been 
successfully engaged in teaching in Ball- 
ville and Washington townships (he is a 
Democrat); and Mellisse, born in 1855, 
who is the wife of C. C. Ludwig, a farm- 
er of Allen county, Ohio, by whom she 
has four children (her husband is a sup- 
porter of the Democratic party). 

Upon the home farm Mr. Neff spent 
the days of his boyhood and youth, no 
event of special importance occurring dur- 
ing that period. The public schools of 
the neighborhood afforded him his edu- 
cational privileges, and he early became 
familiar with the duties of farm life. As 
a companion and helpmeet on life's jour- 
ney he chose Miss Louisa Lautz, who was 
born August 8, 1 860, and is the daughter of 
Simon Lautz, a well-known and respected 
farmer residing in Washington township. 
Four children grace the union of our sub- 
ject and his estimable wife — Lottie, Met- 
tle, Maud and Elmer — and the family 
circle yet remains unbroken. The Neff 
household is the abode of hospitality, and 
its members occupy an enviable position 
in social circles. Our subject remained 
upon the old home farm up to the time 
of his marriage, when he purchased forty 
acres of land, his present farm, and his 
care and labor have transformed this into 
a richly cultivated tract. He is enterpris- 
ing and progressive, and upon his place 
are seen many modern improvements. 

Mr. Neff attended Normal school, 
and in addition to agricultural pursuits he 
has been engaged in school teaching for a 
number of years. In 1892 he was elected 
to the office of assessor upon the Demo- 
cratic ticket, and filled that position for 
two years, discharging his duties with 
promptness and fidelity. He takes an 
active and commendable interest in every- 
thing pertaining to the welfare of the 
community, and his support is given to all 
worthy enterprises that are calculateil to 
advance the general welfare. He holds 



820 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPniCAL RECORD. 



membership with the Lutheran Church, 
and tl:ose who know him have for him 
the highest regard. 



JOHN A. NEIDECKER, proprietor 
of an extensive furniture establish- 
ment, and funeral director. Port Clin- 
ton, Ottawa county, was born in 
Chicago, 111., May 25, 1859, a son of 
Peter and Anna A. (Struve) Neidecker. 

Grandfather Neidecker was born in 
Germany in 1776, and died in 1882; his 
wife was born in 1806, and died Decem- 
ber 28, 1880. Peter Neidecker, father of 
our subject, was born in Baden, Germany, 
March 21, 1834, and at the age of four- 
teen accompanied his parents to the 
United States, they settling in Erie town- 
ship, Ottawa Co., Ohio, where they 
passed the rest of their honored lives in 
agricultural pursuits. Their son, Peter, 
received a portion of his education in the 
Fatherland, and after coming to Ottawa 
county attended the common schools for 
a time. Removing to Chicago, 111., he 
there made his home till 1865, in w'hich 
year he returned to Ohio, taking up his 
home in Port Clinton, where in the fol- 
lowing year he engaged in a coopering 
business, which he conducted in that vil- 
lage until 1872, when he opened out an 
undertaking and furniture establishment. 
In this line he continued until 1876, when 
he retired from active life. In the city 
of Chicago, September 25, 1856, he was 
united in marriage with Miss Anna A. 
Struve, and children as follows were born 
to them: Minnie, wife of George Smith, 
of Cleveland; George William, who for 
si.x years was a printer, and is now a phy- 
sician in Brooklyn; Frank, who when 
fourteen years of age commenced in the 
drug business at Port Clinton, Ohio, and 
is now a resident of Cleveland; Caroline, 
at home; and John A., subject of sketch. 
The father of this family is deceased; the 
mother is living in Port Clinton with her 



daughter Caroline and two little grand- 
daughters — children of our subject. 

John A. Neidecker received his educa- 
tional training at the schools of Port 
Clinton, learned the furniture and under- 
taking business with his father, and suc- 
ceeded to the same at the latter's death. 
For a time he was in the recorder's and 
probate judge's office, and in 1876 he was 
appointed probate judge, filling that posi- 
tion eight months. He is a man of at- 
tractive appearance, well adapted for the 
management of his lucrative and widely- 
expanding business, and enjoys an envi- 
able popularity. 



SCOTT STAHL, junior member of 
the well-known firm of Finefrock 
& Stahl, attorneys at law, Port 
Clinton, Ottawa county, is a na- 
tive of Ohio, born at Marion, Marion 
county, December 23, 1866, a son of 
Benjamin F. and Elizabeth (Finefrock) 
Stahl. 

Our subject received his elementary 
education at the common schools of his 
native place, remaining there until he had 
reached his fourteenth year, at which 
time the family removed to a farm, where 
he learned the rural lessons of industry 
and perseverance that are ever the ac- 
companiments of a successful career. At 
the country school in the neighborhood 
of his father's farm he continued his 
studies, after which he taught school at 
Prospect, Ohio, preliminary to his legal 
studies. He began reading law in the 
office of his uncle, Judge T. P. Finefrock, 
of Fremont, Ohio, and was admitted to 
the bar December 3, 1891, after which he 
located in Port Clinton, where he has 
built up an enviable practice, and is held 
in high esteem by his colleagues. He is 
a young man of liberal views, taking a 
lively interest in public affairs. A stanch 
Democrat in his political predilections, he 
was, but ten weeks after locating in Port 
Clinton, elected to the office of city so- 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



821 



licitor; was re-elected at the close of the 
term without opposition, and is at pres- 
ent filling the incumbency with eminent 
ability. 

On September 8, 1892, Mr. Stahl was 
united in marriage with Miss Grace Dana, 
daughter of George Dana, one of the sub- 
stantial citizens of Green Creek township, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, and one child, Kate 
E., has blessed their union. In his fra- 
ternal affiliations Mr. Stahl is a member 
in good standing of the Knights of Pythias. 



JOHN KIRSCH, who owns and oper- 
ates a good farm of 185 acres in 
Washington township, Sandusky 
county, is a native of Germany, born 
June 13, 1835, and a son of Nicholas and 
Emma (Vogel) Kirsch. The father was 
born November 6, 1806, and by occupa- 
tion was a farmer, following that pursuit 
throughout the greater part of his life. 
In 1853 he left his native land, and with 
his family crossed the Atlantic to America, 
locating in the Buckeye State, where he 
and his wife spent their remaining days, 
her death occurring in 1885, his in 1886. 
They left two children, Philip and John, 
the former of whom married Anna Ripper 
and reared a family of seven children 
upon his Ohio farm; they are as follows: 
John; Ralph; Daniel, who married Theresa 
Hatten, by whom he had nine children, 
and follows farming in Oregon; Mary, 
widow of John Hobbart, who died leaving 
a family of six children; Peter, who died 
in childhood in Germany; Jacob; and 
Emma, wife of John Conrad, who is liv- 
ing in Wisconsin. 

John Kirsch was reared in his parent's 
home, and at the age of eighteen came 
with them to America, since which time 
he has resided continuously in Ohio. 
\\^hen twenty years of age he was united 
in marriage with Miss Lena Hobbart, and 
to their union were born si.x children, as 
follows: John, Peter, Tillie fnow the 
wife of William Usher, by whom she has one 



child). Josh, Mary (who died in October, 
1869J, and Clay. 0;i May 8, 1875. the 
wife and mother was called to her final 
rest, and her death was deeply mourned 
thoroughout the communitj-. For his 
second wife Mr. Kirsch chose Mary Hass, 
who died May 18, 1879. For his third 
wife he married Elizabeth Nickles, and 
by this union were born six children, five 
of whom are still living, namely: Mary, 
Kittie, Robbie, Frankie and Nichols. 
One child, Frankie, died October 28, 
1893, and the mother passed away Febru- 
ary 8, of the same year. • 

Mr. Kirsch came to Washington town- 
ship, Sandusky county, in 1861, and a 
few years later purchased eighty acres of 
his present farm, to which he has added 
from time to time. His second purchase 
made him the possessor of one hundred 
acres, and in 1883 he extended the bound- 
aries of his farm by becoming the owner 
of an additional tract of eighty-five acres. 
He thoroughly understands farming in all 
its details, his land is highly cultivated, 
and his place is well improved with good 
buildings, while the owner ranks among 
the leading agriculturists of the commu- 
nity, with which he has now been identi- 
fied for a third of a century. He exer- 
cises his right of franchise in support of 
the Democratic party, and in religious 
belief is a Catholic. 



his 



FS. HELLER, M. D., a successful 
medical practitioner of Oak Har- 
bor, Ottawa county, is numbered 
among the native sons of Ohio, 
th having occurred in Fremont, 
Sandusky county, November 29, 1863. 

Dr. Heller is a son of George B. and 
Rhoda (Smith) Heller, the former of whom 
was born in Pennsylvania, and was of 
German ancestry, while the latter was 
born in Sandusky county, Ohio, and was 
of Scotch and English lineage. For many 
years they were honored residents of Port 
Clinton, this State, and the father effi- 



822 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ciently filled the office of auditor of Otta- 
wa county for six 3 ears. Upon his retire- 
ment to private life he engaged in the 
boot and shoe business in that place until 
1883, when he removed to Oak Harbor, 
and embarked in the lumber business. 
He and his estimable wife are still resi- 
dents of this place and are popular and 
highly esteemed members of the commu- 
nity. Their union was blessed with a 
family of four children, three of whom 
are now living, namely: Roland F. , F. 
S. and Rufus S. 

The Doctor obtained his primary edu- 
cation in the public schools of Port Clin- 
ton, and completed his literary education 
by a collegiate course in the Ohio Wes- 
leyan College, Delaware, Ohio. Wishing 
to take up the study of medicine and 
make its practice his life work he began 
reading with Dr. M. A. Hughes, of Port 
Clinton, with whom he continued for a 
year, and in 1885 entered the Medical 
Department of the University of Michi- 
gan at Ann Arbor, where he took a three- 
years' course, graduating in the class of 
I 888. On leaving that school he at once 
began the practice of his chosen calling, 
establishing an office in Oak Harbor, 
where he has remained continuously since. 
P'rom the beginning he has enjoyed a 
large clientele, and now has a very exten- 
sive and lucrative practice, which attests 
his skill and ability. 

In Oak Harbor, in November, 1892, 
was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Hel- 
ler and Miss E. Gertrude Metzger, daugh- 
ter of John C. and Emma Metzger. One 
child graces their union, Louis Welling- 
ton, who was born Octobor 17, 1893. 
The Doctor and his wife attend the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and are 
most highly esteemed residents of Oak 
Harbor, occupying an enviable position in 
social circles. Our subject is a member 
of the Northwestern Medical Society, and 
the Ohio State Medical Society, and is 
also a member of and medical examiner 
for Oak Harbor Lodge No. 516, K. of P., 



and Oak Harbor I^odge No. 226, K. O. 
T. M. He also belongs to Alpha Chapter, 
Nu Sigma Nu Fraternity, of Ann Arbor, 
Mich. In his political views he is a stanch 
supporter of the Democratic party. He 
is a deep student professionally, keeping 
thoroughly informed on everything con- 
nected with the science of medicine, and 
his ability is acknowledged both by the 
public and the medical fraternity. 



CONRAD ALMROTH, one of the 
popular young men of Benton 
township, Ottawa county, and one 
of the most energetic and prosper- 
ous farmers here, is the son of Peter and 
Anna (Kurth) Almroth, and was born Sep- 
tember 17, 1S70, on the farm where he 
now lives in Benton township. His par- 
ents were among the earliest settlers in 
Benton township, coming here when it 
was a wilderness, and, by hard work and 
the assistance of faithful children, made 
one of the finest farms in the county. 

Conrad Almroth was educated in the 
public schools of Iilliston, Benton town- 
ship, and completed his course of studies 
in 1886, after which he worked on the 
farm for his father until 1894, since which 
time he has had complete charge of it. 
He owns the stock and machinery, and, 
with the assistance of one man, employed 
by the month, works about 180 acres of 
land, comprising the homestead. Mr. 
Almroth attends strictly to business; his 
farm is kept in fine condition, fences in 
good repair, land well tilled, and all the 
surroundings give evidence of a skillful 
and industrious farmer. His yearlj' out- 
put of grain averages: Wheat, sixtj' acres; 
oats, twenty; corn, thirty; and hay (cut), 
twenty-five acres. In addition to the 
regular work of the farm, Mr. Almroth is 
engaged in the stock business, dealing in 
cattle, sheep, and hogs, which he sells to 
local dealers. Unlike his brothers, Con- 
rad Almroth has not yet taken unto him- 
self a wife. His sisters Mary (born Feb- 



COMMEMORATIVE JBIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



823 



ruary 4, 1876) and Kate (born June 5, 
1878) are at home, attending to the house- 
work, while he manages the work on the 
farm. 

The entire family are musicians, and 
are well known and in demand through- 
out the vicinity on all social occasions. 
Conrad Almroth is assistant leader of the 
Elliston Cornet Band, in which he plays 
the B-Hat cornet. He has a tenor voice, 
his brother Henry sings second tenor, 
John first bass and George second bass. 
The sisters are also musicians, and there 
is a fine quartet in the family, with Mary 
for soprano, Kate alto, Conrad tenor and 
John bass. They are all born musicians, 
and none of them have neglected their 
talents in this direction. 



DR. L. B. MYERS, retired drug- 
gist, Fremont, Sandusky county, 
was born in Lancaster count}', 
Penn., July 4, 1825, a son of 
David and Mary N. (Shively) Myers, who 
were natives of Lancaster county. His 
mother's father came from Switzerland 
about the time of the Reformation, and 
his paternal grandfather was born in Lan- 
caster county, of German descent. Da- 
vid Myers, father of our subject, was a 
dealer in general merchandise, in Lancas- 
ter, for a number of years, after which he 
sold out and moved upon a farm near 
Lewisburg, in Buffalo Valley, Union Co. , 
Penn. Here he followed farming until 
1828, when he was injured by the kicking 
of a vicious horse. He was born January 
16, 1788, and died January 30, 1833. 
He married Mary Ann Shively, who was 
born March 17. 1799, and died Novem- 
ber 17, 1869. Their children were: Na- 
than, born November 29, 18 16, died in 
1892; Alpheus, born April 23, 1818, died 
in 1887; Matilda (Fredericks), born Sep- 
tember 18, 1819; Elizabeth, born May 
26, 1 82 1, died May 13, 1S45; Abraham. 
born September 27, 1822, died March 7, 
1848; Susannah (Brown), born February 

52 



26, 1824, died February 11, 1846; Lewis 
B., born July 4, 1825; Ann S. (Spotts), 
born February 17, 1827, died April 9, 
1862; David, Jr., born March 20, 1830; 
Sarah |. (Dursham, and later McSwartz), 
born September 17, 1831, died 1886; 
Henry A., born January 28, 1833, died 
1886. Of the si.\ sons, four were physi- 
cians and two were merchants. One son- 
in-law was a physician. All grew to ma- 
turity, and nearly all became heads of 
families. Only two are now living: Da- 
vid, at Lewisburg, Penn.; and Lewis B., 
at Fremont, Ohio. 

Dr. L. B. Myers, our subject, spent 
his childhood in Union county, Penn., 
and his mother died when he was three 
years old. He attended school a few 
years in Lewisburg, Penn., and at the 
age of fifteen went to Fairfield county, 
Ohio, where from the home of his uncle, 
Adam Sheafer, he attended the Williams 
Academy. I^eturning to Pennsylvania, 
he remained there to teach school until 
he was eighteen when he returned to 
Ohio. In course of time he began the study 
medicine at Logansport, Ind., in company 
with his brother, Abraham, in the office 
of his brother Dr. Alpheus Myers, where 
he studied about two years. On the re- 
moval of Alpheus to Clarion, Penn., his 
two medical students followed him to 
continue their studies. Abraham soon 
after died, and our subject narrowly 
escaped death from typhoid fever. Having 
finished his medical reading, and taught 
school a few terms among the Mennon- 
ites where he acquired a practical knowl- 
edge of the German language, he went to 
Union county, and thence to Cincinnati, 
where after two years of hard study he 
graduated from the Eclectic Medical Col- 
lege. Here he attended lectures on Homeo- 
pathy, and later read extensively standard 
works on the Old-school practice. Return- 
ing to Union county Penn., he engaged in 
the practice of medicine, and the preva- 
lence at that time of a fatal epidemic, dys- 
entery, which baffled the skill of the home 



824 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGHAPHICAL RECORD. 



physicians gave him an opportunity to 
prove his superior skill in the treatment 
of that foe of childood. He had such re- 
markably good success that his reputa- 
tion was firmly established in a few short 
months. Two jears later he was induced 
by his brother Alpheus to settle in Lo- 
gansport, Ind., where he practiced two 
years with good success. Intending to 
remove to Pennsylvania, he got as far as 
Massillon, Ohio, where he stopped to 
visit, and remained to practice about five 
years with the best success of his life. In 
i860 he removed to Elmore, Ohio, where 
he engaged in the drug business. During 
the Civil war he practiced medicine in 
the country around Elmore. About the 
year 1S71 he removed to Fremont, Ohio, 
where he engaged first in the grocerj' and 
later in the drug business. He bought 
out the drug store of C. F. Reiff, now 
owned by his son. He took in his son, 
Kell}', first as assistant, then as partner, 
and later sold out entirely to him, and 
his son Jias continued the business ever 
since. After leaving the drug business 
Dr. Myers gave more attention to the 
manufacture of rubber goods, by the 
Myers Manufacturing Co., which he had 
previously established, and of which he 
was chief proprietor and patentee. In 
1S89 Dr. Myers suffered from a stroke of 
paralysis which rendered him, physically, 
unable to attend to business. His son 
Costa R. then took charge of the busi- 
ness, and has conducted it ever since with 
good success, and has now a half interest 
in the concern. Dr. Myers and wife are 
members of the Christian, or Disciple. 
Church at Elmore, Ohio. He has been 
a Democrat and a Republican in politics, 
and, sociall)-, he is a member of the 
I. O. O. F. 

The children of Dr. and Mrs. L. B. 
Myers were: Kelly N., born October 2, 
1855, who married Lillie B. Ferguson 
F"ebruary 17, 1881; David Hammond, 
born March 23, 1857, deceased in in- 
fancy; Laura Ellen, born October 20, 



1859; Lewis Oscar, born December 30, 
1861; Mary Ann, born February 22, 
1865; and Costa Rica, born June 27, 
1869, a sketch of whom follows. 



CR. MYERS, one of the proprie- 
tors of the Myers Manufacturing 
Co., Fremont, Sandusky county, 
was born at Elmore, Ottawa Co. , 
Ohio. June 27, 1869, a son of Dr. L. B. 
and Catharine (Kelly) Mj'ers. 

Dr. L. B. Myers was born in Lancas- 
ter county, Penn., and was reared at 
Lewisburg, Penn. , where he received a 
literary education and became a student 
of medicine, graduating from a medical 
college at Philadelphia (Penn.) and Cin- 
cinnati (Ohio). After practicing at Mas- 
sillon (Ohio), Logansport (Ind.), and 
Lewisburg (Penn.), he located, about the 
year i860, at Elmore, Ohio. He was an 
eminent practitioner in his time, but, hav- 
ing an especially strong inventive mind, he 
turned ^is attention to the patenting of 
articles of various kinds. .About the year 
1 87 1 he located in Fremont, where he 
engaged in the grocery and later in the 
drug business, after having bought out 
the firm of Curst & Thayer. His son. Kelly 
N. Myers, was associated with him, first 
as assistant, and then, in 1882, as part- 
ner, and together the}- built up a success- 
ful trade. In the spring of 1887 the Doc- 
tor sold out entirely to his son Kelly, who 
has conducted the drug store during the 
past eight years. 

After retiring from the drug store, Dr. 
Myers founded and established the Myers 
Manufacturing Co., at Fremont, Ohio. 
He was the first man to get out a patent 
rubber tip on lead pencils, the right of 
which he sold for a handsome sum, and 
he also invented and manufactured a pat- 
ent automatic pencil, a patent sling-shot, 
and other articles which have been sold 
all over the country. He has received 
patents on si.xteen different articles, and 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



825 



his mind is still active in the line of in- 
vention. 

In 1889 Dr. Myers suffered a stroke 
of paralysis, which rendered him physi- 
cally unable to attend to business. From 
that time his son, Costa R. , was manager, 
and his son, L. O., traveling salesman, 
until January 12, 1895, when they be- 
came sole proprietors of the Myers Manu- 
facturing Co., C. R. Myers being president 
and treasurer, and L. O. Myers secretary 
and managing salesman. The Doctor and 
his venerable wife are members of the 
Disciple Church, at Elmore, Ohio. In 
politics he has been both a Democrat and 
a Republican. Socially he is a member 
of the I. O. O. F. His ancestry was 
Pennsylvania-Dutch, those of his wife being 
Irish and German. Their children were: 
Kelly N., born October 2, 1855; Dnvid 
H., born March 23, 1857, deceased in in- 
fancy; Laura E., born October 20, 1859; 
Lewis Oscar, born December 30, 1S61; 
Mary Ann, born February 22, 1865; and 
Costa R., our subject, born June 27, 1869. 

C. R. Myers received his education in 
the Fremont public schools, and in the 
Eastern States. At an early age he 
learned the details of novelt}' manufactur- 
ing, and when his father retired, in 1889, 
he succeeded him as manager, and in 
1 895 as proprietor. The concern has been 
established for more than fifteen years, and 
is widely known for its production of im- 
proved rubber goods and novelty sundries. 
These goods are handled by the chief 
wholesale and retail houses of the United 
States, and are sold in all parts of the 
world. Three men are kept on the road 
constantly; the business amounted to 
$75,000 last year, and will perhaps run 
up to $200,000 during the current fiscal 
year. Our subject is an unassuming man, 
one who attends strictly to business, 
thoroughly understanding what he is 
about, and he is recognized as one of the 
pre-eminently successful business men of 
Fremont. He is non-partisan in politics, 
but of Democratic proclivities. 



Mr. Myers was married to Miss Mary 
Kennedy, of Sandusky City, Ohio, and 
they are now occupying their lovely resi- 
dence at the corner of Washington street 
and McPherson avenue. The house, which 
is a noticeable improvement in that part 
of the town, is a handsome residence, one 
of the finest in the city, constructed with 
all modern conveniences, and the interior 
finishings and furnishings are exquisite in 
design and appointment. 



STEPHEN J. RYAN, a prosperous 
and popular merchant tailor, of 
Fremont, Sandusky county, was 
born December 25, 1857, in 
Cleveland, Ohio, a son of Patrick H. and 
Julia (Peters) Ryan. 

Patrick H. Ryan was born in Cashel, 
County Tipperary, Ireland, in 181 1. came 
to America in 1836, and located in New 
York City, where he followed the trade of 
merchant tailor, to which he had served an 
apprenticeship of seven years in Dublin, 
Ireland. He worked first as a journey- 
man in this country, later going into busi- 
ness for his own account. In 1854 he 
came to Cleveland, and located there 
permanently, dying in 1887. He was a 
Roman Catholic in religion, and a Demo- 
crat in politics. His wife, Julia, was born 
in the same part of Ireland, in 1831, and 
is still living in Cleveland. Her father, 
Stephen Peters, a tailor by trade, married 
Miss Johanna McGuire, in Tluirles, Ire- 
land, where each had been born and 
reared. Stephen Peters was an only son, 
and it is not known whether he had any 
sisters. Johanna McGuire was an only 
daughter, and had seven brothers. The 
mother of our subject was one of three 
sons and four daughters: John, Stephen, 
Patrick, Bridget, Julia, Ellen and Johanna, 
Johanna and Bridget being now deceased. 
Our subject's mother came to New York 
City in 1848, and was married in 1850, in 
St. Vincent De Paul's Church, Canal 



826 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Street. Her sister Ellen was married in 
St. James' Church, New York City, to 
John Walker. Our subject is one of five 
children: William, who died in 1872; 
Mary Ann, deceased in childhood; John 
F. , a merchant tailor in San Diego, Cal., 
whither he had gone in i<S8o; Stephen J.; 
and Anna, wife of Patrick McGrath, of 
Cleveland, Ohio. 

Our subject grew up in Cleveland, 
Ohio, where he attended St. John's Cathe- 
dral school, and received a good English 
education. In the fall of 1869 he left 
school, and served at the trade of mer- 
chant tailor with his father until 1877, 
when he commenced work on the bench. 
Proceeding to New York, he there took a 
course in the art of cutting, remaining 
there two and a half years; then returned 
to Cleveland, from which city he went to 
California in 1884. He worked on the 
bench in San Francisco until November 
2, same year, when he returned to Ohio, 
and located in Fremont city, as a cutter 
for Dryfoos, Bach & Co. , with them con- 
tinuing until the spring of 1892, at which 
time he opened his present business. His 
excellent work and honesty in dealing 
with the public have secured for him a 
large and growing trade. As a cutter and 
fitter he has but few equals, certainly no 
superiors, and in all that pertains to style 
in clothing he is always up with the times. 

S. J. Ryan was married November 27, 
1879, to Miss Catherine Mayes, who was 
born in Cleveland, Ohio, in September, 
1 861, and their children were William 
H., born August 28, 1884, died Novem- 
ber 21, 1886; Vincent Earl, born in 1886; 
and Marguerite, born August 17, 1889 — 
a bright and intelligent family. Mr. Ryan 
is now a leading Knight of the B. P. O. E. , 
No. 169, F"reniont, Ohio, has passed all 
the chairs, and is a charter member of 
the Lodge, which was instituted in 1890. 
He is a member of the National Union, 
and has passed all the chairs in that 
order; is a member of the Christian 
Mutual Benefit Association, and of the 



Emerald Beneficial Association, and is 
also identified with the Fremont Cycling 
and Athletic Club. He is a Roman Cath- 
olic in religion, a member of St. Ann's 
Church, and a highly respected citizen. 



GEORGE PICKARD.who for many 
years was one of the most promi- 
nent and progressive agricultu- 
rists of Carroll township, Ottawa 
county, was born in the town of Sterling, 
Cayuga Co., N. Y. , September 12, 1826. 
He was a son of Frederick and Mary 
(McGregor) Pickard, the former of whom 
was a native of Yorkshire, England, and 
the latter of Ireland. In 1835 they came 
to Ohio, locating in Maumee, whence af- 
ter a residence of three years they removed 
to what is now Carroll township, Ottawa 
county, here purchasing the land on which 
our subject now resides, and which at that 
time was covered with a dense forest. 
There the father carried on farming until 
his death, in June, 1861, and the mother, 
who survived him for several years, passed 
away December 16, 1878. They were 
the parents of eleven children, five of 
whom are still living — Susan, wife of 
William Sherbrook, of Ba\- township, 
Ottawa county; Sarah, wife of Augustus 
Titus, of Carroll township; Mary, wife of 
Austin Ellsworth, of Henry county, Ohio; 
Martha, wife of Orson Barrs, of Bureau 
county. 111. ; and Jane, wife of Gideon 
Baker, of Michigan. 

George Pickard attended the old time 
log schoolhouse of the district in Carroll 
township, having gone there with his par- 
ents when only twelve years of age, and 
has engaged in agricultural pursuits since 
his early youth. As the country was 
new and undeveloped at that time, it 
was no easy matter to place his land un- 
der the high state of cultivation we now 
find it. On February 16, 1849, in Port- 
age township, Ottawa county, was cele- 
brated the marriage of Mr. Pickard and 
Miss Abi Moore, a daughter of Nathaniel 



COMMEMORATIVE! BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



827 



B. and Fidelia (Dweilie) Moore, who were 
natives of New York and Massachusetts, 
respectively, and became early pioneers 
of Ottawa county. To this union came 
eight children, namely: Sarah Fidelia, 
born August 13, 1850, wife of Theodore 
Snyder, of Erie township, Ottawa coun- 
ty; Olive Angeline, who died November 
12, 1884; Nathaniel, deceased; Orrison; 
Jeanette, who resides in Ohio; William, 
who lives in Lorain county, Ohio; Mary, 
wife of Samuel Bigelow, of Oak Harbor, 
Ottawa county; and Gertrude, who died 
in infancy. The mother of this famdy 
was called to her final rest in May, 1868. 
On December 24, 1870, Mr. Pickard was 
again niarried, this time to Melinda War- 
ner, and to this union came one daughter 
— Maggie Glen, born F"ebruary 6, 1S72, 
who is now the wife of William Beier, 
whom she wedded on January 9, 1888. 
Mr. and Mrs. Beier have four sons — El- 
mer, born October 22, 1888; Oscar, born 
October 9, 1889; Hughie A., born May 
15, 1892; and George Clifford, born July 
26, 1894. 

Mr. Pickard ever took an active in- 
terest in political affairs; he used his right 
of franchise in support of the Democratic 
party, and held several township offices, 
for three years serving as infirmary di- 
rector. On May 22, 1895, he passed 
from earth, deeply mourned by all who 
knew him. The family attend the Bap- 
tist Church. 



JAMES S. DUNCAN, proprietor of a 
tiourishing general store at Lime- 
stone, and also extensively engaged 
in the lime business, is a native of 
Ohio, born July 9. 1858, in Jackson, 
Jackson county. 

His parents, James and Amy (Verner) 
Duncan, were both born in Armstrong 
county, Penn., the father in 1827, the 
mother in 1835. They were married in 
1 85 1, and are now living at Povvellsville, 
Scioto Co., Ohio, where the father is a 



contractor and builder. To them were 
born eight children, five of whom are now 
living, three sons and two daughters; the 
sons are all married, but the daughters 
are still with their parents. 

James S. Duncan spent his boyhood 
days at Povvellsville, Scioto Co., Ohio, 
there attending the public schools, from 
which he graduated in 1877. At the age 
of nineteen, immediately after graduating, 
he and his brother formed a supply com- 
pany for forwarding lime to Means, Kyle 
& Co., in which business they continued 
for about five years, when it was suddenly 
brought to a close by the death of his 
brother, he being accidentally killed while 
handling limestone. Mr. Duncan then 
went to Marion, Ohio, as superintendent 
of the lime works for John D. Owens & 
Son, with whom he remained four years, 
thence coming to Limestone, Benton 
township, Ottawa county-, where for two 
years he had the superintendcncy of a 
similar business for Swayne & Lawrence. 
He then entered upon a contract to fur- 
nish lime to the Genoa and Rocky Ridge 
Lime Co. , of Toledo, Ohio, being thus 
engaged for four years. 

In the meantime, in 1889, Mr. Dun- 
can opened a general store at Limestone, 
of which branch of his business his wife 
had charge for a time, but finally it was 
put into the hands of a clerk, Mr. Dun- 
can of course having the general man- 
agement and oversight of the business. 
The Limestone post office is located in the 
store, and for several years he has held 
the position of postmaster. In 1892 Mr. 
Duncan went into partnership with L. W. 
Buzzard, erecting a large lime plant 
which they operated together until 1894, 
at which time they erected a plant at 
VVilliston, Ottawa county, for manufac- 
turing lime, crushing stone and furnishing 
building stone. These two plants they 
now keep in constant operation, his part- 
ner having the oversight of the new one, 
while Mr. Duncan himself looks after the 
business at Limestone. The partners are 



828 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOIiAPmCAL RECORD. 



both members of the Ohio Lime Co., of 
Toledo, Ohio. Mr. Duncan is a de- 
servedly successful man, and has reached 
his present position by his own energy' 
and untiring activity. 

On June 15, 1881, Mr. Duncan was 
married to Miss Alice M. Worthington, 
of fronton, Ohio, and three children have 
blessed their union, all of whom are liv- 
ing: Royer E., born June 15, 1882; 
Cleveland, born December 13, 1886, and 
Clara E., born December 14, 1888. Mrs. 
Duncan was born in I-Centucky Septem- 
ber 5, 1856, and when a small girl re- 
moved with her father's people to Powells- 
ville, Ohio, where she attended school, 
graduating in 1 864. She has also given 
some attention to music, and has given 
all her children instructions in the prin- 
ciples of that art, especially instrumental 
music. Her father, Findley ^^'orthiIlg- 
ton, was killed in the war of the Rebel- 
lion, and her mother died some seventeen 
years ago. 



L 



OUIS SCHIELE, proprietor of 
free museum, and hotel-keeper, is 
a prominent and successful busi- 
ness man of Put in Bay, Ottawa 
county. He was born in Toledo, Ohio, 
July 2, 1856, and when ten years old 
came with his parents to Put in Bay 
Island, of which he has been a continu- 
ous resident for nearly thirty years. He 
has been closely identified with the growth 
and prosperity of the village, and, by his 
genial manner and good business qualifi- 
cations, has won the esteem of all who 
know him. 

Mr. Schiele received his education in 
the public schools of the Island. In early 
life he engaged in the butchering business, 
and followed this occupation for about six 
years. He then entered the grape-grow- 
ing industry, in which he continged a few 
years, and in 1881 commenced in his 
present business. In 1886 Mr. Schiele 
purchased the Odd Fellows Block, the 



finest business block on Put in Bay 
Island. On June 15, 1880, on the Island, 
Louis Schiele was united in marriage with 
Anna Vandorm, and four children have 
been born to them, as follows: Andrew 
M., July 2, t88i; Otto, August 10, 1883; 
Roland, September 7, 1887; and Ada M., 
November 14, 1891. Mrs. Schiele is the 
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mark \'andorm. 
Our subject has efficiently served as a 
councillor and constable of the village, 
and in his political views is Democratic. 
Socially he is a member of Commodore 
Perry Lodge No. 730, I. O. O. F. , of 
Western Reserve Lodge No. 128. K. of 
P., and of Garfield Division No. 273, 
U. R. K. P. 



J\\'. MUGGY is a representative citi- 
zen of Catawba Island, Ottawa 
county, and like many who reside 
in this region devotes his time and 
energies to fruit growing, in which enter- 
prise he has been verj' successful. He 
manages his affairs in a systematic, meth- 
odical manner, is straightforward and 
honorable in all dealings, and his labors 
have brought him a comfortable compe- 
tence. 

Mr. Muggy is one of the sons of the 
Empire State. He was born in Brooklyn, 
N. Y., June 10, 1852, and is of German 
and Irish lineage, his parents being John 
C. and Ellen (McMahan) Muggy, the for- 
mer of whom was born July 20, 18 17, in 
Hamburg, Germany, and the latter in 
Dublin, Ireland. In 1837 John C. Muggy 
ciossed the -Xtlantic to the New World, 
locating in Brooklyn, N. Y. , where for 
fifteen years he engaged in the grocery 
business. In 1852 he brought his family 
to the Buckeye State, and became a resi- 
dent of Danbury township, Ottawa county, 
where he turned his attention to agricul- 
tural pursuits, living on what is known as 
the Harrison Wolcote farm. In 1858 he 
removed to Catawba Island, where he 
engaged in farming for some years, and 



VOMMEMORATIVE BTOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 



829 



then began fruit growing. He was mar- 
ried, in Brooklyn, to Miss Ellen, daugh- 
ter of Daniel McMahan, and they became 
the parents of nine children, five of whom 
are still living, namely: Christopher, a 
successful fruit grower of Catawba Island; 
Daniel, who carries on the same business; 
Margaret Ann, wife of Calvin Brown; J. 
W., whose name opens this sketch; and 
Jane, wife of Louis Demaj-, of Sandusky 
City, Ohio. Those who have departed 
this life are Henry, Martin, John and 
George Henry. 

During his infancy our subject was 
brought by his parents to the West. He 
was reared to manhood under the par- 
ental roof, becoming familiar with all the 
duties that fall to the agriculturist. His 
educational privileges were those afforded 
by the common schools. He was united 
in marriage with Miss Matilda Rebecca 
Miller, a daughter of Claus and Katherine 
(Buck) Miller, at whose home in Dan- 
bury township, Ottawa county, the wed- 
ding was celebrated. Their union has 
been blessed with one child — Florence 
Estella, born September 20, 1889. Mr. 
Muggy is a member of Port Clinton Lodge 
No. 341, F. & A. M. He is a social, 
genial gentleman, and has many friends 
throughout the community. He is de- 
voted to the best interests of the county, 
and belongs to that class of honorable 
men who do their duty to themselves, 
their neighbors and their country. 



FJ. WEIS is a native of Germany, 
born July 5, 1846, and his par- 
ents, Fred and Barbara (Millen- 
dor) Weis, were also born in that 
country, the father in 18 18, and the 
mother in 181 5. 

In 185 I, the family came to America, 
landing in New York, where they spent a 
few days ere continuing their journey 
across the country. Their destination 
was the city of Sandusky, Ohio, and when 
they had arrived there the father purchased 



a house and lot, continuing to make his 
residence in that town until 1854, when he 
sold and removed to Wood county, Ohio. 
Purchasing a twenty-acre tract of timber 
land, he began to clear and improve it, 
and when the work was accomplished, 
after a space of about three years, he 
again sold, removing to Washington town- 
ship, Sandusky county. His ne.xt pur- 
chase made him the possessor of a forty- 
acre tract, which became the nucleus of 
his present excellent farm, to which he 
has since added 138 acres, and placed 
nearly the entire amount under a high 
state of cultivation. Both he and his wife 
are still living, but only two of their six 
children survive. Eliza, born in 1842, 
became the wife of J. Garver, and died 
in 1892, leaving a family of four children. 
Andrew, born in 1844, married Katie 
Schultz, by whom he had nine children; 
is a farmer of Ottawa county, Ohio. Fred 
is the next in order of birth. The other 
three died in infancy — Rosy, born in 1848, 
Christina, born in 1852, and Rudolph, 
born in 1855. 

Fred J. Weis has always lived with 
his parents. He acquired a good English 
education, and his physical training was 
not neglected, for he early began to aid 
in the labors of the home farm, and was 
soon familiar with the arduous task of de- 
veloping new land. After reaching man- 
hood he was united in marriage with Miss 
Emma Beck, a daughter of a well-known 
farmer of Sandusky county, and their 
union was blessed with two children — 
Caroline E., who was born September 24, 
1874, and is now the wife of William 
Lohr, by whom she has a daughter, El- 
len; and Edward F. , born November 22, 
1876. In 1876 the wife and mother was 
called to the home beyond, and her re- 
mains were interred in Elmore Cemetery, 
Ottawa county. On July 11, 1878, Mr. 
Weis was joined in wedlock with Mar- 
garet Upp. • 

Mr. Weis is the owner of a well-de- 
veloped farm of sixty acres, upon which 



830 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



he has erected a comfortable residence, 
that stands in the midst of well-tilled 
fields. There are other good improve- 
ments upon the place, and, neat and 
thrifty in appearance, this farm is ac- 
counted one of the valuable properties in 
Washington township. Like his father, 
Mr. Weis is a supporter of the men and 
measures of the Democracy, and has 
served as supervisor and school director, 
discharging his duties in a prompt and 
able manner that has won him the com- 
mendation of all concerned. 



JOHN P. ANSPACH. In past ages 
the history of a country was a rec- 
ord of wars and conquests; to-day it 
is the record of commercial activity, 
the story of business enterprises and those 
who successfully conduct them. Mr. 
Anspach is a leader in the field of activity 
in Oak Harbor, where he is senior mem- 
ber of the firm of Anspach Brothers, 
manufacturers of lumber and coopers' 
stock. 

Mr. Anspach was born in Perry coun- 
t}', Ohio, December 24, 1841, and there 
acquired a portion of his education, com- 
pleting it, however, in the public schools 
of Crawford county. 111., whither he went 
with his parents. The family is of Penn- 
sylvania-German origin, the great-grand- 
father and the grandfather of our subject 
having both been born in the Keystone 
State. David Anspach, father of John 
P., was a son of John and Mary (Over- 
meyer) Anspach. and was born in Perry 
county. Ohio, in October, 18 16. He grew 
to manhood in that county, and his early 
life was spent in agricultural pursuits. In 
1 85 1 he removed with his family to Craw- 
ford county. 111., where he carried on 
farming for about five years, and then in 
1856 cast in his lot with the early settlers 
of Sandusky county, Ohio. There he 
engaged in the manufacture of lumber lor 
some five years, and about 1879 he came 



to Oak Harbor, where for a time he lived 
practically retired. For the past six years 
he has been an honored resident of Edger- 
ton, Ind. He was married in his native 
county to Elizabeth, daughter of Henry 
and Elizabeth Fisher, natives of Pennsyl- 
vania, and by their union were born nine 
children, five of whom are living, namely: 
John P.; Allen; Matilda, wife of Michael 
Latting, a prominent farmer of Sandusky 
county; George \V., who is living in Ed- 
gerton, Ind.; and Rosanna, wife of John 
H. Murphv, of Louisiana. The mother 
departed this life in 1861, and for his 
second wife Mr. Anspach married Mrs. 
Marj' Conachen, widow of Peter Cona- 
chen, of Sandusky county. The children 
of this marriage are as follows: William, 
who is a resident of Detroit, Mich. ; 
Hosea, of Edgerton, Ind. ; Bertha, wife 
of Henry Hydlebrech; and Lloyd, also of 
Edgerton, Ind. The oldest member of 
the family, Henry Anspach, served in the 
Seventy-second O. V. I., during the Civil 
war, and died in the hospital, of typhoid 
fever, his remains being interred in Mis- 
sissippi. 

From Illinois Mr. Anspach returned with 
his parents to Sandusky county, Ohio, and 
worked in his father's mill until i860. 
His father having sold out his lumber 
manufacturing business, our subject work- 
ed for a short time in Fremont, thence 
going to Fort Wayne, Ind. where he re- 
sided until 1864. Returning then to 
Sandusky county, he purchased, in con- 
nection with his brother Allen, the saw- 
mill which had been previously operated 
by his father, and under the firm name 
of Anspach Bros, they continued the bus- 
iness therefor four years. In i 868 they 
transferred their business to Oak Harbor, 
where they engaged extensively and suc- 
cessfully in the manufacture of lumber 
and cooperage stock. Their mill was 
burned September i, 1895. 

On September 15, 1868, John P. 
Anspach was married in Sandusky county 
to Miss Emilv Henricks, who was born 



COMMEMORATIVE BWORAPnWAL RECORD. 



831 



in Sandusky county, February lo, 1851, 



daughter of Noah and Elizabeth (Reed) 
Heiiricks, natives of Perry county, Ohio; 
they became early settlers of Sandusky 
county, and are still living within its 
borders, being honored and respected^'' 
citizens of Lindsej'. The union of our 
subject and his wife has been blessed with 
five children, but only two are now living 
— William and Rorland. John P. An- 
spach was one of the first councilmen 
elected after the incorporation of Oak 
Harbor as a town, and efficiently filled 
that office for several years. His polit- 
ical support is given to the Democratic 
party, and socially he is connected with 
Oak Harbor Lodge No. 495, F. & A. M. 
The members of the Anspach family were 
formerly connected with the Lutheran 
Church, but at present the majority are 
members of the ^fethodist Church. John 
P. Anspach is a thoroughgoing business 
man, one of the most enterprising citi- 
zens of Oak Harbor, and is popular in 
both commercial and social circles. 

Allen Anspach, who is connected with 
his brother in business, is the second of 
the family, and was born in Perry coun- 
ty, Ohio, in October, 1843. He got his 
education in the public schools near his 
boyhood home, and since early life he has 
been interested in the business which now 
claims his time and energies, and with 
which he became familiar when his father 
was a lumber dealer. He was married 
in Sandusky county to Miss Eliza Fought, 
a daughter of Amos and Mary (Hedrick) 
Fougfit, and seven children blessed this 
union, only three of whom are now living 
— Perry, Elmer and Clara. 

In i86t Allen Anspach manifested his 
loyalty to the Union cause by joining the 
boys in blue of Company C, Seventy-sec- 
ond O. V. L, but after serving in the 
army for nearly a year was discharged on 
account of physical disability and returned 
to Sandusky count}-. Progressive and 
public -spirited, he is devoted to all mat- 
ters pertaining to the general welfare, 



and his career has ever been that of an 
honorable and just man, whether in bus- 
iness, military or private life. 



FRANK J. TUTTLE. attorney at 
law and notary public, Fremont, 
Sandusky county, was born in 
Green Creek township, Sandusky 
Co., Ohio, April 5, 1852, son of Julius 
and Eliza H. (Hamlin) Tuttle. 

Julius Tuttle was born in 1819, in 
Livingston county, N. Y. , and about 1831 
came with his father, Wolcott Tuttle, 
from that place to Green Creek township, 
where amid the scenes of pioneer life he 
grew up on a farm, married, and in his 
later years removed to Clyde, where his 
death occurred in 1881. He was a Dem- 
ocrat in early life, later a I'lepublican.- 
His wife, who survived him, died at the 
family home in Clyde, in 1888. They 
had two children: Freeman G. , who 
lives at Clyde, Ohio, and Frank J., our 
subject. These brothers have a half sis- 
ter at Clyde, Mrs. Eliza H. (Ramsey) 
York. 

Frank J. Tuttle was reared in Green 
Creek township, and attended the Clyde 
union schools. In 1868 he left home to 
engage in the commission business in 
Cleveland, but returning to Ch'de he read 
law for several years, and was admitted 
to the bar before the Supreme Court at 
Columbus, Ohio, December 3, 1878. 
While living at Clyde he served as town- 
ship clerk, resigning that office to take a 
position for several years on the road. In 
1884 he returned to Clyde for the prac- 
tice of law. and did business in Huron 
and Sandusky counties, in 1886 removing 
to Fremont, where he has since continued 
in the practice of his profession, making 
the handling of patents a specialty. So- 
cially Mr. Tuttle is a member of Mc- 
Pherson Lodge No. 637, I. O. O. F. , in 
which he holds the position of noble grand. 
He was married, December 30, 1880, 
to Miss Frances E. , daughter of Edward 



832 



COMMEMORATTVE BIOGRAPEIVAL RECORD. 



Loudensleger, ex-postmaster of Fremont, 
and their children are Howard R. , Flor- 
ence E. and Robert F. , all living at 
home. Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle are mem- 
bers of the M. E. Church, at Fremont. 



JOSHUA N. PERMAR, D. D. S., the 
only resident dentist of Elmore, Ot- 
tawa county, and one of the most 
highly respected citizens of that 
place, was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, 
near Stcubenville, August i, 1830. 

Dr. Permar is a son of John and Mar- 
garet (Shaw) Permar, the former of whom 
was born in Pennsylvania, of French 
ancestry, and the latter in Ohio, of Ger- 
man lineage. The father located in Jef- 
ferson count}', Ohio, at an early date, and 
became e.xtensively engaged in agricultur- 
al pursuits. His death occurred in 1845, 
and his faithful and devoted wife passed 
from this earth in 1868. Our subject 
worked upon the old homestead farm un- 
til he had reached the age of sixteen 
years, during which time he received his 
education in the old log schoolhouse of 
the district, with its puncheon floor and 
primitive benches. He then commenced 
to learn the trade of marble cutting, at 
which he worked for several years as an 
apprentice and journeyman, and later en- 
gaged in business for himself in Stcuben- 
ville, continuing there three years. In 
1853 he removed to Minerva, Stark Co., 
Ohio, where he carried on the marble- 
cutting business for ten years. 

In 1 863 Dr. Permar enlisted for serv- 
ice in the Union army, becoming a 
member of Company D, One Hundred 
and Sixty-second O. V. I., as a one- 
hundred-day man, and served for four 
months. After being mustered out at 
Columbus, Ohio, he returned to Stark 
county, but owing to poor health was 
obliged to close up his business. He then 
began the study of dentistry, and later, 
on removing to Medina county, Ohio, 
there engaged in practice six years. In 



March, 1873, he became a resident of 
Elmore, where he has since been con- 
tinuously engaged in the practice of his 
profession, and has met with excellent 
success. 

At Steubenville, Ohio, October 28, 
1856, Dr. Permar was united in marriage 
with Miss Nancy Hall, daughter of 
Thomas and Nancy Hall, and to their 
union was born one child, Monroe, who 
died in infancy. They now have an 
adopted daughter, Minnie Rossiter, who 
is a teacher in the public schools of Har- 
ris township, Ottawa count}'. Socially, 
the Doctor belongs to the Knights of 
Pythias, being a member of Elmore 
Lodge, No. 162, and he is also connected 
with Robert H. Caldwell Post, G. A. R. 
In his political views he is a stanch Re- 
publican, while, in religious matters, both 
he and his wife are consistent and faith- 
ful members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. They have many friends in the 
community where they have so long re- 
sided, and are held in the highest esteem 
by all who know them. 



SOLOMON RINEBOLT, a pros- 
perous farmer of Jackson town- 
ship, Sandusk}' county, was born 
in Perry county, Ohio, February 
28, 1824. He is the eldest son of Abra- 
ham and Susan (Hampsher) Rineboit, 
natives of Penns3'lvania, who had a family 
of children as follows: (i) Solomon, sub- 
ject of this sketch. (2) Lydia, wife of 
Paul Kline, whose children are — John, 
Levi, Noah and Mary. (3) John, who 
married Rebecca Harley, by whom he 
had a son, Jacob, now living at Kendall- 
ville, Ind. ; after her death he married 
Amanda Seltzer, and had children as fol- 
lows — Abraham, Mar}-, John, Mahala, 
three sons that died in childhood, William 
Franklin (who died at the age of eleven), 
Lafayette (who married Anna Fink, and 
has one son — Russell), and Delia (who 
married Birchard Henrv, and has two 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPUICAL RECORD. 



833 



children — Larry and Glenn). (4) Cath- 
arine, wife of Qeorge Engler, living in 
Indiana. (5) Mary, who wedded George 
Bubb, and has four children. (6) Lovina, 
wife of David Harley, who had children 
as follows — Frank, Levi, Emma and 
Ada. 

Solomon Rinebolt, subject of this 
memoir, grew up to the toilsome labors 
of farm life in a new country, and devel- 
oped into a thrifty, successful worker and 
a good citizen. His sandy hair, ruddy 
face, piercing eyes, almost hidden under 
heavy ej'ebrows, friendly countenance and 
genial good nature, have long distin- 
guished him among the old-time " Black 
Swampers." With a keen eye for bar- 
gains in real estate, he purchased farm 
after farm in his vicinity, until he was 
able to give each of his children a farm, 
and reserve an eighty-acre lot for himself. 
He has always been a Democrat in poli- 
tics, and he and his wife are members of 
the Methodisl Episcopal Church. 

In 1848. when twenty-four years of 
age, Solomon Rinebolt married Miss 
Sarah Elizabeth Seltzer, who was born 
April 25, 1828, in Lancaster county, 
Penn., daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth 
(Miller) Seltzer. The result of their 
union were children as follows: (i) Susan 
E., born October 23, 1849, died June 30, 
1886; she became the wife of Frank N'ent- 
ling, who had one son, James, now living 
at Fort Clinton, Ohio. (2) Noah, born 
Mtirch 12, 185 I, who married Emma My- 
ers, by whom he had one son, Frederick, 
who died in childhood, and two daughters, 
Viola and Lizzie; after the wife's death 
in 1888, he wedded Helen Dunlap, by 
whom he had a daughter. Fern, living at 
home. (3) Harriet, born September 10, 
1852, became the wife of David Winchell; 
their daughter, Myra, married Frank 
Wagoner, and has two daughters — Stella 
and Hazel. (4) Adam, born December 
16, 1853, married Kate Rigler, and had 
three children — Arthur, Bertha and Es- 
tella. (5) Mary R. , born October 25, 



1855, married Wesley Hart man, and had 
two children — Alice, who wedded a Mr. 
Campbell, and Vernie, living at home; 
after a legal separation from her husband, 
Mrs. Mary R. Hartman married David 
Day, by whom she has one son — Otto. 
(6) Sarah Ellen, born August 10, 1858, 
married Frank Chaney, and had four 
children — Pearl, May, Augusta, and 
Arthur. (7) Ora Alice, born June 7, 
1865, married Frank Ickes, and they 
have two children — Alpha and Grace. 

Mrs. Sarah E. Rinebolt is a lineal 
descendant of Michael Seltzer, who ac- 
cording to a famil}' tradition starved to 
death in a church building during the 
Revolutionary war. He had three sons — 
Abraham, John and Michael. Abraham 
Seltzer lived in southeastern Pennsylva- 
nia, where he married Miss Catharine, 
daughter of Philip Faust, and had chil- 
dren as follows: Joseph, Polly, Eliza- 
beth, Michael, Catharine, Rebecca, and 
Nathaniel. Joseph Seltzer moved to 
Sandusky county in pioneer days, mar- 
ried Elizabeth Miller, who was born in 
1809, and had children as follows: Sarah 
Elizabeth (wife of Solomon Rinebolt), 
Joseph, Amanda (wife of John Rinebolt), 
Nathan, Catharine, Henry, Susannah 
(wife of Frank Edwards), Mary (wife of 
L. Donnels), Ella, Emma, and Abraham. 
The descendants of these families are 
scattered over various parts of the United 
States. 



J EREMI.AH SULLIVAN, Jr., farm- 
er, of Ballville township, Sandusky 
county, was born January 25, 1852, 
near the place of his present resi- 
dence. His father, Jeremiah Sullivan, 
Sr. , was a native of the parish of Eve 
Lary, County Cork, Ireland, born in 1791, 
and came to America about the year 
1825. He landed in New York City, 
thence proceeded to Chester and Lancas- 
ter counties, Penn., where he spent five 
years in the management of a public high- 



884 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



way, and in assisting farmers during the 
harvesting of their crops. 

About the year 1830 he came to 
Sandusky county, Ohio, and entered 219 
acres of government land, in Ballville 
township, at $1.25 per acre, a part of 
which he retained as a permanent home- 
stead. At forty 3ears of age he married 
Miss Joanna King, at Tiffin, Ohio, and 
they soon after settled on their farm 
where he continued to reside during the 
remainder of his Hfe. Mrs. SulHvan was 
born in County Kerry, Ireland, and in 1841 
emigrated to America in company with a 
sister and two brothers, coining to Tiffin, 
Ohio, by way of Sandusky City. Her 
present residence is Fremont, Ohio. 
Their children were as follows : Mar- 
garet, born in 1842, died at the age of 
thirteen years; Mary, born January 12, 
1844, married J. W. Moore, of Fremont, 
and died October 27, 1885, leaving one 
son, William, born April 25, 1874; 
Florence, a farmer of Sandusky township, 
born April 11, 1845, who, October 16, 
1 88 1, married Miss Mary Ouilter, daugh- 
ter of Daniel and Ellen (Leonard) Ouilter 
(they had children, as follows: Nellie O., 
Florence J., Marie C, Bessie M., and 
John Edwin); Timothy, born in 1846, was 
a soldier in the Civil war, serving in Com- 
pany F, Seventy-second Regiment, O. V. 
I., died October 26, T873, and was buried 
in St. Ann's Catholic Church cemetery; 
Delia, born in 1848, went to California in 
1869, where she married a Mr. Kelle\', a 
merchant at San Francisco; Hannah, born 
in 1850, is unmarried, and lives at San 
Francisco; Ellen, born 1851, died in 1864. 
Jeremiah, Jr., our subject, comes ne.xt; 
Johanna, born in 1853, married T. L. 
House, editor and publisher of several 
papers on the Pacific coast, among which 
was the Sierra Madrc Vista, at San 
Francisco, Cal. (he is now connected 
with the United States Mint in that city); 
John, born in 1854, a farmer and con- 
tractor, married Margaret Carroll, and 
died May 19, 1886, leaving a daughter, 



Florence; Philip, a contractor, was born 
in February, 1856, and resides at Fre- 
mont; Margaret, born in 1857, is unmar- 
ried, and lives at Fremont; Lizzie, born 
in 1859, is the wife of Michael Fitz- 
maurice, a machinist in the Ohio Central 
railroad shops, at Bucyrus, Ohio. 

Our subject remained with his parents 
on the home farm until his twentj'-first 
year, after which he served a few j-ears 
at carpenter work, and later followed 
county contracting and jobbing. In 1891 
he returned to farming on the old home- 
stead, where he still resides. He has 
held various official positions. On May 
2, 1876, he married Miss Ellen Norris, 
daughter of John and Margaret Norris, of 
Ottawa county, Ohio, and the result of 
their union were children as follows : 
John, who died in childhood; Margaret, 
who died of dipthheria at the age of two 
years; James, born March 24, 1 881; John 
v., born January 28, 1883; Francis J., 
born April 15, 1885; George William, 
born November 3, 1888; and Mary E. , 
born September 17, 1892. 



RUSS J. CHRISTY. Prominent 
among the few citizens of Fre- 
mont, Sandusky county, whose 
names have become "familiar as 
household words," not only in every State 
of the Union but in foreign lands, is the 
subject of this sketch. 

Born and reared in the village of Clyde, 
in this garden spot of northern Ohio, noted 
for its fine, choice and large shipments of 
fruits and vegetables, and honored as the 
last resting place of Gen. McPherson, who 
was highest in rank of any general that 
ever was killed in any battle and in any 
war of the United States, our subject early 
caught the spirit of his environments and 
sought to improve his opportunities by di- 
recting his mental activities in the line of 
machinery and invention. Having demom- 
strated the utility of several articles of 
cutlery of his own invention and manu- 



COMMEMORATrVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



835 



facture by actual use in thousands of 
homes, he extended his facilities for their 
production in our midst by the erection of 
an extensive brick block, which is an or- 
nament to the city, keeps capital at home, 
and gfives employment to hundreds of 
hands. His fellow citizens may well re- 
gard him as a public benefactor. 

Russ J. Christy, president of the 
Christy Knife Company, Fremont, Ohio, 
and patentee of the Christy knife, was 
born February lO, icS62, son of John and 
Elizabeth (Ramsey) Christy. John Christy 
was born in Onondaga county, N. Y. , and 
at an early day located at Clyde, Ohio, 
where he still resides, being now about 
sixt)'-eight years of age. He is a carpen- 
ter bj' trade. His wife, who is a native of 
Ohio, is now about sixty-five. After fin- 
ishing a course of study and graduating 
from Clyde public schools, our subject, in 
1879, went to West Salem, Ohio, where 
he served as an apprentice to learn the 
trade of machinist. After this he spent 
some years in perfecting his trade in the 
machine shops of Massillon (Ohio), Indi- 
anapolis (Ind.), Philadelphia (Penn.) and 
Sandusky City (Ohio). In 1884 he came 
to Fremont, Ohio, to work in a machine 
shop, as tool maker, and it was while here 
that he conceived of and had patented the 
now famous Christy knife. Being then 
without sufficient means to push its manu- 
facture on a large scale, he commenced in 
a small way, and kept on perfecting his 
methods. After he had by his own energy 
demonstrated the value of his knife, capi- 
tal flowed to him, so that he was enabled 
to enlarge his operations. A company 
was formed. Dr. R. H. Rice and Mr. L. 
H. Cress uniting with Mr. Christy, and 
the manufactory placed in a part of the 
Tromer Extract of Malt Works; Dr. Rice 
has sold his interests, and a new building 
has been erected by the remaining mem- 
bers of the firm. The first knives were 
made in 1888. Mr. Christy had then but 
one man to assist him, as he did most of 
the work himself. He now employs i 50 



hands per day, and the capacity of the 
shop is 7, 500 knives daily. The trade 
for the knives has been extended not only 
to every State in the Union, but to every 
country on the globe. His patents on 
knife and improvements are dated "No- 
vember, 1889," "October, 1891," "No- 
vember 21, 1893." The last patent is on 
the latest article of the kind made, "The 
Improved Bread Sheer." 

Mr. Christy is a man of genial disposi- 
tion and kindly manner. His employes 
all seem to be his personal friends, and 
take a special interest in his business. 
None of them were discharged during the 
hard times of 1894. Mr. Christy was 
married, at Fremont, Ohio, to Miss 
Amelia Myers, andtheirchildren are: Fay, 
Arthur, Lamor and Clyde K. 



AH. JACKSON, merchant and 
manufacturer, Fremont, Sandusky 
county, was born in Delaware 
county, N. Y., May 10, 1847. 
His parents were George W. and Rox- 
anna (Ripley) Jackson, the father a na- 
tive of New York, the mother of Massa- 
chusetts, both of whom are now residing 
at Ypsilanti, Mich., in the eightieth year 
of their age. Their children were: Ma- 
rian, Herbert L. , Ellen and A. H., all of 
whom except the last named now reside 
in Wayne county, Michigan. 

Our subject grew up on a farmer in 
Delaware count}', N. Y. , where he attend- 
ed school until he was about seventeen 
years of age. He then started west in 
search of employment, and after having 
spent nearly all of his hard earned money 
in trying to get a position, resolved to go 
into a business venture on his own ac- 
count by the purchase of a lot of notions 
for $17.50, and selling them out on the 
street. Having succeeded in disposing of 
them at a profit he kept on in that line 
until he had gained enough to buy a horse 
and wagon with which to start out into 
the country towns with an outfit of goods. 



836 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



He kept on increasing his stock and his 
wagons until he had several of the finest 
outfits for selling goods in America. With 
these wagons and livery, which were gaudy 
as the carriage of an Indian prince, and 
drawn by four fine horses, he traveled 
over the States of Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, 
Indiana, Michigan, New York, Pennsyl- 
vania, Ohio, and the New England States, 
and sold more goods upon the street than 
any other ten men then living. Indeed, 
he was the father of the idea of street- 
selling on a large scale. In the latter 
part of his career as street-salesman he 
sold all kinds of goods and wares, both by 
lot and by the single article, and the 
magnitude of his sales may be imagined 
from the fact that in one town his sales 
for five evenings amounted to $1,750. 

In 1872 Mr. Jackson made his home 
and his headquarters at Fremont, Ohio. 
About the year 1884 he quit traveling 
and settled down in a store in the retail 
dry-goods business. Not long after this 
he got out a patent on a new bustle which 
he commenced to manufacture at first in 
a small way, and later very extensively 
until those articles went out of style, 
when he began the manufacture of ladies' 
underwear, which has steadily increased 
until now ( 1 894) he gives employment to 
about two hundred people in his well- 
equipped factory. He keeps three sales- 
men constantly on the road, and sells to 
jobbers and to large retail dealers all 
over the United States. He has the 
strongest trade in the Western States. 
He manufactures his own paste-board 
boxes for the shipment of his goods. 
His factory is located in the center of 
Fremont, and comprises two rooms of 40 
x8o feet each, and two other rooms 35 x 
45 feet. 

Mr. Jackson is a Republican in poli- 
tics, and though not a politician is justly 
regarded as one of the most enterprising 
and stirring citizens of Fremont, being 
known as the "hustler" of the city. He 
built two large brick business blocks on 



South Front street, one on the West 
side, known as the Jackson & Tschumy 
block, and one on the East side, which 
is occupied by his factory. He is a mem- 
ber of several societies — the National 
Union, the Red Cross, the Royal Ar- 
canum and the F. & A. M. He married 
Miss Mary Sharp, of Fremont, Ohio, and 
has three daughters — Lulu, Nellie and 
Edith. 



JOHN FLORO, a retired farmer and 
probably the oldest living resident of 
Erie township, Ottawa county, was 
born in Hamilton count}', Ohio, Oc- 
tober 7, 1810. He is a son of David and 
Anna (Leonard) Floro, the former of 
whom was a native of Kentucky, and the 
latter of Virginia, and in whose family 
were twelve children, of whom five are 
yet living, namely: John E. , subject of 
this sketch; Joseph, who is residing in 
Carroll township, Ottawa county; David, 
whose home is in Oak Harbor, Ohio; 
Jesse, a resident of Oklahoma; and Lu- 
cilla, wife of Abraham Stouts, a resident 
of Benton township, Ottawa county. 

W'hen our subject was only three 
years of aee his parents removed to Clark 
county, Ohio, where he was reared to 
manhood, and received such limited ed- 
ucational privileges as were afforded the 
children of those early days in the old log 
schoolhouse with its slab seats and other 
primitive furniture. In 1832 he took up 
his residence in Erie township, Ottawa 
county, and for sixt3'-three years has been 
one of its honored and valued citizens; 
to-day he is one of the few remaining 
pioneers of the county who have been 
spared to see the primeval forest trans- 
formed into cultivated farms with their 
fields of waving grain, while substantial 
and imposing residences have taken the 
place of the rude log cabins. 

Mr. Floro has been twice married. 
In April, 1843, in Erie township, he 
wedded Miss Lydia Deer, daughter of 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



837 



Lyman and Melinda Deer, who were na- 
tives of New York, and early settlers of 
Erie township, Ottawa county. By this 
union were born twelve children, and 
seven still survive, a brief record of them 
being as follows: Anna, born August 1 8, 
1844, is now the wife of Daniel Sinclair, 
of Carroll township, Ottawa county; 
David, who was born January 18, 1846, 
is residing in Carroll township; Ezekiel, 
who was born December 10, 1847, is a 
resident farmer of Benton township, Ot- 
tawa county; Isaac M., born Aprir28, 
1848, makes his home in Erie township; 
Jacob, born August 28, 1857, is located 
in Lacarne; Esther Ann, born January 
I, 1859, is the wife of Henry Fink, a 
farmer of Carroll township; John E., 
born February 15, 1S61, is living on the 
old home farm with his father. The 
mother of this family passed away March 
4, 1864, and on November 3, 1864, Mr. 
Floro was united in marriage with Eliza- 
beth Williams, whose parents were resi- 
dents of Carroll township, Ottawa coun- 
ty. Two children came to the second 
marriage, one now living — Frances, born 
October 15, 1865. 

Mr. Floro efficiently filled the office 
of justice of the peace for three years, 
and has been called to other positions of 
public trust in the township, although he 
has never been an office seeker. Through- 
out his entire life he has adhered to the 
principles of the Democratic part\', and 
is one of its stalwart supporters. He has 
always been highly esteemed for his sterl- 
ing worth and strict integrity, and his is 
an honored old age, in which he is sur- 
rounded b\' man\' friends who respect him 
in the highest degree. 

Jacob Floro, son of this honored 
pioneer, was born August 28, 1857, and 
was educated in the district schools of 
Erie township, where his entire life has 
been passed. He is numbered among 
the leading farmers of his locality, and 
possesses business ability of a high order. 
In politics he is a stalwart Democrat, and 



he is a member of the Grange. His 
family attend the United Brethren Church. 
On July 29, 1882, he was married at Lo- 
cust Point, Ohio, to Julia Finken, who 
was born in Carroll township, Ottawa 
county, January 22, 1861, and is a daugh- 
ter of Henry and Mary (Bauman) Finken. 
They have two children — Milton H., 
born August 20, 1884; and Perinthia 
Mabel, born April 22, 1894. 

John E. Floro, the youngest son in 
the family, was born on the old home 
farm, February 15, 1861, and through 
his youth attended the district schools of 
the neighborhood, also aiding in the 
labors of the farm. He early became 
familiar with agricultural life in its various 
departments, and now in his father's de- 
clining years he manages and operates 
the old homestead; thus relieving his 
father of all business care. He was mar- 
ried in Carroll township, Ottawa county, 
November 19, 1885, to Mary Ann Bal- 
lard, who was born February 27, 1867. a 
daughter of James and Mary M. (Perrey) 
Ballard. They now have had three chil- 
dren — Pearl May, born January 29, 1886; 
Estella, born April 8, 1891; and Harvey 
D., born February 25, 1893. John E. 
Floro has served as supervisor of his 
township for four years, and in his polit- 
ical faith is a Democrat. A wide-awake 
and progressive young man, he is devoted 
to the best interests of the community, 
and is a representative farmer and popu- 
lar citizen, both widely and favorablj' 
known in Ottawa county. 



FRANK O'FARRELL, member of 
the firm of McSheehy & O'Far- 
rell, attorneys at law, Fremont, 
Sandusky county, was born in San- 
dusky City, Erie Co. , Ohio, May 24, 1856, 
a son of James and Bridget (Conway) 
O'Farrell. 

James O'Farrell was born in County 
Tyrone, Ireland, in 1824, and died in 
1872. Bridget (Conway), his wife, was 



838 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOQRAPniCAL RECORD. 



was also born in Tyrone, Ireland, and 
died in 1881. Jaines O'Farrell came to 
America in 1840 and located in Phila- 
delphia, where he was married in 1851. 
ImmediateU' after marriage the young 
couple migrated to Sandusky City, Ohio, 
where Mr. O'Farrell engaged in farming. 
In 1859 they removed to Scott township, 
where their deaths occurred at the dates 
above named. James O'Farrell had a 
brother, Patrick, who died in Providence, 
Rhode Island, and he has four sisters 
there, three of whom are maiden ladies. 
The mother of Frank O'Farrell has two 
brothers, Michael and James, who left 
Philadelphia and were thought to have 
gone south; but as the rest of the family 
removed to Ohio they were unable after- 
ward to find any post office address of 
each other. The mother of our subject 
has a sister who married Michael Con- 
nelly, and they live in Scott township, 
Sandusky Co, Ohio. 

Frank O'Farrell is one of six children, 
as follows: _(i) Mary A., wife of Martin 
Murphy. (2) John, who lives in Fre- 
mont, Ohio. (3) Our subject. (4) Rev. 
Thomas, who died in Baltimore, Md. , 
three months before the date set for his 
ordination as a Catholic priest; he was a 
member of the Order of Josephites, who 
devote their lives to the education and 
elevation of the negroes in the South. 
(5) Elizabeth, who married Maurice 
Cummings, and is now deceased. (6) 
Patrick Henry, single. Our subject grew 
to manhood in Sandusky county, and at- 
tended the district schools. In 1872 he 
entered the North-Western Ohio Normal 
School at Republic, Ohio, and taught 
his first term of school in Montgomery 
county, that winter. After this he worked 
his way up, alternating between teaching 
school and attending college. He taught 
in all eight terms, and having acquired a 
high degree of mental discipline, he spent 
his spare time during the latter period of 
teaching, in reading law, under the tutor- 
ship of Hon. J. L. Greene & Son, Fre- 



mont, Ohio. He was admitted to the 
bar in 1S81, and for the first two or three 
years practiced by himself, in Fremont. 
He then entered into partnership with 
Hon, J. T. Carver, and subsequently 
with Hon. Thomas McSheehy, of Fre- 
mont. Mr. O'Farrell is a well-known 
and popular attorney, and has built up a 
lucrative practice. He served for seven 
years as a member of the board of county 
school examiners, and has been actively 
identified with the best interests of the 
Democratic party in Sandusky county, 
for which he has served as delegate to 
various congressional and other conven- 
tions. He is, as were all his people, an 
ardent member of the Roman Catholic 
Church. He is a member of the C. M. 
B. A., and was State delegate from Ohio 
to that Association, at their Supreme 
Council in October, 1894. 

Mr. O'Farrell married Miss Catharine 
O'Connor, who was born in Sanduskj' 
county, Ohio, May 23, 1859, a daughter 
of Bryan O'Connor, a well-known farmer 
of the county. Their children are James 
A., Bryan Francis, Henry Vincent, Ed- 
ward and Thomas. 



WILLIAM E. WORM AN, the 
obliging and efficient postmas- 
ter at Vickery, Townsend town- 
ship, Sandusky county, was 
born in Riley township, same county, 
September 27, 1864, and is a son of 
Conrad and Rosanna Worman. 

Conrad Worman was born March 26, 
181 5, in the State of Ohio, of Penn.syl- 
vania parentage. He first married Miss 
Timmanus, by whom he had two chil- 
dren, one of whom is Mrs. Catherine 
McCreery, of Riley township. Mr. Wor- 
man, for his second wife, was married in 
1850 to Miss Rosanna Daniels, born 
June II, 1831, and of the children of 
this marriage — David, who now resides 
at Amsden, Seneca Co., Ohio, is the eld- 
est; the others being: Flora (deceased); 



/ 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



839 



three who died in infancy; Mary, now 
Mrs. Dr. H. E. Deemer. of Castalia, 
Erie Co. , Ohio; Irvin, deceased; William 
E. , the subject of this sketch; Eugene, 
deceased; A. C, of Riley township; and 
and Alvina, now Mrs. Thomas Graves, 
of Vickery. The parents of Mr. Wor- 
nian's second wife came from New York 
State. Conrad Worman was a frugal, 
hard-working agriculturist, and his wife a 
helpmate worthy of the praise so freely 
bestowed upon her. Mr. Worman ended 
his labors here in March, 1892, and his 
wife followed him to the grave on Sep- 
tember I, of the succeeding year. 

William E. Worman, our subject, at- 
tended the common school until man- 
hood, then taught two terms of school, 
after which he began farming, which he 
continued until 1890, He then came to 
Vickery and opened a general mercantile 
store. In November. 1893, he was ap- 
pointed postmaster, by President Cleve- 
land, vice Chaunccy Daniels. He now 
has a flourishing trade, besides attending 
to Uncle Sam's postal matters. On Oc- 
tober 14, 1885, Mr. W^orman was united 
in marriage with Nettie May Mosier, who 
was born February 14, 1866, in Riley 
township, and they have three children, 
namely: Howard Lee, born October 14, 
1886; Alfred Conrad, April 6, 1890; and 
Flossie Dell, February 14, 1894. Mrs. 
W. E. Worman's mother, Mrs. Lottie 
M. Mosier, resides with her daughter and 
son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Worman. She 
was born in Riley township, November 
22. 1835, and is a daughter of Jacob and 
Susan (Story) Stull. In 1855 she was 
married to Jonathan Roberts, of Huron 
county, Ohio, and they have one child, 
Hiram, now living in Vickery. Mr. 
Roberts died in 1858 from injuries re- 
ceived by a tree falling on him. In 1861 
she married James W^atson, of New York, 
who was killed before Atlanta in 1864. 
Their children were Clara Louise, Con- 
rad and a boy who died. In 1865 the 
widow was married to Nelson S. Mosier, 
53 



of Michigan, and their children were: 
Nettie M. (Mrs. Worman), three who 
died in infancy, and Minnie \. (Mrs. John 
Smart, of Vickery). 



HENRY WONNELL, one of the 
enterprising and successful farm- 
ers and fruit growers of Portage 
township, Ottawa county, was 
born September 3, 1832, in the township 
which is still his home, and is a son of 
Parker and Leah (Pusey) Wonnell, both 
of whom were natives of Maryland. Mi- 
grating westward to Ohio, they took up 
their residence in Portage township, Ot- 
tawa county, in 1822, at which time this 
region was a vast wilderness. They con- 
tinued to reside in the township in which 
they located until called to the home be- 
yond, and were highly respected people. 
Both are now deceased, the mother pass- 
ing away in February, 1895. They were 
the parents of a family of si.\ children, 
of whom four are still living, namely: 
Benjamin F., who is residing in Portage 
township, Ottawa county; Henry, subject 
of this sketch; Thomas who is living in 
Lakeside, Danbury township, same county; 
and Nancy, wife of Herman Ingiebeck. 

In presenting to our readers the life 
record of Henry Wonnel we feel assured 
that it will prove of interest to many, for 
he has a wide circle of friends and ac- 
quaintaces in his locality. Amid the 
wild scenes of the frontier he was reared 
to manhood, his education was obtained 
in the district schools, and his occupation 
since boyhood has been fishing and farm- 
ing. During the past twelve years he has 
carried on fruit growing in connection 
with agricultural pursuits, and this branch 
of his business has proved a profitable 
one. He raises fine varieties of fruits 
adapted to this climate, and his place is 
neat and thrifty in appearance, indicating 
his careful supervision. Mr. Wonnell's 
labors wore interrupted in October, 1862. 
I when he was drafted for service in the 



840 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



United States army, but on reaching 
Cleveland he procured a substitute and 
returned to his home. In 1863 he enlisted 
in the one-hundred-days service, but again 
procured a substitute. 

On December 24, 1859, Mr. Wonnell 
was united in marriage on Catawba Island, 
with Miss Clarissa Barss, a daughter of 
G. H. and Betsy (Turner) Barss. Her 
father is still living and resides on Ca- 
tawba Island, but her mother is now 
deceased. Mrs. Wonnell was born in 
Fulton county, N.Y., in September, 1837, 
and died August 19. 1S94. She was the 
mother oi three children — Edgar G. , who 
was born October 7, i860, and resides in 
Portage county; Otis H., who was born 
March 24, 1862, and is living in Portage 
township, Ottawa county; and Etta, born 
September 10, 1867. Mr. Wonnell is a 
valued member of several fraternal or- 
ganizations, being connected with O. H: 
Perry Lodge No. 341, F. & A. M. ; Port 
Clinton Lodge, I. O. O. F. ; the Knights 
of Honor; and the Sons of Malta. In 
his political views he is a Republican, 
and the family attends the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. A wide-awake, pro- 
gressive citizen, he manifests a commend- 
able interest in all matters pertaining to 
the weltare of the county, and holds a 
high position in the esteem of his fellow 
citizens. He is numbered among the hon- 
ored pioneers of the county, and for over 
sixty years he has witnessed its growth 
and development, and aided in its progress 
and advancement. 



WILLIAM SCHROEDER, a pros- 
perous farmer of Woodville 
township, Sandusky county, was 
born in Hanover, Germany, 
April 6, 1832, son of Charles and Julia 
(Glaisecik) Schroeder. 

Charles Schroeder was a shoemaker 
by trade. He came to America in 1842, 
and located in Woodville township, San- 
dusky Co. , Ohio, where both he and his 



wife died. \\'illiam Schroeder attended 
a German school for a short time, then 
worked out for six years, after which he 
learned the carpenter's trade and followed 
same for five years. On February 28, 
1857, William Schroeder was united in 
marriage with Mary Hurrelbrink, who 
was born in Woodville township, Sandus- 
ky county, November 22, 1839, and they 
have had ten children, as follows: Carl, 
born January 16, 1858, died March 6, 
1858; Caroline, born March 21, 1859, 
married, and died in 1890 leaving three 
children; Sophia S., born November 17, 
1867, married Henry Creger, of Wood- 
ville township; Ricca, born February 27, 
1864, married John Bodelhein, and they 
live in Wood county; Henry A., born Oc- 
tober 13, 1866, lives in Woodville town- 
ship; Frederick H., born January 12, 
1859, died January 28, 1869; Lucy, born 
March 8, 1870, married Joseph Over- 
meyer, of Wood county; Louis J., born 
No\ember 22, 1873; John Henry, born 
October 5, 1875, and Herman J., born 
July 16, 1877. 

Mr. Schroeder has 261 acres of very 
valuable land, situated in the oil district, 
on which he has twenty-one oil wells, the 
entire number giving a good yield. He is 
a Democrat in politics, and has been 
school director and road supervisor for 
several years. He attends the Lutheran 
Church. 



G 



EORGE J. HUFFORD. In the 
history of Sandusky county this 
gentleman well deserves mention, 
for he is one of the leading and 
influential citizens of Washington town- 
ship, and is one of the native sons of the 
locality. His birth occurred in Sandusky 
township, Sandusky county, March 29, 
1844. His parents, James and Harriet 
Hufford, came to Ohio from Pennsylvania, 
and cast in their lot with the pioneer 
settlers of Sandusky county, at a day 
when settlements were widely scattered^ 



COMMEMORATIVE BWORAPHWAL RECORD. 



841 



and much of the land was still in its 
primitive condition, and when the work 
of progress and civili;iation seemed scarce- 
ly beg^un. They both lived to a ripe old 
age and reared a large family of children, 
most of whom still reside in this section of 
the State. 

No event of special importance oc- 
curred during the boyhood and youth of 
George Hufford, he spending his time in 
the usual manner of farmer lads, attend- 
ing the district schools through the winter 
season and working in the fields during 
the summer months. Thus he early be- 
came familiar with all the duties that fall 
to the lot of the agriculturist, and when 
he began business for himself his experi- 
ence was such as to make his career a 
successful one. He gave the benefit of 
his services to his father until twenty- 
three years of age, when he came 
to Washington township, where he 
has since made his home, successfully 
engaged in farming. About the time of 
his marriage he purchased his land, and 
his time and energies have since been de- 
voted to its cultivation. The fields are 
now well tilled, and he has added to the 
place many improvements, which stand as 
a monument to his thrift and enterprise. 

Mr. Ifufford was united in marriage 
with Miss Sophia Nickles, daughter of 
Peter Nickles, and their home has been 
blessed with two children, a son and a 
daughter: John Franklin, born Decem- 
ber 31, 1 871; and Rosa Belle, born Oc- 
tober 8, 1874. Both are still at home. 
The Hufford household is noted for its 
hospitality, and the members of the family 
have many warm friends throughout the 
community, holding a high position in the 
social circles in which they move. Our 
subject is a member of the Evangelical 
Church, and his political sympathies are 
with the principles advocated by the Peo- 
ple's party. Such is the life record of 
one of Sandusky county's native sons, and 
though it is not tilled with events of an 
exciting natnre, it cannot fail to be of in- 



terest, as is the history of every man who 
does his duty to his country, himself and 
his fellow men. 



M 



HEUMAN, who during his act- 
ive business career has become 
well known in Rocky Ridge, 
Ottawa county, as one of its 
progressive and esteemed citizens, was 
born August 5, 1866, in New Orleans, 
La. ,< of German descent. David Heu- 
man, his father, was born in Germany, 
October 21, 1833, and in 1857 came to 
this country, settling at New Orleans, La., 
where he married Selina Kraemer, who 
was born in that city in 1 844. They lived 
there until 1S72, when they moved to 
Jackson, Mich. , thence removing to Rocky 
Ridge, Ottawa Co., Ohio, where Mr. 
Heunian now has charge of his son's busi- 
ness. Mr. Heuman's grandparents were 
born in Prussia in 1800. 

Our subject lived in the South until 
his seventh year, when he moved with his 
parents to Jackson, Mich. Here he lived 
for nine years, attending the public sshools 
of the city, in which he obtained a liberal 
education. Leaving Jackson in 1882 he 
came to Rocky Ridge and entered the 
store of Smith Bros., of Jackson, of 
which his father was the manager. He 
continued as clerk until 1889, when 
he bought out the entire business of 
the Smith Bros., manufacturers of lime 
and charcoal, which he now owns and 
operates. In 1890 Mr. Heuman opened 
the first livery stable in the place, with 
a full line of first-class rigs, and the 
establishment would do credit to a town 
of much larger proportions. In March, 
1893, he sold out his store to L. A. 
Beatty, in order to take the position 
of traveling salesman with the Ohio 
Lime Company, of Toledo, of which he 
himself is a member. The home busi- 
ness he leaves in charge of his father. 
The people of Rocky Ridge have shown 
their high appreciation of Mr. Heuman's 



842 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ability as a business man by electing him 
to various official positions: He was con- 
stable in Benton township for seven years, 
village marshal six years, and street com- 
missioner six years, holding all these po- 
sitions at the same time; for some time he 
was clerk of the board of education of 
Rocky Ridge, and is now clerk of the 
board of health of the village. At the last 
village election he was also elected a mem- 
ber of the village council. Mr. Heuman 
is a member of the following fraternities: 
I. O. O. F., Daughters of Rebekah (to 
which his wife also belongs) Knights of 
Pythias and K. O. T. M., at present 
holding the position of district deputy 
grand master of Ottawa county in the I. O. 
O. F. Politically Mr. Heuman has always 
been a Democrat. He takes a great in- 
terest in base ball. 

On October 23, 1889, Mr. Heuman 
was married to Miss Fanny Weiger, of 
Jackson, Mich. He had a fine home 
erected and nicely furnished, to which to 
bring his bride, and they took up their 
residence therein immediately after their 
marriage. To their union has come one 
child, Leon Russell, born November 25, 
1893. Mrs. Fannie (Weiger) Heuman 
was born at Treves, Prussia, March 26, 
1867, and when a child came to America 
with her parents, who settled in Jackson, 
Mich. , where she lived until her marriage, 
attending the public schools and obtaining 
a liberal education. For five years pre- 
vious to her marriage she was clerk for 
Ivlrs. M. Freeman, of Jackson, in the mil- 
linery business, where she also learned the 
trade, and for three years she was also 
clerk for the dry-goods firm of Toumey 
Bros., of Jackson. On settling in Rocky 
Ridge Mrs. Heuman very soon entered 
into the millinery business, in which she 
still continues. It may truly be said of 
Mr. and Mrs. Heuman, " They are busi- 
ness," for both are possessed of remarka- 
ble business ability, which they have never 
allowed to lessen for want of exercise. 
Mrs. Heuman's parents, Moses and Kat- 



rina Weiger, were born in Germany, the 
father March 29, 1837, the mother Janu- 
ary 4, 1840. They are now living in Jack- 
son, Mich., where he is engaged in the 
jewelry business. 



ADAM HUMBURG is one of the 
worthy citizens that the Father- 
land has furnished to Sandusky 
county. He was born in Hessen, 
Germany, on September 3, 1856, and is 
a son of John and Martha (Hoopfelt) 
Humburg, who were natives of the same 
countr}'. They were the parents of the 
following named children: Eliza, de- 
ceased wife of Mr. Killen, a farmer of 
Oklahoma; Adam, whose name introduces 
this sketch; John, who is engaged in 
farming in Oklahoma; Marie, wife of J. 
Brewnor, who is living in Hanover, Ger- 
many; Lizzie, wife of H. Weaver, of Ok- 
lahoma; and August. The parents re- 
mained in their native land until 1886, 
when they bade adieu to home and 
friends and crossed the ocean to the New 
World, locating in Oklahoma. Thej' are 
still living, now well advanced in years, 
the father having been born June 6, 
1820, while the mother's birth occurred 
in the j-ear 1828. 

Adam Humburg spent the first seven- 
teen years of his life in the land of his 
nativity, and its public schools afforded 
him his educational privileges. He then 
determined to come to America, and 
setting sail he landed on August 7, 1873, 
at Castle Garden. His destination was 
Ohio, whither he immediately made his 
way, and since that time his home has 
been in Sandusky county. He had no 
capital with which to purchase property, 
and in consequence secured a position 
with others, working for a few years on 
the farm of Henry Rowell, for a small 
salary. He then entered the employ of 
John Artz, with whom he remained for 
nine years, a trusted and faithful employe. 
The succeeding three years of his life 



C0MMEM0BA7 IVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



843 



were spent in the service of George King 
and Mr. Kiser, in the capacity of field 
hand. On the expiration of that period 
he paid a three-months' visit to his native 
land. 

Upon his return from Germany Mr. 
Humburg was united in marriage with 
Miss Eliza Kiser, daughter of one of the 
wealthiest farmers of the county, and 
their union has been blessed with a fam- 
ily of seven children, all of whom are 
still under the parental roof, namely: 
Martha, Willie, Emma, Clara, Franklin, 
Chester and Lucy. Mr. Humburg is an 
ardent member of the Reformed Church, 
and does all in his power to promote its 
growth and upbuilding. In his political 
views he is a Democrat, but has no time 
for office-seeking, preferring to give his 
entire attention to his business interests. 
He is a wide-awake and enterprising man, 
and has achieved success by earnest effort. 



FRRD EMCH. a well-known and 
popular citizen of Woodville 
township, Sandusky county, was 
born in Switzerland September 
17, 183 1, and is a son of Urs and Eliza- 
beth (Baumgartner) Emch. 

Urs and Elizabeth (Baumgartner) 
Emch were the parents of ten children, 
as follows: Anna lived in Switzerland and 
died there; Benjamin died in May, 1884; 
Elizabeth married Ben Messer, and they 
had three children (she lived and died in 
Switzerland); John, a farmer in Wood 
county, Ohio, married Mary Weiss, and 
they had thirteen children (he died in 
1876); Nicholas, a farmer of Woodville 
township, sketch of whom will be found 
at page 319; Urs, Jr., who lives in 
Woodville township, married Annie 
Eisch, and they had six children; two 
children died in infancy; and Fred is the 
subject of this sketch. Urs Emch, the 
father, died in Switzerland in 1835, at the 
age of forty-five years. In 1845 his 
widow came to America with her children, 



and they remained a short time in Buffa- 
lo. Then, in June, 1845, they came to 
Ohio, and located in Woodville township, 
Sandusky county, being among the first 
settlers in what at that time was called 
the "Black Swamp." They bought 
land, commenced to clear it and put up 
buildings, and the first year, after hard 
work, they managed to put in fifteen 
acres of wheat. There was a good deal 
of sickness at that time, and one of the 
children died of dropsy the same season. 
The mother died in 1854, at the age of 
sixty-one. 

At the age of sixteen Fred Emch 
started out in life for himself, first going 
to Toledo, Ohio, where he worked in a 
wholesale store about one year. In 1850 
he went to Tiffin, Seneca Co. , Ohio, where 
he learned the gunsmith's trade, following 
that for about three years. In 1858 he 
moved back to Woodville township, San- 
dusky county, and went into business for 
himself, and he has made his home here 
ever since. On September 11, 1861, he 
enlisted in Company G, Thirty-seventh 
O. V. I., serving as teamster. They 
went to West Virginia, where he remained 
seventeen months, and was in several 
battles, and later was in Kentucky, for 
about three weeks, when he was mustered 
out and returned to Woodville. 

On March 17, 1853, he was united 
in marriage with Margaret Hoffman, and 
they had two children, namely: Melinda, 
who was born December 17, 1853, mar- 
ried Joseph McKinley, and had two chil- 
dren; and Amelia, born October 5, 1859, 
who died at the age of five years. Mrs. 
Emch died at the age of thirty -one years, 
and was buried in Woodville cemetery. 
For his second wife Mr. Emch married 
Christina Redert, who was born April 28, 
1843, and four children have come to 
them, namely: Mary, who died in infancy; 
Dora, born February 16, 1865, who 
married Aaron Unger, a butcher of Wood- 
ville township, Sandusky county, and had 
three children; Etta, born July 2, 1871; 



844 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



and Fred, Jr., born February 22, 1877. 
Mr. Emch is a Democrat in politics, was 
constable for twelve years, assessor three 
years, and marshal two years. 



ALBERT B. ORTH, one of the 
hustling young business men of 
Port Clinton, Ottawa county, 
where he conducts a leading con- 
fectionery business, is a native of that 
city, born December 29, i860. 

Frank Orth, his father, was the 
youngest of six brothers who emigrated 
from German}' to the United States, set- 
tling in Detroit, Mich., where they organ- 
ized a musical band known as the "Orth 
Brothers' Band." John Orth, Sr. , one 
of these brothers, recently died at De- 
troit, aged eighty-seven years. Frank 
Orth married Miss Mary Wagoner, and 
removed to Port Clinton, about the year 
1850, where, being by trade a shoemaker 
and harness maker he worked for several 
years for Joseph Sylvester. His children 
were : Frances, John, Louis and Albert 
B., of whom Frances married Samuel 
Wisner, a carpenter at Port Clinton, and 
they have one son living. John is a hard- 
ware merchant in Port Clinton, Ohio. 
Louis, a tinner by trade, married Carrie 
Andrews, a daughter of Peter Andrews, a 
pioneer of Ottawa county, Ohio; her 
father, who had served in the war of the 
Rebellion, died some itime afterward at 
Port Clinton, where the widowed mother 
is yet living. 

The subject proper of this sketch at- 
tended school at Port Clinton until he 
was thirteen years old, when he began to 
learn the baker's trade with W. S. 
F"laiighter, for whom he worked thirteen 
years, at the end of which time, on ac- 
count of ill health, he was obliged to 
quit. Two years later he bought out E. 
I. Root, and opened up a confectionery 
and ice-cream trade, wholesale and retail, 
in which he has since continued, a period 
of about eight years. On September 1 1, 



1882, Mr. Orth married Miss Cora Holl- 
inshead, daughter of Robert Hollinshead, 
formerly a fish dealer, of the firm of R. 
Bell & Co., Port Clinton, Ohio, later a 
resident of Toledo, and now living in 
Iowa, whose children were : Cora, Harry 
C, Lester, Clara, May and Eva; of whom, 
Harry C. is a fish merchant in Port Clin- 
ton; Lester, single, is with his brother 
Harry in the fish business; Clara married 
John Robecker, butcher, in the employ of 
Kelley & Wanger, of Port Clinton; Eva 
married Matthew Hilsenbeck, engineer on 
the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern 
railroad, living at Toledo, Ohio. Albert 
and Cora Orth have no children of their 
own, but have adopted one little girl, 
named Bessie Merrill. 



JAMES P. VICKERY, farmer and 
school teacher, York township, San- 
dusky county, was born March 24, 
1864, in Groton township, Erie Co., 
Ohio, a son of John and Jane (Parker) 
Vickery, who both came from England. 
Our subject came with his parents to 
Sandusky county, where he grew up on a 
farm, attended country schools and laid 
the foundations for success in life. At 
the age of seventeen he began teaching 
country schools during the winter seasons, 
in which he has continued during the 
past eleven years. His first term was in 
Seneca county, then two terms in Michi- 
gan, and the rest in Sandusky county. He 
now resides npon and works the homestead 
farm of his father, comprising 120 acres, 
in York township. He is a progressive, 
aspiring, energetic farmer, and takes a 
lively interest in the Young People's So- 
ciety meetings at the Mt. Carmel U. B. 
Church, not far from his home. He is 
a Republican in politics, but no partisan. 
On April 2, 1890, he married Miss H. 
May King, of Clyde, Ohio, daughter of 
John and Mary (Diment) King, and born 
in Bellevue, Ohio, October 5, 1866. Her 
parents were married in 1861, lived in 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOOIiAPmCAL RECORD. 



845 



Bellevue until 1877, then removed to a 
farm in York township, thence in 18S2, 
to Clyde, Ohio, where they have since 
resided. Mr. King is a blacksmith by 
trade. Their children were: Matilda, 
born in 1862, died in infancy; Louise, 
born September 22, 1864, married A. G. 
Winnie, editor of the Ottawa County Re- 
publican, of Port Clinton, Ohio; H. May, 
wife of our subject; Minnie Estelle, born 
January 30, 1876, now a senior in the 
Clyde High School. 

Mrs. H. May \'ickery attended school 
at Bellevue until she reached the A Gram- 
mar grade, then five years at Birdseye 
Corners, then as far as the senior class 
in the Clyde High School, and later two 
terms at the Green Spring Academy. She 
has taught country schools— one term in 
Erie county, two terms in Michigan, and 
ten terms in Sandusky county. Her 
present farm home is a welcome resort 
for the young people of her neighbor- 
hood. 



JOSIAH HAGUE, formerly a school 
teacher, and now engaged in fruit 
culture and gardening, Fremont, 
Sandusky county, was born in Wayne 
county, Ohio, March 5, 1847, a son of 
Christian and Mary Magdalene (Smith) 
Hague. 

Christian Hague was born in 1803, in 
Wittenberg, Germany, where his father 
died, and the lad then came with his 
mother to America. She and he located 
in Wayne county, Ohio, and there the 
mother died. Our subject's father now 
lives in Burgoon, Sandusky county. The 
maternal grandparents died in Wayne 
county; they were Lutherans. The father 
was one of ten children, and he was the 
only son who came to America; he was a 
member of the Reformed Church. Josiah 
Hague was one of ten children, as fol- 
lows: Joseph, farmer, in Michigan; Sam- 
uel, who joined the Seventy-second Regi- 
ment, O. V. L, and was killed on the 



way home, after service in the war of the 
Rebellion; David, who was a soldier during 
the Civil war, was wounded in Virginia, and 
died at the age of twenty-three, after the 
war; our subject comes next; Andrew J., 
who died one year since; Catharine, who 
married Lorenzo Abbott; William, who 
died young; Franklin; Daniel, who died 
when seven years old; and May, wife of 
Joseph Doell. 

Our subject grew up in Sandusky 
county, on a farm, attended school in 
Jackson and Ballville townships, and in 
Adrian, Mich., one term, then at Heidel- 
berg College, Tiffin, Ohio, two years. He 
taught country school in Sandusky and 
Seneca counties twenty-six years. He 
married Miss Antoinette Worst, who was 
born in Sandusky county, April 22, 1858, 
and they have three children: Hannah 
G., W'illiam H., and Orella. 

Josiah Hague enlisted in 1864 in Com- 
pany C, One Hundred and Eighty-fourth 
Regiment, O. V. L, and served in south- 
ern Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. 
When the war closed he returned home. 
He taught his last term of school in 1893, 
and has been in the gardening and fruit- 
culture business eight years. He operates 
about thirty acres of ground. He is above 
the average man in intelligence, a Repub- 
lican in politics, and takes a broad view 
of all political affairs. 



PKOF. W. V. SMITH. This well- 
known gentleman, who for a time 
was superintendent of the public 
schools of Port Clinton, Ottawa 
county, was born in Wyandot county, 
Ohio, March 20, 1863. He is the son of 
W. F. and Elizabeth (Stevens) Smith, 
both natives of Ohio, the former born in 
Richland county, of German parentage, 
and the latter in Fairfield. Mrs. Smith's 
parents came from the East, the father 
from New England, the mother from Vir- 
ginia. The maternal grandmother before 
her marriage was Miss Sarah Morgan, and 



846 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



was descended from good old Revolution- 
ary stock, Gen. Morgan, who was famous 
during that war, being her uncle. W. F. 
Smith has always followed agricultural 
pursuits. He is a member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church. 

The subject of this sketch attended 
the country schools in boyhood days, and 
later, in 1887, graduated at Ada (Ohio) 
Normal University. Previous to this he 
taught in country schools, but after that 
he was emploj'ed in graded schools. He 
taught at Rawson, Hancock count}', for 
two years, and was for three j'ears super- 
intendent of schools at Caledonia. For 
one year he was at Genoa, and in 1893 
moved to Port Clinton, Ottawa county, 
where he held the position of superintend- 
ent. Mr. Smith has a high-school life 
certificate, which was granted him by the 
State Board of E.xaminers in 1890. In 
1894 he was employed to take charge of 
the Lakeside Summer School of Methods, 
Science, Language and Literature, which 
is held during July and a part of August 
at Lakeside, on Lake Erie, not far from 
Toledo. It is an ideal summer resort, the 
village containing a population of about two 
thousand inhabitants, and having all the 
advantages of city life, such as electric 
lights, water- works, storesof ail kinds, etc., 
with an abundance of beautiful lawns and 
shade trees. It is within sight of Kelley's 
Island and Put in Bay, and excursion par- 
ties to these historic places are numerous. 
The school was established for teachers 
and students who may wish to carry on 
their work during a part of their vacation, 
and the best of teachers, lectures, nnisic 
and amusements are provided. Rest, rec- 
reation and study are combined, and the 
life-giving lake breezes lone up the sys- 
tem so that the tired workers go back to 
their toil in the school-room refreshed 
both mentally and physically. Prof. Smith 
was most successful as manager of this 
delightful school, he being acknowledged 
as one of the most advanced educational 
workers in Ohio, and a man of great e.\- 



ecutive ability. The Professor is now 
(December, 1895) manager of the ''Cen- 
tral Magazine," Cleveland, Ohio. 

Our subject was married, in Wyandot 
county, Ohio, to Miss Dora Staller, who 
was a teacher in that count}'. In politics 
he is a Democrat, and in religious faith he 
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. Sociall}' he affiliates with the 
I. O. O. F. 



WILLIAM SHERBROOK, retired 
farmer, is numbered among the 
early settlers cf Bay township, 
Ottawa county, having been 
identified with its history from an early 
day. He was born in Devonshire, Eng- 
land, near Exeter, August 19, 18 16, and 
is a son of John and Nancy (Nichols) 
Sherbrook, natives of the same locality. 
The father crossed the Atlantic to the 
United States in 1820, and for four years 
engaged in surveying in what is now Ot- 
tawa and Sandusky counties, Ohio, assist- 
ing in the first surveys made in these 
counties. About 1828 he returned to 
England for his family, and the same year 
brought them to America. Six weeks 
were spent upon the water, during which 
experience they encountered several severe 
storms, but at length reached Mirimachi, 
New Brunswick, where they remained 
until the fall of the same year, when they 
removed to Quebec, where the father 
worked on a farm for three years. About 
1832 Mr. Sherbrook took his family to 
Toronto, Canada, and near there pur- 
chased a farm which he operated some 
nine years. In 1841 he again came to 
Ohio, locating in what is now Bay town- 
ship, Ottawa county, but was then a part 
of Sandusky county, and an almost un- 
broken wilderness, the home of Indians 
and the haunt of wild beasts. Here the 
parents spent their remaining days. 

Our subject was a child of some five 
summers when the family came to this 
country. He went through all the trials and 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPEICAL RECORD. 



847 



hardships experienced by frontier settlers, 
and in the school of experience learned 
the lessons which have made him a well- 
informed man, for his educational privi- 
\eges were extremely limited. Throughout 
his active business career he carried on 
general farming, and untiring industry, 
frugality and perseverance in course of 
time brought to him a handsome compe- 
tence which now enables him to live re- 
tired, enjoying the rest which he has truly 
earned and richly deserves. 

Mr. Shcrbrook was married in Bay 
township, Ottawa county, May 6, 1841, 
to Susan Pickard, who was born in Que- 
bec, Canada, and is a daughter of Freder- 
ick and Mary (MacGregor) Pickard. Ten 
children were born to them, as follows: 
John, on February 25, 1843, now a 
prominent farmer of Richfield township, 
Henry Co., Ohio; Joseph, November 5, 
1845, died December 3, 1873; James, 
August 2, 1847, now residing in Bay town- 
ship; Jesse, November 25, 1849, also in 
Bay township; Mary J., August 28, 1851, 
died July 28, 1854; George, June 26, 1853, 
died February 28, 1869; Edwin, April 17, 
1855, died December 27, 1873; Minerva, 
May 15, 1856, died May i, 1859; Harvey, 
May 29, 1858, died June 24, 1881; and 
Reuben, June 27, i860, died in St. Clair, 
Kans. , September 26, 1886. In politics, 
Mr. Sherbrook is a stanch Republican, 
and he attends the United Brethren 
Church. His long residence has made 
him known to a wide circle of acquaint- 
ances, and he has many warm friends. 



JOHN STONE, a very prominent and 
progressive fruit grower of Catawba 
Island, was born March 5, 1821, 
about fourteen miles from Simcoe, 
in the Province of Ontario, Canada, and 
is a son of John and Leah (Manuel) Stone, 
the former a native of Ontario, the latter 
of Nova Scotia. 

When our subject was a child of six 
years his father removed to Cleveland, 



Ohio, where he remained about six years, 
and then returned to Canada. Seven 
years later he took up his residence at 
Vermilion, Ohio. During the greater 
part of his early life he was engaged in 
sailing on the lakes, and he placed the 
first stones of the Cleveland pier in posi- 
tion. Subsequently he abandoned that 
pursuit and took up agriculture, which he 
followed at Port Huron until called to his 
final rest. His wife died in Canada about 
1 870, at a very advanced age. They had 
a family of six children, three of whom 
are yet living: Amelia, widow of the late 
John McDonald, a resident of St. Will- 
iams, Ontario; John, subject of this 
sketch; and George, a captain and vessel 
owner, member of the firm of Bradley, 
Cobb & Co. 

John Stone accompanied his parents 
on their various removals during his boy- 
hood, and when yet a mere lad went with 
his father on the lakes. In later years he 
followed sailing, engaging in that pursuit 
until 1844, when he came to Ottawa 
county, Ohio. For one year he lived in 
Marblehead, where he worked at the 
carpenter's trade, and while there residing 
was married March 5, 1845, to Mary E. 
Hanson. In the fall of that year he re- 
visited Canada, but in June, 1846, again 
came to Ohio, locating this time at Plast- 
erbed, where he worked as a ship carpen- 
ter for two years. In 1848 he removed 
to Port Clinton, where he made his home 
for about eight years, and during that 
period served as deputy sheriff some four 
years. The remainder of the time he 
was engaged in threshing and fishing. 
Previous to his permanent location in Put 
in Bay Mr. Stone rented land, with fish- 
ing privileges, on which he built a shanty 
and began his work, driving his stakes 
with a maul. He finally purchased a sail- 
boat in which he carried his fish to San- 
dusky. In 1857 he made a permanent 
location and continued to follow his 
chosen pursuit on Lake Erie until 1892. 
In March of that year, he abandoned all 



848 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



other work, and has since devoted his at- 
tention exclusively to fruit growing. 

Mr. Stone has filled the office of coun- 
ty commissioner for some years, and was 
justice of the peace six years. He is a 
member of Oliver H. Perry Lodge, No. 
347, F. & A. M., and in his political 
views is a Democrat. His long residence 
in the locality where his home is has made 
him widely known, and his genuine worth 
has won hnn high regard. 



M 



YI^ON E. CLEMONS, one of 
the highly-esteemed citizens of 
Danbury township, Ottawa 
county, where he is successfully 
engaged in fruit growing, was born Feb- 
ruary 25, 1838, and is a son of Alexander 
and Almira Angeline (Hollister) demons. 
The district schools of the neighborhood 
afforded him his educational privileges, 
and on leaving the school-room he en- 
gaged in the business of fishing on the 
lakes, which he successfully followed until 
1862, in which year an irrepressible desire 
to serve his country caused his enlistment 
on the I 3th of August. 

He became a member of Company G, 
One Hundred and Twenty-third O. V. I., 
and, with his regiment, participated in 
many engagements, including the battles 
of Winchester, Newmarket, Piedmont, 
Lynchburg, Snicker's Ferry, Berryville, 



Opequon, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, 
Petersburg, High Bridge and Appomattox, 
all in Virginia. He was wounded at 
the battle of Thatcher Run, and remained 
in the hospital for some little time. He 
was also captured by the Rebels at the 
battle of Winchester, in 1862, and after 
about thirty-two days spent in Libby 
prison was paroled. He then rejoined 
his regiment, and was mustered out at 
Columbus, June 12, 1865, at which time 
he was in the hospital. He was a faith- 
ful soldier, always loyally found at his 
post of duty. On becoming convalescent 
he returned to Marblehead, and for some 
years carried on the dual occupation of 
fishing and farming, but for the past seven 
years he has devoted his entire attention 
to farming and fruit growing. 

Mr. demons was married in Dan- 
bury township, Ottawa county, December 
16, 1868, to Rena E. Fox, who was 
there born, June 6, 1844, a daughter of 
James S. and Anna (James) Fox, both 
natives of Ontario, Canada. In 1844 
they located in Danbury township, where 
they spent their remaining days, the 
father passing away February 11. 1884, 
the mother June 11, 1888. Mr. demons 
has efficiently filled several positions of 
trust in his township, and is at present 
acting as a councilman in the corporation. 
In his political views he is an unswerving 
Republican, and he and his wife are mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 



\ 



INDKX. 



PAGE. 

Ahrens, Carsten 708 

Ahrens, Henry 708 

Ahrens, John 708 

Aigler, Amos 469 

Aiyler, Isaac 469 

Aldrich, Hon. George F.. 294 

Aleshire, W.J 463 

Alexander, David 371 

Allen, S. D., M. D 688 

Allyn, Charles L 402 

Allvn, Frederick A 401 

Allyn, Mrs. Sarah 401 

Ahnroth, Conrad 822 

Almroth, Henry H 818 

Alniroth, Peter 818 

Althoff, William H 369 

Ames. David 701 

Ames, Darlin L 355 

Ames, Joel L 355 

Ames, Lysander L, 702 

Ames, W. V. B., M. D. . . . 26 

Ames, William 790 

Anderson, G. A 634 

Anderson, Henry 634 

Andrews, John 809 

Anspach, Allen 831 

Anspach,John P 830 

Ansted, J 80S 

Arnold, Mrs. Mary 815 

Arnold, Peter 815 

Babcock, Elisha 143 

Babcock, Merlin 142 

Babcock, Reuben M 590 

Bailey, George W 478 

Baile V, Lorenzo S 478 

Bailey, Mrs. Mary E 478 

Baker, Charles E., M. D. 363 

Baker, James 767 

Baker, Peter 817 

Baker, Samuel 767 

Baker, William J 637 

Baldwin F'amily 436 

Baldwin, Nelson T 436 

Ball, Miss Eveline 650 

Ball, Lysander C 649 

Barnes, Richard 612 



TACZ. 

Barnes, Sag-ishmael 692 

Barnum, John 779 

Barre, Paul de la, M. D. . 379 

Bartson, John 283 

Baskey, Frederick G 287 

Batzole, John 717 

Bauman, John F 431 

Baumann, J. & Son 257 

Baumann, Albert V 144 

Baumann, Jacob 144 

Baumann, Jacob, Jr 258 

Baumann, Jacob, Sr 257 

Bearss, Gideon H 676 

Bearss, Hart 675 

Beaugrand Family 42 

Beauprand, Peter, M. D. 42 

Beclistein, Andrew 586 

Beck, Samuel 723 

Becker, Aaron 774 

Becker, Christopher 774 

Beebe, Bela B 670 

Beebe, George A 576 

Beebe, Willis 577 

Behrman, Henrj- 580 

Beier, Frederick 535 

Beier, Otto 535 

Beier, Peter J 201 

Beier, William 827 

Bell, Abraham 495 

Bell, R 495 

Bemis, Daniel 177 

Bemis. J. D., M. D 85 

Bender, John 806 

Betts Family 199 

Betts, Mrs. Lavinia D . . . 199 

Betts, Peter 6% 

Betts, Richard E 198 

Bickford, George 595 

Billings, O-scar 496 

Binklej-, Mrs. Diana E. . . 735 

Biiikley, John 816 

Birchard, Sardis 55 

Bittinger, D. H 454 

Blank, Abraham 155 

Blank, Amos 202 

Blank, William 202 



PAGE. 

Bleckner, Charles 50] 

Bleckner, William 811 

Bleher, John C 587 

Bloom, George J 172 

Bloom, John 506 

Bolte, Fred 497 

Boop, Joseph E 443 

Boor, Samuel 212 

Bordner, Michael 210 

Bordt. Henry 804 

Bork, Frederick 318 

Boschen, Claus H 518 

Boschen, John 518 

Bowe. David W 484 

Bowe, George 210 

Bowe, George, Sr 238 

Bowe, Henry 642 

Bowe, Jacob 238 

Bowe. Michael 812 

Bowland, John 756 

Bowland, Thomas 561 

Bowlus, Clarence L 441 

Bowlus, Henry 767 

Bowlus, Warren A 314 

Bowser, George F 526 

Bradford, Warren J 304 

Brady, J. H 402 

Brady, Philip 152 

Bredbeck, August 703 

Bredbeck, Henry 664 

Bretz, Caroline S8S 

Bretz, Frederick 585 

Brinkman, Henry 250 

Brinkman, John 251 

Brown, Daniel 393 

Brown, Frank 577 

Brown, Dr. Franklin 273 

Brown, Le Roy N 273 

Brown, Mrs. Melissa I. . 394 

Brown, Theodore 186 

Brubaker, Homer 183 

Brugger, John G 315 

Brunthaver. Adam 420 

Brunthaver. Orrin James 422 

Brunthaver, Peter 421 

Buchman, G. F 317 



850 



COMMEMOBATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



PAGE. 

Biichnian, Joseph M 360 

Buck, Claus 368 

Biickland, Georg-e 11 

Biickland. Judge Horaces 30 

Buckland, Gen. U. P 7 

Buddeiihagen, Carl 402 

Bumg-ardner, William... 288 

Bunte, Herman 69S 

Burggraf, Henry 798 

Burggraf, Matliias, Jr. . . 800 

Burgner, Jacob 4.55 

Burgner, Peter 456 

Burgoon Family 38 

Burgoon, Major I. H . . . . 40 

Burgoon. Peter 39 

Burkett, Samuel 765 

Burman, George A 200 

Caldwell, William 29 

Caldwell, William, M. D. 29 

Campbell. James 125 

Campbell, Dr. D. P 242 

Camper, Fred W 540 

Canty, William 806 

Castle, A. J 224 

Chri.sty, Ru.ss J 834 

Clapper, Jacob C 510 

Clark, Jo.seph R 358 

Clark, Mrs. Joseph R. . . . 359 

Clark, William 37S 

Clark, William W 359 

Clauss, J. H 151 

Cleaver, Mrs. Elizabeth.. 359 

demons, Albert A 640 

demons, Alexander 86 

demons Family 364 

demons, Hubbard M 364 

demons, Joseph 281 

demons, Mrs. Joseph 281 

Clemmons, Myron E 848 

demons, William A 86 

Cleveland, dark R 308 

Cleveland, George D 122 

Cleveland, James 123 

Clink, Charles 203 

Clink, Jacob 279 

Clink, Reuben 343 

Cole, Capt. John L 681 

Cole, Sardis B 682 

Collier, W. A 786 

Cook, Frederick 629 

Cooper, Ranald L 519 

Cooper, William A 517 

Couche, Alphonse 404 

Couclie, Mrs. Antonie.... 405 

Covers, Samuel 755 

Cramer, Jacob 213 

Creager, Dr. Frank 103 

Croll, Henry 514 

Culbort, Elijah 88 

Cullcnen, Patrick C 736 

Cunningham, P. L., M.D. 743 

Curtice. Joshua E 770 

Curtice, Mrs. Mary E 771 

Curtiss, Fred 116 

Dam.schroder, Christ 671 

Damschroder, C. H 671 



P.\GE. 

Dana, Daniel H 776 

Dana, George T 776 

Decker, Edward 387 

Decker, Hon. Jacob 726 

Deel, George 503 

Degroft, Joseph 413 

Degrof t, Lewis 341 

Degroft, Mrs. Mary 413 

Dennis Family 685 

Dennis, Net E 686 

Dewey, Thomas P 479 

Deyo, Hiram P 208 

Deyo, Dr. John P 208 

Dick, Lorenzo 20 

Dickinson, Abner J 461 

Dickinson, Louis A 461 

Dierker, Henrv 645 

Dillon, Mrs. Charles M... 11 
Dirlam, Capt, Charles L. 467 

Dirlam, Orrin 205 

Dodge, Mrs. Mary 1 408 

Dodge, Nathan 408 

Doell, Peter 731 

Dohn, Frederick 264 

Dohn, Frederick W 262 

Dohn. Mrs. Mary E 263 

Doll, John 61 

Doll, Samuel 61 

Dolph, Aaron 536 

Dolph, Addison R 400 

Dolph, Mrs. Lovina 536 

Donaldson, George 199 

Doncyson Family 13 

Doncy.son, Oscar J 12 

Donnels, Gilbreth S 278 

Donnels, James 278 

Donnels, John L 278 

Dorr, Henry 275 

Dorr, Henry S 242 

Dorr, Philip 241 

Driftmeyer. William ISO 

Dubrie, Gabriel 653 

Dudrow, Byron R 146 

Duncan, James S 827 

Dunham, Hon. Almon... 310- 

Dutcher, Ira S 500 

Dwight. Wilson 108 

Dvmond, John 219 

Edgerton, H. G., D. D. S. 99 

Eldridge, Anson 717 

Elkington, John, Sr 516 

Ellithorpe, Cyrus 695 

EUithorpe, George 430 

Ellithorpe, Russel 803 

Ellsworth, Elijah D 772 

Ellsworth. I. H 772 

Ellsworth, Norman E 240 

Elwell. Harlev HoUister. 365 

Elwell, Willia'm G 669 

Emch. Benedict 243 

Emch, Fred 843 

Emch, Nicholas 319 

Emch, Solomon 444 

Engel, C. P 745 

Englebeck, Herman W. . 641 
Epler, Benjamin 808 



PAGE. 

Ernsthausen, William 624 

Ervin, N. B., M. D 254 

Esker, Mathias 751 

Everett, Hon. Homer 3?S 

Everett, Mrs. Minerva E. 29 

Fabing, Frederick 163 

Faler, Jonathan 353 

Fall, Edwin H 613 

Faller, Fred N 551 

Fangboner, John 251 

Fark, Henry 733 

Fans, J. H 378 

Feilbach, Andrew 700 

Feilbach, Philip 700 

Fenn, Amos 476 

Fenn, A. A 476 

Ferguson, Alice B 51 

Ferguson, A. R., M. D... 51 

Ferris. A. L 513 

Ferris, James 512 

Fetterly, David 531 

Fetterly. Stephen 531 

Fetterman, George 786 

Fetterman, John 786 

Fisher, John C 286 

Fisher. John G 815 

Fitterer, Theophilus 312 

Fleckner, August 593 

Floro, Isaac M 665 

Floro, John 836 

Floro, John E 837 

Flumerfelt, Cornelius. .. . 374 

Flumerfelt, Daniel V 374 

Flumerfelt, Mrs. Melinda. 375 

Foncannon, Joseph 432 

Foos, Casper 580 

Forgerson, Grant 153 

Forgrave, Robert A 157 

Foster, Samuel 216 

Fouche, Byron A. 98 

Fought, Amos 735 

Fought, Paul 735 

Fought, Samuel 474 

Fought, Mrs. Susan 474 

Fox, Nicholas 666 

Frabish. Mrs. Hester 124 

Frabish, John 124 

Franck, Ernst 521 

French, A. B 161 

Frese, Hon. Augustus F. 722 

Frese, Charles F 511 

Frev. George 356 

Fro'nizer, Fred R 101 

Fry. Henry 460 

Fry, John H 784 

Fry, William H 450 

Fuller, Tavlor 65 

Fuller, William 65 

Gabel, Jacob 104 

Gabel, John 195 

Gabel, John M 195 

Gahn, L. F., M. D 757 

Gallant, George W 563 

Garn, Daniel 1 228 

Garn, David. Jr 107 

Garn, Judge John 1 51 



INDEX. 



851 



PAGE. 

Gasser, John 387 

Gasser, Mrs. Mary L 388 

Geiger, John 139 

Geiger, John J 746 

Gerber Family 322 

German, Henry 447 

Gernhard, C 719 

Gernhard, Matthias 719 

Gerwin, Louis 784 

Gerwin, William 784 

Gerwin, Herman H 265 

Gerwin, J. F 334 

Gessner, Moritz A 442 

Gibbons, H. G 180 

Gibb.s, Jason 229 

Gibbs, Jonas 229 

Gill, Samuel R 564 

Gillard, Mrs. Clara H., 

M. D 655 

Gillard, David, M. D 654 

Gillett, Captain W. E 464 

Gnepper, Francis 492 

Goate, John 795 

Gordon, David 102 

Gordon Family. . . 102 

Gordon, Washing-ton .... 78 

Gordon, William 793 

Goslin, George 385 

Gossard, Alviu P 305 

Gossard, W. H. K 359 

Gottron, John F 141 

Grant, George W 366 

Graves, Charles H 625 

Gregg, William A 779 

Grover, Archie N 746 

Grover, A. M 745 

Grover, Enos 490 

Grover, Enos J 292 

Grover Family 489 

Grover, Trunian 292 

Hadden, Nathaniel Amos 498 

Hagel, Louis 462 

Hagel, Richard 462 

Hague, Josiah 845 

Haines, Edward P 716 

Haines, Joseph H 715 

Halbeisen, Adolph 793 

Halbeisen, Nicholas 793 

Hale, A.J 143 

Hall, Ezra 724 

Hall, William E 725 

Hammond, Henry 601 

Harlan, George 289 

Harmon, Jacob 635 

Harnden, Cyrus L., M. D. 491 

Harrison, Henrj* F SOS 

Harrison, Orlin W 481 

Harrison, William M 431 

Hartman, John H 678 

Hartman, Rudolph 678 

Hartshorn, Mrs. A. J 127 

Hartshorn, Byron 797 

Hartshorn, Fletcher 126 

Hartshorn. Mrs. Mary... 798 

Ha.selbach, Charles 435 

Havens, Birchard 353 



PACH. 

Havens, Frank R 348 

Havens, Henry 120 

Havens, William J 119 

Hawk, Alva J 347 

Hawk Family 222 

Hawk, J. Marion 222 

Hayes, Mrs. Lucy Webb. 64 
Hayes, Gen. Rutherford B. 62 

Heileman, August 783 

Heim, Frank 54 

Heim, J. R 411 

Heim, William B 69 

Heller, F. S., M. D 821 

Heller, George B 821 

Hellwig, Augustus 672 

Hellwig, Dr. Henry J 601 

Hellwig, Justis 672 

Heminger, Ernst 595 

Henricks, Rev. Noah .... 256 

Henry, Joseph 769 

Hensel, James D 298 

Heter Family 433 

Heter, John 433 

Hetrick, Benjamin F.... 708 

Hetrick, Daniel 709 

Heuman, M 841 

Hiett, George 249 

High, George M 559 

Higley, Hezekiah 188 

Higley, Orson 187 

Hille, John F 311 

Hineline, Cyrus 777 

Hineline, Theo 777 

Hineline, William H 266 

Hintz, Christian 232 

I Hintz Familv 230 

Hintz, William 232 

Hock, Daniel 345 

Hogg, Thomas 187 

Holbrook, William A 545 

Holder, Charles F 698 

Holder, Christian 699 

Holderman, Martin 715 

HoUinshead, Harry C... 380 

Holtkamp, Daniel W 645 

Holtkamp, Frederick.... 644 

Hoover, Joseph 268 

Hornung, A 326 

Hornung. Jacob 326 

House, H. G 332 

Houts, Charles H 410 

Houts, John 410 

Houtz, John 361 

Houtz, Mrs. Mary J 271 

Houtz. Zacharias 270 

Huiford, Cornelius 493 

Hufford Familv 206 

Hufford, George J 840 

Hufford, James 207 

HutTord, Simon 493 

HuiTord, William T 207 

Hughes, Henry 217 

Humberger, Peter 218 

Huinberger, Solomon.... 217 

Hamburg, Adam 842 

Hummel, William 333 



PAGE. 
Hurdelbrink, John W. . . . 773 

Hurlbut, Charles 209 

Huss, Christian 810 

Huss, M. L 810 

Hutchinson, Charles B. . . 204 

Hutchinson Family 204 

lams Brothers 725 

lams, Jasper 726 

Ickes. William H. H 337 

Ingraham, Charles 520 

Ingraham, Isaac W 566 

Inman, Frank M 483 

Inman, James 305 

Inman, William 663 

Jackson, A. H 835 

Jackson, B. F 652 

Jackson, George 314 

Jaeger, Gustavus 540 

Jameson, David 397 

Jameson, Mrs. David. . . . 398 

Jeschke, Edward 228 

Johnson, Alfred C 606 

Johnson, A. P 282 

Johnson, Charles D 542 

Jones, Benjamin 747 

Jones, David B 271 

Jones, J. M 747 

Jones, Samuel F 188 

Jordan, Christopher 657 

Jordan, Fredrick 656 

Jordan, Joseph 226 

Joseph, Charles F 264 

June, David 713 

June Family 712 

June, George 138 

June, Sales A 137 

Justice, Judge James. ... 27 

Kahler, Henry 509 

Karshner, Edgar 753 

Karshner, John 753 

Kastrup, L. W 738 

Keating, C. S Ill 

Keeler, Isaac M 98 

Keightley, George W.... 508 

Keller, Joseph 776 

Keller, Reuben 776 

Kellogg, C. A 732 

Kelly, Joab 557 

Kelly, Hon. John 69 

Kelly, Judge Malcolm.. . . 73 

Kelly, Hon. William 70 

Kemmerling, A. B 157 

Kenan, Charles Delbert.. 291 
Kenan, Mrs. Elizabeth . . 175 

Kenan, George W 174 

Kenan. Peter 291 

Kenan, William 291 

Kernahan, Ambrose 182 

Kerns, Rev. Daniel 158 

Kerns, Mrs. Julia Ann,. . 159 

Kessler, William 554 

Kilgus, Henry 285 

Kindle, Joseph 100 

King, G. W. (Ballville)... 194 

King, G. W. (Rice) 297 

King, Jacob Monroe 352 



852 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



PAGE. 

King-, John A 814 

King, Peter 297 

Kintr. William 658 

Kingham, Joseph, M. D. . 391 
Kir.sting, Simon Henrj'.. 558 

Kirkbride, Thomas E 406 

Kirsch.John 821 

Kiser, Christian 261 

Kleinhans, John 523 

Kleinhans, Peter R 660 

Kleinhans, William 660 

Kline, Henry 280 

Klink, A. J 279 

Klink, Caleb 279 

Klink, Kev. Charles M. . . 176 

Klink, Jacob 279 

Kolb, L :.. 351 

Kopp, John 306 

Kraemer, Adolphus 386 

Kraenier, James H 386 

Kreilick, Adam 530 

Kreilick, Daniel 529 

Krohn. Paul 429 

Kuesthardt, Samuel 403 

Kuhlman, John Henry. . . 239 

Kuhn, John 190 

Lachmiller, William H... 610 
Lamberson, Sharon C. .. . 42 

Lambert, William E 437 

Lammers, Henry 502 

Lammers, Mrs. Mary L. . 503 
Lane, Rev. Samuel T.... 379 

Lattimore, Elijah 677 

Lattimore, John 677 

Laudv. Henry 707 

Laudy. Henry, Jr 707 

Laun'dy, Capt. William J. 118 

LaVitrne, Eli 622 

Lay, John 44 

Lav, William E 44 

LeFever, John 320 

LeTever, Col. William C. 319 

Lehrman, George J 337 

Lejeune, Jacob 761 

Lejeune, Michael 761 

Lemmon, Judge John M. ()07 

Leonard, Sterling C 759 

Levisee, Aaron 66 

Levisee, A. B 94 

Levisee, John L 113 

Lickert, Peter 591 

Lindsley, Elihu 573 

Linke, Louis 255 

Livingstine, Charles 283 

Livingstine, Jacob 283 

Lockwood, Mrs. Edith... 763 

Lockwood, Edward J 72 

Lockwood, John Wickliffe 398 

Lockwood, Col. S. K 398 

Lockwood, Judge Wm F.. 762 

Long, David 697 

Long, Frank R 764 

Long, George W 393 

Long, James W 734 

Long, John W 764 

Long, Louis 698 



PAGE. 

Long, Mrs. Mary L 393 

Long, Rev. Michael 53 

Long, Rev. N. S 54 

Lonz, Peter F 397 

Losli, Christian 766 

Loudensleger, Daniel. .. . 22 
Loudensleger. Edward. .. 22 

Love, D. B 693 

Love, E. G 390 

Love, Rev. Nathaniel, B. 

C. D.D 389 

Loveland, John B 140 

Loveland, J. Elmer 141 

Loveland, N. E 141 

Lowe, Daniel M 636 

Luckey Family 711 

Luckey , John 543 

Luckey, O. L 543 

Lullman, Henry H 369 

Lullman, Miss Regina R. 369 
Lutes lor Lutz), Albert.. . 743 

Lutz, John 743 

McCartney, Cyrus H 357 

McDonald, Alexander 801 

McDonald, James 802 

McGormley, George.. .. 810 

McGormley, L. S 810 

McGrady, D. H 348 

McKenzic, John 579 

McRitchic, David 684 

McRitchie, James H 684 

Magee, John H 548 

Magruder, James H 547 

Magruder, Samuel A... 547 

Malcolm, Alexander 160 

Malcolm, John 160 

Mallernee, Oliver M 302 

Mallory, George 570 

Martin, Edwin 297 

Martin, Franklin H 660 

Martin, George 296 

Martin, John C 660 

Ma.son, N. B 190 

Maurer, Adam 808 

Maurer. William 485 

Meek, Basil 14 

Meek. John 14 

Meek, R. B., M. D 16 

Meeker, John 754 

Meilander, Casper H 653 

Mellish, John W 288 

Messersmith, Edward G.. 376 

Messersmith, Henry 377 

Metcalf , Frank M .' 170 

Metzger, A. E., M. D. C. 312 

Metzger, Jacob G 1% 

Metzger, Samuel 1% 

Meyer, Ambrose 768 

Meyer, George F 372 

Meyer, Jacob 768 

Meyer, Joachim 442 

Miarer, Philipp 298 

Michael, Fred 726 

Michael, Joseph 726 

Michaels, Philip 487 

Milius, Valentin 791 



PAGE. 

Miller, Anson H 25 

Miller, Claus 573 

Miller, Conrad 600 

Miller, Ferdinand L 626 

Miller, George 775 

Miller, Henry 206 

Miller, Henry W 320 

Miller, Henry J 370 

Miller, Isaac 458 

Miller, John H 367 

Miller, Mrs. John H 368 

Miller, Joseph 802 

Miller, Mrs. Joseph .... 802 

Miller, Mrs. Lorenz 801 

Miller, Lorenz 800 

Miller, Lyman F 320 

Miller, Samuel 538 

Miller, William 370 

Miller, William G 572 

Miller, Capt. Wilson S. . . 438 

Miner, C. A 425 

Minier, John 709 

Minier, Samuel 640 

Mitchell, John 594 

Mohn, John B 344 

Molitor, Casper 486 

Momeny, George 451 

Momeny, Joseph 451 

Mook, Henry 192 

Moore, Charles T 426 

Moore, Mrs. E. B 461 

Moore, Immer C 399- 

Moore, Mrs. Immer C. . . . 400 

Moore, James 426 

Moore, Capt. Le Roy 427 

Moore, Manville 428 

Moore, Robert B 399 

Morrison. Roderick 670 

Mugg, Elder John 415 

Mugg, William A 415 

Muggy, Daniel 617 

Muggy, George E 618 

Muggy, John C 617 

Muggy, J. W 828 

Muller, Caspar 792 

Myerholts, George 612 

Myerholts, Henrv 619 

Myerholts, John E 619 

Myers, Aaron 346 

Myers, C. R 824 

Myers, Dr. L. B 823 

Myers, Samuel 346 

Mylander, Frederick .... 7% 

My lander, John F 796 

Mylander, Henry 635 

Mylander, H. C 718 

Mylander, Herman H. . . . 381 
Myrose, Mrs. Angeline.. 428 

Myrose, Louis 428 

Naylor, Henry F 313 

Naylor, Samuel 728 

Naylor, William P 727 

Neff, G. W 819 

Neidecker, John A 820 

Neidecker, Peter 820 

Nellis, Mrs. Mariar E 566- 



INDEX. 



858 



PAGK. 


PAGE. 


PAGE. 


Newman, Joliu 


549 


Putman. Michael. Jr. . . . 


662 


Rymers, William W 


. 739 


Nichols. Reuben 


763 


Rademacher, Charles H. 


494 


Saddoris, Albert W 


586 


Nickel, Fred 


794 


Rademacher, Henry.,.. 


494 


Saddoris, James W 


. 702 


Nickel Louis 


794 


Raether, Rev. Paul. 


488 


Sampsel, Jacob 

Sarapsel, Joshua D 


754 


Nickles,John G 


351 


Raffertv, (iuv P 


452 


477 


Nickles, Peter 


350 
350 


Rama^e, James 


115 
769 


Sandvvisch, F. W 

Sandwisch, R. W 


329 


Nickles, Mrs. Sarah 


Ransom, Hiram 


96 


Nieiiian, Henry W 


553 


Rathbun, Saxton Squire 


67 


Sanford, Carmi G 


. 679 


Nieset, John Henry 


338 


Rawson, Major Eugene 


Sanford, Zachariah 


679 


Nissen, Nicolai 


705 


Allen 


84 


Sauerwein, William John 599 


Noble, William 


504 


Rawson, Joseph L 


82 


Schiele, Andrew 


408 


Nofrfrle, Joseph 


233 


Rawson, Dr. L. Q 


82 


Schiele, Andrew, Jr. . . . 


409 


Nuhfer, Captain Andrew 


91 


Rearick, George L, 


340 


Schiele, Louis 


828 


Nuhfer, Anthony C 


301 


Reed, B. M 


760 


Schmidt, August 


405 


O'Brien, Rev. Patrick.. 


60 


Reed, Enibra T 


110 


Schneider, Leonhard... 


193 


O'Calla^han, Francis M 


668 


Reed, Hon. Solomon W. 


110 


Schneider, Sylvia 


697 


O'Farrell, Frank 


837 


Reef, Jacob 


267 


Schoch, William 


440 


Oberst, Conrad 


131 


Reeves, EH 


130 


Schroeder, Henry 


180 


Oberst, John 


131 


Rehberg, John H 


403 


Schroeder. William 


840 


Oberst, Michael, Jr 


327 


Rehberg, Mrs. John H. . 


403 


Schwane, William 


550 


Oberst, Michael, Sr 


327 


Rehberg, William 


470 


Schwartz, Edward 


444 


Og^den, Jectha 


643 


Reinbolt, M. J 


195 


Schwarz, Christian 


301 


Og-den, Jeptha L 


643 


Reynolds, George 


109 


Scrymger, Alexander. . . 


665 


Orth, Albert B 


844 


Rice, George H 


394 


Seager, Frank E 


101 


Orth, John 


537 


Rice, James M., M. D. . . 


20 


Seelcy, (Jeorge L 


507 


Otten, Capt. B. S 


97 


Rice, John B.. M. D 


18 


Seiple, Martin 


422 


Overniver. Amos A 


570 


Rice, Robert H., M. D... 


19 


Setliman, Carsten H. . . . 


667 


Ovennver. John H 


569 


Rice, Robert S., M. D... 


17 


Sethmau, Henry 


667 


Palmer, James, M. D. . . 


630 


Rice, William A 


20 


Shaenfeld, Henry P 


533 


Patterson, Reuben 


650 


Richards, Albert E 


475 


Shaenfeld, P. A 


533 


Payne, Charles E 


539 


Richards, George 


252 


Shale, Valentine 


339 


Pearce, Philo S 


778 
742 
788 
581 


Richards, William L, 

Richardson, David 

Richardson. Robert 

Rideout, John G 


299 
782 
781 
460 


Shannon, Captain O. L. . 

Sheldon, William B 

Sheperman, Frederick. . . 
Sherbrook, William 


145 


Peart. Benjamin. . . . 


551 


Peck, William 


741 


Peirce, Elliott F 


846 


Pelton, Dr. James K 


772 


Rife Family 


473 


Sherck, Joseph 


759 


Perniar, J. N., D. D. S... 


832 


Rife, Robert L 


472 


Sherrard, D. A. C 


134 


Peters. Adolph 


335 


Rimmelspacher, George. . 


258 


Sherrard.Mrs.NarcissaT 


136 


Peterson, Julius M 


569 


Rinebolt, Solomon 


832 


Sherrard Family 


134- 


Peterson, Peter 


569 


Robinson. Laurel E.,M.D 


80 


Sherrard, Robert W 


136 


Pettibone, Albert 


527 


Rogers, B. F 


804 


Sherwood, Norman C... 


76 


Pettibone, Geo. A 


527 


Roose, Charles 


534 


Sherwood, William D 


74 


Pfeifer, Andrew 


227 


Roose, Ernst 


588 


Siegrist, Emma 


397 


Pfeifer Family 


555 


Roose, Frederick W 


799 


Siegrist, John 


3% 


Pfeifer John H 


555 
522 


Roose William 


589 


Sivalls, John T 

Slackford, Capt. Wm. J.. 
Slackford, Mrs. W. J . . . . 


466 


Phile, Henry E 


Root, Eben 


414 


557 


Phillips, Wilbert 


277 


Rosen berger, James 


683 


557 




826 
826 




48 
48 


Slates, Joseph 

Slessman, George 


730 


Pickard, George 


Ross, Prof. W. W 


21 


Pickard, Jacob S 


604 


Rudes, George M 


383 


Sliger, Joseph 


602 


Pierson, Alfred 


632 


Rudiforth, Michael 


703 


Smart, Aaron 


179 


' -rson, Nathan 


631 


Rudy, John F 


574 


Smith, Daniel 


603 


i • son, Nathan F 


689 


Ruh, Carl 


396 


Smith, David 


296 


P. M 1 ; an, William W 


156 


Rnh, Mrs. Christina 


3% 


Smith, Dominick 


218 


I'ort' r. Leander S., M. D S52 


Ruh, Joseph 


718 


Smith, Frank H 


424 


Po,"tcr Theodore S 


706 


Ruh, Miss Marie L 


396 


Smith, Frederick 


173 


P,, i-ter, Wheeler 


552 


Rule, Daniel 


147 


Smith, George B 


178 


P,. V.-- .. 


646 


Runner, A. G 


748 


Smith, Hugh 


568 


;■ ,; , -.'f R 


646 

248 


Ru.ssell, David R 

Russell, Edward H 


108 
165 


Smith, John(DanburyTp) 
Smith, John 


764 




599 




246 
246 


Russell Henry S 


165 
755 


Smith, John C 

Smith, J. C 


179 


i ...in_ I . '' A. . 


Russell, Ira P 


259 




,./4 


Ruter, Francis 


740 
633 


Smith. Patrick 

Smith, Washington D . . . 


764 


Pratt, K 


Ryan, Edward P 


605 


Prior, V 


145 


Ryan, Laurence D 


633 


Smith, Prof. W. V 


845 


Putiiian. 


2 


Ryan, Stephen J 


825 1 


Snider, Andrew 


720- 



854 



COMMEMORATIVE BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 



PAGE. 

Snider. Phillip R 691 

Snider, Theodore L 691 

Snyder, Jatnes 185 

Snyder, John 184 

Sonocrant, Richard B 448 

Sparks. Randall 479 

Spieldenner. Peter 79 

Spohn. Jonathan 276 

Spohn, L. W. W 620 

Sprangf, Wendel 151 

Sprout. Samuel 189 

Stahl, Scott 820 

Stang-, John 614 

Stang-, John J 617 

Starr & Tunnington 165 

Starr, H. J 166 

Stearns, Ira 742 

Stevenson, Dr. Matthew 471 
Stevenson, Richard Boyd 471 

Stewart, Jacob S 627 

Stieflf. M. R 237 

Stierwalt. Moses 731 

Stierwalt. W. L., M. D . . 731 
Stillwell, Thomas, M. D. 34 

Stokes, Franklin 813 

Stone, Edward 621 

Stone, John 847 

Storer, Samuel 468 

Stout. Joseph A 440 

Streeter, Christopher. . . . 134 

Strohl, Isaac F 716 

Strohl, Isaac 752 

Stull, Jacob, Sr 412 

StuU Brothers 411 

Sullivan, Jeremiah, Jr. . . 833 

Sylvester, Joseph W 544 

Taulker, Harmon Henry . 340 

Tavlor, Caleb 106 

Taylor, Enoch 107 

Taylor, S. B., M. D 81 

Taylor, Zacharv 175 

Teachout, Silas' M 220 

Tebbe, Fred 758 

Teetzell, John K., M. D. . 598 

Terrill. Stephen D 464 

Terry, S. M 417 

Thierwechter.AbrahamD 688 
Thierwechter, Emery. .. . 687 
Thierwechter, Michael D. 686 
Thotnas, O. H., M. D.... 547 
Thompson, Leraan M. . . . 565 

Thorp, James B 524 

Thraves, Georg-e 168 

Thraves Family 168 

Thraves, Levi H 690 

Thraves, Mark 166 

Thraves, Thomas 307 

Thraves, William 168 

Tinnev, Alfred W 118 

Tinnev, Darwin S 295 

Tinne'y, Edwin C 129 



P.\GE. 

Tinnev. Jackson 117 

Tinnev. Mrs. Sarah 118 

Titus, James 721 

Toeppe, Joseph G 579 

Truax, Jacob H 749 

Truax, Lewis 750 

True, Edwin Marvin 588 

True, George A 576 

True, Oliver J 575 

Tschumy, Charles R 638 

Tschumv, Frederick 638 

Tucker Family 214 

Tucker, Mrs. Miranda . . . 215 

Tucker, Nelson R 214 

Tunnington, F. M 166 

Tuttle, Frank J 831 

Tuttle, Julius 831 

Valiquette, Barney 628 

Valiquette, James 628 

Van Doren, Orion 293 

Van Epps, H. A 148 

Vantine, Frank 789 

Vantine, Jesse B 789 

Vickerv, John 236 

Vickerv, James P 844 

Vig-ne.'EHLa 622 

Vog'el. Christian 529 

Vogel, John P 52S 

Vog-t, William 354 

Vroman, Phillip 573 

Wagg-oner, George H. . . . 328 

Waggoner, Samuel 328 

Walters, George 225 

Walters, Louis 225 

Ward, Amos 46 

Ward, Lewis W 46 

Watson, Gavin 409 

Watson, William 410 

Weatherwax, Lawrence . 659 
Weatherwax, Mrs. Nancy 659 

Wedekind, Edward 693 

Wehrle, A 780 

Wehrle, Mrs. E 406 

Wehrle, Herman 781 

Weickert, Carl 316 

Weis, Fred 829 

Weis, F.J 829 

Welch, Charles H 300 

Welker, Frank 239 

Weller, John... 133 

Weller, M. D 132 

Welles, John 582 

Wendler, John 290 

Wendt. Herman 566 

Wendt. John H 565 

Wengerd, Rev. Emanuel. 154 

Wheeler, Charles 647 

Wheeler, John L 647 

White, C. B., M. D 807 

Whitehead, Joseph 269 



PAGE. 

Whitehead, T. C 704 

Whitehead, William H. . . 357 

Whittaker, Casper 699 

Whitmore, John P 752 

Whittemore, F. J., M. D. 114 

Wiglar.d, John H 439 

Willey, Eleazar 331 

Willey, Richard 331 

Williams. Enos E 596 

Williams, Eugene 597 

Wilson, Jas. W., M, D. . . 32 

Wilt, George F 797 

Wilt. Harrison 797 

Winchell. David J 349 

Winnie, A. G 378 

Winstone, William G.... 4.53 

Winter, Henry A 253 

Wires, George W 362 

Wires, Olive 363 

Witte, Alfred G 674 

Witty, Henry 751 

Wittv,John 751 

Wolcotte Family 558 

Wolf,Bernhard 792 

Wolf, Joseph 792 

Wolfe, Conrad 322 

Wolfe, Daniel M 324 

Wolfe, Levi 76 

Wolfe, Michael 76 

Wonnell, Henrv 839 

Wonnell, Mrs. Mary S . . . 572 

Wonnell, William 571 

Wood, Amos E 711 

Wood, De Wilton 710 

Wood, Samuel T 446 

Woodford, William 197 

Woodward, George, M. D. 737 

Woodward. Mrs. George. 738 

Woodward, Horace, M. D. 738 

Worman, William E 838 

Worst, John W 652 

Wott, Henry L 334 

Wright, Lewis K 169 

Wright, Solomon S 121 

Wright, \V. R 122 

Wriglev Brothers 99 

Yaecke'r, Rev. Ernest W. 603 

Yates, Dr. Porter 453 

Yeagle, J. M 21' 

Yetter. Samuel J ? 

York, Charles I 

Young, Anton 

Young, George 

Young, John . •>j.6 

Zimmerman, Go' . !82 

Zimmerman, J J7 + 

Zimmerman, ^^ : :aiii, .. 7,J;5 
Zimmerraani Hon. Joi. .- ''? 

Zipfel, All- I- 

Zora, Ph;i •. li ,-.<•..., 



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